Stylist and designer Hilary Ashlund has been creating notable visuals for photography and film, and transforming houses into beautiful homes since 1990.

A Chicago native, Hilary grew up working in the family printing business. Her entrée into the art world at the age of six – when her father published her artwork as a holiday card – inspired her passion for styling and design. She continued developing her skills and before she knew it, found herself playing with the big kids in the advertising industry.

Hilary’s early career in visual merchandising helped develop her distinctive talent for creating vignettes for prop styling and residential design. She soon made the transition to freelance prop styling and started Fini-table ltd, to accommodate larger projects. In addition to packaging, catalogs, and trade shows, her work includes numerous cookbooks for Marlboro and Publications International along with designing corporate productions for The Pampered Chef.

Hilary’s commercial success soon presented an unexpected opportunity – her clients began asking her to bring the elegant and impactful designs she was known for into their homes.

As an interior designer, Hilary employs a very personal approach to help families improve the functionality, comfort and beauty of their homes. Almost as well versed in architecture and construction as she is in design, Hilary uses a mix of creativity and practicality to solve the design challenges that can be found in the older homes of Chicago’s North Shore. Further, her understanding of spatial design, project logistics and building parameters allows her to serve as an effective liaison between clients, architects and contractors.

Regardless of the venue or discipline in which she is working, Hilary’s vision, passion for detail, ability to transform simple products into exceptional images, and talent for turning ideas into reality never ceases to amaze her clients.

There’s no better tabletop stylist in Chicago. I was so lucky to have Hilary do my windows and merchandising for the 20 years I owned Tabula Tua. She has an eye for color, form, and product merchandising that I haven’t seen elsewhere.
Grace, Tsao-Wu
It has been my great fortune to have worked with Hilary Ashlund on a number of projects over the past several years. Most of these were styling and propping projects for photography, video and stage. Her work is always fresh and creative. Hilary also possesses a joyful attitude that makes her great fun to work with. Her sense of taste is extraordinary yet she always manages to budget. I would not and will not hesitate to call her for any styling, merchandising or interior design project that comes our way.
Scott Thompson, Zoom 7
Hilary has exceeded my expectations on every project. Her amazing sense of style and color together with her tireless work ethic has made Hilary my first choice for styling over 20 years.
Susan Kinast, Photographer at WAK Pictures
Hilary Ashlund is a true gem and nothing short of magical in her ability to make ordinary into extraordinary. She continues to amaze me even after all these years of working with each other. She has exquisite taste and style with great attention to detail. Her professionalism and grace make it effortless for me to hire her for on all my small or large projects. I am so lucky to have crossed paths with such a visionary and blessed to call her a friend.
Shauna Fah, The Pampered Chef
Working with Hilary is beyond a pleasure! She worked with our house’s somewhat awkward layout, transforming our home into a gracious, beautiful and welcoming space. Her impeccable eye for design, commitment to our happiness and satisfaction, respect for our budget, and practical knowledge of architectural and construction requirements, all came together to create a wonderful working experience and a home we absolutely love.
D. Buckbee
Not only does Hilary have an amazing eye for interior design work, she is highly competent in architectural design as well. Her kitchen and bath designs were the highlight of our project. She truly listens to her clients and gets to know how they live, in order to create spaces in the home which are not only practical and functional, but beautiful and comfortable.
Bev Birck
Hilary guided us through every step of our kitchen renovation. From space planning to selecting materials, Hilary’s strong understanding of design and creative approach were just what was needed in re-imagining our outdated kitchen. She saw beyond old walls and old cabinets to a space full of possibility. Working closely with us and our contractor, she saw her design through to perfection. We couldn’t be happier with the process and our new kitchen.
R. Schaefer