Surroundings changed our lives--for the better! Took a builders-grade ho-hum house and ramped it up…read moreto a custom-designed lovely home. Decorator Lori Waters is truly wonderful, a talented blend of good taste coupled with the experienced pragmatism to make your design dreams come true. Over about ten years in several phases, we have completely made over the place upstairs and down, inside and out. Stayed within the budget, gently nudged us into trying new ideas when we were stuck firmly in the mud of 1985, and just generally gave us a new way of using the spaces that perfectly suited our wallet, our taste, and our lifestyle. Could NOT be more proud of the finished product, although as Lori reminds me, "We still need to address that old yellow bathroom..." We will, Lori, as we start the next phase of this immensely gratifying partnership! Surroundings is the place to go when you decide you're ready to turn your house into the delightful home you've always wanted.

From the owner: By appointment only, contact us at 319.351.4653 for your next interior design project…read more Interior design and decor for elegant living. Surroundings is the Iowa City source for elegant living. We are interior designers, we have the decor to furnish your home in style. When you want a beautiful home, turn to Surroundings. Since 1987, our experienced designers have been creating the look you desire for a truly pleasant home. Our design services include: Project management Space planning Accessorizing Holiday decorating Once we work together to determine how to arrange your space, there is no need to shop from several stores. We carry a wide array of products: furniture, flooring, wall coverings, window treatments, lamps and accessories. And you have assistance with the entire project during each step. Our manufacturers include Corian/Zodiq, Duralee, Hunter Douglas, Wood-Mode and many more. Call today to enhance your surroundings!

Designed our kitchen remodel and helped us identify building materials. Project was completed on…read moretime and we are happy with the outcome. Thanks

Be forewarned.... if anything does not turn out as planned, you, the customer, will be paying for…read moreit. We replaced 2 countertops, with 2 identical sinks and faucets. The sinks were discontinued, so they sent one of the old model and one new one. We were assured the difference in the look of the sinks would be barely noticeable. WRONG! They are both undermount sinks, the sink walls should be flush with the countertop cutout. When installed, the new sink looked great....however the discontinued sink was installed with an overhang of 1/2 inch all around. That does not look good and they certainly do not look the same, even from across the room. But this was not the countertop installers fault nor the sink manufacturer's fault, nor SK Cabinetry's fault.... but became ours...the customer. WHAT?? If we wanted the sinks/counters to look alike we would have to pay for the new countertop and probably a new sink (for the second time). Even the guy that did our tile backsplash was appalled in the way it looked and that SK did not make it right. In the end we have a very disappointing outcome and will not be using them again.

Luxe Interiors has been on my radar since it moved to the Northside. I am one of those…read more'I-watch-HGTV-so-I'm-basically-a-professional' types. Logically, I wanted to confer with like minds. I stopped in one downtown district shop crawl and was instantly greeted by the shop owner, Jan. What a wonderful lady! I loved the shop. A couple Iowa-centric items, lots of beautiful decor, paintings, furniture-- all carefully curated. I begrudgingly left that night empty handed. (A lot of the items on my radar were not surprisingly pricey. I unfortunately tend to have expensive taste. And this shop definitely has some higher end items.) Then, last week, I realized they sell items ONLINE with free contactless local delivery. *Happy Dance* I'm not sure if you've perused the Northside? But currently an entire street is closed to outside dining which is amazing, but does the parking situation no favors. ANYWAYS. The online shop was filled with candles, tea towels, furniture, pillows, vases, rugs, artwork... the whole gambit. I found an amazing photo of the pedestrian mall in the rain. I couldn't resist. My treasure was well priced. Jan emailed me personally that night to set up next day delivery. I found my package neatly put between my doors, packed with care. The cherry on top was a handwritten note from the shop owner. The picture is perfection. I haven't used Luxe for interior design purposes. (And due to my frequent HGTV watching and inherent designing expertise, let's face it. I probably won't anytime soon. ;)) But Jan is fabulous, the shop has tons of flair. A great addition to downtown! Stop by virtually or IRL.

Fraud is a word I would use to describe how this business is run. We engaged with the owner in…read moreApril, placed an order on July 6th for $17,000. We left a $10,000 deposit. In August, we received another email with an invoice for $2,100 as she had received items in her warehouse which we paid. The owner failed to keep us posted on timelines and deliveries which we were supposed to have in September (after paying for items in August). Our delivery was scheduled for October 22 when I got a call that the truck had been in an accident and all of our pieces were damaged and she would have to reorder. She did not offer a refund. Months later, she delivers $6,000 worth of the items. That was the end of it. I finally called and demanded a refund which they processed (has not reached my card yet). I come to find out that 1) No one at Luxe Interiors ever heard anything about an accident and 2) the order for one sofa was never placed and the other order was placed then cancelled back in December. STAY FAR AWAY FROM THESE LYING CRIMINALS!

Warning! Do Not do business with this store. My mother ordered a sofa and it arrived frumpy,…read moreuncomfortable and had a hole in it. Who delivers furniture with holes? The one thing this location is excellent at is gaslighting. They say they will fix it and mention they will call back tomorrow and it's weeks until they reach out to her. She finally had the sofa picked up but Ethan Allen has not returned her money. Only buy here if you want to get robbed.

Treated Terribly today in there. Woman at desk rudely stated she had never heard of French Country…read morestyle furniture. I even stated that I had talked to a salesperson a few days ago who said they could help me. This woman today should be fired...she didn't even offer to get me a salesperson. II WILL NEVER SET FOOT IN THERE AGAIN!

Olivia has been great to deal with. She was able to communicate well on her clients behalf, was…read moreflexible and understanding with the design concept and came up with a beautiful end product that was very functional.

From the owner: Interior Design services that are approachable, functional, and unique to your home or business.read more

Every person who works here I'd very pleasant, friendly & helpful. I have 9 items from her, all in…read moreperfect condition. Not rushed to make a purchase, spend time measuring in your home, try to match a current piece in your home give other choices to compliment what you have. Delivery staff are the best I've experienced: careful in your home ensure setup is perfect, and glass/mirrors are clean. Even worked with me to ship an item out of state. Excellent quality of merchandise. All staff are great, my experiences with Stacy we're a pleasure.

We have done two major home remodels with Phelan's, from furniture to carpets to walls. Besides…read morebeing stylish and low priced, the best was their service. They are extremely helpful and knowledgeable.