Age 37, Christine Stucker lives in Brooklyn, New York. Originally from La Grange Park, Illinois. Claim to Fame: Along with her husband, James Veal, Stucker co-founder of New York based residential and retail design firm Stewart-Schafer, which expanded to Chicago this year. Stucker has quite an impressive curriculum vitea her age - in fact, she launched her furniture business at 22 "Back then it was a big trend: Everyone wanted armoires for their TV's, but antique ones weren't built for them" she says. "So we'd make new pieces to look old" Her work caught the attention of fashion designer John Varvatos, who hired her to design and build the brands iconic Bowery location. From there she became visual director for Betsey Johnson, where she was tapped to revamp the company's retail footprint. Since launching Stewart-Schafer, Stucker and Veal have specialized in fashion retail spaces, and count brands like Victoria Beckham, Bergdorf Goodman, Thome Brown and H&M as clients. "we bring an interior design feel from a residential perspective into retail, whether it's a trade show booth, showroom, pup-up shop, or flagship store" Stucker says. The“The most important thing about being a designer is knowing all the genres,” Stucker says. “You have to be able to bounce between different styles seamlessly, and still make it fresh and modern. Our style is really eclectic, with a mix of modern and midcentury.” HOME SWEET HOME: After eight years operating in New York, the pair decided to extend their services to Stucker’s hometown, Chicago. “Chicago is getting more of the New York vibe,” she says. “There’s a need for that European design sensibility, and we felt we could bridge that gap.” Current projects include a home renovation in Twin Lakes and a townhome remodel in theSouth Loop; and their own live/work space is expected to open in Fulton Market this fall.