Tom Stringer, the man behind the multi-disciplinary Chicago-based firm that bears his name, has designed everything from well-appointed homes, yachts, and ranches to swanky restaurants and hotels—including Alinea, the internationally acclaimed eatery that many critics and connoisseurs consider the nation’s best. His oeuvre and orientation are equally diverse. “People always try to define my aesthetic, but getting a designer to commit to one style is like asking parents to pick their favorite child,” he quips. But he goes so far as to say that his work “is grounded in the rigor and restraint of classicism, while embracing a modern sensibility that puts comfort and livability first. I love things that are timeless, have a sense of duality and can be perceived in different ways.” And on a virtual shopping spree through Dering Hall, he found much to fit that bill. “I can’t wait to use the Park Avenue Bookcase by Soane Britain and the Argyle Stacking Coffee Table by Michael Berman Limited in upcoming projects,” he says.