Local Realtor, interior designer combines both careers
Oak Parker Mallory Slesser has homes in her blood. The busy mom of three is combining two careers — real estate and interior design — to make the village she calls home a little nicer, one house at a time.
“I grew up in the Hinsdale and Burr Ridge area. My dad was a custom home builder. My parents built new homes, and we moved every few years,” Slesser said, discussing her life-long interest in how people live.
After finishing college, she enrolled in interior design classes at Harrington College of Design and embarked on a career in which she worked for showrooms and then as a freelance designer.
The year 2017 was a turning point, she said. “I started my own LLC and had my second child. I also took the real estate exam three weeks postpartum. I’ve been doing real estate and interior design hand and hand since then.”
Wearing multiple hats and juggling multiple responsibilities is a part of the job that Slesser relishes. “I’m full-time at real estate and interior design,” she said, “As a single mom of three, I’m good at managing my time and really maximizing both.”
A Realtor at Baird and Warner, Slesser said her long history in interior design helps her help clients find a local home. Her experience in the rehabbing industry pays off when clients are trying to imagine themselves in a space and trying to determine what home projects will get them there.
“Especially in this [fast-moving] market, it’s essential to work with someone who has real construction knowledge, negotiation skills and can hone in on what your needs are and get you the house,” she said,
She can help her clients see on their first walk-through what others might miss. “I know what to expect behind the walls and can almost do a small inspection for my buyers before the inspection,” she said. “A lot of people don’t see what I’m going to see. A lot of the time, I’m helping people see the whole picture. Not just the shiny objects. People can be blinded by flips, and I help them see if the quality is there.”
She said that it can also be helpful to have been with clients through the home selection and buying process when it comes time to rehab of a property. She estimates that 65 to 75% of her home buyers end up needing her rehab skills once they purchase the home.
Full-service design is Slesser’s bread and butter. Most of her projects involve new builds, kitchens, bathrooms, additions and basements. If she has time in her schedule, she will also do paint consults, room refreshes and furniture consultations.
Getting her clients a great result is Slesser’s end goal. She has long-term professional relationships with contractors, which allows her to give her clients what they want.
All of that is informed by her design philosophy.
Slesser summed it up this way: “My main design philosophy is that interior design done well is a form of practicing well-being and wellness. If you start your day in a bathroom or space that you hate, that permeates your day. I strive to give my clients spaces that reflect who they are and that give them peace and joy. You see overwhelmingly positive results when people feel like their homes reflect them.”
One of Slesser’s latest listings is a unique, a newly-constructed home in River Forest at 111 Thatcher. Slesser sold her clients the vacant lot. Her clients got transferred mid-construction on their dream house, and Slesser is now listing the Victorian-inspired home for $2,250,000.
She described it as a rare opportunity for someone to get old-world character with modern conveniences.
“There are very few new construction homes in River Forest. They thought a lot about giving the home architectural character. They used tiles like you might have found in the 1900s and brought in a lot of found and repurposed items like stained glass and light fixtures. What they’ve done is really try to pay homage to that time period, while building something new. And they are working with the fabulous and renowned XCED Design and Build.”
Slesser, who is the real estate agent but not involved in the construction or design process, said the home should be completed at the end of 2025 or early 2026.
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