The Designer’s Journal: Rebekah Zaveloff on Finding Story in Design

For Rebekah Zaveloff, design begins with character. As founder of Imparfait Design Studio, she approaches every project as a story waiting to be told, layered with rhythm, palette, and a strong sense of place. Much of her inspiration comes from travel, whether wandering the streets of London, soaking in the colors of Morocco, or noticing the small architectural details that give each city its own spirit. “Hotels and restaurants are designed to immerse you completely,” she explains. “I love translating that sense of experience into a home.”

At home, Rebekah leans into the same philosophy of comfort and beauty. Every seat offers a view—whether it’s artwork, a window, or a thoughtful vignette of collected objects—and every guest is meant to feel at ease the moment they walk in.

We caught up with Rebekah to explore her design approach, the destinations that continue to spark her imagination, and the projects carrying her character-driven ethos from Chicago to Miami and beyond.

Describe your design style in three words.

Character-driven design.

Where do you draw your design inspiration from?

Hotels and restaurants are constant sources of inspiration—those places are designed to immerse you completely, and I love translating that sense of experience into a home. I also gather ideas from simply walking around when I travel—London, Spain, France, Mexico, Morocco—each place has its own rhythm, palette, and architecture that filters into my work.

What does your home say about you?

That I want to be comfortable and surrounded by beauty. Every seat in my house has a “view”—something to rest your eye on, whether it’s art, a window, or a vignette of collected objects. I want my home to reflect a sense of generosity too; when people visit, they should feel instantly welcome and at ease.

What are you working on right now?

It’s an exciting mix: we’re working with two sisters who are each building 14,000-square-foot homes around the corner from one another in Chicago, which has been such a fun parallel process. In Miami, we have both a remodel and a new construction project underway. In Northern California, we’re designing a family compound and a modern condo, while in Michigan we’re developing a farm that doubles as a multigenerational retreat. Closer to home, there’s also a striking condo on Chicago’s North Shore that looks straight out over the lake. Each project stretches us in different ways, and that’s the joy of it.