PHOTO BY LUCAS SIMES
Artist duo Cindy and Jorge Simes, owners of applied artistry company Simes Studios, met in their early 20s while living in Argentina. After marrying in Buenos Aires and collaborating on a host of design projects, they moved to Chicago to set up shop. Three decades later, the couple runs a thriving artists’ studio out of their Bucktown loft, working on custom projects like murals, painted floors and decorative detailing that’s generally commissioned through interior designers and architects. “To work with the color scheme, style of the home, personal interests of the client—it’s like a puzzle to pull it all together,” says Cindy. The Simeses aim to keep their art timeless and elegant, not graphic: Think more Sistine Chapel, less Pop art. (Last year, they completed a mural for the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield based on the history of Illinois and the itinerant painters of the 1800s.) One of the things for which they’re best-known is eglomise, a French technique of back-painted and gilded glass (below). “We try to personalize the work if possible,” says Cindy. “At times it is subtle—for the owners only.”
