Passion keeps designer ahead of the game
Gladys Schanstra, CMKBD, Allied ASID, studied aerospace and mechanical engineering before falling in love with design and earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Interior Design from Chicago’s Harrington College of Design. Today, she is president of Schanstra Design Group in Melrose Park, IL, and president/CEO of Drury Designs. Schanstra Design Group, a company formed by Schanstra, acquired Drury Design, her former employer, in 2021 and kept that company identity as a DBA.
Schanstra uses her experience, willingness to keep learning and eagerness to help others in industry groups, staying active with the American Society of Interior Designers and the National Kitchen & Bath Association. She held multiple board positions (v.p. of professional development, v.p. of communications) with the Chicago Midwest Chapter of the NKBA from 2012-2019.
The designer is known for her ability to do the “hard stuff,” such as obsessing over details, managing contractors and staying on-mission, as well as the “fun stuff,” coming up with creative ideas and artistic expressions. The passion and vision Schanstra brings to every project is the guiding force behind her approach to business, notes a colleague.
