Tori Robbins didn’t grow up dreaming of a career in interior landscape design.
Mostly because she didn’t know it was a career.
She started out working with kids at summer camps and afterschool programs, then made a COVID-era pivot into interior design. After a few years designing spaces at Floor & Decor, she came across an Amlings job posting that sounded equal parts interesting, creative, and fun.
Today, she designs plant-filled commercial spaces across the Chicagoland area.
We sat down with Tori to talk about taking a chance on an industry she knew nothing about, why the best plant designs should feel intentional, and how someone who spends her day designing with plants somehow manages to own just one at home.
Q: Are you a Chicagoan?
Tori: Pretty much! I grew up in Skokie, a suburb just north of the city. My parents are originally from Florida, and growing up, we’d spend almost every winter and spring break road tripping down there. I have family spread all over the state—Miami, Naples, Port St. Lucie—so Florida will always have a special place in my heart.
Q: Did you always know you’d pursue a career that was creative?
Tori: Not at all. I always loved art class as a kid and even remember going to an art summer camp one year, but I didn’t go to school for anything creative. I studied human development and spent about seven years after graduation working with elementary school kids, leading an after-school and summer program.
My mom started running a home daycare when I was nine, so I grew up around kids and, over the years, definitely developed a passion for working with them. In a way, I followed in her footsteps. Then COVID happened, and like everyone else who suddenly had plenty of time at home to reflect, I started reevaluating what I wanted to do professionally.
As I sat in my living room watching yet another HGTV show, I couldn’t help but think about how much I loved rearranging and redecorating my room as a kid, and how excited I’d get moving into a new apartment and creating a beautiful space that felt like home. Eventually, I thought, Wait. Maybe I actually like interior design?
So I did some research, and found an Intro to Interior Design class through the New York School of Interior Design, and decided to take it as an experiment: Is this for me or not?
Turns out, it was.
Q: And one class turned into a career change?
Tori: Oh yeah. After that one class, I knew.
I decided to go back to school and completed a year-long interior design certification program. At the same time, I started working as a designer at Floor & Decor so I could get some real-world experience and put what I was learning in school into practice.
I ended up staying at Floor & Decor for two years and eventually became the design team supervisor. During that time, I worked with countless customers to create designs for their homes, collaborated with department managers on displays and vignettes throughout the store, and really built up my design experience.
But eventually, I started to realize, I don’t think retail is where I want to stay forever.
So I started looking around.
Q: And that’s when you found Amlings?
Tori: Completely by accident.
I was scrolling through Indeed one afternoon and stumbled across a designer position at Amlings. I remember thinking, This sounds really interesting. And cool. And also kind of random.
Applying was definitely a shot in the dark.
I wasn’t sure if I had the right qualifications, especially since all of my experience was in residential design rather than commercial. I also knew very little about plants. But I figured the worst that could happen was that they weren’t interested.
Turns out, they were. And this July marks three years with Amlings.
Q: What was it like walking into an entirely new industry?
Tori: I was a sponge.
I knew design, but I knew nothing about the plant industry, so there was definitely a huge learning curve. I wanted to absorb everything I could from the people around me and learn as much as possible.
And honestly, I’m still learning. There are always new plants, new materials, new ideas, and new things you take away from each project that change how you approach the next one.
Amlings has opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed and has challenged me to grow in ways I didn’t expect. It’s also given me the opportunity to think about design in a whole new way.
Q: So after three years at Amlings, your apartment must look like a botanical garden.
Tori: Shockingly, no.
There’s a reason I’m a designer and not a plant technician.
I am not the best at keeping plants alive. Thankfully, working at Amlings has taught me a lot about how to care for plants. But right now, I have exactly one plant in my apartment.
I put it there a few months ago, and so far, it’s doing well. So I’d say we’re off to a good start!
Q: We’ll check back on the plant next year. In the meantime, what makes plant design actually work in a space?
Tori: Intentionality.
I have always loved being outdoors. There’s something calming about being outside, breathing in the fresh air, and being surrounded by something larger than yourself. Bringing natural elements indoors can help create some of that same feeling.
Plants can also soften a space that might otherwise feel cold or monotonous. They bring warmth and life into it. And with so many people working from home now, our goal is to work with clients to create spaces that feel welcoming and comfortable, but also motivate and inspire people to come into the office.
But there’s a difference between intentionally designing with plants and simply checking the “we need plants” box. When biophilic design is done thoughtfully, everything works together—the architecture, furniture, finishes, and greenery.
You walk into a space and it almost takes your breath away. Well, at least for me. I find myself thinking, Wow, it feels natural and effortless. Like the plants were always meant to be there.
That’s what I love.
Q: Do you have a favorite type of space to design?
Tori: It’s less about the type of space and more about what you find within the space that sparks an idea.
I love walking into buildings or offices that already have character—maybe it’s the company logo, an architectural detail, a color, or something else in the design that I can pull inspiration from.
That’s when my brain starts firing on all cylinders. You can create something that feels personal and specific to that client, rather than something that could be copied and pasted into any space.
Q: Is there one project that’s been especially fun?
Tori: One of my favorites was a project for a new client who had just taken over three floors of a building and basically gave me free rein.
I was able to bring in a lot of different plant varieties and approach the space in different ways, creating special moments and pops of greenery throughout the office. The challenge was making it feel interesting and cohesive without letting it become chaotic.
When a client trusts you enough to say, Go for it, you get the chance to really push yourself creatively.
Q: We’ve discovered that Amlings has a suspicious number of musicians. Please tell us you’re secretly in a band.
Tori: I am not. Sorry to disappoint.
I played the recorder, clarinet, and piano in elementary school, and actually went to a few choir competitions in high school, but none of it stuck. These days, my creative outlet is cooking and baking.
When I first started at Amlings, I would bring homemade meals for lunch every day. I still do. The running joke with the rest of the design team was how annoyed—and impressed— they were that I somehow had time after work to make all these delicious meals from scratch.
But there’s something comforting about cooking and baking. It takes me out of my anxious brain and gives me a way to unwind after a long day.
Thankfully, we take birthdays and holidays very seriously around here, so they’ve gotten to reap the rewards of my love of baking.
Q: So what does a typical weekend look like for you?
Tori: Spending time with friends or loved ones, trying a new recipe, hanging with my dog, or watching scary movies.
I’ve gotten really into scary movies, which is funny because I used to hate them. One summer in high school, my friend and I rented and watched a scary movie every day and somehow, I went from being terrified of them to loving them.
My sister used to work for the Sundance Film Festival, and one year, I convinced my friend to come with me. After flipping through the catalog and picking out the movies we wanted to see, my sister broke the news that the screening we wanted to attend was full. But there was a scary movie called Hereditary that still had tickets available, and she said it was supposed to be really good. My friend and I loved scary movies, so we said, Sure! Why not?
After the movie ended and the credits rolled, not a single person got out of their seat or made a sound. For what felt like two or three minutes. We all just sat there in shock, awe, and terror, processing what we had just seen.
I still vividly remember that movie to this day, and that shared experience is one I’ll never forget.
Thanks, Tori
We’re grateful to Tori for the creativity, curiosity, and thoughtful design perspective she brings to Amlings. Her ability to find inspiration in the details and create plant designs that feel intentional and unique to each space is a tremendous asset to our clients and our team. We’re excited to see what she creates next—both in Chicago’s commercial spaces and, hopefully, in the Amlings kitchen.