When asked to describe the overall “vibe” of this Chicago condo, Sarah Goesling says simply: “Oxford fall meets Boston library meets vintage menswear.”
The description made perfect sense for the 900-square-foot property, as the homeowner is a bachelor in the finance world with a deep love for Chicago’s performing arts including opera, theater, symphony, and ballet. “He desired his ‘forever home,’ prioritizing livability and entertainment over resale,” Sarah explains. Her firm, Goesling Group, specializes in exactly this.
“Key goals included creating an elegant atmosphere to host friends, removing one of the dark interior bedrooms to expand the living and dining space, and building in thoughtful storage for his collections, like books, music, sports memorabilia, and over 200 bottles of wine,” she recalls. “Spaces for gathering and enrichment were prioritized over conventional room divisions.”
They embarked on a full gut-renovation and furnishing of the two-bedroom, two-bath condo, including architectural reconfiguration, custom millwork, kitchen and bath updates, and custom furniture design. The existing floors were significantly out of level, posing a risk to cabinetry, tile, and custom furniture installation. “To address this, we worked closely with flooring specialists to level the subfloor prior to new installation, then precisely shimmed all custom elements for a seamless, flawless finish,” she explains.
Throughout the home, classic prep details are reinterpreted: reeded glass as pinstripes, mosaic tile as plaid, all within a palette of oxblood, buttercream, and cool slate. “It’s a confident mix of old and new, tradition and modernity, infused with personality and cultural appreciation,” Sarah notes. “We achieved a modern, richly layered take on traditional collegiate style: polished, cultured, and masculine.”
FULL CREDITS:
Cabinetry: Mark Heidkamp, Heidkamp Design Co
Stone: Calia + Ultimate Stone
Appliances: Signature Kitchen Suite, Monogram
Plumbing Fixtures: Brizo (kitchen and primary bath), Waterworks (hall bath lav faucet/console), Kallista (hall bath shower)
Hardware: Top Knobs
Flooring: Divine Flooring
Custom Furniture: Romann Custom Upholstery (banquette), Andrew Mahar – Mahar Fabrication (dining table)
Lighting: Visual Comfort (kitchen, dry bar, bathrooms), Hudson Valley Lighting (dining room)
Glass: Chicago Glass + Mirror
Tile: Ann Sacks (kitchen), Tile Bar (primary bath walls), Virginia Tile (hall bath walls), The Fine Line (flooring in both bathrooms)
Paint:
Kitchen / Banquette: BM Witching Hour 2120-30
Main Wall Neutral: BM Pale Oak OC-20
Hall Bath: BM Dollar Bill Green 2050-20
Primary Bedroom: BM Raphael CC-2
