“We brightened up the family room by covering the dated red brick fireplace and adding Venetian plaster to both the fireplace wall and the recessed shelving. Our vision from the very beginning was to style the shelves in a minimal, old-world way, which we achieved through thoughtful, restrained styling. Atelier Jouvence out of Chicago aided us in creating a carved Indiana limestone fireplace surround, which serves as the focal point for the living space, and 57st Design helped us to customize a stunning oversized walnut coffee table for the center of the room.”

“The first floor originally had an awkward floor plan with angled hallways and unbalanced living and kitchen spaces. We completely reworked the first floor, creating a larger kitchen by rotating the space’s focal point and extending the room with two walnut islands.”

“The range hood was plastered with Venetian plaster to match the perimeter cabinets and was flanked by brass sconces from Huey Lightshop. Marble was an obvious choice for our Italian client; we chose Carrara marble for both islands and the backsplash, including a ledge for function and aesthetics. The counter stools from House of Leon serve both form and function with their brown bouclé seats, and the kitchen plumbing fixtures from DeVol bring in warmth and patina.”

“Changing the focal point of the kitchen allowed us to add in a butler’s pantry leading to the dining room. We incorporated glossy green zellige tile, color drenched green cabinets, and a black countertop to give the room a moody moment.”

“The half bathroom was an opportunity for us to have some fun in a small space. We selected a dark gray limestone tile from Zia Tile and applied Venetian Plaster in Portola Paint’s Antlers to the walls.” 

“The curved walnut vanity was custom made and was topped with a stunning carved Calcutta Viola sink from Castelli Marble. We love the functionality of a wall-mounted faucet, so we went with a Phylrich piece in polished uncoated brass to pull in some patina in this small space. The mirror, light, and bathroom accessories all came from small artisan vendors.”

“In the dining room, we closed off the kitchen entry and created a custom built-in hutch in its place. We used a striped grasscloth wallpaper from Mitchell Black and upholstered the dining armchairs in a muted verdure pattern that echoes the green in the pantry.”

“Just to the left of the front door is the home office, visible from the foyer, where our client spends her time tutoring students in Italian. We wanted the space to have a big impact, so we installed bookshelves on the back wall and color drenched the room in Sherwin-Williams Sable—a rich, warm brown.”

“We incorporated antique bronze bookshelf sconces by Mullan Lighting for task lighting and a linen semi-flush mount from the collaboration between Disc Interiors and Lulu and Georgia to bring some soft lighting to the room. The marble table by Amber Interiors for Four Hands was the perfect choice for our clients’ small group tutoring lessons and also added some visual texture to the space.”

“We made some significant structural changes to the primary suite by moving a wall in the bedroom to create a larger bathroom footprint. We also closed off the closet entry to the bedroom and instead put the entry point in the bathroom, creating a beautiful double-door walk-in closet. One challenge was the primary bedroom coved ceiling, which couldn’t be completely removed. We solved this problem by installing beautiful built-in white oak beams that fit perfectly into the ceiling and feel original to the home.”

“Our clients needed their mudroom to function both as a drop zone for coats and a space to do laundry, so we added in locker-style cabinetry and a counter space above the washer and dryer for folding. We also installed radiant heating under the checkerboard limestone flooring—a true indulgence for those living through the cold Chicago winters!”