Home Tour - It Takes a Village

INTRODUCTION

We have been looking forward to this day for quite a while. It all began when a developer reached out to us after purchasing a tear down in Lincoln Park, and looped us in to help design the new house that would take it’s place. We kicked things off with an imaging exercise between us, the developer, the builders and the realtors who would eventually sell it. During that exercise, we brainstormed ideas for the finishes, layout, and started a list of all the “must-haves” that would make this house stand out to buyers and create the perfect, unique home for it’s new family. From there, our team studied cabinetry layouts, millwork details, finish and fixture selections, and worked alongside the builders to bring the vision to life.

The moodboard for this design was classic with modern touches, creamy and warm neutrals, and rich, luxurious textures.

THE DESIGN PROCESS

We knew the home needed unique, luxurious details dispersed throughout, like floating brass shelves in the dining room and moody wallpaper in the powder room, but we also knew the two most special parts of the house needed to be the kitchen and the primary bathroom. In both of those rooms, we pulled in luxurious finishes like rift cut white oak cabinets and dark, moody stone. We also reconfigured the original primary bathroom layout and centered the shower in the middle of the room with three walls of glass and book-matched stone running down the back. The shower is flanked by two black metal and frosted glass sliding doors, adding a bold architectural touch and making the room feel like an extension of the primary bedroom and closets.

This rendering of the kitchen shows how all the finishes tie together, and the final layout for everything. After this, we decided to add paneled fronts to the refrigerator and freezer, and swap the hood from white to gray to match the island. This is why renderings are so important!

This rendering of the primary bathroom captures the unique layout of the space and the balance of finishes in here. We ended up relocating the shower doors to be on either end of the shower, so each person has an “entry” from their vanity area.

Once the design was done, it was time for construction to begin! First things first, framing and masonry put the house on the map. From there, we watched our design come to life inside with regular walkthroughs over the next year.

THE REVEAL

Each site visit was more exciting than the last. The finishes on this project are truly some of our favorites and the final result is a glamorous, timeless, warm and inviting house and I cannot wait to see who gets to move in and call it home.

The central axis of the first floor is an important one, joining the living/dining rooms with the kitchen/family rooms as well as the powder room and elevator. We celebrated this space by laying the floor in a herringbone pattern with a subtle brass inlay surrounding it, and covered the vaulted ceiling with a lustrous gold textile wallcovering.

The powder room brings a moody touch to the home with dark, textured wallpaper and bold marble flooring. A custom vanity adds a sculptural touch to the room with a custom sink carved out of the countertop. Brass fixtures add warmth to the space while tying in with the rest of the house.

This kitchen is truly the heart of the home. Warm wood cabinets with extra-thin shaker profiles add a classic touch with a fresh, modern take. A dark gray island adds some contrast to the room and picks up on the warm gray tones introduced in the custom hood. This kitchen was designed for the family that loves to cook, with a 60” Wolf range, 60” Subzero paneled refrigerator and freezer columns, and Brizo plumbing fixtures throughout.

Rich veining in the durable quartz countertops adds bold texture to the space. We opted to carry the countertops up the backsplash to add a modern touch and balance out the texture in the cabinets throughout.

At the far end of the kitchen, we tucked a Miele espresso maker, along with a bar sink and open shelving to add some room for styling and easy access to cookbooks or glassware.

We carried the countertops up behind the shelving to celebrate the dramatic veining.

In the dining room, we wanted to create a drybar that was both functional and dramatic, as it is one of the first things you see when walking into the house. Gray cabinets match the kitchen island to keep the palette throughout cohesive. Above the counter, we pulled in a textural marble tile with a grid carved through it and gilded with gold paint. To really bring the texture to life, we installed wall-washers in front to graze light down the wall, as well as LED lights integrated into the bottom of the custom suspended brass shelving.

The primary bathroom is the jewel of this home. Separate his and hers vanities flank the bathroom, with an extended makeup station along the far wall. Upper cabinets provide additional storage in case the six drawers below the vanity aren’t enough. Warm brass fixtures and a playful handpainted tile backsplash keep the space from feeling too dark and moody despite the darker gray tones.

The shower separates the vanities, with three glass walls jutting into the room and making it’s presence quite dramatic and challenging to photograph (sorry Dustin!). To really add drama and celebrate the shower, we book-matched two dark gray porcelain slabs along the back wall and carried it across on the ceiling.

White cabinets on top of the countertop provide additional storage while also helping to balance out the space and make the vanities feel light and airy.

There are five other bathrooms and another powder room in this house that we got the design as well. We kept them all cohesive with the rest of the house but gave each their own personality, like this fresh and bright Jack and Jill bath with textural white tiles as the backsplash and warm white oak cabinetry.

Off of the kitchen, we carried the same cabinetry style into the built-ins in the family room and mudroom to make the entire open room feel cohesive and unified. Beside a textural stone fireplace, we layered closed storage with open shelving to provide a practical space for families to hide toys and books while still being able to add personality with some styling and decor.

We are so thrilled with how this home came together and cannot wait for it’s family to find it and move in! If you are interested in buying the house yourself, please reach out for more details!

-dgw

Photography: Dustin Halleck

Builder: Kelly Smith Construction