Mid-Century Scandinavian

INTRODUCTION

I’m so excited to share a project we recently wrapped up in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago. These clients were drawn to both clean lines with strong Mid-Century Modern silhouettes, and softer, Scandinavian sculptural pieces, so we had the opportunity to marry the two styles into a bold, moody new home for them.

THE DESIGN PROCESS

These clients had a strong love for high contrast black and white, with clean lines, sculptural accents and pops of concrete and wood.

BEFORE

This home was in good shape when the client moved in, but the style just wasn’t them…too brown and too transitional. We toned down the brown tones and introduced more simplified, modern furniture with textural accents and natural materials.

The furniture didn’t come with the house, but the living and dining rooms had brown paint, transitional light fixtures and needed to be elevated to fit the client’s own style. We also needed to incorporate all new furniture and keep the room cohesive and fluid while defining two different zones.

In the kitchen, the existing backsplash and light fixtures felt a little dated, and the bar area wasn’t providing enough of a pop. We swapped out the backsplash for something simpler, brought in more sculptural light fixtures and added a custom, accent bar cabinet.

The powder room had a really groovy wallpaper, which was kind of fun but too brown for our clients. We swapped the wallpaper, backsplash, faucet and light fixture to create a more modern look while still keeping the drama in here.

THE REVEAL

We focused on the first floor, furnishing the entryway, living room, dining room, kitchen and family room. Due to the open floorplan, we needed to keep the design cohesive and integrated but still wanted each room to have it’s own personality.

The entryway actually had a really cool existing wallpaper, which we kept. We played off of the lines in the paper and incorporated a sculptural, Scandinavian style console table with a round, Walnut mirror above it. Simple accessories and a pop of green keep things balanced so the unique geometry can really stand out. To top it off, a Sputnik overhead light adds some sparkle and again plays off of the angular lines in the paper and table.

The dining and living rooms are open concept, so we introduced black and gold accents in each to keep things unified. In the living room, black wood nesting tables link together to fill the room, and allude to the circular black and gold chandelier above the table. Blue accent chairs add a pop of color against a bold, neutral dining area.

In the living room, we were able to incorporate the client’s existing black leather Chesterfield sofa and added modern concrete accents in the side table and bench to tie in with the fireplace.

This dining room is one of my all-time favorites. The modern walnut table and credenza add a pop of warmth in front of the bold black accent wall. White bucket chairs lighten things up and a geometric patterned rug adds some texture to an otherwise sleek space.

In the kitchen, we installed sculptural light fixtures, with a mobile chandelier above the table and dripping pendants over the island at different heights.

At the breakfast area, we pulled in a Scandinavian style maple dining table with sculptural, black wishbone chairs to create a more casual area for the family to share meals. At the bar area, we pulled in a glass subway tile to tone things down from before, and built out navy cabinet doors in the same profile as the existing kitchen cabinets to add a pop of drama. The mesh inserts in the middle doors keep it feeling light and special amidst the kitchen cabinets.

In the family room, we brightened things up and make a comfortable, light space for the family to relax in. The coffee table in here is an oversized square table to fit with the sofa better, but pulls in the same black stained wood from the coffee tables in the living room up front to keep things cohesive.

This powder room is the unexpected pop of moodiness that ties everything together. Blue marbled wallpaper pulls in the pop of blue from the living room and adds an oversized level of drama to this tiny space. Black penny tiles along the back wall give a break from the wallpaper and add some glossiness and texture to the back wall behind the floating mirror. To complete things, we pulled in a black faucet and a more modern/industrial wall sconce.

I hope you enjoyed this home tour! This is always the most fun part of the process, revealing the story of a project from start to finish. I love how this one came together and hope its owners will enjoy it for years to come!

-dgw

Design Team: Courtney Esch and Devon Wegman

Photography: Dustin Halleck