Over the course of its 108 years, this historic residence in Chicago’s south side had seen many renovations since it was designed by famous Chicago architect Howard Van Doren Shaw.

Our firm was hired to update the residence’s furnishings, fixtures, details, and provide a major rework to the first-floor kitchen and second-floor indoor sun porch. The homeowners thankfully recognized the residence’s historic bones and wanted to honor its storied architecture. Our designers focused on the procession between spaces in the home, brightening an uninviting and dark kitchen with light stone flooring, and a white marble countertop. By replacing the back wall with floor-to-ceiling windows, natural light easily brightened the space. Light stones on the countertop and floors were balanced with rich woods in both the furnishings and the home’s original, sumptuous millwork, allowing the kitchen and family room to act as a standalone home within a home.

As part of the restoration of this historic residence, the design team disassembled a substantial portion of the back façade, which included an unconditioned and structurally unsound sun room and had every piece of wood and individual pane of glass restored by hand. The resulting space is an elegant mix of traditional architecture with fresh materials and furnishings, a warm, functional, and comfortable home enclosed harmoniously in a classic frame.