vintage modern home in evanston

​ROOMS

Kitchen, Living Room, Dining Room, Powder Room, Den, Basement, Master Bedroom, Master Bath, Secondary Bedrooms, and Hall Bath

GOALS ACHIEVED

Transform a circa 1924 bungalow into a functional and modern backdrop for this busy young family, while retaining the original vintage charm of this home.

PHOTOGRAPHY

​Scott Edwards, EFG Image

MORE DETAILS

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DESIGN CHALLENGE

• We wanted to create a family-friendly environment with no "off-limits" areas, by taking advantage of advances in performance textiles.  
• At the same time, the design aesthetic needed to be sophisticated enough for this couple to entertain business associates. 
• Originally, the house had small rooms, closed off with walls, a dysfunctional master bathroom (It featured a built-in bookcase next to the bathtub), and a dated kitchen that hadn't kept up with technology. 
• The clients wanted to update the space with a fresh, open, and welcoming feel, without destroying the vintage charm of the house. 
• Their furniture from a larger house needed to work in the new space. 
• ​And finally, the clients requested a “badass chandelier” over their Dining Room table.

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DESIGN SOLUTION
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• ​We opened the kitchen to the dining room via replacing a full wall with a half one. 
• The kitchen remodel added a large pantry and updated appliances. 
• The palette for the house was informed by the kitchen's soft gray and white, with a bit of dark navy to add emphasis (accent wall in the dining room and powder room ceiling). 
• To keep the downstairs’ feel open, we painted all the trim the same color as the walls to minimize visual noise. 
• New area rugs in the Living and Dining Rooms differentiated these mostly-open spaces. 

• Upstairs, a fresh paint palette, along with crisp white trim considerably brightened the spaces.
• New lighting took a particularly dramatic turn in the Dining Room chandelier. 
• The Master Bathroom lost the bookcase and gained space in the shower area, accentuated by a glass mosaic tile backdrop. 
• We even wallpapered the Master Closet ceiling to emphasize the new Kate Spade ceiling lighting. 
• Throughout this home, the wood floors were refinished to a warm mid gray tone, and detailed space plans repurposed the furniture from the clients' last (larger) house.