Artwork by Jean-Baptiste Besançon makes for a dramatic contrast against the subtle warmth of the dining room’s walls, painted Benjamin Moore’s Stone Hearth. Adding texture are a Four Hands credenza accented with cording and Julian Chichester chairs, which surround a custom table by The Chicago Furniture Studio.
“The home had great bones, so it was just a matter of anticipating how it was going to work for them and then building on that foundation and bringing in color and texture.”
–Kristen Ekeland
A table by The Chicago Furniture Studio and a vintage chair from Chairish—both pieces that Ekeland found for the couple’s previous home in Chicago—grace the kitchen dining nook. Overhead is a pendant by Cuff Studio.
Working with senior designer Kristin Luber and general contractor David Van Osdol, Ekeland began by tweaking the main floor layout. First up was recasting the sun room—converted by a previous owner into an office-mudroom—as a cozy den for relaxing and watching TV. This meant closing off a large cased opening to the living room, which gave the designers the opportunity to create a bar area with built-in millwork on the other side. Opposite the new bar, they subtly streamlined the living room’s chunky brick fireplace flanked by bookshelves into something more graceful and proportional. “My clients didn’t want the room to be just for when they have company over,” the designer explains. Her solution was to divide the room into distinct seating areas that she unified with a large custom rug in a textural checkerboard pattern.
From there, it was a matter of emphasizing the home’s architectural features and removing the country farmhouse details added in an earlier renovation. The kitchen got a makeover, with a new Dolomite stone backsplash and countertops as well as an expanded island. In the dining room, she painted the original panel moldings in a warm stony tone. “Since this is a room that you pass through or see from so many different angles, we wanted it to be bathed in a color that wasn’t too dark,” Ekeland says. “It had to tie in to all the palettes of the other rooms.”
Designing for a family with small children can be tricky, but the team made sure that the interiors were beautiful while standing up to day-to-day life. “There are no barriers in this house in terms of the kids,” Ekeland observes. “We used fabrics and furnishings that will age nicely. Nothing feels like it can’t be touched.” Perfection, the designer emphasizes, was not the goal. “Houses are meant to be lived in,” she continues. “Things will get dented and patina over time, and you just have to let go and appreciate that it’s going to age and that someone is going to spill wine. Life can be messy.”
The transition from living in the city to their first single family residence in the suburbs has been a surprisingly smooth one, according to the wife. “My husband and I really like old homes and are not as into modern-concept living,” she says. “We love having a dining room and a little family den. It’s cozy and works really well for us. It’s kind of amazing how Kristen and the team could make these massive changes and yet it still feels like this is how they intended for it to be in 1914,” she adds. Ekeland believes that feeling all comes down to the details. “We made the most of the architecture to create an interior that’s a little new and a little old,” she says. “It all comes together to feel fresh and inviting.”