When this Victorian-era townhouse in Chicago was gutted and renovated several decades ago, the traditional Victorian references were stripped away. A modern artist movement, led by Sol Kogen and Edgar Miller, was shaping the look of homes in the artistic neighborhood, leading to a quirky postmodern makeover of the architecture. While many people would try to “fix” the house and groom it back to a well-mannered Victorian, I did the opposite. We embraced all the shortcomings because I found them to be fabulous. I fell in love with the oddities; they give the house soul.
We kept many of the alterations: asymmetrical curved walls, adobe mantel-less fireplaces, a Piet Mondrian–style window. The architecture on display is illogical, outlandish, and exaggerated. It’s not classic or traditional, but it is wildly fun, and that fit the creative homeowners’ personalities to a T. They’re the life of the party and charmingly off-kilter.
I love a louche ’70s vibe, but I also borrowed from the ’30s. Both eras represent a change in thinking, a push against what was once considered proper or acceptable, and a loosening of the rules. I mixed up the styles and created a mashup of eras. That means a gilded console is just as at home in these rooms as a tweed bouclé sofa or machine-made materials like plastic or vinyl. The couple has no children, so all this was designed just for them.
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This house doesn’t ask permission or beg forgiveness, and it isn’t afraid to be provocative. It’s the perfect place for parties, and every floor invites the after-midnight crowd to join in. The spaces are purposely sexy and loungy. The fabrics are rich and inviting: I used fur, velvet, and silk. A bright brass klismos chair with a marble-print seat holds its own next to a dark fur bench. The unstated goal: over-the-top decadence with swanky, moody rooms. The result: an atmosphere that feels artistic and free.
Living Room
The sofa is very big and the room is very small—intentionally. It adds intimacy. Sofa: custom in Pindler fabric. Coffee table: Horseman Antiques. Large art: Cindy Robinson. Bookshelves: Jayson Home.
Dining Room
The Mondrian-style wall of steel and lenticular glass windows is definitely a conversation starter. Wallcovering: Bois, Holly Hunt. Art: Faithful Couple by Slim Aarons. Sconces: Circa Lighting. Table: clients’ own. Chairs: midcentury French, Galerie Sommerlath. Stool: Arteriors, in Brunschwig & Fils fabric. Rug: Nomadic Trading Co.
Home Bar
A long, narrow console is the perfect space for storing, shaking, or stirring. Paint: After Midnight, Benjamin Moore. Console: 20th-century Mastercraft, J&M Antiques. Antique mirror: Ashland Glass. Side table: Dwell Studio.
Sitting Room
A pre-dinner hang space just off the dining room. Art: Georg Karl Pfahler, Liza Sherman
Antiques. Sofa: J.V. Brooklyn, in Lee Jofa linen. Pillow fabric: Brunschwig & Fils. Chairs: vintage (leather) and vintage in Nancy Corzine fabric (acrylic). Coffee table: Horseman Antiques. Rug: Jersey Road. End tables: 1970s French, Blithewold Home.
Kitchen
Full gloss! I’m not afraid to be daring. Paint: Hale Navy, Benjamin Moore. Counter and backsplash: marble. Range: Viking. Range hood: custom, Giant Construction Group. Faucet: Delta. Hardware: Katonah. Refrigerator: Sub-Zero.
Primary Bedroom
We channeled a French attic aesthetic with beams, built-in bookshelves behind the bed, and a mustard wool headboard. Wall paint: Adobe White, Benjamin Moore. Art: Alfred William Rich. Bed: custom, Eli Wyn Upholstery, in Fishman’s Fabrics. Shams: Scalamandré. Sheets: Ralph Lauren Home.
Dressing Room
The 20th-century Art Deco–style desk was an eBay find. Wallcovering: Fornasetti for Cole & Sons, Lee Jofa. Mirror: 1stDibs. Chair: Dwell Studio. Rug: 1970s Persian, Etsy. Table lamp: Circa Lighting with Shandell’s lampshade.
Powder Room
I thought, Where would Kate Moss sneak away to? Wallcovering: Bain De Minuit by Christian Lacroix, Osborne & Little. Mirror: RH.
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