A 1920s Wilmette Abode Is Redone For An Active Family

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A 1920s Wilmette Abode Is...

In the foyer of a Wilmette home, a custom stained walnut cabinet with horn pulls designed by Morgante-Wilson Architects and built by Lambright Woodworking in Topeka, Indiana, offers storage while disguising the mechanicals. It is flanked by a pair of metal stools by Arteriors covered in teal hairhide from Parkwest Furniture.

A 1920s Wilmette Abode Is...

A window wall by NanaWall opens to create a continuous flow between the living room and the limestone addition. When the sun goes down, a hanging Hive lamp from Lightology illuminates the space, which is furnished with a teak sofa from Janus et Cie and a pair of chairs around a concrete-topped Kettal cocktail table. The rug by Surya is from Creative Visions.

A 1920s Wilmette Abode Is...

A patterned concrete tile floor from Exquisite Surfaces and a Glow Lighting crystal chandelier with a black organza shade distinguish the open dining area from the surrounding living spaces. The steel-and-wood table is from Rustic Elements, and the chairs are from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.

A 1920s Wilmette Abode Is...

Jessica Charles stools from Baker introduce a softer element into the kitchen, where a generously proportioned center island with a leathered quartzite countertop from Contempo Marble & Granite bridges the gray perimeter cabinetry and the white island cabinetry. The hanging metal pendants are by Visual Comfort.

A 1920s Wilmette Abode Is...

A Brunschwig & Fils rug from JD Staron and faux burlap-textured wallpaper from MDC evoke a cozy atmosphere in the music room, which is furnished with a pair of club chairs from RH and a cocktail table by Arteriors from Creative Visions. The Stonegate by AFX hand-rubbed bronze overhead light, featuring a silk Dupioni shade, is from CAI Designs.

A 1920s Wilmette Abode Is...

In the powder room, a blue quartzite weatheredmetal wallcovering from Maya Romanoff emphasizes the wood grain in the custom vanity with a Stone Forest bronze vessel sink. The mirror is from West Elm, and the glass pendant lights are by LBL from Lightology.

A 1920s Wilmette Abode Is...

Outside, the limestone addition in the back of the house overlooks the pool from Downes Swimming Pool Company and landscaping by Ryan Kettelkamp. The exterior doors and windows are from Pella.

A 1920s Wilmette Abode Is...

Large oval mirrors by Uttermost maintain the master bathroom's open view of the backyard from the custom stained walnut vanity built by Lambright Woodworking. The fluted-glass globe fixture is by Shades of Light, and the Tech Lighting vanity pendants are from Lightology.

A 1920s Wilmette Abode Is...

The owners enjoy the seating area in their master suite, which is furnished with a pair of gray velvet slipper chairs and an ottoman, all by Michael Berman Limited from CAI Designs. The Rosewood side table is from Kravet; the raw silk Roman shades are by Schumacher.

A 1920s Wilmette Abode Is...

A gray silk-chiffon pendant by Stonegate by AFX from Lightology, a high-pile loop carpet by Bellbridge and custom wall panels upholstered in fabric from Rodolph evoke a soft and welcoming ambience in the master suite. The bed linens are by Eastern Accents; the bench is from Parkwest Furniture.

It isn’t always love at first sight when you find your dream home. Just ask this Illinois couple that purchased a house in Wilmette’s CAGE neighborhood–an area with charming brick homes and Victorians with wraparound porches.

Built in the 1920s–yet renovated in the ’90s–the home needed to be greatly reconfigured. “The layout was a little bit of a quagmire, with a lot of little rooms that didn’t flow together very well,” architect Elissa Morgante recalls. “We turned it back into a center-home Georgian with open and airy rooms that flow into each other.”

The design team filled the interiors with pieces durable enough for the couple’s three children and dog, including a built-in banquette with a live-edge table and various neutral upholstered pieces.

A limestone-and-steel addition with skylights and concealed screens bring light into the back of the home. “On a summer day, the homeowners can lower the screens, and the entire area becomes an outdoor room,” Morgante explains. “They really loved the idea of bringing the light and outdoor space inside.”

For the exterior of the home, the design team added an outdoor kitchen, as well as a bocce court, fire pits and a large heated swimming pool the family uses year-round.

Get a deeper look into the home’s modern-day renovation.