Tour A Modern Home That Blends Into A Historic Chicago Neighborhood
Floor-to-ceiling white oak shelves by Nature-Tech envelop the library. Seat cushions in wool by The Sign and pillows made from Great Plains and Pierre Frey fabrics make the window seat a cozy spot to read. The accent table is from Holly Hunt.
Interior designer Steve Kadlec calls Chicago’s Lakewood Balmoral Historic District one of the best neighborhoods in the city, crediting the area’s architecture for its charm. The wide streets are lined with traditional Craftsman bungalows, American foursquare dwellings and the muscular greystone masonry residences familiar to all Chicagoans. When Kadlec and architect Dan Wheeler began designing a new dwelling for the area, the harmonious nature of the place was top of mind. “This house is modern, but it fits in,” Kadlec notes. “Instead of drawing attention to itself, it uses an understated and honest simplicity to marry with the character of the locale.”
Wheeler and team achieved that “fitting” quality by employing the long-established architectural language of the neighborhood—including a gabled roofline, a wide porch, and dark-hued, horizontal cladding. But a closer look reveals a few twists on these traditional elements. Instead of lapped clapboard siding that dies into corner boards and window casings, Wheeler selected Accoya (a durable treated wood product) for the home’s exterior. Installed by general contractor Brandon Rogalski’s crew with nickel-gap spacing and crisply mitered corners, the material meets the metal windows and doors directly. The result is a tailored look that’s undeniably of today while being friendly to the past.
Home Details
Architecture:
Dan Wheeler and Thomas Boyster, Wheeler Kearns Architects
Interior Design:
Steve Kadlec, Kadlec Architecture & Design
Home Builder:
Brandon Rogalski, Power Construction Luxury Residence Group
Landscape Architecture:
Mimi McKay, McKay Landscape Architects
But much of what makes this home transcendent is found in the back. The abode’s ample corner lot allowed Wheeler to create a rear courtyard that the building embraces with large expanses of glass doors and windows, seamlessly connecting the interiors to the verdant garden designed by Mimi McKay. “I knew a landscape architect who always said, ‘half of what makes a good room is outside of it,’ ” Wheeler says. “That’s true here.” The indoor-outdoor nature of the dwelling is a luxury not common in an urban environment. “There’s a sense of being outside the city; you feel transported,” Kadlec adds. “Everything we did inside was meant to support this, as most of the art in the house is what you see through the windows.” Mindful of the major role the garden has here, landscape architect McKay designed it for all seasons. “There are evergreen plants, like boxwood, cedars and weeping cypress, that look beautiful in the snow,” she explains. “We also planted trees with year-round appeal, like sweet gums with vibrant fall color and interesting seeds and Royal Frost Birches that have beautiful pinkish-gray peeling bark and delicate branches.”
The minimalist, restrained interiors not only let the outdoors shine but also reflect the aesthetic of the owners, a couple with two children. “In particular, the husband wanted nothing extraneous,” Wheeler notes. “This is a person whose jackets have just one pocket that’s used to hold his phone. The home has that same spirit, and there is nothing inconsequential here.” In translation, that means no baseboards or crown moldings; no trim around doors or windows; and sleek, flat-faced doors and drawers. To further reduce visual clutter, the couple requested a kitchen that doesn’t read as such, so all storage is under counter. Subtly textured plaster and large-scale paintings take the place of upper cabinets, making the space look like a quiet extension of the adjacent great room.
The children’s playroom opens to a terraced garden designed by McKay; the tree-patterned wallcovering by Rebel Walls enhances the outdoor connection. Beneath the sofa and ottoman from Design Within Reach, Knoll chair, and Ikea table and chairs, a custom rug adds a graphic punch.
When it came to furnishing the home, Kadlec said the owners wanted to continue the direct architectural sensibility. “Their design preferences are Scandinavian,” he says. “But while they favor a style that’s simple and modern, they also wanted to breathe warmth and livability into the spaces.” That aesthetic starts in the front room, which is outfitted as a library with floor-to-ceiling shelves and cozy seating, including an inviting window seat. “The family has a deep love of reading, and this is the perfect place for that,” the designer says. “The book-lined room also provides a welcoming reception to the home and a spot for the adults to gather and relax after dinner.” Given the visual texture and color of the book spines, Kadlec opted for a subdued palette of soft pink and mauve shades with deep blue notes for contrast.
In the great room, muted colors, minimal pattern, warm woods and dark metals solidify the connection with the garden and amplify the sense of comfortable sophistication. “Limiting the number of materials creates an ease and quietness,” Kadlec says. “We avoided showy furniture and finishes because, in environments like this, the less you do, the more successful the rooms will be.”
In this home, success is found with a neighborhood-sympathetic exterior and in the quietude of the light-filled interiors. “The outside world can be a hard place,” Wheeler observes. “But within these walls is found a family oasis.”
Inspired by the great room’s garden views, designer Steve Kadlec chose natural materials, as seen in the walnut Troscan chair and ottoman and Mark Albrecht Studio coffee table. A pair of Jader Almeida chairs rest atop a rug from Oscar Isberian Rugs.
Upper kitchen cabinets were eschewed in favor of artwork, including a piece by Rupy C. Tut at right and a painting by Mira Lehr at left. The Nature-Tech-fabricated cabinets are adorned with Schoolhouse hardware and topped with soapstone. Stools from Haute Living line the island, lit by a Roll & Hill fixture.
Inspired by the great room’s garden views, designer Steve Kadlec chose natural materials, as seen in the walnut Troscan chair and ottoman and Mark Albrecht Studio coffee table. A pair of Jader Almeida chairs rest atop a rug from Oscar Isberian Rugs.
Floor-to-ceiling white oak shelves by Nature-Tech envelop the library. Seat cushions in wool by The Sign and pillows made from Great Plains and Pierre Frey fabrics make the window seat a cozy spot to read. The accent table is from Holly Hunt.
James Siena artwork overlooks the library’s Dedar-covered Holly Hunt sofa, RH coffee table and Cassina chairs. The floor covering is from Oscar Isberian Rugs.
Light filters between the main stair’s rift-cut white oak treads and into the home’s core. Power Construction Luxury Residence Group fabricated the handrail and slat wall.
Nature-Tech built the custom-designed nightstand and bed in the primary suite; the latter was crafted with Maharam fabric. Artwork by Isca Greenfield-Sanders pops against walls painted Sherwin-Williams’ Natural White.
In the primary bathroom, travertine tiles from The Fine Line cover the floors and walls. A tub from Hydrology stands in front of a window dressed in custom shades made with Westbury Textiles’ Ravello fabric.
The children’s playroom opens to a terraced garden designed by McKay; the tree-patterned wallcovering by Rebel Walls enhances the outdoor connection. Beneath the sofa and ottoman from Design Within Reach, Knoll chair, and Ikea table and chairs, a custom rug adds a graphic punch.
Influenced by the classic dwellings of its historic neighborhood, this Lakewood Balmoral home features dark-stained Accoya siding from Delta Millworks and windows and doors by Alpen High Performance Products. Landscape architect Mimi McKay created a series of gardens that remain engaging in all seasons.