Home Tour: A Vibrant, Style-Aligned Home in Lincoln Square

Have you ever been out shopping and found something that fits your style so perfectly that you feel as though it was made just for you? There’s nothing that tops the giddy delight that fills your heart at that moment. Now, imagine experiencing that feeling every time you step inside your home.

Our latest project is a home that is so aligned with its owner’s style that she is able to live that same pure delight each and every day.

Meet the Client

Our wonderful recent client, let’s call her Marcia, was moving back to Chicago from Boston after becoming newly single. She had been renting out her condo in Lincoln Square and was happy to move back in to be close to her sisters who also both live in the neighborhood. 

Marcia is a vivacious person with a contagious bright energy, and she dreamed of updating her home so it truly felt like a reflection of her personality and style. But between her demanding career and active lifestyle of pickleball, baking, traveling, and thrifting, Marcia knew she needed support bringing her dreams to life. She reached out, and we were thrilled to join her team.

Project Goals & Inspiration

When I first met Marcia and stepped inside her condo, I could see why she felt disconnected from her home. She felt that her home’s standard, builder-grade elements didn’t align with her vibrant style, and she was ready to bring fresh personality to her kitchen and 2 full bathrooms. Aside from aesthetics, Marcia also wanted more storage and better functionality (who doesn’t?!). Although we’d be working in some tight constraints space-wise, I knew that through renovating, we could check the boxes on her wishlist.

When I first begin working with a client, understanding their unique style is a major part of how we determine the design direction. Marcia was overflowing with inspiration, and she definitely thought outside the standard Pinterest-board box. 

Her inspiration images included not just home interiors, but a restaurant she recently visited and loved the tile, color, and vibe. She also dug through her eclectic thrifted treasures and showed me some of her favorite unique finds, including a jacket with green shapes reminiscent of a spirograph toy. She loves color and wasn’t afraid to use it.

Long story short, Marcia had a great vision for what she wanted, but she wasn’t sure how to pull it all together. The inspiration she shared was the perfect springboard for me to understand the design direction. We worked collaboratively and embraced my slow decorating process to intentionally create distinctive, timeless spaces that would fit seamlessly into Marcia’s life. The results? *Chef’s kiss* Come see for yourself…

A Lively & Colorful Kitchen

What a difference, right? Go ahead and scroll back up to peek at the before image again – we transformed this kitchen in a big way. Gone are the standard-grade cabinets and “safe” color palette. This space is now bursting with personality and energy, just like Marcia. Can you imagine what a joy it is for her to cook in this fun, playful kitchen now? 

From a technical standpoint, her old school Chicago condo building presented some challenges. We weren’t tearing down any walls, so we really had to work with what we had. The original kitchen had an oversized peninsula which provided additional countertop space, but it cut off the room from the rest of the space. 

Marcia dreamed of having an island, so we removed the peninsula, which immediately opened up the space. We also designed the gorgeous island, preserving that functional countertop workspace. And as a bonus, we put it on casters so Marcia can easily move it around when hosting and use it as an extra serving area without blocking off the room. Beautiful, practical, and versatile.

The island and the pantry doors feature custom-made carpentry so we could use the super fun chartreuse color (Sherwin Williams Limon Fresco), which adds such a fresh, playful punch. We did a total upgrade to Marcia’s cabinets, increasing the storage there, and we wanted to transform the open shelves adjacent to the peninsula into a functional pantry. We built custom bifold doors to match the island, and Marcia now enjoys even more storage space with her new pantry.

Finally, I can’t move on from the kitchen without mentioning the tile. The emerald green brings depth to the space, while its reflective properties bring in additional light. It’s not unusual to use subway tile for a kitchen backsplash, but our vertically stacked configuration adds a touch of contemporary style that fits in seamlessly with Marcia’s unique aesthetic.

Let’s move on to…

The Distinctive Full Bathrooms

There was nothing remarkable about the two original bathrooms – in fact, they looked almost exactly the same. Now, each has its own distinctive style and mood. One feels bright, playful and fresh, while the other feels deeply cozy, snug, and secluded. 

Though we didn’t change the layouts (again, working within the space constraints), we did some creative thinking and reimagined the spaces to give Marcia exactly what she wanted without overcrowding the long, narrow bathrooms. 

We replaced the builder-grade vanities that lacked storage with custom vanities that expanded the cabinet all the way to the door. That linear portion had to be shallower, but this accomplished two things: it gave Marcia more storage and more countertop space. Totally worthwhile.

While standard recessed canned lighting has a time and place, we chose to think outside the box with these bathrooms. We used an elegant globe pendant in one, adding simplicity to balance the vibrant color and pattern. In the other bathroom, we selected fun flush mount lighting, which, against the dark backsplash tile, creates an elevated, moody vibe.

Finally, if you ask me, I’d say that tile is the star of this project. From the patterned bathroom floor, to the deep red accent tile behind the vanity, to the dark green kitchen backsplash, it was so much fun to play with color, material and shape. They played a critical role in bringing Marcia’s vibrant vision to life.

An Authentic Home Reflecting Personal Style

I love that Marcia wanted to go all-in on her personal design style and create a home that she could fully enjoy. She wasn’t afraid to use color, pattern, or texture, and she had no intent on designing with resale or future owners in mind.

At the end of the project, Marcia told me, “I just can’t believe you captured my personality and vision so perfectly without seeing any of my furniture or real style. Like… how did you do that?” It was such a humbling moment, and honestly, proof that our slow-decorating process works. Since then, she’s passed my name on to several friends, which is the biggest endorsement I could ask for.

A few weeks ago while catching up she shared something that stopped me in my tracks. She said her home now feels like a sanctuary. She’s always loved cooking, but cooking in this kitchen brings her a different kind of joy. I had sent her a little digital coffee-table book of the before-and-afters, and she laughed, telling me that looking back at the old photos, “it honestly looked like I was living in a prison.” Her words – not mine – but such a testament to how transformative a space can be when it’s thoughtfully considered.

From a design standpoint, this project also highlights the level of care a designer brings to a home. These spaces weren’t large, but they needed intention and attention to detail. What we created together was deeply personal – something that could never be purchased “off the shelf.”

If you’re feeling inspired and our approach to design resonates with you, I’d love to connect.  Reach out to us here, and let’s begin the conversation.

Warmly,
Kristen