My Houzz: Art and Pattern Update a Traditional 1897 Chicago Home
A refreshing mix of bright whites, bold greens and floral prints creates fun, modern style in a historic neighborhood
Kimberly says she thought about the process in layers. “Before finalizing any decisions on paint or wallpaper, I printed the floor plan of our home and mapped out every room by color and pattern,” she says. “The first layer was paint and wallpaper, and I selected the color and pattern of every room before we began work.”
She worked with Diorio to help finalize the paint selections in each room. From there, she made rug, furniture and lighting decisions, “always keeping the context of the entire home in mind,” she says.
She worked with Diorio to help finalize the paint selections in each room. From there, she made rug, furniture and lighting decisions, “always keeping the context of the entire home in mind,” she says.
Before: The original dining room featured a handsome original fireplace and beautiful dentil molding. The Elbaors loved the old features but were not big fans of all the gray paint on the walls. “When we initially viewed the home, my least favorite feature was that the majority of the rooms were painted gray,” Kimberly says. “Thankfully, the architectural features of the home were preserved beautifully.”
After: The homeowners enlivened the dining room with an earthy green color scheme. A custom-mixed high-gloss green paint from Farrow & Ball complements a vintage floral rug and contrasts the white paint on the molding and ceiling.
Kimberly’s father made the dining table, and she made the dining chairs as a weekend project by adding woven leather strips to wooden frames. The chandelier is a Paris fixture from the 1980s. Kimberly found the oil painting by artist Stephanie Hier at a show hosted by Chicago Manual Style, which holds exhibitions by emerging artists at a garage in Chicago.
“We live in every room of our house and have incorporated modern design elements while still honoring the traditional features of the home,” Kimberly says. “I enjoy seeing our contemporary artwork in such a traditional setting.”
Rug: Asmara
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Kimberly’s father made the dining table, and she made the dining chairs as a weekend project by adding woven leather strips to wooden frames. The chandelier is a Paris fixture from the 1980s. Kimberly found the oil painting by artist Stephanie Hier at a show hosted by Chicago Manual Style, which holds exhibitions by emerging artists at a garage in Chicago.
“We live in every room of our house and have incorporated modern design elements while still honoring the traditional features of the home,” Kimberly says. “I enjoy seeing our contemporary artwork in such a traditional setting.”
Rug: Asmara
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Vintage crystal Tiffany & Co. candlestick holders sit atop the dining table.
The vibrant glossy green paint makes the dining room stand out against the neutral tones of the adjacent living room. “Because the dining room can be fully closed off via the pocket doors, I wanted a big-impact color and a jewel-box effect against the adjoining white hallway and living room,” Kimberly says.
10 Pros Share Their Favorite White Paints
10 Pros Share Their Favorite White Paints
The living room features a mix of old and new furniture. Kimberly’s mother made the pillows on the sofa using Bowood floral fabric from Colefax and Fowler. “My goal for every room has been to introduce our personal style and to make the most impact with the highest-quality design elements for the least cost,” Kimberly says.
Before: A previous homeowner had put in the marble mantel above the original wood-burning fireplace and painted the walls gray. “We immediately got to work repainting and wallpapering every surface, including ceilings and moldings,” Kimberly says, adding that it took Tapia’s Works a full month to complete the painting job.
After: Kimberly had the Finn Juhl Spade chairs from Inmod upholstered in Ralph Lauren fabric and had new cushions made. The stacked bookcase in the corner adds a sculptural touch. Kimberly painted the monkey wall art in oil on linen.
Kimberly says her favorite corner of the living room is the one with the Shinola record player and a vintage console that she and James bought at Chicago’s South Loop Loft.
She had the cushioned armchair reupholstered in the same Bowood floral pattern found elsewhere in the home. The wall art (Press Release by William Mackrell) is lipstick on satin panels.
The holes in the wall near the ceiling are part of a SpacePak central air conditioning system that’s commonly used in historic or retrofitted homes.
She had the cushioned armchair reupholstered in the same Bowood floral pattern found elsewhere in the home. The wall art (Press Release by William Mackrell) is lipstick on satin panels.
The holes in the wall near the ceiling are part of a SpacePak central air conditioning system that’s commonly used in historic or retrofitted homes.
The Elbaors are expecting their first child soon, and this will be the newborn’s room. It also doubles as a guest room.
The grassy greens are a familiar tone. “Since the dining room is just across the hall, we kept the green color palette to loosely tie the rooms together if the doors are left open,” Kimberly says. Her mom made the quilt on the twin-size daybed using floral Liberty fabric.
Wallpaper: Bird and Thistle, Brunschwig & Fils; rug: Ferncroft, Asmara
The grassy greens are a familiar tone. “Since the dining room is just across the hall, we kept the green color palette to loosely tie the rooms together if the doors are left open,” Kimberly says. Her mom made the quilt on the twin-size daybed using floral Liberty fabric.
Wallpaper: Bird and Thistle, Brunschwig & Fils; rug: Ferncroft, Asmara
The artwork hanging on the built-in bookcase was a gift from James’ mother.
Artwork: “Washington Ain’t No Square Park” by James Rizzi
Artwork: “Washington Ain’t No Square Park” by James Rizzi
The homeowners worked with Cornerstone Kitchens and Baths to update this guest bathroom with a new bathtub, Grohe fixtures, a medicine cabinet and polished marble floor tile set in a herringbone pattern.
The sunny master bedroom includes original hardwood floors and a leather chesterfield sleigh bed. All the lighting is new.
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Shop for beds
After: The homeowners had the wallpaper removed and the room painted in Farrow & Ball’s Wimborne White, the same shade used in the living room. The unusual art on the wall was created by Charles Mayton. “The oil painting is made up of three canvases,” Kimberly says. “The eyeballs hang on top of the underlying canvas, so it is very dimensional in person.”
The dresser is a special piece created by her father. “My father made the dresser that mimics stacked trunks from an image I drew for him on a napkin,” she says. “It is my favorite piece that he has ever made for me. He drove it up from Tennessee and delivered it to us. It is so special.”
The dresser is a special piece created by her father. “My father made the dresser that mimics stacked trunks from an image I drew for him on a napkin,” she says. “It is my favorite piece that he has ever made for me. He drove it up from Tennessee and delivered it to us. It is so special.”
The stacked dresser is made from mahogany. Kimberly’s father also built the house she grew up in, and he still makes furniture. Her mother quilts, knits and spins her own yarn. “I learned so much from shadowing my dad in his wood shop and my mom in her craft room, building the base skills for making almost anything myself and not being intimidated of trying,” Kimberly says.
The homeowners installed new linen Roman shades to cover this large window with city views. The wooden nightstand is an antique.
The couple lined the original closets in cedar.
Before. The only things the Elbaors kept in the master bathroom are the sink and most of the original subway tiles. Some tiles had to be replaced.
Hire a local bathroom remodeler
Hire a local bathroom remodeler
After: The homeowners worked with Cornerstone Kitchens and Baths to update the master bathroom with new brass fixtures and new medicine cabinets. The remodeling crew removed a privacy wall and put in new floor tile in a pattern designed by Ann Sacks. Kimberly selected the tile color.
Kimberly used Houzz for its product discussions when it came to choosing the bathroom fixtures. “I found helpful information when sourcing our bathroom hardware from Houzz that led us to select Waterworks for our primary bathroom and Grohe in the baby room,” she says.
Kimberly used Houzz for its product discussions when it came to choosing the bathroom fixtures. “I found helpful information when sourcing our bathroom hardware from Houzz that led us to select Waterworks for our primary bathroom and Grohe in the baby room,” she says.
After: The couple converted the bedroom into a den, with walls painted in Railings by Farrow & Ball, an almost-black color with deep blue undertones. The color contrasts the white window frames and draws attention to the attractive dentil molding above the windows. The room includes a custom pullout sofa for when guests stay over.
Kimberly had the pair of armchairs reupholstered in a plaid fabric that coordinates with the modern plaid rug and plays off the cornflower blue sofa.
Sofa: Avery Boardman; armchair fabric: Colefax and Fowler; chandelier: via France and Son
Kimberly had the pair of armchairs reupholstered in a plaid fabric that coordinates with the modern plaid rug and plays off the cornflower blue sofa.
Sofa: Avery Boardman; armchair fabric: Colefax and Fowler; chandelier: via France and Son
Before: Here’s another look at the den before the redesign. The fireplace and mantel are original, and the couple kept the paint color (Wimborne White by Farrow & Ball). The brass trim on the fireplace opening is also original. Kimberly thinks a previous owner had the tile surround put in.
After: This new cozy corner retains the traditional feel of the original fireplace, with new colors and modern touches.
Kimberly refinished this antique desk for James.
“We haven’t made any changes to the kitchen yet, other than removing hanging cabinets from above the peninsula to open up the space, and painting the walls and ceiling,” Kimberly says.
Paint: Skimming Stone, Farrow & Ball
Paint: Skimming Stone, Farrow & Ball
The kitchen flooring is original, the counters are granite and the backsplash is stainless steel.
How to Keep Your Kitchen’s Stainless Steel Spotless
How to Keep Your Kitchen’s Stainless Steel Spotless
Kimberly made this small kitchen table by pairing a scrap piece of honed marble with a base that she bought at a restaurant supply store.
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My Houzz: Colorful, Eclectic Style in an 1890 Kentucky Brick Home
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See more of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More on Houzz
My Houzz: Colorful, Eclectic Style in an 1890 Kentucky Brick Home
Find a general contractor
Shop for home products
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Kimberly and James Elbaor. She works in venture capital and also paints and makes jewelry; he works in finance.
Location: Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago
Size: 2,200 square feet (204 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
After purchasing their 1897 home in the historic Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago, Kimberly and James Elbaor wanted to make some changes to the mostly gray interior. The home had historic features the Elbaors wanted to keep, but they also wanted to inject it with some personal touches. “Many of the features are original, including the beautiful pocket doors in the dining room, the intricate molding in the living room and the hardwood floors,” Kimberly says.
Kimberly and James, who both work in finance, were both very hands-on throughout their design project while working with several local professionals. Julie Diorio of JC Licht helped with paint color selections, Tapia’s Works painted the walls and installed wallpaper, and Cornerstone Kitchens and Baths handled two bathroom renovations.
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