Giving this historic home – set in Chicago's Frank Lloyd Wright district, a quarter named after the renowned architect who called the area home, and designed or remodelled a series of houses there – a new life, without killing its period appeal, is a task that requires a finely-tuned play between bravery and restraint. It’s an exercise with which the interior designer Pernille Lind is a deft hand at.
Working on a house built in 1920, and located in such a historic area, posed a set of unique challenges and also opportunities for Lind’s design process. “Preserving the classic style while infusing contemporary elements demanded a delicate balance between honouring the building's rich past and meeting the needs of a modern home,” she says. “We wanted to respect the authenticity of the house, while incorporating enhanced functionalities.”
Lind's response to modernising this old home in Chicago's Frank Lloyd Wright district involved a mix of Scandinavian midcentury-modern design and European inspirations. Transforming spaces like the kitchen into hubs of family activity that seamlessly blend modern functionality with enduring grace, her adept navigation of the interplay between heritage and contemporaneity has resulted in a tranquil family home that pays homage to its architectural roots while embracing the rhythm of contemporary living.
This included reimagining key areas such as the kitchen and dining room, which she opened up by knocking through interior walls to transform into a family-centric zone at the heart of the ground floor. It is now an open and serene space that is perfectly set up for the home cook and consummate host, and blends modern sensibilities with traditional touches: the central island is draped in strikingly veined marble; the cabinet doors have softly curved panelled fronts; and the pantry cupboard is given texture with fluted glass inserts.
Upstairs, the east wing, which was originally divided into several small rooms, was also reconfigured, and combined to create a grand master suite with a bathroom and a walk-in closet.
Stylewise, the clients, who had lived in London for many years and travelled extensively, had requested an interior scheme that incorporated European references – a tricky balance to strike, given the historical context of the house. Overall, they wanted a calming home that would be a refuge from an otherwise hectic lifestyle.
“We agreed that all pieces of furniture should have a purpose or a story, while also being elegant and timeless in appearance,” says Lind, who is of Danish and Thai heritage, and draws from both Asian and Scandinavian aesthetics in her work. “I took inspiration from Scandinavian midcentury-modern design, and I visited Chicago’s array of vintage shops to find unique items and ornaments – most having been sourced from Europe.”
She focused on retaining as many of the house’s original features as possible, such as the red oak floors, which were sanded down and lightened using a white pigment oil; and lifted the neutral colour palette with warm wooden tones and plenty of natural materials. Sleek midcentury furniture and luxurious marble finishes are juxtaposed with more weathered, vintage pieces, to “add contrast and intrigue, and introduce depth and tactile variation”, says Lind.
As well as playing with texture in this way, and selecting furniture and accessories with organic forms to add softness and visual interest, Lind introduced flashes of natural colour through her curation of leafy pot plants. “In the sunroom, we layered each corner with a selection of tropical banana-leaf plants with taller trees, and added woven blinds to the beautiful arched windows for shading,” she says. “It’s one of my favourite rooms in the house.”
Throughout the Chicago home, she has created a scheme that feels modern and current, yet pays homage to the house’s architectural roots: a balanced and serene family home.
