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The photo on the left is the new entrance
to a house in Winnetka, Illinois. The addition, a large one, more
than doubled the size of the original house, a corner of which can be seen
on the left in the first photo. The original house was designed by
Robert Spencer, a Midwestern architect, with some Prairie touches mixed
with English sources, as reflected in the Tudor half-timbering on the
upper stories. I thought of the English Arts & Crafts architect,
CFA Voysey, as the perfect inspiration for a Prairie and Tudor
blend. It fit nicely with my clients' family history as well, since
an aspect of the Prairie style reflects an awareness of Japanese design,
and the wife is Asian and the husband is of Irish and English descent.
The photo on the right shows the entrance to the new mudroom, which
connects the old kitchen to the garage with a workout room above. |
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This is the garden facade, with small
terraces off of the breakfast room on the left and the living room on the
far right. I designed these spaces to continue the existing
vocabulary of a brick foundation with stucco above, as it was on the
original house. There were no original decks, however, so I drew
inspiration from the English Arts & Crafts movement, and combined it
with the close-spaced square spindles of the Prairie style. This
became the basic pattern for the outdoor structures we needed, such as a
window well enclosure, on the right. |
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These are two views of the living room
fireplace, with paneling, tile work and built-in shelves all inspired by
Voysey. The light fixture is a period antique, and the painting
above the fireplace was bought by my client before work had even
begun. It turned out to be a perfect size and palette to use in this
room. The tiles on the fireplace face are a wonderful and varied
glaze of iridescent green, something Voysey would have appreciated, and
are laid in vertical soldier courses like many of his fireplace designs. |
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| The two views of the kitchen
show how a large space can be "tamed" with well-proportioned
cabinetry. Both owners wanted a clean, somewhat minimal aesthetic,
which suited the overall concept perfectly. The cabinets were
custom-made by an Amish furniture maker that we use, and the faucets and
fittings are all nickel-plated for a soft, warm shine. The hutch in
the background of the picture on the left looks like a piece of
free-standing furniture, but it is anchored to the wall in the
conventional way. I wanted to avoid a completely fitted look, which
was not done in the period, but still maximize the usefulness and
functionality of the spaces and the cabinets. The island contains a
small prep sink, a second oven, and the dishwasher. The
refrigerators are to the left of the sink, so despite the overall size of
the room, the classic work triangle is maintained for ease of use. |
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| Here are two views of the dining
room showing the beamed tray ceiling above the table, a device that helps
to create a sense of a smaller space within the larger room, and keeps the
table from looking too small. The photo on the right shows a view
through a pair of French doors to the breakfast porch, a beautiful little
room that looks into the garden and has its own little deck. |
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| On the left is a view of the
master bedroom, with built-in bookshelves inspired by Voysey, and a reproduction
Voysey rug, Orchard, that he used in his own bedroom. Again, the
ceiling detail helps to make the large room feel more intimate, while
adding visual interest to what otherwise might have seemed to be a big
blank plane. On the right is a picture of the elegantly-simple
soaking tub in the master bathroom. The size of the lot allows for
plenty of privacy, so no window treatments were needed. The room has
the quiet and Zen-like feel of a luxurious spa. The wall tiles are
laid in vertical courses, and have a beautiful and subtle transparency to
the glaze that makes them feel like sea water. |
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| I designed the master vanity,
with double sinks, to look like a free-standing piece of furniture, but
there is a toe kick panel recessed far enough behind the front legs to
complete the illusion while preventing things from getting lost
underneath. The mosaic floor tile pattern is based on one I saw in a
vintage athletic club here in Chicago, and continues the soothing green
and white color palette. The sink fixtures are Lefroy-Brooks, an
English company that I like to use for their high quality and period
sensibilities. |
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| Stairways, and balustrades, were
an important aspect of the overall impact of a Voysey interior, so I
wanted to be sure to design railings, rungs, spindles and posts as
authentically as possible. The first photo on the left shows the
main staircase from the first floor paneled hall to the second floor
landing. It is a big, double-height space, and I found a wonderful
vintage light fixture with a little Gothic feeling to it that filled the
area nicely without overwhelming it. The picture on the right is of
the railings in the third floor attic space, which serves as a home
office, guest room and art studio for my client, who is very creative in
her own right. Again, the light fixture is vintage, something I did
with all the major fixtures, because I felt it was important to give this
new construction an overlay of history. All the woodwork throughout
the entire house is dyed the same color, an approach that unifies the various
elements and rooms, and helps to create a cohesive feeling to a large
structure. |
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On the left is the
almost-finished mudroom / back entry space. The staircase here is
simpler than the others in the main house, which befits a service space,
but still is detailed to relate to the overall Voysey aesthetic that runs
through the entire project. The floors here are purple slate, which
have a soft, warm color. The three windows, changing size as they
march up the run of stairs, were copied from a Spencer-designed home in
Oak Park, but modified slightly to fit the space. Up the flight to
the left is the door to the workout room, and down on the right is the
door to the attached garage.
The shot on the right shows the back entrance to the kitchen, with a small
staircase and spindle screen that leads directly to the master bedroom, in
case there is an urgent need for midnight snacking. The "portieres"
that cover to doorway are traditional Japanese restaurant hangings, a
reflection of my client's family heritage. The open spindle screen
on the right looks into the dining room, and allows some "borrowed
light" to filter into the small hallway. |
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