Designer's Residence, Chicago IL
Photography by Alan Shortall
Located in a circa 1924 vintage Beaux Arts building on Lake Shore Drive, my place functions primarily as a design laboratory. The silver walls in the entry are an homage to Andy Warhol’s factory. Most all spaces and furnishings are multipurpose. A ten-foot-long by four-feet-wide worktable on casters can be pulled up to a 13-foot-long banquette and can sit 10 for dinner comfortably. The banquette also can sleep up to two house guests on rare occasions. Elsewhere, a Régence bench and commode mix effortlessly with a mid-century French stool, a Brutalist sculpture, and a collection of vintage Italian pottery. All the upholstery is covered in waxed cotton duck.
In the library/office, Home Depot industrial shelving lines the back wall and holds a portion of my book collection. In front of the shelving units are white canvas screens which provide a backdrop for an important pair French Fauteuil chairs. A Room + Board table on casters has one of a pair of French Régence benches tucked underneath.
In the all-black bedroom, the walls are lined in acoustical blankets while two four-foot-wide factory material handling trucks serve as generous but minimal night tables. A pair of iconic Knoll Saarinen Tulip chairs have been upholstered in a black damask fabric while a tool chest serves as a dresser. An indoor/outdoor grey rug from IKEA anchors and defines the bed in the room.
Throughout the entire residence, art is either displayed on an easel or leaning in groups against the walls. This allows me to move the art around at will, so it does not become stagnant.
Located in a circa 1924 vintage Beaux Arts building on Lake Shore Drive, my place functions primarily as a design laboratory. The silver walls in the entry are an homage to Andy Warhol’s factory. Most all spaces and furnishings are multipurpose. A ten-foot-long by four-feet-wide worktable on casters can be pulled up to a 13-foot-long banquette and can sit 10 for dinner comfortably. The banquette also can sleep up to two house guests on rare occasions. Elsewhere, a Régence bench and commode mix effortlessly with a mid-century French stool, a Brutalist sculpture, and a collection of vintage Italian pottery. All the upholstery is covered in waxed cotton duck.
In the library/office, Home Depot industrial shelving lines the back wall and holds a portion of my book collection. In front of the shelving units are white canvas screens which provide a backdrop for an important pair French Fauteuil chairs. A Room + Board table on casters has one of a pair of French Régence benches tucked underneath.
In the all-black bedroom, the walls are lined in acoustical blankets while two four-foot-wide factory material handling trucks serve as generous but minimal night tables. A pair of iconic Knoll Saarinen Tulip chairs have been upholstered in a black damask fabric while a tool chest serves as a dresser. An indoor/outdoor grey rug from IKEA anchors and defines the bed in the room.
Throughout the entire residence, art is either displayed on an easel or leaning in groups against the walls. This allows me to move the art around at will, so it does not become stagnant.
