A new residence designed to accommodate a significant amount of space, while retaining the warmth and comfort typical of older homes.
Designed with architect Gregory Maire for a young couple with three children, this home in North Chicago features an authentic Arts and Crafts aesthetic applied to an open interior plan.
A sequence of specifically designed moments and views were created to bring the guest into the home, allowing the experience of the home to begin from the moment one steps onto the property. Adjacent to the guest parking area, a curved garden wall becomes a stone pier supporting a deep sheltering roof. From this garden shelter, bluestone pavers lead guests through the front garden to the front porch with a single elegant teak door and a Tuscan column, nestled between two of the home’s seven roof gables.
Seen from the rear, three gables provide cover for an open beamed pergola for sunning and a screened porch. Small second floor roofs on brackets protect the oversized windows at the master bedrooms and upper family room from south and west sunlight.
The chimney’s great height is visually supported by the spreading stone piers at its base. Seating by the family room fireplace is tucked beneath the bridge connecting the second floor bedrooms. Beyond the wood screen, the staircase rises up out of the entry hall.
From the dining room, two steps lead up to the entry hall and family room, and another two to the living room and library beyond. Above the dining room plate rail, a Morris wall covering leads the eye up to a nest of beams, a treatment typical of such Arts and Crafts rooms.
