We were invited back to collaborate with the owners of this Gothic Revival home located in the Kenwood community on Chicago’s South Side, having previously worked with them on the renovation of their Victorian residence in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. The couple chose this 11,000-square-house, originally designed by architect Charles Sumner Frost in the early 1900s for the president of the Union Stock Yard & Transit Company, in order to live near the elementary and high schools of their four children.

The historic building’s exterior and interior were restored, including extensive repair of the masonry, windows, roof, plank floors, plaster walls and ceilings, and decorative woodwork.

The spaciousness of the home and the ornate details of its traditional interior now complement the display of their extensive collection of modern art and design. An office under a dramatically vaulted ceiling and an archive for the collection are located on the third floor. The lower level of the house accommodates a pottery studio. On the ground floor, we designed contemporary cabinetry elements, creating new spaces, such as a bar area and powder room adjacent to the dining room, as well as a prominent display alcove in the great hall. This juxtaposition of contemporary design and traditional detail heightens the awareness of each aesthetic and enhances the beauty of the couple’s remarkable collection.

Photography: Christopher Barrett