By David Scott Interiors

Photography by Werner Straube



David Scott  



Located in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, this spacious apartment residence was a complete gut renovation and combination of two existing units for a large active family. It was designed to emulate the feeling and details of their former Long Island Georgian estate, but with a focus on making the furnishings and finishes more tailored to an urban dwelling. The design employs a tonal layering of color in the dramatic darker spaces to anchor the light and airy central rooms. Embroidered drapery, comfortable upholstery, vintage lighting, and an eclectic mix of family-friendly surfaces add to the visual interest of the interior. The paneled entrance foyer and the signature round window in the kitchen were details taken from the client’s former residences making this new house, miles away, feel like home.





The living room is an eclectic mix of new and old, elegant and earthy. The pewter tone of the curtains and wall color act as a visual barometer for the shifting light from the stunning views of Lake Michigan, sometimes casting blue, gray or taupe, which in turn, helped define the overall color palette of the furnishings, art and accessories. A Louis XVI-style étagère and leather-upholstered library chair, a pair of agate-topped tables, a French folding stool from Karl Kemp Antiques and a Biedermeier center table are elegant pieces, balanced by the more casual feel of the neutral-toned sisal rug, bound in black leather, which is topped by a black cowhide area rug.



Left: Above the mantel, a silkscreen of blue poppies by Donald Sultan is flanked by a pair of patinated bronze sconces by Hervé Van der Straeten. Right: A 1950s T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings chest of drawers from Karl Kemp Antiques, its golden tones complemented by a gilt faux-bois mirror from Van den Akker. A shagreen-base table lamp and black-and-white Chuck Close self-portrait complete the vignette.


The library is lacquered a rich, deep blue, with contrasting accents of bright red seen on the shades of the Maxime Olds gilt-bronze sconces, circa 1940s, and the cashmere throw. A pair of armchairs covered in traditional  navy pinstripe, and rich wood tones in the desk and cabinet are contrasted by a contemporary zebra-patterned rug. The faux-tortoise side table on acrylic legs is from Liz O'Brien Editions. A mosaic-like portrait of Thomas Jefferson is rendered in vintage bottle caps by Molly B. Right.



Left: Luxe and dramatic finishes in the butler’s pantry — chocolate brown lacquer on the walls, and a swirling custom metallic gold and bronze agate pattern on the ceiling. Right: Deep blue lacquer door with porthole window, a talisman from the owner’s previous residence.



Left: In the breakfast room, vintage T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Klismos chairs from Cain Modern surround a 1950s rosewood table from Van den Akker.  Right: Plenty of sparkle in the dining room, provided by a vintage Murano chandelier and bronze and agate lamps by Willy Daro.



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