Many individuals or couples who hire an interior designer think for the long term, creating a home for years to come.
A couple in their 30s had a slightly different agenda when they hired Chicago designers David Kaufman and Tom Segal to help them acquire furnishings for their first home, a new 2,200-square-foot, two-bedroom townhouse on the Near North Side.
Awaiting the birth of their first child, the couple knew they would not stay forever.
“It was a place to live for several years,” says the wife, who at one time worked for a furniture company.
The owners and the designers put most of the couple’s budget into furnishings, rugs and artwork that they could take with them when they moved. Expensive paint, wallpaper and curtain treatments would be kept to a minimum; carpeting would be area rugs rather than wall-to-wall designs.
The clients also decided to focus on classic contemporary furnishings that they felt they wouldn’t tire of.
As they always advise clients starting from scratch, the designers asked them first to select a rug for the living room.
“It anchors the space and suggests the palette,” Kaufman says.
In this case, the choice was a reproduction Romanian Serapi in a mix of jewel tones against a honey background. Next came several custom designs–a quilted mahogany dining room buffet by Lee Weitzman, and from Michael Heltzer a steel, woven copper and granite entry console and steel deck furniture. A sofa and oversized chairs in the living room have exaggerated roll arms and high backs that add cachet; a small reproduction Beidermeier dining table in burled olive has leaves to enlarge the table when necessary.
A few exceptions to the keep-everything-portable strategy were built-in wall units, blinds to maintain privacy, and granite backsplashes in the kitchen.
“Although we knew these things would have to be left behind when we moved, we felt they were critical for our enjoyment of our home,” the wife says.
The only mistake she feels they made was to select certain fabrics that were less than practical for young children.
“The gray suede ottoman in the living room looked great but was a perfect height for our son to climb on. We’ve re-covered it,” she says.
Now that their son is 3 1/2 and their second child, a daughter, is almost a year old, they have begun to contemplate moving.
“I always looked at buying furniture and art that would be able to fit in many surroundings because they are unique,” says the husband.
The designers concur. “All the pieces can be reused, though some may need to be cut down or used differently,” Segal says. “The dining room table will probably be used in a hall and the ottoman and oversized chairs might go in a den. One exception might be the dining room chandelier, which probably would stay behind, but it would help sell the home.”
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RESOURCES
Interior design–Kaufman-Segal Design. Painted wall finishes–Steve Schubert Decorative Finishes, Skokie.
Living room: Fireplace surround and hearth–Roman Marble Import Co.; Serapi rug–Jorian Rug Co., Merchandise Mart; upholstered chairs and ottoman–Shoppe De Lee, Elk Grove Village; chair fabric–Robert Allen Fabrics, Mart; ottoman suede–Spinneybeck Enterprises, Mart; coffee table–Antiques Ltd., Mart; millwork for wall unit–Custom Cabinet Corp.; Hunter Douglas Silhouettes window treatments–Contract Design, Arlington Heights; Beidermeier chairs–Eileen Lane Antiques, New York; side table–Pauline Grace, Mart. Dining room items in living room photograph: buffet–Lee Weitzman at Callard and Osgood, Mart; stair runner–Jorian Rug Co., Mart; rug–personal collection.
Powder room: Vanity–Roman Marble Import Co.; Kohler sink and faucet–Community Home Supply Co. Inc.; mirror–personal collection.
Dining room: Table–Eileen Lane Antiques, New York; chairs–Shoppe De Lee, Elk Grove Village; chair fabric–Robert Allen Fabrics, Merchandise Mart; Dakota Jackson kitchen counter stools–Holly Hunt Ltd., Mart.
On pg. 2: Master bedroom: Sleigh bed–Grange Furniture, Merchandise Mart; nightstands–Patina at Holly Hunt Ltd., Mart; Tizio by Artemide lamp–Superior Lighting Co.; drapery and bedding fabrics–Brunschwig and Fils, Mart; drapery–Zirlin Interiors; bedding and chaise–Shoppe De Lee, Elk Grove Village.
All artwork–personal collection.
