Many couples dream of building a home from scratch. But “few realize what it takes. It’s an enormous amount of work,” says a North Shore man who, with his wife, recently completed their ideal residence. In their case, the process took 1 1/2 years to plan and two years to execute–and that’s not counting the time they put into the project when it was just a dream.
“We spent years compiling a notebook of everything that we liked,” says the wife. The book was definitive and precise. It named names–such as which types of windows, woods, finishes and flooring the couple hoped to use. And it gave numbers–how many rooms the place should have and ranges of their exact dimensions so that no rooms were disproportionately large. Ultimately, it showed how the house should potentially feel, flow and look.
“We were trying to do more than just create a beautiful home,” says the husband. “It had to be functional and lasting. We didn’t want anyone to be able to lump our home into any time period or era, which is why we choose a certain type of architecture and used specific materials in a very precise way.”
“Classic modern architecture” is how the husband defines the style of the house, which was designed by Chicago architect James Nagle and clearly takes its cues from the timeless Modernist aesthetic the couple admires. “Sometimes you can walk into a house and tell who did it and when it was done by its design, the materials that were used and the way it’s furnished,” the husband notes. “We wanted to avoid that trap and create something that wouldn’t become dated.”
The couple assembled a team to execute their ideas that also included John Vasilion for interior architecture, Scott Byron for the landscape architecture and John Cannon for the interior design. Why so many pros on the job? “The project was complex and each type of professional we used had different types of expertise and interests in various aspects of the project, and strong ideas of their own,” the husband explains. “But ultimately, you have to remember it’s your house and your interests need to be met. We assembled the team to balance all those skills.”
First up was the architecture. “Our goal was to reuse the basic footprint of the house that was originally on the lot because it was sited to take advantage of the property’s natural landscape,” the wife says. The lot overlooks a ravine and is full of mature foliage that is handsome and hardy. “It was one of the points that attracted us to the property in the first place,” she adds.
Making the home relate to the property and incorporating its vistas meant making the landscape a major part of the design. “The idea was to bring the outside in by using broad expanses of glass and materials that related to the setting, such as stucco, stone and wood, and having most of the house overlook and open onto courtyards and patios,” the wife says.
This concept also paid homage to the Prairie style developed at the turn of the 20th Century by Frank Lloyd Wright, which eventually contributed to many of the tenets of Modernism. Wright designed buildings that reflected the surrounding landscape, and situated them to take advantage of their location. He also employed architectural devices that brought the occupants of a structure into closer contact with nature, such as porches, courtyards, terraces and patios, and used the same materials on the interior and exterior of a structure.
Examples of those techniques abound in the home. Every room is rimmed mostly in glass and features a stunning view of the landscape. Almost all the rooms also open onto a patio, balcony or courtyard. Bluestone floors in the public areas extend to the outdoor surfaces, while mahogany frames rim the windows inside and outside the home. A substantial lead-coated copper outcrop that sheaths the fireplace in the living room is echoed in a prominent chimney and floating wall on the exterior of the home, while the serenity of the white walls that fill the stretches between windows inside are reiterated in white stucco expanses outside.
Given such a clearly defined and clean-lined architectural program, the furnishings had to follow suit. “Choices were clearly dictated by the design and materials of the home,” says Cannon, the interior designer. Also, the couple “had spent such a long time planning the home, and were so thoughtful and thorough, that they knew in advance how they wanted each space to be used and what they wanted in it. They were extremely specific about expressing their needs for each room, and we furnished each room accordingly.”
The house itself was a source of inspiration for Cannon. The mostly muted hues and streamlined pieces he employed throughout the place were inspired by both the architecture and the views outside. This translated into pieces with muscular yet refined lines, assembled into concise groupings in the center of every room to comfortably accommodate the couple, their two children and their guests, and leave sight lines to the outdoors unobstructed.
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RESOURCES Architecture: James Nagle, Nagle Hartray Danker Kagan McKay Architects Planners Ltd., Chicago. Interior architecture: John Vasilion, Vasilion Associates Inc., Chicago. Interior design: John Cannon, Cannon/Frank, Chicago. Contractor: Triodyne Wangler, Niles. Landscape architecture: Scott Byron & Co., Lake Bluff. Living room: Sofa and pair of mahogany armchairs–Christian Liaigre at Holly Hunt Chicago, Merchandise Mart; side table–Ekitta, Mart; daybed–Pucci International at Thomas Job, Mart; coffee table–Nu House at Pranich & Associates, Mart; lamp–Nancy Corzine at Decorators Walk, Mart; Jack Lenor Larsen carpet–Larsen Carpet, Mart; Victor Vasarely sculpture–personal collection. Hallway: Tribal bench–Christian Liaigre at Holly Hunt Chicago; acrylic painting–personal collection. Washroom: Hastings washroom–Studio 41, Highland Park. Family room: Table, chairs, sofa and coffee table–personal collection; sisal rug–Pottery Barn. Kitchen: Custom designed and fabricated by Nagle Hartray Danker Kagan McKay Architects Planners Ltd., Chicago; Zanotta table and chairs–Luminaire, Chicago.
