It wasn’t easy finding the interior designer. “I really had to track her down,” says a 39-year-old lawyer-turned-stay-at-home-mom.
It was 1989 when she first met and collaborated with interior designer Judith Bell on a mini-project, a custom built-in for the family’s small kitchen in a tiny home with no closets and one bathroom. “We just instantly liked each other,” she says.
As the lawyer and her husband’s family grew, so did the need for a larger home. Bell moved from a design firm in Chicago to her own studio on the outskirts of Michigan City, Ind.
In 1997, the couple decided to move with their three children from their tiny one-bath house near the city to an ample four-bedroom house on the North Shore. Even though the home was older and needed some attention, it was “well loved and well taken care of” by the previous owners and “it had a soul,” says the wife.
They lived there for 1 1/2 years, just enough time to get a feel for the space before renovating, always a good idea. In the meantime, the clients hired Bell to go ahead with decorating the children’s bedrooms to match each child’s uniqueness and character.
That done, the couple had to move out of the house for the renovation, this time with a fourth child in tow and Bell by their side to collaborate with architect Fred Wilson and contractors C&P Remodeling.
In 1999, they rented a house several blocks away. The renovation entailed opening some rooms and adding 2,000 square feet to acccommodate a family room, two studies, a hallway, a master bedroom suite and a basement expansion. A year later, they moved back in.
The wife was steadfast about the house being functional and user-friendly. “It’s all about the family,” she says. “And for a busy mom who hates to shop and is not focused on those things [choosing furnishings, picking colors], but is focused on having a home where family and friends can come over, then it’s nice to be able to do that successfully. That’s where Judith Bell comes in.”
That necessitated making affordable, wise purchases when it came to choosing furnishings. Decorator and clients worked “creatively within a budget,” says Bell.
The children are still young, so it made sense for some existing pieces, serviceable hand-me-downs, to be reused or slip-covered. “They were very clear about wanting all the rooms accessible for the children,” says Bell.
The new family room, measuring 18 by 27 feet, was made the focus of the home, where quality time is spent with the children. Bell chose kid-friendly furnishings in practical finishes to allow for comfort during family gatherings.
The new room has expansive windows, allowing the outdoors to function as “artwork,” while multicolored paneled drapes enhance the effect.
To anchor the room, Bell chose an enormous coffee table. Capable of storing puzzles, toys and games, it becomes the obvious solution to the “I’m bored” predicament. The large, comfy sofas and chairs tempt even a reserved adult to bounce a bit.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever had room for everybody to have a seat!” declares the wife.
Color was an important element for the family, and Bell made some daring selections. Creating a sharp, yet calm contrast are the greens, the grape and kiwi stripes painted in the foyer, juxtaposed with pale clove in the dining room.
The maple floor in the kitchen was painted in multiple layers to create a bold red and white checkerboard. Brushed polyurethane seals in color and durability. The wife initially thought Bell was joking about such a dramatic floor treatment.
“There’s a lot of trust,” says the client about letting the designer make the decisions. “Judith really thinks about how you’re going to live.
“This is not a ‘teched-out’ house, and that’s important to me. There can be a lot of kids here. It’s not a white-rug house where people walk in and take off their shoes.
“It’s real, it’s livable, it’s affordable and it will last forever. I feel that I haven’t made any mistakes.”
———-
RESOURCES
KID FRIENDLY Interior design: Judith Bell and Associates, Michigan City, Ind. Architect: Fred Wilson, Morgante-Wilson Architects Ltd., Chicago. Contractor: C&P Remodeling, Wheeling. Pg. 26: Stair/window seat: Painted striped wall treatment in Pratt & Lambert paint-by Len Treviranus; carpet-Flooring Network, Merchandise Mart, Chicago; seat cushion fabric–YOMA Textiles, New York. Pp. 26-27: Family room: Sofas and chairs upholstery-Albert Vivo Upholstery, Chicago, fabrics by Calvin Fabrics-Donghia Showroom, Merchandise Mart; Woodland Furniture coffee table-Callard & Osgood, Mart; ottomans-Grange Furniture Showroom, Mart; custom area rug-Constantine Carpet/Eagle Carpet Service, Addison; window treatments-David Brofman Inc., Deerfield; Great Plains drapery fabric-Holly Hunt Chicago, Mart; all other accessories-personal collection. Pg. 28: Family-room detail: Courthouse table-The Antique Market, Michigan City, Ind., refinisher-Danlin Furniture Conservators, Chicago; chairs-various antiques shops in La Porte, Ind., upholstered in Alphapelli leather-Callard & Osgood, Merchandise Mart; ceramic pieces-Jon Hook, LaPorte, Ind. Pg. 29: Wife’s study: Wallcovering by Maya Romanoff-Callard & Osgood, Merchandise Mart; window treatments-David Brofman Inc., Deerfield, valance fabric-Osborne & Little, Mart; armchair by Hickory Chair Co.-Sterling Square, Mart, and fabric by Greeff Fabrics-F. Schumacher & Co., Mart; desk-Grange Furniture, Mart; desk chair-S. Stein Co. in Osborne & Little fabric, Mart; Tibetan rug-Oriental Carpet Gallery, Chicago; loveseat-Room & Board, Chicago; ottoman-YOMA Textiles, N.Y. Pg. 30: Boy’s bedroom: Bed-Lexington Furniture Industries, Chicago, fabrics-Vogue Fabrics, Evanston; twig table, board game and rooster-antiques shops find sin southwest Michigan; lamp-Target; rug-Home Decorators Collection catalog, 877-537-8539. Kitchen: Painted floor treatment-Punke Enterprises, Oak Park; custom iron and stone console-Timeless Creations, Wisconsin, and Original Marble & Granite, Glenview; stool-southwest Michigan antiques shops; artwork-personal collection.
