The home embraces indoor-outdoor living with a large sliding door that serves as its only window. A living room couch by Hubba Hubba (made of mattresses and upholstered fabric) wraps around a TOV Furniture coffee table, anchored by a custom Moroccan rug found on Etsy. The ashtray is by Fundamental Berlin and the mushroom lamp is by Rodolfo Bonetto for Iguzzini.
Deam also designed all of the built-in furniture, including this bedside console that features an Arne Jacobsen sconce.
A peek inside the master bedroom, with touches of marigold yellow throughout.
A built-in bench by the window is a cozy perch for Tyler. The herringbone flooring looks like wood but is actually man-made.
A long, concrete staircase leads toward the front door, which is set back from the main facade. A perforated aluminium screen covers the exterior of the glass-walled entry vestibule.
Sheer curtains let light and breezes into the master bedroom.
A solid terrazzo sink juts out from the wall with an integrated wooden drawer. The mirror conceals an oak cabinet.
In the 141 Spring Street project, resident Josh Nissenboim prepares food in the kitchen. The countertop is Carrera marble, chosen because for its lightness and ability to wear in naturally. He and his wife, Helen, keep cooking staples within easy reach on simple shelving. By sticking with the most basic essentials, the shelves are open and spacious rather than overly stacked.
The wings of this cruciform residence jut out over the landscape on stilts to capture panoramic views.
Custom Russian Birch Plywood cabinets in charcoal have quartz counters, with concrete detailing at one corner, and at the windowsill. The globe lights are from Dutton Brown. Fay kept the original ceiling-mounted stove hood extractor as a nod to the home’s past.
Wishbone chairs by Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn surround a custom dining table, which is made out of a leftover piece of scaffolding from construction. The lighting is custom by Heather Dahl.
Dining takes place at the large custom-fabricated table underneath pendant lighting. Seating is a mix of Eames Shell Chairs and Real Good chairs from Blu Dot.
In Chicago’s Buena Park, dSPACE Studio transformed a disorganized 1978 home into a bright retreat that revolves around an expanded atrium. SoCo pendant lights by Tech Lighting draw the eye up to the double-height light well.
Kitchen
“The thing I’m happiest about is that we struck a balance between creating a home that’s cozy and expansive,” says Taylor, who integrated eco-friendly features throughout, like the living room’s low-emissions fireplace from RSF.
The bathroom has two glass walls with frosted and transparent glass to allow light to filter in from the windowed area. Colored grout and yellow drawers and hardware bring bright colors into the space.
Even the bedding adheres to the color scheme, with yellow pillows from Merci in Paris and a red blanket from Best Made. The sconce is by David Weeks Studio.
A beloved focal point is the Noguchi pendant, gifted to the couple from a close friend, the actor Heath Ledger, who arrived one morning after the couple had moved in with “an electrician, ladder, and a huge box,” they recall. “The contents were this Noguchi shade, which has swayed in the breeze for many years since, constantly reminding us not only of his astute taste for interiors but his confidence to show up to a friend's house unannounced and install a giant Japanese pendant light shade.”
In the kids’ bath, Ann Sacks slate tile is again used on the floor, while Heath tile in a more playful Mango hue makes for a cheery wall feature. The tub is wrapped in Celador quartz, which continues up the surrounding walls. Tom Dixon Felt pendant lights hang outside the second-floor hallway.
The lower bathroom was transformed as well and Murdock added another glass panel to this space to bring in light from the window in the adjacent room. The mustard yellow tile from Heath Ceramics adds a fun pop of color and Murdock's tile layouts were meticulously planned to seamlessly intersect with adjacent materials and cabinetry.
The new kitchen was vaulted to bring in plentiful light and take in views of the magnificent oak tree in the back.
The clients loved using color throughout the home to create playful palettes in the kitchen, bedroom, and bathrooms.
The use of yellow heath tiles and a skylight above create a welcoming guest bath.
Walnut has also added warmth and contrast to the bathroom vanities. While the Heath Classic Field ceramic tile in Modern Blue has been used sparingly throughout the home, it still adds color to the hall bath vanity backsplash and at the shampoo niches in both bathrooms.
The sloped roof has the added advantage of looking onto the surrounding trees. A large television is concealed behind the wooden panel adjacent to the fireplace. A sleeping loft, seen at right, became possible when the old laundry room was eliminated.
ARCHITECTUREFIRM used rough-sawn cedar paneling throughout, cladding the exterior with blackened pieces, and whitewashing the interior surfaces to form a dramatic visual contrast between inside and out. A painting by artist Tim Harriss hangs above a Crane bench by Double Butter near the entry hall.
A brick fireplace feature creates a low window from the kitchen into the living room to keep a connection between the rooms without relying on a completely open floor plan. Energy-efficient MR16 halogen lights are recessed into the wood ceiling to further emphasize the clean lines throughout the interior spaces.
A new gas fireplace with floating steel hearth features Fireclay Tile's brick tile in a bold blue tone.
The living room had a broad fireplace hearth, common in many Alexander homes—however the room lacked a direct connection with the side yard.
Preserved-In-Time Wood-Paneled Family Room With Cinder Block Hearth
Restored corner fireplace with new tile and concrete hearth
The hearth was simplified to become a calming visual anchor in the space. Ceiling height wood trim and a bulky river rock base were replaced with a clean zellige tile surround, hand-glazed ceramic tile base with a Aria quartzite hearth, and a modern birch log set.
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