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Collection by Julie

Dwell

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The home’s kitchen features a bold, earthy mix of colors and textures—the quartzite counters, Venetian plaster kitchen hood, Zellige tile backsplash, and natural wood millwork come together to create a warm and inviting space. “The juxtaposition of the old, Moroccan Zellige tile against the new Marvin windows is a really nice design moment,” says Carly.
The home’s kitchen features a bold, earthy mix of colors and textures—the quartzite counters, Venetian plaster kitchen hood, Zellige tile backsplash, and natural wood millwork come together to create a warm and inviting space. “The juxtaposition of the old, Moroccan Zellige tile against the new Marvin windows is a really nice design moment,” says Carly.
The home’s basement sits higher on the ground, which allowed the team to incorporate above-grade Marvin Elevate windows. “It gives us more light so that the basement doesn't feel like it's a subterranean space,” says builder Tom Kenny. The ground-level windows are designed to withstand the rain, snow, and ice that will pound their surface in the harsh Chicago climate. Aesthetically, the sleek profile complements the Marvin Ultimate windows elsewhere in the home. “It matches the design seamlessly,” says DeBaker. “Nobody knows that it's a different window.”
The home’s basement sits higher on the ground, which allowed the team to incorporate above-grade Marvin Elevate windows. “It gives us more light so that the basement doesn't feel like it's a subterranean space,” says builder Tom Kenny. The ground-level windows are designed to withstand the rain, snow, and ice that will pound their surface in the harsh Chicago climate. Aesthetically, the sleek profile complements the Marvin Ultimate windows elsewhere in the home. “It matches the design seamlessly,” says DeBaker. “Nobody knows that it's a different window.”
“I knew that I wanted to amp up the design within the room, because it is very open to the kitchen,” Carly says of the home’s pantry, which also doubles as a bar. “There's a built-in desk within the pantry, which you don't see very often, but it's a really great place for my boys to do their arts and crafts or their homework.”
“I knew that I wanted to amp up the design within the room, because it is very open to the kitchen,” Carly says of the home’s pantry, which also doubles as a bar. “There's a built-in desk within the pantry, which you don't see very often, but it's a really great place for my boys to do their arts and crafts or their homework.”
Beamed ceilings, built-ins, window benches, and the narrow profile of the Marvin Ultimate windows all help to add warmth and dimension to the open floor plan.
Beamed ceilings, built-ins, window benches, and the narrow profile of the Marvin Ultimate windows all help to add warmth and dimension to the open floor plan.
Another design feature that was important to Carly—because she likes antiquing and thrifting—was to have ample built-in spaces to showcase her finds. “So, we really worked at interspersing those throughout the house and finding ways to make them proportional,” says DeBaker. “It is more fun if we have this collaborative team around and everyone is sort of willing to try new things, try new materials and play around with the different shapes, different built-ins, different design ideas.”
Another design feature that was important to Carly—because she likes antiquing and thrifting—was to have ample built-in spaces to showcase her finds. “So, we really worked at interspersing those throughout the house and finding ways to make them proportional,” says DeBaker. “It is more fun if we have this collaborative team around and everyone is sort of willing to try new things, try new materials and play around with the different shapes, different built-ins, different design ideas.”
“The servery window is definitely my favorite spot within the home,” says Carly. “It's just something that you don't see very often, and it's a design feature that makes this house very unique.”
“The servery window is definitely my favorite spot within the home,” says Carly. “It's just something that you don't see very often, and it's a design feature that makes this house very unique.”
An expansive, 12-foot Marvin Ultimate sliding door connects the dining room to the screened porch.
An expansive, 12-foot Marvin Ultimate sliding door connects the dining room to the screened porch.
Both eye-catching and functional, the large servery window is the home’s standout design feature. The space becomes the perfect indoor/outdoor oasis with mature trees around the property providing shade and a screened-in porch that lets air in—but keeps bugs out.
Both eye-catching and functional, the large servery window is the home’s standout design feature. The space becomes the perfect indoor/outdoor oasis with mature trees around the property providing shade and a screened-in porch that lets air in—but keeps bugs out.
An open floor plan and expansive windows from the Marvin Ultimate line allow clear sightlines from the front entry through the dining room to the backyard.
An open floor plan and expansive windows from the Marvin Ultimate line allow clear sightlines from the front entry through the dining room to the backyard.
The home’s entrance features a grand vaulted foyer space with a cantilevered staircase up to the second floor. “We worked with Marvin Ultimate series to create the stair tower so we could stack windows together, and really create this kind of feeling of a wall of glass,” says DeBaker.
The home’s entrance features a grand vaulted foyer space with a cantilevered staircase up to the second floor. “We worked with Marvin Ultimate series to create the stair tower so we could stack windows together, and really create this kind of feeling of a wall of glass,” says DeBaker.