feel

In the bathroom, a custom ceramic backsplash designed by Meredith and Sample joins an iroko-wood tub created by their students a the University of Toronto. In spaces where the tiles don't need to be cut around corners, outlets, or other obstacles, it might even be possible to do the tile work yourself for a DIY project.

Some of the Japanese-style rooms were retained and restored.

Elements from traditional Japanese architecture such as warm wood, exposed beams, and shoji screen-style sliding doors characterize the home.

In traditional Japanese architecture, spaces are divided into "tsubos," a Japanese unit of floor area that’s the equivalent to approximately 35.58 square feet.

Staying true to the aesthetics of traditional, Japanese rural homes, architect Sumiou Mizumoto stuck with simple color and material choices. White and wood elements dominate pure, streamlined spaces.

Architect Jonathan Solomon and city planner Meg Gustafson had experience designing houses, but not together, which made renovating their late-1800s home in Chicago’s Uptown all the more exciting—particularly when you consider their style is anything but traditional.

The couple purchased the living room’s H.W. Klein chairs with the house. Another existing piece was the mezzanine’s daybed, designed by Peter Hvidt and Orlando Mølgaard Nielsen. An original floating staircase leads to the mezzanine and then up to the second floor. The open, straight-forward spaces speak to one of Christian’s guiding principles: “Simplicity is the key,” he says.

"The plaster's imperfections are part of what gives the house its unique character, in the same way the concrete floor shows swirls and the timber has natural knotting,

Isaacson and his best friend, Mary T. Hatch, snack at a dining table by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in the eat-in kitchen.

The main entry, located off the front courtyard is more practical than grand. The door opens onto a PK15 chair by Poul Kjaerholm and built-in coat cabinets that direct movement to either side of the hall and into the living area.

Down the hallway from the main living areas awaits a spacious media room, which also features bespoke shelving and pop-out details.

The airy chef's kitchen features long countertops, new appliances, and custom cabinetry.