Makeover Magic: A Modern Take on Classic Interior Design

When the house-hunting couple saw a property located in Lincolnwood, a suburb just outside of Chicago, they knew it had potential. They loved the lot; the only hurdle was the house itself, which needed significant updating to work for a family with four young children.

The couple brought in Claire Staszak, founder of Chicago design firm Centered by Design, to rework the space and make it functional and beautiful. “The wife, who interestingly is an architect, has a really good eye and she knew what the house could be,” Staszak says. “It needed an overhaul, but she saw how it could work for her family.”

While improving the house’s flow and function, Staszak also brought in furnishings and chose finishes in an updated classic style that suited the young family. “We put a lot of energy into the details: crown molding, baseboards, door casings, doors, and hardware,” she says. “If those elements are good, the design flows.”

In the kitchen, Staszak created a welcoming and functional space for a family that cooks most nights and hosts frequent gatherings. She started with warm white cabinets and added a walnut island and built-ins that continue into the breakfast nook and family room, adding much-needed storage. She chose Cambria’s Mammoth Cave* design for the counters and backsplash, noting that the dark quartz has brownish undertones, which bring warmth plus drama to the space. Her final pro touch was to use several metals—brass, nickel, and bronze—for the lighting and hardware. “We’re always trying to design something that’s hard to place in terms of when it was designed,” she explains. “When you mix things, you get more of that timeless, lived-in appeal.”

Staszak chose wallpaper for a corner of the kitchen that has a generous Cambria backsplash, but no upper cabinets. “I love how this William Morris pattern highlights the warmth of the cream in the cabinets and the browns in the Cambria,” she says. Adding to the charm of this corner are the small pieces of art and mirrors. A picture light illuminates the sink area, while also highlighting the collection.

The kitchen extends into a breakfast nook and the home’s family room. It took some creativity for Staszak to give the family both a dining space for six and room to hang out. She custom designed a double-sided sofa/banquette that’s bench height for sitting at the table and lower on the other side. She notes that not only is the piece space-saving, it also serves as a bridge between the family room and kitchen.

Since the family loves to host gatherings, Staszak added built-ins to the dining room. Staszak also painted the library’s custom built-ins. In this room, the liveliness comes from the Patterson Flynn rug. “We did a beautiful fireplace in here and with the family’s love of pattern, we chose this cool rug,” Staszak says. “It keeps the room from being too traditional.”

Throughout the house, Staszak used a lively mix of textures and architectural details to give the house the update it needed to work for years to come. “We collected or custom made things that are really specific to this client and that helped create a story for their home,” she says. “We also made sure we looked at the whole space, so it’s a holistic look throughout.” Staszak notes that the key is listening to what the client loves, what they need a space to do, and how they want to feel in a space. It ensures that nothing is cookie-cutter, but personalized.

*Gensler product design consultant