Bright, Breezy Living Room Caps a Hectic Renovation
After hitting a creative wall while remodeling, a Chicago couple turns to a design pro for help
Mitchell Parker
June 19, 2018
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
Rachel Fobes had run out of steam. When it came time to update the living room during the final stretch of a whole-house remodel, she just couldn’t go on. In under a year, she’d had a baby, bought a house with her husband, Nick, and worked with him and contractors to demo the house down to the studs, add a new roof, refinish the floors, remodel three bathrooms (yes, three) and completely overhaul the kitchen. Did we mention that this all happened in under a year?
At this point, Rachel was busy with work in freelance media and taking care of the couple’s 30-pound, 1-year-old son, Keaton, and daughter, Lilia, who’s 5. One day, she found herself in a store looking at sofas and realized that she couldn’t focus. “I didn’t have an opinion,” she says. “I didn’t want to look at another thing. I was burned out and didn’t know where to start.”
At this point, Rachel was busy with work in freelance media and taking care of the couple’s 30-pound, 1-year-old son, Keaton, and daughter, Lilia, who’s 5. One day, she found herself in a store looking at sofas and realized that she couldn’t focus. “I didn’t have an opinion,” she says. “I didn’t want to look at another thing. I was burned out and didn’t know where to start.”
Photos by Rachel Loewen Photography
Living Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Rachel and Nick Fobes — he’s a landscape architect, and she’s a freelance media professional — and their daughter, Lilia, 5, and son Keaton, 1
Location: Oak Park village of Chicago
Size: 299 square feet (28 square meters); 13 by 23 feet
Designer: Laura Tribbett of Outline Interiors
Watch now: See how Rachel and Nick Fobes’ new living room came together
Nick, a landscape architect, had just enough gas left in his tank to take over getting the living room completed. He used the Houzz ideabook he and Rachel created, and reached out to interior designer Laura Tribbett, whom they found on Houzz. From there, Rachel stepped back from anything to do with renovating, and Nick and Laura selected new furniture and accessories from Houzz to update the living room.
“The biggest challenge was the shape of the room and creating a layout that worked for different activities,” Tribbett says of the long rectangular room with lots of open passageways to other rooms.
She divided the room into three zones: a main lounge area with a sectional in front of the TV and a newly updated cast stone fireplace, a secondary lounge area with two swivel chairs, and a work area with a desk for Rachel, shown below.
Avant cast stone fireplace mantel in Pearl: DeVinci Cast Stone
See how to create and use Houzz ideabooks
Living Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Rachel and Nick Fobes — he’s a landscape architect, and she’s a freelance media professional — and their daughter, Lilia, 5, and son Keaton, 1
Location: Oak Park village of Chicago
Size: 299 square feet (28 square meters); 13 by 23 feet
Designer: Laura Tribbett of Outline Interiors
Watch now: See how Rachel and Nick Fobes’ new living room came together
Nick, a landscape architect, had just enough gas left in his tank to take over getting the living room completed. He used the Houzz ideabook he and Rachel created, and reached out to interior designer Laura Tribbett, whom they found on Houzz. From there, Rachel stepped back from anything to do with renovating, and Nick and Laura selected new furniture and accessories from Houzz to update the living room.
“The biggest challenge was the shape of the room and creating a layout that worked for different activities,” Tribbett says of the long rectangular room with lots of open passageways to other rooms.
She divided the room into three zones: a main lounge area with a sectional in front of the TV and a newly updated cast stone fireplace, a secondary lounge area with two swivel chairs, and a work area with a desk for Rachel, shown below.
Avant cast stone fireplace mantel in Pearl: DeVinci Cast Stone
See how to create and use Houzz ideabooks
Before: By the end of the full-house renovation, the couple didn’t know what to do with their existing living room, which they say even then was the most-used room in their home. The sectional sofa was left over from their college days.
After: Rachel and Nick had already refinished the floors and painted the walls, and they wanted to keep their two swivel chairs and coffee table. So Tribbett started by anchoring the space with an 8-by-10-foot multicolored Persian-style rug and brought in a neutral gray sectional that could hold up well to wear and tear from young kids.
Tribbett took a lot of inspiration from the rest of the 100-year-old Arts and Crafts-style house, so the living room would feel cohesive and not like stepping into a showroom inside the home. Rachel and Nick’s Houzz ideabooks were another good source for Tribbett to get to know the couple’s style. “It was a way to have Rachel’s input without having her input,” Tribbett says.
Vintage Persian collection rug: Safavieh; Brentwood sectional sleeper sofa in Ash: Apt2B; Carrara marble table lamp in white: Luxeria Home; Tunis cotton throw blanket in blue and white: Mod; “Remind Me” artwork, prints I, II and III, by PI Galerie: SCI
Watch now: See how Tribbett helped the couple get their dream living room
Tribbett took a lot of inspiration from the rest of the 100-year-old Arts and Crafts-style house, so the living room would feel cohesive and not like stepping into a showroom inside the home. Rachel and Nick’s Houzz ideabooks were another good source for Tribbett to get to know the couple’s style. “It was a way to have Rachel’s input without having her input,” Tribbett says.
Vintage Persian collection rug: Safavieh; Brentwood sectional sleeper sofa in Ash: Apt2B; Carrara marble table lamp in white: Luxeria Home; Tunis cotton throw blanket in blue and white: Mod; “Remind Me” artwork, prints I, II and III, by PI Galerie: SCI
Watch now: See how Tribbett helped the couple get their dream living room
Greige walls and white trim set a fresh backdrop for scoops of color, which Tribbett brought in through art, pillows and accessories that can be swapped out if the couple’s style preferences change.
Clara reclaimed-wood console table: Bay; Chateau plush velvet throw pillows in orange: 1st Avenue; two-piece matte white vase set: Global Views; three-piece glass knot set in navy blue: Elk Group International; Tower leaning ladder rack in black: Yamazaki; throw blanket in burnt orange: Surya
Clara reclaimed-wood console table: Bay; Chateau plush velvet throw pillows in orange: 1st Avenue; two-piece matte white vase set: Global Views; three-piece glass knot set in navy blue: Elk Group International; Tower leaning ladder rack in black: Yamazaki; throw blanket in burnt orange: Surya
Rachel, who works from home, now has a desk area in a separate zone behind the sectional.
Director office chair in black: Modern Selections; medium corkboard in brown: Linon Home Decor Products; Parisa vase: Imax Worldwide Home; two-piece wood serving tray set in orange: Urban Trends Collection
Director office chair in black: Modern Selections; medium corkboard in brown: Linon Home Decor Products; Parisa vase: Imax Worldwide Home; two-piece wood serving tray set in orange: Urban Trends Collection
“Love Force Field Copper” framed art: The Oliver Gal Artist; Pure ceramic vase (left): Accent Plus; Spirit Stem vase in white: Cyan Design; Novile table lamp: Surya; three-piece glass knot set in navy blue: Elk Group International; two-piece wood serving tray set in orange: Urban Trends Collection
Alastor rolling cart: Imax Worldwide Home; Palmero embroidered pillow in indigo: Kosas Home; Kelly Wearstler Channels pillow in blue and white: Dekowe Pillows
Watch now: See how this living room took shape
Watch now: See how this living room took shape
After tackling previous renovation projects themselves, the couple, and especially Nick, loved the experience of working with an interior designer. “It was totally different,” he says. “From the first kickoff meeting, she really took it from there and put together collages with the rug, couch, accessories, walls, all that stuff. We would never be able to do this ourselves. It was a total relief. It felt like we had someone to guide us instead of us figuring it out.”
Since finishing the project, Rachel says the family has built forts in the living room, entertained friends and had her parents stay over. “We’ve been living in it, and it’s even better than I thought it would be,” she says.
For now, the couple says they’re done renovating. Maybe. “For all intents and purposes, we’re done,” Nick says. “We have plans for the basement that might get us into trouble. Maybe some outdoor stuff. But the living room was the period at the end of a sentence.”
Watch now: Don’t miss Rachel’s reaction to the new living room
Get the look: Shop for products from this makeover
Your turn: Find a professional and get started on your own project
For now, the couple says they’re done renovating. Maybe. “For all intents and purposes, we’re done,” Nick says. “We have plans for the basement that might get us into trouble. Maybe some outdoor stuff. But the living room was the period at the end of a sentence.”
Watch now: Don’t miss Rachel’s reaction to the new living room
Get the look: Shop for products from this makeover
Your turn: Find a professional and get started on your own project
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Very, very well done. One of the best yet. This designer really heard what the homeowners wanted and the look is one that will last. I don't think I saw a single thing that I thought would look out of place next year, or the next year. This will be a long lasting design, classic and yet modern.
Rachel, looks amazing. So happy you and Nick have a place to call home....Great video!!! Bravo!! Cabinets look amazing. So happy to have had a part in your new home.
This is amazing and they all did a fabulous job!!