Pop Art and Joyful Colors in an Eclectic Chicago Home
See how an interior designer helps bring a family’s creative ideas to life
Julie Sheer
March 27, 2019
Houzz Contributor; journalist with more than two decades of experience as a graphics editor and writer at the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune; outdoor guidebook author; lover of all things outdoors, nature and wildlife. Follow me at https://westcentric.wordpress.com/
Houzz Contributor; journalist with more than two decades of experience as a graphics... More
Photos by Rachel Loewen
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Ruth Blatt; her husband and three children; and their fox red Labrador retriever, Edgy
Location: Roscoe Village neighborhood of Chicago
Size: Six bedrooms, 6½ bathrooms
Designer: Mika Wegner Avni of Interiors by Mika
Homeowner Ruth Blatt teamed up with interior designer Mika Wegner Avni to refresh her family’s 2008 three-story house in Chicago’s Roscoe Village neighborhood. Blatt wanted to create a space that reflected the family’s personality while meeting everyone’s individual needs. With Blatt’s love of art and whimsy and Avni’s skill at mixing design styles, it was a perfect match. “What started as a design job turned into friendship for life,” Avni says.
The project involved new paint, an eclectic art collection and custom furniture pieces for the main living areas. “Ruth was very much involved with the color selection as well as the entire design process, and I feel very lucky and grateful for the opportunity to work with her,” Avni says. “She really has amazing taste and just needed some help in bringing her ideas to life and with the fine tuning.”
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Ruth Blatt; her husband and three children; and their fox red Labrador retriever, Edgy
Location: Roscoe Village neighborhood of Chicago
Size: Six bedrooms, 6½ bathrooms
Designer: Mika Wegner Avni of Interiors by Mika
Homeowner Ruth Blatt teamed up with interior designer Mika Wegner Avni to refresh her family’s 2008 three-story house in Chicago’s Roscoe Village neighborhood. Blatt wanted to create a space that reflected the family’s personality while meeting everyone’s individual needs. With Blatt’s love of art and whimsy and Avni’s skill at mixing design styles, it was a perfect match. “What started as a design job turned into friendship for life,” Avni says.
The project involved new paint, an eclectic art collection and custom furniture pieces for the main living areas. “Ruth was very much involved with the color selection as well as the entire design process, and I feel very lucky and grateful for the opportunity to work with her,” Avni says. “She really has amazing taste and just needed some help in bringing her ideas to life and with the fine tuning.”
Blatt, left, and Avni, right, sit in the redone family room. Avni says her design for the home was inspired by the family’s love of modern art, literature and entertaining. Essential elements slated for redesign were a library room to showcase the family’s book collection, a dining room with a large table that could seat at least 12, and “a family room that would be their happy place — a colorful and joyful space where they can hang out as a family and enjoy their time together,” the designer says.
In the original family room, a television was the wall’s centerpiece. “So instead of arranging the furniture to face the fireplace wall, which would have put a barrier to the kitchen, we arranged the sectional to face the backyard and the kitchen, thereby integrating the space,” Blatt says. The family room exemplifies Avni’s trademark mix of styles, pairing modern art with a Victorian-style chair and contemporary coffee tables.
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In the original family room, a television was the wall’s centerpiece. “So instead of arranging the furniture to face the fireplace wall, which would have put a barrier to the kitchen, we arranged the sectional to face the backyard and the kitchen, thereby integrating the space,” Blatt says. The family room exemplifies Avni’s trademark mix of styles, pairing modern art with a Victorian-style chair and contemporary coffee tables.
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Blatt says each piece of art in the home has a story behind it. Most were acquired on trips abroad, and many of the artists are personal friends, which makes her treasure the works that much more. “Acquiring art is like falling in love. First there is attraction and desire, then commitment, finally cohabitation,” Blatt says. The big blue painting seen here is by Israeli artist Bazooka Joe. Several of the other pieces are from a graffiti artist and from Blatt’s friend Lindsey Liss.
The art inspired the color choices in the space, including the fuchsia area rug. The original brown brick wall was painted white to act as a canvas for the art. To balance all the color, Blatt and Avni chose a neutral tone for the sectional. “We then started gradually adding pops of color, first the rug and art, then accent chairs and pillows, until the balance seemed right. It was an iterative process,” Blatt says.
A Beginner’s Guide to Original Art and Limited-Edition Prints
The art inspired the color choices in the space, including the fuchsia area rug. The original brown brick wall was painted white to act as a canvas for the art. To balance all the color, Blatt and Avni chose a neutral tone for the sectional. “We then started gradually adding pops of color, first the rug and art, then accent chairs and pillows, until the balance seemed right. It was an iterative process,” Blatt says.
A Beginner’s Guide to Original Art and Limited-Edition Prints
The kitchen received just a few design changes, including new pendant lights over the island and a new bench cushion for the breakfast nook. Blatt says the kitchen table is one of her favorite places to work because of the light and space.
Hire a local kitchen designer on Houzz
Hire a local kitchen designer on Houzz
Sliding glass doors bring in plenty of light and provide a view to the back patio, with its existing fireplace and new patio furniture, landscaping and hot tub. The piano adds a classic element to the space, Avni says.
Blatt, a writer and activist, is seen here relaxing with the family’s fox red Labrador retriever, Edgy. Blatt works almost exclusively at home, so it was important for her to have a space where she could be comfortable, creative and productive, as well as accommodate guests.
“The main purpose of our home is as a setting for our family life,” Blatt says. “I see the home as an experience, and we have designed the home to enable us to enjoy spending time together and also give each other space when we need it.”
“The main purpose of our home is as a setting for our family life,” Blatt says. “I see the home as an experience, and we have designed the home to enable us to enjoy spending time together and also give each other space when we need it.”
Before: In the living room, the original marble fireplace needed updating. “I wanted a more modern and industrial look, so we painted it to look like concrete,” Blatt says, who disliked the home’s dark interior. “The color scheme was muted and dark. By painting all of the walls white, we made the space feel more expansive, open and bright.”
After: The room indeed became brighter, which proved a challenge since the space also serves as a library, a room that’s often relatively dim. “I think we were able to create the coziness of a library while enjoying the benefit of large windows and plenty of light,” Blatt says.
Avni divided the space into several sitting areas: “A velvet teal accent chair for comfortable reading, a cafe table with two side chairs for a private conversation or studying, and an area for socializing, with a large, comfortable sofa,” she says.
Fireplace paint: Dolphin, Benjamin Moore
Avni divided the space into several sitting areas: “A velvet teal accent chair for comfortable reading, a cafe table with two side chairs for a private conversation or studying, and an area for socializing, with a large, comfortable sofa,” she says.
Fireplace paint: Dolphin, Benjamin Moore
A stairway leads from the main level to bedrooms upstairs. The painting in the stairway is an example of how location affects where Blatt hangs art. “Art in hallways and staircases is art that I see while in movement, whereas art facing seating is art that I view while stationary, so it will be art that keeps drawing me in, or, as in the family room and dining room, a gallery wall of pieces that interact with each other,” she says.
Key Measurements for a Heavenly Stairway
Key Measurements for a Heavenly Stairway
A bookcase in the library area of the living room measures 12 feet wide by 8 feet tall and holds the family’s large collection of books. The custom bookcase was made by Chicago furniture designer Jacob Wener of Modern Industry, in collaboration with The Golden Triangle, a store in Chicago that sells antique Asian and European pieces.
A velvet teal accent chair with a photographer’s tripod floor lamp behind it makes for a cozy reading space.
Tips for using art: Always display pieces you love, and pay attention to scale and proportion, Avni says. “Go with pieces that speak to you, create an emotional reaction and, just like your home interior, are an expression of you,” she adds. Keep the art at eye level, and its size should equal one-half to two-thirds the width of the furniture it sits above. “The art should be connected to the rest of the space, as it is part of the overall decor,” Avni says.
Tips for using art: Always display pieces you love, and pay attention to scale and proportion, Avni says. “Go with pieces that speak to you, create an emotional reaction and, just like your home interior, are an expression of you,” she adds. Keep the art at eye level, and its size should equal one-half to two-thirds the width of the furniture it sits above. “The art should be connected to the rest of the space, as it is part of the overall decor,” Avni says.
A unique art piece is featured in the home’s entryway: a lenticular print that changes as the viewer moves. It toggles between a portrait of John F. Kennedy and the words “Happy Birthday” and an image of Marilyn Monroe. Blatt likes the humor and irreverence it evokes. “We love that piece and we think it is great for the entry because it sets the tone for the house,” she says.
Before: Though well-lit, the dining room previously featured dark tones on the walls, floor and furnishings.
After: Here’s the new lighter, brighter space.
A large round painting of a rhinoceros is a focal point in the dining room, which “breaks the squareness of the room and adds some humor to the space,” Avni says. The custom table was made to fit the room and includes leaves that extend to accommodate large parties. The chairs were imported from Italy.
The mobile chandelier is from the owners’ previous home. Blatt says they wanted there to be plenty to look at without being overwhelming, while connecting the space to adjacent rooms and the outdoors. “We wanted a room that was more earthy to echo the trees, flowers and bushes in the courtyard that it looks upon and that connected the muted colors of the library to the bright and playful family room,” she says.
The bubble chandelier in the stairway was already there. The painting by Chicago artist Erik DeBat, titled “Dare Devil,” was a 40th birthday present from Blatt to her husband. “We love the energy of that piece,” she says.
After: Blatt was seeking a quiet and calm atmosphere in the bedroom, which is now bathed in white, from the painted walls to the cloud sofa and textured mural wallpaper.
“We knew we wanted a haven without the intense colors of the main floors,” Blatt says. She saw the combination of wallpaper, rug and pendant light in a Mineheart catalog, with its creative and whimsical furnishings. “The wallpaper felt like a risk — what if I get sick of it? — but I had fallen in love so that was that,” she says. Over the fireplace, the four images of rabbits by artist Hunt Slonem add pops of color.
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“We knew we wanted a haven without the intense colors of the main floors,” Blatt says. She saw the combination of wallpaper, rug and pendant light in a Mineheart catalog, with its creative and whimsical furnishings. “The wallpaper felt like a risk — what if I get sick of it? — but I had fallen in love so that was that,” she says. Over the fireplace, the four images of rabbits by artist Hunt Slonem add pops of color.
Shop for fine art prints
A miniature gold chandelier inside the Mineheart King Edison pendant light adds another touch of whimsy to the master bedroom.
After: With its white palette and touches of gray and chrome, the master bath is now a “relaxing oasis,” Avni says. Like the master bedroom, the space is noticeably toned down compared with the rest of the house. “We wanted a place for sensory deprivation, in case we needed it,” Blatt says. “The master bath is a space for transitions, from sleeping to waking and back.”
The closets adjacent to the master bath are original. “It is great having so much space because I can see what I have,” Blatt says.
Wall paint: Shoreline, Benjamin Moore; vanity paint: Horizon, Benjamin Moore
Wall paint: Shoreline, Benjamin Moore; vanity paint: Horizon, Benjamin Moore
Before: A dark sleigh-style bed was part of the existing guest room used for kids’ sleepovers.
After: The kids’ guest bedroom was freshened up with a fun wallpaper and lighting that looks like balloons. “I asked Mika to design a children’s room that is gender-neutral and soothing, because the children that will be sleeping in it will be away from home. I think she did an amazing job,” Blatt says.
Browse popular kids’ ceiling lights
Browse popular kids’ ceiling lights
The room includes a cute yellow giraffe-shaped bookcase.
Blatt says her son designed his own bedroom, choosing blue ombre as the dominant color. Benjamin Moore’s Aquarius and Bayberry Blue were used. The room includes a white desk with plenty of storage and a comfy faux fur chair. The rope hammock swing adds another fun seating option.
This is the younger daughter’s room, which she liked as is when the family moved in. It received new window treatments and a custom purple cushion on the window seat, which has drawers for storage.
Find a custom upholstery professional
Find a custom upholstery professional
This bright room is a multiuse studio space for the kids to do crafts and homework. “We wanted our home to be the gathering place for our children’s friends, and this room is a big attraction,” Blatt says. “It’s also nice that there is a space in the home where they can safely make a mess.” She notes that slime making is popular these days.
The older daughter’s room reflects her personality and is a place for her collection of miniatures from various trips abroad. “It has a timeless bohemian vibe, as well as showcasing her interest in Japanese animation, superhero movies, musicals and art,” Blatt says.
The daughter’s collection extends to the fabric headboard. “She has very eclectic interests and her room reflects that,” Blatt says.
The older daughter’s bathroom has original red-orange tile and a mango wood whitewashed dresser-turned-vanity.
15 Vintage Cabinets Become One-of-a-Kind Bathroom Vanities
15 Vintage Cabinets Become One-of-a-Kind Bathroom Vanities
The homeowners had their entire multiuse basement repainted. Chicago artist Lisa Gray painted the purple flower mural outside the window. “I liked it so much I asked her to paint the jungle mural on the room divider in the style of Henri Rousseau,” Blatt says. That mural is shown in the next photo.
Here’s a closer look at the jungle mural painted by Lisa Gray.
A bar and popcorn machine are perfect for family movie nights. “For the movie theater, we got furniture that can easily be reconfigured depending on our needs,” Blatt says. “It’s the only place we watch TV together and we love it.”
Blatt does most of her exercising at home, so she wanted space for yoga, as well as a fully equipped gym for boxing, cardio and weight training. Artist Brian Keller, the fiance of artist Gray, painted the gym mural. “We came up with a gym design that was edgy but whimsical and reflected our love for boxing. It came out perfect. There is no other gym like it,” Blatt says.
How to Create a Home Gym You’ll Actually Use
How to Create a Home Gym You’ll Actually Use
Blatt uses the home’s original office on the main floor as her workspace. “I like that it is by the front door and on the main floor, so that I can be working without completely disconnecting from the rest of the family,” she says. “The desk was custom made and is very spacious.”
Shop for a pink area rug
Shop for a pink area rug
The office contains a Chinese bookcase from The Golden Triangle that holds some of Blatt’s favorite objects, mostly pottery pieces made by her sister.
Avni was given complete control over the redesign of this powder room. She paired gray walls with black-and-white cement tile flooring and a custom wood vanity. Blatt is happy with the finished space and added some art. “It feels very contemporary and fresh,” she says. “We added many of our favorite pieces of art because we knew most visitors to the house would see them there.”
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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See more of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More on Houzz
Read other My Houzz stories
Find an interior designer
Shop for home products
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Beautiful and colorful design! It is such a great example of how art can make a space wonderfully unique! And I am delighted to see that so many artists have contributed to make this home truly special for the owners.
Also, totally agree with the designer's comment “The art should be connected to the rest of the space, as it is part of the overall decor”.
Raisa
This is the first thing I’ve seen here that triggered outright ENVY. This house is fabulous and far beyond anything I’ll ever be able to afford. I wish I could!