Bright Modern Makeover Preserves Historic Charm Near Chicago
A designer helps her friends update the kitchen, mudroom and living space in their 19th-century home
When friends asked interior designer Mia Rao if she would help them transform the first floor of their late-1800s house in suburban Chicago, Rao was surprised to hear what they had in mind for the project. Their existing kitchen, the living, family and dining rooms, the powder room and the mudroom were quite traditional, but her friends felt a sleek, modern vibe was a better fit with their personal style. Rao’s design embraced this big change and balanced the new clean lines with the charm of the house’s original details.
“It really works because there are some warm elements to it,” Rao says. “I love mixing the modern and the vintage — if you do it the right way, it can totally work. It doesn’t feel out of left field in the house.”
“It really works because there are some warm elements to it,” Rao says. “I love mixing the modern and the vintage — if you do it the right way, it can totally work. It doesn’t feel out of left field in the house.”
Before: The homeowners’ existing kitchen was traditional, with dark wood details and not much natural light.
After: Rao and her team brightened up the kitchen by enlarging the window above the sink and choosing white walls and countertops. Brass elements “dress it up a little,” Rao says.
Initially, the homeowners wanted marble countertops. Rao suggested a marble-look porcelain that would be easier to maintain. It took some convincing but the homeowner eventually agreed.
“She trusted us and went to look at the material and fell in love with it,” Rao says.
They used the porcelain for the counters, the backsplash and the waterfall island. “It almost has a supple feel to it,” Rao says. “When I’m hanging out at their house, having a glass of wine, sitting at that island, you just want to rub it. There’s a really nice tactile experience that you don’t often have with a countertop. It’s not cold. And it’s very elegant — it really does have the look of marble without the maintenance, which people love.”
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Initially, the homeowners wanted marble countertops. Rao suggested a marble-look porcelain that would be easier to maintain. It took some convincing but the homeowner eventually agreed.
“She trusted us and went to look at the material and fell in love with it,” Rao says.
They used the porcelain for the counters, the backsplash and the waterfall island. “It almost has a supple feel to it,” Rao says. “When I’m hanging out at their house, having a glass of wine, sitting at that island, you just want to rub it. There’s a really nice tactile experience that you don’t often have with a countertop. It’s not cold. And it’s very elegant — it really does have the look of marble without the maintenance, which people love.”
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For the cabinetry, Rao worked with an Amish cabinetmaker. The rift-cut oak they used has a linear quality to its grain that fits right in with the modern aesthetic.
The ashy brown stain was another design choice that required some persuasion, Rao says, as the homeowner was eager to distance herself from the previous kitchen’s darkness. Rao assured her friend that the white surfaces and added natural light in the rest of the design would keep the space feeling airy.
“It was almost too much if you stay light. You need to anchor the space with something dark,” Rao says she told her. “You can create that contrast, and that gives the space more energy.”
The previous island had dominated the kitchen. By using the white porcelain and making the new island smaller, the piece doesn’t feel overwhelming.
The ashy brown stain was another design choice that required some persuasion, Rao says, as the homeowner was eager to distance herself from the previous kitchen’s darkness. Rao assured her friend that the white surfaces and added natural light in the rest of the design would keep the space feeling airy.
“It was almost too much if you stay light. You need to anchor the space with something dark,” Rao says she told her. “You can create that contrast, and that gives the space more energy.”
The previous island had dominated the kitchen. By using the white porcelain and making the new island smaller, the piece doesn’t feel overwhelming.
Before: The informal dining area in the kitchen was dark and drab.
After: A built-in banquette makes better use of the corner. Overhead, a gold light fixture picks up the gleam from the brass hardware on the other side of the room. Pink velvet chairs warm things up and add more modern shapes.
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Before: The adjacent family room was filled with heavy, dark furniture and fabrics.
After: Contrasting colors and textures give the remodeled space a lively feel. Black porcelain tile arranged in a herringbone pattern on the fireplace surround creates a sense of movement and visual interest, Rao says. The tile also has a bit of a sheen to it — a quality Rao included in other material choices throughout the project, such as the banquette’s vinyl and the accent wallpaper in the living room.
The brass details carry over from the kitchen as well. The custom piece of art over the fireplace — created by another friend for the project — features glints of gold, as does the bold light fixture.
“That really cool lighting fixture that arcs over the whole seating area is fun and dramatic and sort of a marriage of the brass that’s happening in the kitchen and that drum light over the banquette, and then the glass that’s happening over the island, so it combines all those elements nicely,” Rao says.
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The brass details carry over from the kitchen as well. The custom piece of art over the fireplace — created by another friend for the project — features glints of gold, as does the bold light fixture.
“That really cool lighting fixture that arcs over the whole seating area is fun and dramatic and sort of a marriage of the brass that’s happening in the kitchen and that drum light over the banquette, and then the glass that’s happening over the island, so it combines all those elements nicely,” Rao says.
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Pairing the modern pieces with the room’s original millwork and the built-in shelving created for the project resulted in yet another energizing juxtaposition, Rao says. And it’s a combination she says she’s seeing a lot in projects like this one. The suburb she and her clients live in is full of older homes, and owners increasingly seem to be mixing vintage and more contemporary styles.
“There doesn’t necessarily have to be this philosophy of ‘I have traditional architecture, I have vintage millwork and now I have to go with that style,’ ” Rao says. “I think people are embracing diversification.”
More lived-in vintage elements can soften harsh modern lines and add depth. “People are looking for more comfortable modern; I hear that constantly,” Rao says. “When we get new projects, it’s ‘We love modern but we want to be able to sit on the furniture.’ ”
“There doesn’t necessarily have to be this philosophy of ‘I have traditional architecture, I have vintage millwork and now I have to go with that style,’ ” Rao says. “I think people are embracing diversification.”
More lived-in vintage elements can soften harsh modern lines and add depth. “People are looking for more comfortable modern; I hear that constantly,” Rao says. “When we get new projects, it’s ‘We love modern but we want to be able to sit on the furniture.’ ”
Before: Closer to the front of the home, the living room felt too formal for everyday use.
After: French doors that led to an office space were turned into a wall to allow for a more comfortable seating area.
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On the opposite wall, Rao worked with the same Amish cabinetmaker who outfitted the kitchen to create this built-in unit. Behind the shelves, a gold-patterned wallpaper adds a subtle pop of visual interest.
“The room is dark, the walls are dark, the built-ins are dark. We wanted to give a little lightness back there; there’s not a ton of natural light in that room,” Rao says. “We had to look for opportunities to lighten things up.”
“The room is dark, the walls are dark, the built-ins are dark. We wanted to give a little lightness back there; there’s not a ton of natural light in that room,” Rao says. “We had to look for opportunities to lighten things up.”
Rao removed an impractical claw-foot tub in what’s now the first-floor powder room and used some of the saved space to install this bar and butler’s pantry.
With its funky mother-of-pearl tile backsplash and vintage soapstone counter, the pantry acts as a kind of bridge between the more classic rooms in the front of the house (the dining room and powder room, which Rao updated but didn’t photograph) and the more modern kitchen and living spaces.
With its funky mother-of-pearl tile backsplash and vintage soapstone counter, the pantry acts as a kind of bridge between the more classic rooms in the front of the house (the dining room and powder room, which Rao updated but didn’t photograph) and the more modern kitchen and living spaces.
Before: The mudroom area at the side of the house was overflowing with stuff. The busy family needed better storage.
After: Bella, the family dog, enjoys the brighter, more organized mudroom following the remodel. Built-in cubbies and cabinets keep coats and equipment out of sight. On the floor, patterned cement tile adds personality and a nod to the home’s history, Rao says.
“It’s such an ancient way of making tile that I think it’s cool to put into these vintage homes, because it sort of pays homage to the age of the space that we’re in,” she says. “Let’s not forget about the architecture and what this house is.”
Working with friends on this project was a unique experience that ultimately paid off, Rao says.
“Renovation can be a little bit stressful, so you have to kind of develop a new dynamic, a new layer to your friendship,” she says. “But it’s also really amazingly rewarding because I go to their house for dinner and get to sit in this amazing space that I designed, so that’s wonderful.”
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“It’s such an ancient way of making tile that I think it’s cool to put into these vintage homes, because it sort of pays homage to the age of the space that we’re in,” she says. “Let’s not forget about the architecture and what this house is.”
Working with friends on this project was a unique experience that ultimately paid off, Rao says.
“Renovation can be a little bit stressful, so you have to kind of develop a new dynamic, a new layer to your friendship,” she says. “But it’s also really amazingly rewarding because I go to their house for dinner and get to sit in this amazing space that I designed, so that’s wonderful.”
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Read more before-and-after stories
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Who lives here: A couple, their young sons and their dog
Location: La Grange, Illinois
Size of first floor: About 1,500 square feet (139 square meters)
Designer: Mia Rao of Mia Rao Design