New Style and Openness for a Family-Friendly Illinois Home
An interior designer updates his suburban family home with a light and airy palette of white, wood and warm gray
Nora Burba Trulsson
December 30, 2020
Houzz Contributor. Freelance writer specializing in architecture, interiors, landscape, design and lifestyle topics. http://www.noraburbatrulsson.com
Houzz Contributor. Freelance writer specializing in architecture, interiors, landscape,... More
Patty and Chad Esslinger didn’t buy their suburban home because it was gorgeous. They felt the basic 1990s tract home offered little in the way of aesthetically pleasing features. But the two-level house had good bones, offered plenty of space for their active family and was walking distance to the commuter train to downtown Chicago. As an interior designer, Chad knew he had his work cut out for him. Over the course of a few years, he updated the main floor of the house, taking it from Midwestern traditional to modern and family-friendly with a more open feel thanks to a refreshing palette of light gray with warm undertones, white and wood.
Photos by Picture Perfect House
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Patty and Chad Esslinger (she’s an accounting firm director; he’s an interior designer who redesigned the home), their three school-age children, two dogs and a cat
Location: Downers Grove, Illinois
Size: 3,200 square feet (297 square meters); four bedrooms, four bathrooms
General contractor: Platinum Builders
One of the first changes Chad made was reimagining the entry, which serves both the garage and the front door, to make it more user-friendly. A narrow console table serves as a landing spot, while two ottomans provide a place to sit down and change shoes, rather than opting for the staircase on the right. “Adding a mirror to the space helps open things up,” Chad says. “You can also make sure your hair is OK before you go out.”
The barn door leads to a laundry; it replaced a traditional door that ate up too much space.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: Patty and Chad Esslinger (she’s an accounting firm director; he’s an interior designer who redesigned the home), their three school-age children, two dogs and a cat
Location: Downers Grove, Illinois
Size: 3,200 square feet (297 square meters); four bedrooms, four bathrooms
General contractor: Platinum Builders
One of the first changes Chad made was reimagining the entry, which serves both the garage and the front door, to make it more user-friendly. A narrow console table serves as a landing spot, while two ottomans provide a place to sit down and change shoes, rather than opting for the staircase on the right. “Adding a mirror to the space helps open things up,” Chad says. “You can also make sure your hair is OK before you go out.”
The barn door leads to a laundry; it replaced a traditional door that ate up too much space.
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Before: A major project Patty and Chad tackled was revamping the staircase, which leads from the entry to upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms. “Originally, the first impression in this house was a giant orange oak staircase,” Chad says. “It just made everything else seem chopped up and smaller.”
After: Chad removed walls from the staircase to open it up to the surrounding rooms and hallway. The new floating oak treads match the refinished floor. New balusters and handrails add to the airy look. “We lived through all of the remodeling construction in the house,” Chad says. “When we took out the original staircase, we couldn’t access our bedrooms for a while, so we all slept together in the basement on mattresses. We referred to it as our family love-in.”
He hung vintage advertisements, banners and memorabilia that resonate with the family on the wall above the staircase.
He hung vintage advertisements, banners and memorabilia that resonate with the family on the wall above the staircase.
Before: Off the entry, the formal living room felt small and featured dated colors. “This house was a big, boring beige box when we first moved in,” Chad says.
After: Pale gray walls and crisp white molding and baseboards give the living room, and its entrance, fresh appeal.
With a background in industrial design, Chad had a previous career creating home decor products, including the wall clock seen here. “I designed clock faces and gave them vintage-sounding names,” he says. “There is no Esslinger Clock Company. I just used my family name for fun.”
With a background in industrial design, Chad had a previous career creating home decor products, including the wall clock seen here. “I designed clock faces and gave them vintage-sounding names,” he says. “There is no Esslinger Clock Company. I just used my family name for fun.”
Chad recast the formal living room as a lounge space where the family members play music, read and relax. Many of the eclectic furnishings and accessories are family heirlooms. The guitar belonged to Chad’s father, while the sofa — reupholstered in a cobalt blue velvet — and old cameras belonged to his grandmother. The elephant references one of the daughters’ love of pachyderms.
A mix of patterned armchairs and furry ottomans makes an inviting spot to read by the living room’s front window, while a shag rug adds texture. The mirror is Chad’s design. He also crafted the silhouettes of his children’s profiles.
Before: Dated lighting, window treatments and tan walls — not to mention outdated furniture — gave the dining room a stiff, used-only-during-the-holidays ambiance.
After: Bright white wainscoting, contrasted by smoky black walls, gives the revamped dining room distinctive appeal, while an antique mirror reflects more light into the room. The ash dining table and bench are Chad’s designs, fabricated by Rustic Elements Furniture. Using a bench instead of all chairs gives the setting an informal, open look.
“The chairs are old ones we had from Target, which we repainted in different colors just for fun,” Chad says.
A chrome-and-glass light fixture adds sleek sparkle to the setting, while simple drapery panels frame the windows.
Wall paint: Black Magic, Sherwin-Williams
“The chairs are old ones we had from Target, which we repainted in different colors just for fun,” Chad says.
A chrome-and-glass light fixture adds sleek sparkle to the setting, while simple drapery panels frame the windows.
Wall paint: Black Magic, Sherwin-Williams
Before: Oak cabinetry that didn’t quite reach the ceiling, granite countertops and an awkward island spurred a down-to-the-studs kitchen redo.
After: New cabinetry, appliances, lighting and plumbing create an appealing kitchen for the family members, who like to cook and bake.
Although the kitchen’s footprint remains the same, one small change made a big difference. “We removed about 30 inches of wall between the kitchen and the dining room, which opened up those two spaces,” Chad says. “It also gave us more room to add a larger island, with seating for six. We opted for bar stools without backs. It’s easy to tuck them away under the island’s counter.”
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Although the kitchen’s footprint remains the same, one small change made a big difference. “We removed about 30 inches of wall between the kitchen and the dining room, which opened up those two spaces,” Chad says. “It also gave us more room to add a larger island, with seating for six. We opted for bar stools without backs. It’s easy to tuck them away under the island’s counter.”
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The appliances include a 48-inch-wide range made for serious meal prep. Floating oak shelving matches the finish of the flooring. An old magazine rack, mounted on the wall by the refrigerator, holds schoolwork and other papers for the couple’s three children.
Quartz countertops in a pearly white add sheen to the island, while the perimeter cabinetry is topped in a matte concrete gray quartz. The subway tile backsplash is meant to mirror the brickwork of the family room’s fireplace, opposite the kitchen.
White Shaker-style cabinetry, contrasted by a dark gray hue for the island, holds a multitude of bins. Slide-out shelves in the pantry offer easy access to ingredients.
A simple Roman shade offers privacy and cuts down on sun glare above the apron-front sink.
Cabinetry: Pearl Design Group
A simple Roman shade offers privacy and cuts down on sun glare above the apron-front sink.
Cabinetry: Pearl Design Group
The new island, illuminated by glass globe pendants, is large enough to accommodate a microwave drawer and beverage cooler, as well as pullout trash and recycling bins.
Before: A red brick fireplace and a brass fan were the lone highlights of the family room, adjacent to the kitchen.
After: A coat of white paint, built-in cabinetry and shelving, and shiplap siding give the family room a bright, light vibe.
“We added the transom windows on either side of the fireplace to bring in morning sun,” Chad says.
A polished-nickel Sputnik-style light fixture replaced the old ceiling fan. A reclaimed-wood coffee table invites elevated feet, while a blue area rug adds warmth.
“We added the transom windows on either side of the fireplace to bring in morning sun,” Chad says.
A polished-nickel Sputnik-style light fixture replaced the old ceiling fan. A reclaimed-wood coffee table invites elevated feet, while a blue area rug adds warmth.
A ginger-colored armchair and a turquoise lamp add splashes of color to the family room’s white backdrop.
Before: Chad set up his design office in the spare downstairs bedroom, making do with existing furnishings.
After: Stepping up his game, Chad added a new leather desk chair, shelving with baskets for organizing items and a patterned rug to his work-from-home space. The hickory-and-metal desk is his design.
Industrial-style shelving helps keep samples and swatches neat in Chad’s home office. The framed images seen here are photographs he took for a college class. The wall-mounted bar on the left? “It’s a pull-up bar,” he says. “I use it for stress relief.” A Peloton bike and hand weights in another corner help the office do double duty as a home gym.
Before: Off the home’s entry hall, the laundry was perfectly functional but dowdy.
After: The laundry room update included new cabinetry doors in a deep gray finish, new porcelain tile flooring, a cement tile backsplash and a quartz countertop; all the elements have been kept in the same place. A brass faucet and ceiling light add subtle gleam.
Chad outfitted a tall cabinet with canvas tote bags that keep sneakers and boots from being a jumble on the floor.
Old brass faucets received new life in the laundry room as hooks for coats, bags and hats. The brass pipe shelving above is a spot to hang freshly dried laundry.
“I didn’t really want one design theme for this house,” Chad says. “I decided that the laundry room could be a little more moody and industrial, so I went with the darker colors and brass details.”
“I didn’t really want one design theme for this house,” Chad says. “I decided that the laundry room could be a little more moody and industrial, so I went with the darker colors and brass details.”
Before: The full bath on the first floor served as the de facto powder room for the home. It needed more style, not to mention storage.
After: A new vanity and floating shelves add storage to the renovated bath. A circular mirror, brass fixtures and vintage-style lighting give the room character.
Black tile on the shower floor adds visual punch against the white subway tile on the walls. The frameless glass shower door makes the bathroom seem larger.
“We call this room ‘the cabin,’” Chad says of the four-seasons room at the back of the house. “I thought about painting the walls and ceiling white, but my wife convinced me to keep the knotty pine finish.” A corner gas stove keeps the room comfortable in colder months, while matchstick blinds add privacy. Colorful accessory pillows and a turquoise table that once belonged to Chad’s grandmother balance the room’s woodsy ambiance.
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Very nicely done.
What type and color of white paint was used on the fireplace brick?
The brick was painted Benjamin Moore Advance, Decorator's White.