My Houzz: A Place to Be ‘Exactly As You Are’
An Illinois family’s gentle updates to its 1894 Victorian give the home a new and very personal feel
Pictured from left to right are Alison, Ben, Eli and Norah on their front porch swing. “When the kids were really little, I would often feel cooped up in the house,” she says. “Whenever this would happen, I would go out to the porch. It was a way to feel connected to the bustle of our neighborhood, and inevitably, within a few minutes, I would strike up a conversation with someone going by.”
The family loves that their location is within both walking and biking distance to Lake Michigan, downtown restaurants, a farmers market, shopping, public transit and Northwestern University. “It’s a very vibrant community: Our next-door neighbor is 102 years old. Our kids disappear for hours into friends’ houses, and on Northwestern home game days, we set up a lemonade stand and serve hundreds of football fans,” Alison says.
The family loves that their location is within both walking and biking distance to Lake Michigan, downtown restaurants, a farmers market, shopping, public transit and Northwestern University. “It’s a very vibrant community: Our next-door neighbor is 102 years old. Our kids disappear for hours into friends’ houses, and on Northwestern home game days, we set up a lemonade stand and serve hundreds of football fans,” Alison says.
“I think we aspire for our home to be a place where you can be yourself and feel welcome exactly as you are, where you can talk openly and animatedly about the topics you are passionate about, where you can find a bit of quiet, or at least a bit of order, in otherwise busy lives,” Alison says.
Sectional: Davis sofa, Crate & Barrel; coffee table: Parsons reclaimed wood top table, Crate & Barrel; bookcase: Knox tall storage bookcase, Crate & Barrel; rocking chair: West Elm
Sectional: Davis sofa, Crate & Barrel; coffee table: Parsons reclaimed wood top table, Crate & Barrel; bookcase: Knox tall storage bookcase, Crate & Barrel; rocking chair: West Elm
The 1963 Baldwin Acrosonic piano is vintage and was owned by Alison’s grandmother. “She was a terrific pianist and would often ‘play you in’ as you entered her house,” Alison says. She taught me my first duet. I took lessons as a kid, and Norah recently started lessons.
Grand Teton photograph: Thomas D. Mangelsen; wall paint: White Wisp, Benjamin Moore; lamp on piano: Target
Grand Teton photograph: Thomas D. Mangelsen; wall paint: White Wisp, Benjamin Moore; lamp on piano: Target
Before: The couple focused on updating the kitchen and dining areas. The structural changes they made, however, touched nearly every room in the house. Their design priorities were to remove an old coal-furnace chimney that protruded through every floor of the house and to add an addition to square off the back corner of the house, turning a small porch into usable kitchen space.
After: “While this added only 60 square feet to the house, the two changes drastically changed the feel of the whole house,” Alison says.
Dining table: Basque Honey table, Crate & Barrel; dining chairs: Village Bruno Black dining chairs, Crate & Barrel; kids’ table: The Land of Nod; browse kids’ table and chair sets
Dining table: Basque Honey table, Crate & Barrel; dining chairs: Village Bruno Black dining chairs, Crate & Barrel; kids’ table: The Land of Nod; browse kids’ table and chair sets
When Eli’s academic research was first featured in The New York Times, Alison bought him the artwork that accompanied the article to recognize the milestone and framed it. She’s continued this tradition with each major piece he’s written since and created a gallery wall in the dining room. “Now we have all of these beautiful drawings that are artistic representations of his research. It’s this amazingly personal way to link art and science,” Alison says.
Wall paint: Gray Owl, Benjamin Moore
Wall paint: Gray Owl, Benjamin Moore
Before: Alison looks over reports with their inspector before they bought the home.
In the original floor plan, the kitchen was hidden behind a butler door and hallway that required a u-turn to enter from the dining room to the kitchen, a holdover from when the house came with a kitchen staff. The powder room was off that hallway.
“I’m sure it was very fashionable in 1894,” Alison says, “but it wasn’t practical for how we utilize our home today. It cut the kitchen off entirely from the rest of the house. It was less ideal when you and your spouse crash into one another coming and going from the kitchen. Or when you have an 18-month-old that you can’t see or hear while you’re cooking. So, we knew we wanted to open up the floor plan,” she says.
In the original floor plan, the kitchen was hidden behind a butler door and hallway that required a u-turn to enter from the dining room to the kitchen, a holdover from when the house came with a kitchen staff. The powder room was off that hallway.
“I’m sure it was very fashionable in 1894,” Alison says, “but it wasn’t practical for how we utilize our home today. It cut the kitchen off entirely from the rest of the house. It was less ideal when you and your spouse crash into one another coming and going from the kitchen. Or when you have an 18-month-old that you can’t see or hear while you’re cooking. So, we knew we wanted to open up the floor plan,” she says.
After: The renovation plan called for pushing out the wall where Alison was standing in the Before photo and placing the stove there. New white Shaker-style cabinetry and appliances completely transformed the room.
Shaker cabinets: Morningside recessed cabinets in Alpine White and Espresso, Wood-Mode Cabinetry; stainless steel pulls: Wood-Mode Cabinetry; ceramic bowls: Joanna Kramer
Shaker cabinets: Morningside recessed cabinets in Alpine White and Espresso, Wood-Mode Cabinetry; stainless steel pulls: Wood-Mode Cabinetry; ceramic bowls: Joanna Kramer
Oven: Wolf 36-inch gas range, Designer Appliances; granite countertop: Brown Antique, Marble and Granite Supply of Illinois; bird’s nest bowl: Michael Aram
Alison says the island is her favorite part of the kitchen renovation. “It’s the heart of the kitchen: where I start the morning with a cup of coffee, where we eat most of our meals, where my daughter does her homework, where friends hang out when they come over,” she says. “It’s also where I feel how much the renovation changed the feel of the house.”
Island pendant lamps: Carafe Glass Pendants, Shades of Light; island countertop: Distressed wood countertop block, Durata; bar stools: Pottery Barn
Island pendant lamps: Carafe Glass Pendants, Shades of Light; island countertop: Distressed wood countertop block, Durata; bar stools: Pottery Barn
In looking at the design of the house, the couple knew a small 5-foot-by-10-foot addition in the back corner and the removal of the chimney, which divided the kitchen from the dining room, would open up the whole feel of the first floor. It also created a larger fourth bedroom on the second floor. “We also wanted to have a back access point that was closer to the garage and to create more of a mudroom space for our kids’ stuff,” Alison says.
Portraits: Sutton Studios, Evanston, Illinois
Portraits: Sutton Studios, Evanston, Illinois
Before the renovation, the powder room was tiny with a pocket door that would stick. “We had a running joke that a rite-of-passage the first time we had a guest was passing them a butter knife under the slit in the door so they could break out of the bathroom,” Alison says. The new powder room was relocated and upgraded to fit the style of the home.
Toilet and sink: Tresham, Kohler; wall paint: Half Moon Crest, Benjamin Moore
Toilet and sink: Tresham, Kohler; wall paint: Half Moon Crest, Benjamin Moore
The decor in 8-year-old daughter Norah’s bedroom is kept neutral with simple pastel accents.
Bedroom set: Twin Jenny Lind Bed, The Land of Nod; quilt and bedding: The Company Store; wall paint: Lemon Soufflé, Benjamin Moore
Bedroom set: Twin Jenny Lind Bed, The Land of Nod; quilt and bedding: The Company Store; wall paint: Lemon Soufflé, Benjamin Moore
Ben’s bedroom was originally a small office nook, which the couple doubled in size. Its mansard roof matches the rest of the home’s roofline. A blue comforter and playful artwork help complete a cheerful space for a young boy.
Comforter: Mid-Century Circlet Ogee quilt, West Elm; sheets: West Elm; roaring lion print: The Land of Nod; print: Let’s Go Ride Bikes Print, 1 Canoe 2; wall paint: Oystershell, Benjamin Moore
Comforter: Mid-Century Circlet Ogee quilt, West Elm; sheets: West Elm; roaring lion print: The Land of Nod; print: Let’s Go Ride Bikes Print, 1 Canoe 2; wall paint: Oystershell, Benjamin Moore
This dresser in Ben’s bedroom is part of a Swedish 1950s bedroom set from Alison’s grandmother.
Table lamp: Gumball table lamp, The Land of Nod; find a similar blue table lamp
Table lamp: Gumball table lamp, The Land of Nod; find a similar blue table lamp
A serene and simple approach defines the decor in the master bedroom.
Wall paint: Linen White, Behr; bed: Marshall Fields; duvet and pillows: West Elm; sheets: Organic Harmony sheet set, West Elm; nightstand: espresso stain, Unfinished Furniture Shop; see similar espresso nightstands
Wall paint: Linen White, Behr; bed: Marshall Fields; duvet and pillows: West Elm; sheets: Organic Harmony sheet set, West Elm; nightstand: espresso stain, Unfinished Furniture Shop; see similar espresso nightstands
This cozy corner is in Alison’s home office. “I am drawn to midcentury modern pieces, but the age and style of this house has kept me to more traditional looks,” she says.
Rug: Safavieh Rugs; black leather chair: Marshall Fields; throw pillow: Target; floor lamp: West Elm
Rug: Safavieh Rugs; black leather chair: Marshall Fields; throw pillow: Target; floor lamp: West Elm
Alison describes her decorating style as “a busy, working mom who picks up the occasional tip from the bloggers she follows on social media.”
Desk: Alex Collection, Ikea; chair: Mid-Century Swivel office chair, West Elm
Desk: Alex Collection, Ikea; chair: Mid-Century Swivel office chair, West Elm
The finished attic is a space for the kids to make messes and spread out. “This is where we build forts, create pretend restaurants, make Lego or train worlds come to life and play games,” she says. “When friends come over, especially ones that have visited before, they are usually headed up the stairs toward the attic before they even take off their coats. That’s a particularly good endorsement!”
Storage unit: Stuva collection, Ikea
Storage unit: Stuva collection, Ikea
The exterior was restored as part of the couple’s renovation.
Alison also loves that they have a bird house that is a miniature replica of this house. “The former owner made it and left it for us, and we’ve done our best to keep it intact. We often see people pointing at it when they walk by,” she says.
Alison also loves that they have a bird house that is a miniature replica of this house. “The former owner made it and left it for us, and we’ve done our best to keep it intact. We often see people pointing at it when they walk by,” she says.
The couple’s architect, Bohdan Kaminski, won a preservation award in 2016 from the Evanston Preservation Commission for his work on the house, specifically for the creation of this porch and side access door that retained the original character of the house.
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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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.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Alison and Eli Finkel, daughter Norah, 8, son Ben, 5, and their cat, Dutch
Location: Evanston, Illinois
Size: 1,800 square feet (167 square meters)
Alison and Eli Finkel’s 1894 Victorian home in Evanston, Illinois, was built during the post-Civil War building boom fueled by Chicago’s Industrial Revolution. Alison, who works in alumni relations and development for nearby Northwestern University, explains that many architects of the time saw Evanston as a place to make their mark. “Our house was built by William Pocklington, who built about 20 homes in Evanston. Though he was never particularly famous, I think our house is a well-preserved example of the architectural standard of that era,” Alison says.
Alison and her husband, Eli Finkel, a professor of psychology at Northwestern, bought the historically registered home in 2011 and waited three years before taking the leap to renovate and make a small addition. “This allowed us to know exactly how we wanted to change the space,” she says.
The couple knew their renovation would need to be approved by the Evanston Preservation Committee, so they worked with architect Bohdan Kaminski of Kaminski Architects because he had experience with historic homes. Alison shares that getting approval for the updates they wanted to make was one of the harder parts of the renovation process. “I remember there were 12 projects up for consideration along with ours the first night we went to the committee meeting – only one was approved as presented.” After a revision and a second proposal, they received the green light to move forward. “In retrospect, I do think the input of the committee made our renovation plan better,” Alison says.