For this family, staying in Chicago was never in question. So, when the clan of four (husband, wife and two children) decided they needed more space indoors and outdoors, they didn’t look to the leafy Windy City suburbs populated with large homes and generous yards. Instead, they narrowed in on Graceland West, a city neighborhood that’s close to both the parents’ work and children’s school. There, they discovered and purchased an urban unicorn: a roomy double lot.
To give life to their vision of a dwelling that would be sophisticated and elegant yet sturdy enough to stand up to life with children and a dog, they brought on architect Kenneth Brinkman, general contractor Aaron Lhotka and interior designer Kate Taylor. “Comfort and durability were two driving factors in the design, because this is a family home,” Taylor says. “But the owners have great taste and are drawn to interesting pieces of furniture and beautiful finishes, so that kept things exciting.”
The residence’s footprint occupies just under half the site, leaving ample room for a garden and a sport court for the children, thanks to landscape designer John West. Floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors wrap the structure, an approach that “maximizes the flow of natural light and seamlessly integrates the interior spaces with the outdoor living areas,” Lhotka says. The general contractor carefully planned how the home would feel well before the first nail was driven. “Early on, he plotted out where the light would stream into the house and built to that,” Taylor describes. “It paid off with rooms that are bright throughout the day.” A large family room on the first floor, as well as sizable bedrooms complete with en suite baths for every member of the family, provides the extra space they all craved.