There will be more reveals to come for our Carmel-by-the-Sea project, but we couldn’t wait to show you the butler’s pantry, the first finished space! Let’s start with a before & after.
This Spanish-style home allowed us to stretch our wings a bit, as it is not a common form of architecture in the Chicagoland area. You’ll see more of those influences when the kitchen reveal comes, but there are hints of it here in the butler’s pantry. We wanted to stay true to this style, but brighten things up from the original cabinetry and finish choices. The light gray paint on the built-ins accomplishes this, but the dark stain inside the open top cabinets helps stay true to the style, and echos the dark ceiling beams.
These Waterworks leather and brass pulls are also at home in this architectural style. We sourced these gorgeous pulls in person during a visit to the Waterworks showroom in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart.
The handmade clay tile is a natural choice here, too. The uneven distribution of the material and variation in color from tile to tile gives great texture and depth to the backsplash.
Thought you might enjoy seeing the progress at our Wheaton New Build! We are all enamored with so many details of this home, but can we just have a moment for these stone archways?? More details with the full reveal, coming spring/summer 2022!
All renovation projects have unique and interesting details that keep us on our toes and make doing this work exciting and fun. But every so often, one comes along that stops us in our tracks. In this case, it only took three words: Frank Lloyd Wright.
Frank Lloyd Wright is, of course, famed for his prairie-style “organic architecture,” particularly in this suburb of Chicago where he once resided and which boasts the largest number of Wright-designed or remodeled buildings in the world. Many Frank Lloyd Wright buildings are restored only under the strict guidelines of historical preservationists. But these clients approached us with a unique situation. Their home is an 1873 Victorian, with living spaces remodeled in 1908 by Wright, early in his career when one could still snag the eventual world-renowned architect for a small remodel job. Those areas — living room, family room, dining room — come with strict rules for remodels. But a renovation of the home’s original kitchen and butler’s pantry — untouched by Wright — had no strings attached.
The marriage of old and new is our bread and butter. And this project came with not only the instruction to echo the work of a great, famed architect, but also honor the original lines and details of a 19th century Victorian home. Our extensive research on both styles, and the team’s collaboration, produced the ideal end result: a liveable, modern-day kitchen and butler’s pantry, with thoughtful, discernible nods to both Frank Lloyd Wright and Victorian styles.
Terracotta floors give an immediate sense of the organic elements Wright embraced. They will age and patina beautifully over time. Horizontal lines are employed throughout the room to echo trim in the rooms Wright renovated, as well as his known affinity for the horizontal. While the light fixtures are not vintage, they are a nod to the angles of the arts & crafts, mission-style fixtures popular during Wright’s time.
The unlacquered brass hardware and plumbing fixtures were intentionally selected to bring in the ornateness typical to a Victorian home, complete with Cremone bolts on the built-ins.
Soapstone counters will patina and age over time, and make the perfect topper for earthy, green cabinetry — all a nod to Wright’s desire to make interiors an extension of the outdoors. Honed Carrara subway tile wraps the hood and extends to the ceiling to balance the dark cabinetry and countertops with lightness and give the eye a place to rest.
While the homeowners clean up after dinner, they can admire the 400 year burr oak outside the kitchen sink window. Experts consulted believe the tree was once part of an important native American trail.
In the butler’s pantry, we continued the play between Frank Lloyd Wright’s masculine, organic influences, and the feminine ornateness of the Victorian period. The stain chosen for the baluster echoes the stain choices of Wright’s work, but we kept the deep, dark stain of the original 19th century arched door as contrast. The Morris & Co wallpaper is a classic, English floral, but the tight pattern has touches of the geometric, a mid-century staple. The waterspout may look like a pretty relic of the Victorian age, but is also fully functional, dispensing filtered water to fill pitchers for company. Copper countertops tie it all together.
When we squeezed our eyes shut, linked arms, and dived headfirst into this partnership six years ago, we were just two working moms, with a passion, some ambition, and a yin-yang of skills that we hoped could equal success. We had dreams. Wouldn’t it be great to build new homes that had the character and warmth of historic ones? To design a home that felt different than the neighbors? We hoped people would enjoy our work enough to follow along on the blog and social media. We daydreamed of designing and selling the furnishings we love. And of someday starting a foundation to reach beyond our usual clientele, because everyone deserves a well-designed respite. Some of these dreams became reality at a speed that both delighted and stunned us. The day we hit 1000 Instagram followers was our first pinch me moment, and they just kept on coming.
Of course, as with any new, growing business, the past six years have not been without challenges. But each challenge has motivated us to be better, sharpen our pencils, and work towards creating a framework for success in the future. A global pandemic, with major implications for the timing and availability of our tools of the trade, as well as the strain on the simple logistics of meeting with clients and physically touring homes, was certainly not in our business plan. But as with so many others, we found creative ways to change, grow and adapt, and we are better for it.
As we look ahead to year seven, Park & Oak is reaching for the unmet goals on our wish list. And we have some pretty exciting news to share on that front. In 2022, we’ll be launching an e-commerce platform, full of the furnishings and accessories that are signatures of our designs. We are so excited to be able to offer a one-stop-shop to help you create a space with texture and warmth, that feels collected and layered. We’ll announce the launch here and on social, so keep your eyes out.
We are no longer a two-woman show. As we embark on our seventh year, it feels critical to point out that the beautiful spaces we put into the world are now made possible by an extraordinary team of people–from designers to business managers; studio assistants to purchasers; client managers to website builders. In Park & Oak’s very first blog post, we said our magic is in the give and take between the two of us. Well, now, we are incredibly fortunate to have assembled a top-notch team, and together they are making some serious magic.
We’ll be highlighting our team more in year seven. Watch this space for visits from the talented men and women who sit side-by-side with us every day. You’ll love them. We certainly do.
Finally, but most importantly, we are exceptionally grateful to you, our clients, for allowing us to do what we love by trusting us with the most intimate spaces of your lives. It’s an honor and a privilege to work with you to make your homes a true reflection of you, and a peaceful retreat from what can be a chaotic world. It’s so important, now more than ever.
Take a look back at some of your homes from year six.
Our clients recently purchased this beautiful Georgian circa 1912, and because the home was so well-built and designed (in fact, by the same architect who designed the village’s city hall), no major renovations were necessary. Instead, we delighted in breathing new life into the gathering spaces of the home.
Three of those spaces–the breakfast nook, cocktail room and dining room–surround an exterior courtyard, bringing beautiful light into the home and providing ample opportunities for guests to wander in and out through multiple spaces during get togethers.
In the cocktail room–quickly becoming a Park & Oak signature–the abundant light allowed us to choose a mid-tone color for the walls, ceiling and trim, making the room cozy for conversation and libations without being gloomy. As a guest walks through the home, this little jewel box beckons from the back. The room is full of art and objects curated by the owner, an avid antique and vintage collector, and these personal touches help the room feel intentional for this family.
Our clients frequently entertain large groups, so the dining room includes an expandable table to seat extra guests. The Morris & Co. wallpaper gives a touch of elegance to the room, while the layering of natural and upholstered material for the chairs keeps the room from feeling too formal for this unfussy family.
The breakfast nook is a hub of activity. To maximize comfort in this much-used space, we added an upholstered piece for lingering. (Performance fabrics work miracles for families!) The softness of the sofa pairs with the stone table and woven chairs for a space that has just the right balance of polish and practicality. Because this nook is offset by a cased opening, the dark ceiling helps delineate the space from the kitchen while also drawing special attention to it.
And finally, the family room includes a hanging gallery wall, intentionally designed so our client can rotate their art collection without the nuisance of holes in the wall.
