Houzz Tour: 1980s Style is Banished in This Victorian Revamp
A designer has restored period details to this 1900 house in a fresh way while also weaving in the homeowner’s style
This beautiful Chicago greystone building, built in 1900, underwent a renovation in the late 1980s that ripped out almost all of its period features. The new homeowners hired interior designer Rebekah Zaveloff to restore the details while also infusing the home with their own style.
“He leaned more industrial, while she was into vintage modern,” Rebekah says. She combined the two preferences while reinstating period features, including walls and era-appropriate flooring and mouldings.
“He leaned more industrial, while she was into vintage modern,” Rebekah says. She combined the two preferences while reinstating period features, including walls and era-appropriate flooring and mouldings.
The 1980s renovation, seen here, had opened up the floor plan, adding many elements that didn’t go with the home’s architecture. For example, the staircase mixed curved and straight railings, X shapes, squares, rectangles and globes. “There was a lot going on,” Rebekah says. The existing floors were maple.
Seen here is the front room, which was fully opened to the middle room in the 1980s renovation.
Seen here is the front room, which was fully opened to the middle room in the 1980s renovation.
Rebekah’s renovation made the house look as if it has its original bones, but has been thoughtfully renovated over the decades – and also as if the prior renovation had never happened.
She redesigned the staircase with black metal railings that bring in industrial style and white oak that matches new white oak floors throughout the house.
“The handrail has a very modern nosing detail with no overhang,” Rebekah says. “This is the most modern element in the house. The other mouldings throughout the house look as if they’re original to it.”
She used classic black-and-white tiles for the hallway floor, which is not only more practical for wet shoes, but also suits the home’s period.
Rebekah added cased openings (doorways without doors) back into the home to create delineation between rooms and restore the feeling of the home’s original architecture. You can see one of these openings cased with architrave in this photo of the hall where it connects with the front room.
“I also love a cased opening because it provides a great spot to transition to another flooring or paint colour,” Rebekah says.
She redesigned the staircase with black metal railings that bring in industrial style and white oak that matches new white oak floors throughout the house.
“The handrail has a very modern nosing detail with no overhang,” Rebekah says. “This is the most modern element in the house. The other mouldings throughout the house look as if they’re original to it.”
She used classic black-and-white tiles for the hallway floor, which is not only more practical for wet shoes, but also suits the home’s period.
Rebekah added cased openings (doorways without doors) back into the home to create delineation between rooms and restore the feeling of the home’s original architecture. You can see one of these openings cased with architrave in this photo of the hall where it connects with the front room.
“I also love a cased opening because it provides a great spot to transition to another flooring or paint colour,” Rebekah says.
One of the homeowners is a musician, so Rebekah set up the front room as a music room. The bespoke console for the record player and bespoke guitar were made by Dan Strack. Portraits of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, by artist Jon Langford, hang above it.
Rebekah’s clients were drawn to black and white and she repeated the combination throughout the home. “When we saw this black-and-white Moroccan rug, we all knew it was perfect,” she says.
Rebekah’s clients were drawn to black and white and she repeated the combination throughout the home. “When we saw this black-and-white Moroccan rug, we all knew it was perfect,” she says.
In the middle room, the original fireplace surround had been ripped out and built-in units added.
Rebekah took the fireplace back to its roots with a new Absolute Black granite surround. Two leather chairs form a cosy seating area and the concrete table adds an industrial touch. The vintage Turkish Oushak rug and kilim cushions add warmth.
Rebekah created two seating areas in the room. The sofa faces a TV wall. She closed in the opening to the kitchen with another cased opening.
She avoided spotlights whenever possible, using chandeliers and pendants instead. This rattan light fixture is one of her favourite pieces. “I love this piece – it’s functional art,” she says. “It’s sculptural, like a mobile, and I’m so glad my clients were willing to take chances like this.”
She avoided spotlights whenever possible, using chandeliers and pendants instead. This rattan light fixture is one of her favourite pieces. “I love this piece – it’s functional art,” she says. “It’s sculptural, like a mobile, and I’m so glad my clients were willing to take chances like this.”
In the corner of the TV seating area, Rebekah placed a classic Barcelona chair, a nod to the iconic work of Mies van der Rohe in Chicago. To the left is a small cloakroom. Rebekah added a pocket door to save the space that a door’s swing would have taken up.
The cloakroom’s previous look didn’t suit the homeowners’ style.
Because the cloakroom is behind a closed door, Rebekah had the freedom to branch off from the home’s Victorian style. She added a graphic punch with a geometric David Hicks wallpaper, and she anchored the space with wainscoting in handmade charcoal tiles.
Previously, the kitchen and dining room were in one open space, something Rebekah maintained in the renovation.
The layout worked well for the homeowners and made good sense. Rebekah also kept the existing tin tile ceiling because it worked well with the vintage industrial scheme.
Tiling the kitchen walls all the way to the ceiling enhanced the vintage industrial look of the room. “We gave it kind of a restaurant kitchen look,” Rebekah says. “The historic brick tiles lent an industrial look and brought an exterior element inside.”
The perimeter worktops are black quartzite. Rebekah made a few tweaks to the layout, such as providing more worktop space next to the wall ovens. Installing a microwave drawer was another efficient use of space.
The perimeter worktops are black quartzite. Rebekah made a few tweaks to the layout, such as providing more worktop space next to the wall ovens. Installing a microwave drawer was another efficient use of space.
A new bespoke cooker hood in black metal and stainless steel makes a bold industrial statement. So do the large pendant lights over the island.
This is the view from the middle room into the kitchen. An Ijen Blue quartzite waterfall worktop on the island creates a lovely view.
There was a pantry cupboard on the right, which Rebekah replaced with built-in pantry cabinets. The cloakroom is behind them. “This slate blue colour looks green, grey or blue, depending on the light,” she says.
Cabinet painted in Templeton Gray, Benjamin Moore.
Cabinet painted in Templeton Gray, Benjamin Moore.
The geometric lines of the artwork, table base and rug work beautifully together. Furniture can help modernise a home within period architecture.
At the top of the stairs, the prior renovation had added a lot of storage. But Rebekah felt this was a missed opportunity for additional living space.
“I knew we could make this a nice little spot to read and place a desk. I felt we could turn it into a nice place to go,” Rebekah says. She created a comfortable reading area with a big leather chair and ottoman. The vintage storage piece and metal pendant light add industrial style.
These are the existing double doors that open to the main bedroom. The landing space also serves as a lobby of sorts.
These are the existing double doors that open to the main bedroom. The landing space also serves as a lobby of sorts.
The prior renovation gave the main bedroom’s fireplace a contemporary makeover.
“This room is so modern, warm and serene now,” Rebekah says. She placed two cosy swivel chairs in the bay window area and softened the windows with Belgian linen curtains. A mix of earthy colours and natural-fibre textiles make the bedroom inviting. Reading sconces save surface space on the wooden bedside tables and can be swung overhead when reading.
The designer gave the fireplace surround a complete makeover with a stone hearth and stacked ceramic tiles with a matt finish. “This was another spot where we brought in an exterior-looking element. They recall [breeze] blocks,” Rebekah says.
The designer gave the fireplace surround a complete makeover with a stone hearth and stacked ceramic tiles with a matt finish. “This was another spot where we brought in an exterior-looking element. They recall [breeze] blocks,” Rebekah says.
The main bedroom is large and can accommodate pieces such as this large and comfy velvet chair.
Previously, the large bath took up a lot of space in the en suite bathroom, and the ceiling feature above it felt dated.
This photo doesn’t line up with the previous one, but there’s a peek at the new ceiling in the mirror. Rebekah went more modern in here, using black hexagonal tiles on the floor and white 3D geometric tiles on the walls.
She used the same black quartzite she used in the kitchen on the worktop. “The finish on the taps is Brizo’s Luxe Steel and it’s so gorgeous,” she says.
The wood vanity unit brings in warmth, while sconces flanking the mirrors add in the vintage industrial style the couple like. “These lights reminded me of something you might see in a 1920s train station,” Rebekah says.
She used the same black quartzite she used in the kitchen on the worktop. “The finish on the taps is Brizo’s Luxe Steel and it’s so gorgeous,” she says.
The wood vanity unit brings in warmth, while sconces flanking the mirrors add in the vintage industrial style the couple like. “These lights reminded me of something you might see in a 1920s train station,” Rebekah says.
The existing guest bathroom didn’t suit the homeowners’ style.
“We had ordered a sample of Benjamin Moore’s Chrome Green paint on a cabinet door and knew we wanted to use it somewhere in the house,” Rebekah says. The guest bathroom was just the spot.
More black-and-white patterned tiles add a classic touch on the floor. “This pinwheel pattern is really graphic,” Rebekah says.
She repeated the use of the Luxe Steel tap finish in here, mixing in satin nickel on the hardware, polished nickel on the lights and black on the mirror frames. She used classic 15cm sq ceramic tiles for the splashback.
More black-and-white patterned tiles add a classic touch on the floor. “This pinwheel pattern is really graphic,” Rebekah says.
She repeated the use of the Luxe Steel tap finish in here, mixing in satin nickel on the hardware, polished nickel on the lights and black on the mirror frames. She used classic 15cm sq ceramic tiles for the splashback.
A black steel shower surround ties the scheme together. “This is very industrial and you see windows like this all over Chicago,” Rebekah says. Note that these are not true divided panes – the interior of the shower is smooth to make cleaning easier.
The shower tiles are large-format Carrara marble and the floor tiles are black penny rounds.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite element of this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
The shower tiles are large-format Carrara marble and the floor tiles are black penny rounds.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite element of this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A couple
Location Chicago, USA
Size Three bedrooms and three bathrooms (344 sq m)
Interior designer Rebekah Zaveloff of KitchenLab Interiors
Photos by Michael Alan Kaskel
The home in Chicago’s Logan Square neighbourhood had wonderful bay windows in the front room and in the main bedroom above it.
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