Name: Jim & Kari (and Elsa & Henry)
Location: Evanston, IL
Type: split-level ranch house, owned
Size: 2000 sq ft
Years lived in: 1
After more than a year of house hunting and several months of updating and renovations, Jim and his family spread their Scandinavian style all over their 1950s split-level. With two kids and hectic lives full of work, fun, and blogging (Jim's Modern Craft blog thoughtfully covers the best of modern design and production techniques), they desired a home that conveyed their love for pattern, clean lines, and a sense of calm. The results are purely, and personally, Modern Craft - the great skill of planning (inspiration) and executing (talent and hard work) design. Enjoy their tour!
our Style… Modern Scandinavia with a touch of granny.
the Inspiration… We looked for over a year for a 50s modern house that was affordable and hadn’t been “ruin-ovated.” Having realtors who understand who you are and what you’d like is key—and ours, Sheryl and Ginny, were a phenomenal help—they brought this house to us. We also went to Sweden and Copenhagen last year to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, and that trip cemented our love for Scandinavian style.
favorite element… For me, it’s the telescoping exhaust fan in the kitchen. Soooo cool. Plus I love the house at night—the wood glows and the white pendant lights look like lanterns.
For Kari, it’s the dramatic rise of the ceiling and the scale of the walls on the main level. And the storage! So much storage.
biggest Challenge… Making big design on a small budget. We gutted the 50s kitchen, and used sources like Lowe’s and on-line stores to construct a high-style kitchen without the price tag.
what Friends Say… Your house is so Brady Bunch.
biggest Embarassment... The outside sidewalks; the carpet in the basement; the 80s bathroom (the one NOT pictured here)
proudest DIY… One of them has to be building the backyard stage for the kids. With a simple curtain from IKEA, the stage is perfect for putting on shows and using all the costumes we’ve collected from thrift stores and hand-me-downs.
biggest Indulgence… The bathroom vanity (Sonia “Atic” vanity in beech) was outrageous. But we wanted the guest bathroom to feel like a luxury hotel. Very plush, very expensive. And when you’re working with small spaces, it’s important to make the proportions just right, and this vanity fit the bill.
Second biggest extravagance: dining room chandelier. Don’t let the eBay source fool you, this is a newly manufactured light from Germany that was completely out of our budget. It’s called “Zoom” and it fully expands or contracts to create different looks.
best Advice… Ginny and Sheryl, our realtors, told us to put an island in the kitchen. We thought it was far too narrow, but doing so reconfigured the entire space and allowed us to create so much more storage by placing cabinets on the “tall” wall that extend up to 9+ feet. And Williams-Sonoma has excellent ladders, as it turns out.
our Dream Source… Design Within Reach, which is completely OUT of reach, but shows great design.
We also like blogs like Apartment Therapy and Desire to Inspire.
Resources:
Hardware
Kitchen hardware: Bauhaus bar pulls from knobsandhardware.com
Furniture
Quite a mix! Vintage stores like PRAHA and ModLife on Lincoln Ave, Chicago are great sources
“Court Rook” table (stool in bathroom) (crateandbarrel.com)
“Big Sur” dining room table (crateandbarrel.com)
Dining room chairs: West Elm
Couch and armchairs from Walter E. Smithe
Buffet is vintage 50s
Living room / bedroom cream chairs: vintage (from Kari’s grandmother)
Kitchen
• Jenn-Air refrigerator, wall oven, microwave
• GE Profile cook top
• GE Profile telescoping vent
• Ceiling fans from Modern Fan company
• Dualit toaster
Accessories
Thomas Paul pillows
CB2 pillows
Ceramic tile by Xenia Taler (xeniataler.com)
Vases by Heath ceramics (heathceramics.com)
Kitchen towel from Patapri (patapri.com)
Animals in Henry’s room are all vintage Kunstlerschutz Wagner (can be found on eBay)
Henry’s planet mobile: Pottery Barn Kids
Candlesticks in living room (and also the hurricane) handmade from Martha Sturdy (marthasturdy.com)
Satellite Bowl (on dining table) from MoMA design store
Wooden bowl in living room from Stitch (stitchchicago.com)
Dishes: Apilco (williamssonoma.com)
Cookware: All-Clad
Lighting
Tolomeo wall spots in bedroom (YLighting.com)
George Nelson bubble lamp (YLighting.com)
Dexter accent lamp (crateandbarrel.com)
IKEA pendant (Henry’s room)
Dining room “Zoom” chandelier from Floyd Paxton for Serien Lighting (new, via eBay)
Paint
Living / dining room: Ralph Lauren “Polaris” and white
Bedroom: Sherwin Williams “Relaxed Khaki”
Henry’s room: Sherwin Williams “Hearts of Palm”
Rugs and Carpets
“Beads” rug in charcoal (Room & Board)
“Union Pier” wool sisal (crateandbarrel.com)
FLOR tile in Morning Coffee, Pet Hair, and Stripes (Henry’s room)
Sheepskin throws from IKEA
Cotton rug from Urban Outfitters
Tiles and Stone
Commercial charcoal ceramic tiles 16x16 from Tile Works, Chicago
Bathroom tiles: ceramic wood grain also from Tile Works, Chicago
Window Treatments
The Shade Store for all roller shades (theshadestore.com)
West Elm curtains
Curtains for the backyard stage from IKEA
Beds
All IKEA.
Artwork
Living Room:
Frank Stoeckel, “Eekholt” via LUMAS (deer photograph)
“Random Geometry” by Nama Rococo (namarococo.com)
Dining Room:
Maira Kalman (a favorite of ours) via Storyopolis.com
Ted Boggs “Buffalo Soldier” painted on found window (theodoreboggs@gmail.com)
Other artwork by friends and family. Master printmaker Maurice R. Bebb did the etching of the bluebird (Bebb can be found on eBay)
Desk:
Silhouettes of our children Elsa and Henry by artist Sally Newcomb, colored by me.
Bedrooms:
Dave Darian (tree photograph over bed)
Howard Finster’s “Mary” on dresser
Hybrid Home “Monsters” (in Henry’s bedroom) via Velocity Art and Design
Ted Boggs “Viking” in Henry’s room (theodoreboggs@gmail.com)
Other:
Bedding in Henry’s room is “Trees” by Boodalee (boodalee.com)
Bedding in master bedroom is from Design Within Reach
Sonia “Atic” vanity in bathroom
Sink fixtures all from homedepot.com
Kraftmaid Venicia kitchen cabinets from Lowe’s
Kitchen countertop is Zodiaq quartz
(All photos taken by Jim. Thanks, Jim, Kari, Elsa and Henry!)
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Comments (38)
So much inspiration here.
500 s.f. person of smart and artistic design.
Such a beautiful home.
Did you list a source for the bedding (Ikea?) or is that just for the bed itself?
Congratulations, I could only hope to have a home like this for a family one day.
What a wonderful home. That kitchen redo is simply superb, and I really admire you for sticking with a budget and looking for ways to change and improve the space. Marvelous all around without being stuffy. It's so warm and beautiful. I just can't go on enough!
oops....500 s.f. "per" person...
Thanks! I have to say that the kitchen was actually really fun to work on. We started with a brochure from a high-end design company and then just looked around until we found similar cabinets, faucets, etc for much cheaper. It was our own version of a scavenger hunt.
The green bedding is from Design Within Reach (which they've sadly discontinued) and the bedding in Henry's room is from Boodalee, a little company started by two moms who didn't want their kids rooms full of Disney characters! --Jim
I love your home. It is a very livable modern Scandinavian which makes the design so much better. Also it is nice to know that there are other Kari's out there in the Chicagoland area. Who made your kitchen cabinets, I know you said that the pulls are from knobsandhardware.com.
Thank you-- Kitchen cabinets are Kraftmaid "Venicia" from Lowe’s (of all places).
Wow. It's all beautiful, but the desk/work area is really tops, as far as I'm concerned. I feel like if I had a desk like that, I couldn't wait to sit and work at it - this gives me new resolve to make my desk a work of art that I long to be part of. Stimulating without being cluttered, lovely without looking ostentatiously 'composed' - again - WOW!
What a great space!
Two questions for you (which I hope I didn't miss the answers to above): do you have sources and/or information on the lamp with the clear base next to the sofa in photo 14, and the coffee table (marble (?) top with silver metal base)?
Merci beaucoup!
Very nice house, but is 2000 sq. ft. considered a small house?
That coffee table is it from Macy's?????
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=252297&CategoryID=29845&LinkType=SiteAd&LinkLoc=29391&AdID=37177
Exactly-- the coffee table is from Macy's (travertine marble top, steel base) which we liked because it's a large square, and the lamp you asked about is from Walter E Smithe, but I've seen it at Neiman Marcus too. It's got a silver base.
Are the nightstands in the master bedroom also from Ikea?
Wow, guys. The mix of styles works really well to create a wonderful personality. Very tasteful, thoughtful, and not at all overwrought. Nice space, nice home. I love it.
Great house!
By the way, you have a sign of the chinese symbol "double happiness" or (shuang xi) that is hung upside down!!! Traditionally that is not done, but rather done only to the "fu" symbol.
I love it. The kitchen is stunning.
Are you kidding? We hung the double happiness upside down? No wonder the kids have been cranky lately. I have the same artwork in my office (scanned in from a Hong Kong postcard). I'll get that turned around. Geez.
Thank you everyone for your comments and compliments. It's a great exercise to seee your home through the eyes of other people.
Yes, the night stands are also MALM from Ikea. Great value and they don't sit on the ground, which gives them a nice spacious look.
Wow! I seriously cannot say enough good things about this space. It's just gorgeous!!!
Jim, I'd love to get your realtor contact info from you. My husband and I are looking to buy a house around the edges of the city and just looking at this place, I'm so inspired!!!
This is the kind of place that looks effortless and casual and beautifully designed all at once. Congratulations.
Are those kitchen cabinets IKEA Abstrakt? They look great.
A lovely house, beautifully decorated. Why did you hang the Chinese double happiness character upside down?
Wow, this is completely my taste. In fact, while I unfortunately do not have your tall, tall ceilings in your kitchen, I have the exact same cabinets and countertop and the Ikea knockoffs of your handles.
I also almost bought the Big Sur table (but had something built out of Plyboo instead) and almost bought that DWR bedding, too (but I think they had sold out when I wanted to buy it)
Your house is lovely!
I love the double happiness poster. Who is the artist?
Hi-- The kitchen cabinets are from Lowe's actually, a new line from KraftMaid called Venicia, but we almost went with the IKEA version because they are so similar. In the end, we chose the Lowe's cabinets because IKEA is just too far a drive to be going back and forth very often.
Thank you everyone for telling us that the double happiness poster is upside down! I can't believe we didn't know that. The poster is actually made from a postcard my friend scanned in and output at a large size. It's from a store in Hong Kong that I really like called Goods of Desire (G.O.D.).
And Fiona, I'd love to see pictures of your place too-- sounds like we have a lot of similar tastes and finishes. I like seeing how different people interpret the same items.
I've come back to your photos again and again to admire the way you've put everything together. Very inspiring!
Please tell us -- what countertop surface (brand/type/color) did you choose for your kitchen?
Hi jifmae-- thanks for your nice words. It's funny-- I think we've gotten more comments about the countertops than anything. It's a quartz product from Zodiaq but you can find the same thing with Caeser Stone. It's very scratch resistant, very porous, and simple to clean. You can choose matte or gloss, (we have matte). In Chicago, we found the best source for this was a place called Studio41 (www.studiofortyone.com/showroom.html)-- they had the best pricing.
Me like.
I love the kitchen - keeping the paneling throughout on the first floor ties the whole thing together. Using one wall for upper cabinets and the rest for windows and open shelving was also genius - too many uppers would have squashed the whole thing.
Love the master bedroom, so totally Modern Granny. You have also restored my faith in IKEA.
The kitchen looks fabulous! And I love the Zoom Chandelier in the dining room.
I'm redoing a small kitchen with the IKEA high gloss cabinets and would like to know the color of the Zodiac Quartz...it compliments the cabinets perfectly. The rest of the house is inspiring as well-- it oozed calm, serenity, peace...
Hello Chrisrocco-- Your kitchen sounds like it will be great. Our countertops are a green-gray color that I think is called Magellan Green. You can go to the webstie to see what they offer. We almost went with a darker gray, but this lighter color seemed better for our small space. Good luck!
http://www2.dupont.com/Surfaces/en_US/whats_new/new_colors.html
Did you put up the paneling in the hallway or did it come with the house? If you installed it, where did you get it from?
What a great house. You guys are my design heroes!
Jeeves67-- thanks for the compliment! This house came with all wood walls in the kitchen, living room and hallways. We left all of it but we did paint the paneling in the living room white. I'm still thinking of putting a light honey-colored stain on the remaining wood to make it look more alive. The paneling is oak I believe. ---Jim
I just stumbled upon this house tour and couldn't believe my eyes - next week we're starting a kitchen renovation, also in Evanston, that's almost identical (cabinets/countertops/appliances) to yours. (And we also have the big sur table, and a strong affinity for all things Scandinavian.) I LOVE what you've done. Your photos helped me go from my second-guessing "I think this will look good???" stage to a very happy "this is going to look incredible" outlook. The countertop I picked yesterday is Corian natural grey - my little 2x2 square seems much more matte than your zodiaq - I thought glossy counters would be "too much" with the ikea white high-gloss doors, but your photos are making me reconsider...
Thank you for sharing. :)
What a gracious, beautifully lived-in home! It looks so authentic and unstaged -- so refreshing to see that. Thank you for sharing.
I have a question: in photo #19 of Henry's bedroom, there is a cozy blue chair with wonderfully rounded modern curves. Where did you get it? I've been looking for a chair like that for a long time and would love to hear about its provenance.
Roslyn: thanks-- when you design everything yourself, it's great to hear that someone besides us like this too! I'm curious about your renovation-- we'd love to see pictures when you're done. Good luck and don't worry, it will be fun!
Mllemiki: Thank you! The rounded chair in Henry's room is from IKEA a few years ago. I wish they still had these, but they no longer carry them. Maybe you could try eBay or Craig's List? Best of luck.
It's hard for me to read an article that begins with "Jim and his family," as though Jim OWNS his wife and children. What is this, the 19th century? 1950? Seriously, I'm betting Kari (she's got a name!) had something to do with the design and planning of her home.
That said, Kari and her family have a very nice home.
Jezeblla - I don't doubt that you are right that Kari has a lot to do with their home. I'll defend my poor phrasing by saying that Jim alone was the one who communicated with me about doing a tour; he's the one who writes the blog we mention; he filled out the questionnaire on behalf of his family; he took the photos. I do think this house tour was his labor of love, and of course the home belongs to and was created by both Jim and Kari as a couple. It was absolutely not meant to be offensive! I know both Jim and Kari (have known Jim for ages), so hats off to you both and thanks for the tour.