A Landmark Reborn

Jasmin Reese Interiors’ brief was to give this period home a more modern makeover

Whenever you renovate a home, the responsibility can seem huge. If that home is something of a heritage piece, with its own story to tell, then it can feel a double-edged sword. You might be concerned about preserving the history of the home, or unsure about how to handle any unique problems you might experience - costly, complex or otherwise.

This wasn’t the case with one such home dating from 1892, located in Evanston, which was bought by a family that found it to be awash with period features and its own lengthy history. In this case, though, they were not put off. In fact, they felt a sense of obligation to the building, and wanted to get things right and preserve its elements, becoming something like its carers in the process. They embraced the opportunity to make their own imprint on the home, making respectful, if still distinctly personal changes.

The home had at one time in its history belonged to Louise Brockaway Stanwood, a renowned figure in the local community who was the first woman to hold public office in Evanston. This struck a chord with the family, who have three young girls.

Interior designer Jasmin Reese, founder of Jasmin Reese Interiors, was enlisted to help with the redesign of the home, and her list of boxes to tick included a host of modern day adaptions, with the home having only previously been owned by six tenants.

The family were recommended the designer by a friend, and made it clear from the outset that the look, and, perhaps more importantly, functionality of the home, were the two most important elements of the renovation for the client.

In the library-style sitting room which is decorated in a turquoise palette, a colourful rug made from sari silks sits on the floor, and a Maitlind Smith chair found at an antique store was reupholstered with Italian turquoise leather and is joined by a modern style settee which was fitted with classic animal prints and velvets

When it came to design, the family’s love of the quirkier side of design helped Jasmine enormously. Taxidermy pieces features heavily on the first floor of the home, but elsewhere the mood is more subtle. The sitting room is finished with a high lacquer treatment with Fine Paints of Europe, carried out by Minnihan Painting. The library-style room is full of turquoise tones, fuschia silk panels and a chair sourced from Madrid and other luxurious textures.

There were some layout changes to the home, however. The third floor saw the most change, and it now boasts more space, with a distribution of rooms such as the sauna, storage and office now spaciously spreading down to the second floor as well instead of being cramped on one level. Such adhered to the family’s desire for functionality, bringing a new sense of space to one of the key rooms (the master bedroom) and cutting back on clutter in the process. Jasmin and her clients also added a secret door that led to a storage closet which previously was a sauna.

The family are ecstatic with the changes but believe they’ve managed to retain the heritage of the home at the same time. The space has become more functional, but not at the expense of fixtures or features. It feels more welcoming, cosier even, and yet remains respectful of its history - and the history of those who have lived there. The new clients are simply next in a short, but significant line.

Taxidermy can be found throughout the first floor of the client’s home, along with some excellent lighting fixtures and some very eye-catching wallpapers