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Even when you live in an indisputably lovely home in a gracious historic neighborhood, there is always that other house just around the corner that makes your heart skip a beat every time you pass its way. That, at least, was the case for a close friend and client of designer Shelley Johnstone: When one of “those” houses came on the market a few blocks away from her residence in Lake Forest, Illinois, she and her husband popped in for a look—and stayed.
“Lake Forest is an architectural gem—it’s quite remarkable,” says Johnstone, herself a resident of the community on the North Shore outside of Chicago. Shaped in the first half of the 20th century by noteworthy names like architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, his protegé David Adler, and Adler’s sister Frances Elkins, it remains a magnet for lovers of storied, older homes. “People who live here rarely move unless it’s to another house nearby, like my clients!”
The French-style house has a stately but welcoming presence with its Chicago brick exterior, cedar shake roof, and blue trimmed windows and matching planters by Kimball & Bean.
Max Kim-BeeJohnstone has known this particular client since college. “She has great personal style and leans towards understated elegance—she told me she wanted the design to look just as great in 25 years,” Johnstone says. “She also didn’t want anything pretentious or fussy, and neither do I, so we really were on the same page.” To that end, Johnstone engaged her particular alchemy of clean, tailored lines grounded in tradition but infused with moments of modernity.
The house’s exceptional architectural appointments, preserved since its construction in 1925, provided a strong framework for inspiration. “In the foyer, breakfast, and dining rooms, there is this amazing original green terrazzo tile floor bordered by brass inlay that has an Art Deco reference,” notes Johnstone, who introduced additional Deco notes via plaster lighting like the leaf-inspired fixtures in the dining room and custom Julie Neill sconces in the living room. “They feel like they could be original to the house—chic with a bit of a modern feel without being heavy-handed.”
The entry hall wall mural, painted by Patrick Roullier, was part of the previous owners’ design scheme by decorator Ruthie Sommers. The iron stair railing and green terrazzo floors with brass inlay are original to the 1925 house. Carved leaf chair, Shelley Johnstone Design. Wicker pedestal urn, Mainly Baskets.
Max Kim-Bee
In the living room, the sofa beneath the window is upholstered in a custom ticking stripe. A Jane Shelton floral on the chairs and pillows connects to the leafy views outside the windows. Bespoke sconces by Julie Neill. Lacquer coffee table, Shelley Johnstone Design.
Max Kim-BeeMore recent existing elements also provided inspiration. A previous owner had worked with Los Angeles–based designer Ruthie Sommers, and some of her touches remained unchanged. “I know Ruthie and know that she treated this house with respect for its character and age, just like I did,” says Johnstone, who kept the hand-painted mural of local trees that Sommers had commissioned for the foyer. “The cocoa brown—a favorite color of mine—and white of the mural fit perfectly with our plans, and we loved the indigenous reference,” says the designer.
Johnstone balanced the drama of the dining room’s robin’s-egg–blue lacquered walls with bare windows and quiet, creamy decor like white plaster lighting by Aerin for Visual Comfort and ticking stripe–covered chairs.
Max Kim-Bee
The cheerful breakfast room gives off garden-fresh appeal with a trellis treatment on the ceiling from Fuller Architectural Panels and hand-painted botanical wall mural by local artist Julie Lawrence. Vintage wicker chandelier and rattan chairs; Eero Saarinen Tulip table by Knoll.
Max Kim-BeeThe sun-drenched breakfast room was transformed into its own work of art, with Johnstone enlisting local artist Julie Lawrence to paint a series of botanical specimens—including many of the client’s favorite flowers—on the walls. (For an even more bespoke touch, Lawrence incorporated insects that nod to the first names of family members: a dragonfly for son Duncan, a ladybug for daughter Layla, and an Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly for daughter Emma.) A trellis treatment adds intrigue to the ceiling but also serves as a clever disguise: Its corners hide four canned lights on a dimmer. “We always respect the history of the house, but we also want it to function well for today’s living, and proper lighting is a part of that,” explains Johnstone.
Johnstone lacquered the brick walls and ceiling of the study in a custom shade of green. The bold stroke of color is tempered by a neutral David Hicks hex-patterned rug, custom white linen armchairs, and a mix of clean-lined vintage and antique pieces including an Eames rosewood chair and ottoman and a Directoire-style desk from the client’s previous home.
Max Kim-BeeIn the adjoining living room, the eye is immediately drawn up toward the intricate original cypress ceiling. Johnstone carefully chose supporting players to complement that “wow” architectural moment, from the olive velvet sofa and leather chair that echo the ceiling’s green undertones to the abaca rug that mirrors the wood’s warm hue. “I like continuity in a house,” says Johnstone. “It shouldn’t be too obvious, but you should be able to move things around—for example, a chair should look at home in any room.” A favorite custom ticking stripe in cocoa and cream, found on living room upholstery and dining room chairs, also links spaces and engenders flow. “It’s a signature of mine. I use this ticking stripe everywhere, and I treat it like a neutral,” Johnstone says. “I like the casual attitude it imparts, keeping antiques from ever looking stuffy or too important.”
A profusion of pattern—Chinoiserie Vine wallpaper by Mark D. Sikes for Schumacher, pillows in prints by Penny Morrison and St. Frank—feels quiet enough for a primary bedroom thanks to a unifying scheme of pink, tan, and white.
Max Kim-Bee
The primary bedroom opens onto a crisp, timeless bath with a marble basketweave floor and Kallista tub. “I add a shell chair to many of my projects. It’s become a signature,” says Johnstone. “This was a pretty spot for it.”
Max Kim-BeeThe house’s verdant thread blossoms in the multipurpose office space, which Johnstone lacquered in a rich fern that echoes the foliage just outside. “The room was white and cold and devoid of any personality, but it had such great underpinnings—exposed brick and multiple casement windows—so we decided to go moody and cozy,” she explains. Vintage pieces like a rosewood Eames chair mingle with antiques including a Louis XVI-Directoire writing desk, its straight-legged silhouette devoid of gilding or flourishes while still imparting an elegant sense of history.
The result of this latest collaboration between Johnstone and her friend—a home that captures a sense of place as well as the spirit of the people who live there—“reveals the comfortable ease of working with someone you know so well and who trusts you,” says the designer. “She gave me the freedom to bring my best.”
THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 17 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!
