Console
Console by Gilbert Poillerat in wrought iron with travertine top, France c. 1940.
Suzanne Lovell Inc. invigorated this lakefront residence in a full-scale, luxury interior renovation, and specified an impressive collection of Art Deco and Modern furniture in close partnership with sophisticated Clients. This project, housed in a pre-war building in Chicago by esteemed architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, won the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art Acanthus Award for Excellence in Interior Design in 2016.
The elegant palette consists of Nero Portoro with limestone paving accents, Regency Diamond architectural grilles, pewter horsehair, slate gray hair on hide leather, Macassar ebony, mirror panels in antiqued silver with beveled edge, and fabrics by Hermès and Fortuny.
The large, softly arched and elegant gallery sets the stage. The “Before” photograph is very telling as we started to test samples for the flooring and the rework of the large plaster vaulted ceiling, which would ultimately harbor a well-disguised mechanical system. Read more about how we transformed the gallery.
Our renderings served to distinguish space and object along with artwork and the impact a few decisions can have on the perception of a large and welcoming gallery. It was very important to test against scale as we intended an open feeling. Read more about how we transformed the gallery.
(Left) The outermost front door details include antique brass hardware custom-designed through Nanz Hardware, and the hand carved stone door base, casing and plinth block. (Right) The mechanical system is hidden behind this bronze grill. The original plaster frieze detail was refined and recreated to circle the gallery. Read more about how we transformed the gallery.
Our magnetic model allowed us to not only understand the scale of the furniture, but it also allowed us to consider the dialogue created by locating certain fine art works next to one another. It is this dialogue that we refer to as the “3 Dimensional Experience”. Read more about how we transformed the living room.
With the client’s vision, the craftsmanship employed to create this interior was beyond compare. Plasterwork, millwork and paint was sampled and studied to perfection. The paint decision process and furniture template studies share an effort to keep generous proportions and quality of light throughout. Read more about how we transformed the living room.
Directly adjacent to the living room is the large formal dining room. The plaster crown with triglyph frieze was studied and recreated with perfect proportion and alignment around the perimeter of the room, an expression of scale at its best. Read more about how we transformed this dining room.
“The Ebony Room” would be created by keeping all of the classic English oak paneling and taking that to a deep tone of black/brown stain. This renovation honors the legacy of this quintessential Howard von Doren Shaw space while making it modern. Read more about how we transformed this room, and its counterpart “The Ivory Room”.
Custom designed vanities use Palladium leaf mirror and nickel grill details to bring a modern twist to a classic design. Medicine cabinets are polished stainless steel and sconces are by Delisle of Paris. Exceptional stone (Arabescato Cervaiole and Bardiglio marble) was selected in Italy. The stone was then painstakingly cut and placed to offer perfection of alignment and book match. Read more about how we transformed the master bath.
Suzanne Lovell Inc., together with Vinci Hamp Architects, received the Acanthus Award for Excellence in Interior Design for the Lakeview Residence. Read more about this incredible honor.
Custom-designed door hardware with Nanz in antique brass with Nero Portoro stone door base, casing and plinth.
Important pair of Maison Jansen designed Modernist consoles, France c. 1950s in gunmetal and patinated bronze with black granite tops.
Karen Gunderson (American, b. 1943), Churning Sea, A Mobius Moment, 2007, oil on canvas.
White opaline glass plates mounted in gilded bronze frame by Jean Perzel, France c. 1930s.
Eugène Printz, Modernist commode with five drawers in palm wood veneer with gilt bronze hardware and base. This is a very rare example of Printz’s all-over veneer technique.
Pair of wrought iron and brass five-petaled flower form andirons, France, 1900-1910, by Louis Majorelle. Greige onyx mantle.
Antiques & Fine Art – Cover Story, May 2017
“The Poetry of Architecture: A modern expression framed within iconic architecture”
Marie Claire Maison, March 2018
Our Lakeview Residence is featured in Marie Claire Maison – Edizione Italiana
Galerie, February 2018
“Suzanne Lovell’s Masterful Art and Design Tips: The acclaimed interior designer and architect divulges her favorite ways to enliven a space”
