In Kara Mann‘s capable hands, even the bluest of blue-chip pieces melt together into a decor that’s clearly about comfort and function, not showing off. The Chicago designer’s priorities and her skill in realizing them may owe much to her hotel work — and her residential clients are the lucky beneficiaries, as witness the owners of this Midwestern family home.
“Although the house was a new construction, I wanted to achieve the vibe of an estate in the European countryside,” says Mann, who partnered “classic and collectible” Pierre Jeanneret armchairs with a Joe Colombo Lucite desk lamp, a ceiling fixture by Michael Anastassiades and a quietly spectacular custom rug by Toyine Sellers whose leather, suede and wool blend is delicious underfoot and a refreshing bit of craft in a very artful room.
