Lake Shore Drive Co-op

When a project is set in the most prestigious co-op building in Chicago, overlooking lake Michigan and Lake Shore Drive, in a 1928 by Rosario Candela building, and it features imported antique boiserie paneling in the style of Louis XV, it is natural to gravitate toward an aesthetic steeped in history. But our clients wanted to make an artistic expression full of energy & personality, nothing stodgy, stately, or old, in fact their first request to us was to tear-out the boiserie paneling. Architect & Interior Designer worked together to provide a solution that would create a juxtaposition to meet their desire for whimsy and irreverence but maintain a connection to the building’s history and pedigree: classical interior architecture, traditional furniture styles, and formal furniture arrangements would provide a sense of comfort and familiarity to play harmoniously with the building’s traditional architecture but a strong contrast through color and pattern would thrust the overall aesthetic towards expressionism & surrealism – artistic styles that were thriving in the early 20th century when the building was constructed. The home would be steeped in traditional design, yes, but it would be maximally bold in its palette & perspective; after all as Matisse once said, “color, even more than drawing, is a means of liberation."