A family of five settles into their freshly updated dream home with the help of Bickley & Co. Design.
THE CLIENT
Having purchased the home in 2019 from its original owner—who had lived on the property for 20 years—the client knew that a redesign was in order for the outdated space. Mutual friends recommended interior designer Taryn Bickley of Bickley & Co. Design, and Bickley’s team set a plan in motion. “We had to be solution-oriented for a family of five,” notes Bickley, “but also imbue a cheerful, colorful voice with style and purposefulness.”
The handsome family room built-in by JJ Millwork Designs was designed to coordinate with the lower kitchen cabinetry.
THE PRIORITY
The main floor needed the most attention, explains Bickley, the firm’s founder and principal designer. “There were some seriously outdated ideas,” she says, including a galley kitchen with minimal counter space but an overabundance of thick paned upper cabinets; an entryway that made little sense given the width of the house; and miscellaneous odd nooks and crannies throughout the walls in the first-floor living spaces. “Our goal was to make the rooms multi-functional for our entire family,” adds the client, “which proved to be even more important by the time we actually started work in June of 2020, the thick of COVID.”
The staircase is elevated by a wall hanging from Revival Rugs flanked by Lexi wall sconces in ocean blue by Cedar & Moss.
MADE by Ann Sacks Provençcal field tile in Petale makes the girls’ bathroom pop.
THE CHALLENGE
“This was a COVID project through and through,” admits Bickley. “We faced juggling the needs of the client, our own families, the general contractor and his crew, the kitchen manufacturers, installers and millworkers and how to manage the timeline with so much uncertainty. We all collectively accommodated our private and personal lives and grew accustomed to designing and meeting over FaceTime instead of on-site when we could. We spent many days sourcing and re-sourcing stone and tile that wasn’t 20 weeks out, faced challenges with keeping everyone safe and distanced, and worked around delayed materials and furnishings that were beyond our control. And as we moved along, the client decided to add a few additional things to our list: A new exterior face-lift at the entrance and a back deck and entertaining area with a large wall-to-wall sliding glass door. Taking all this into consideration, we really managed to get the house finished only slightly over deadline and with very few large hiccups.”
Kitchen cabinets from Builder’s Cabinet Supply stylishly complement the Silestone countertops and backsplash in Et Calacatta Gold from Stone Experts.
The breakfast area features Baltimore dining chairs from West Elm and a table from France & Son.
The primary bath’s custom vanity by Eurocraft, Inc. is complemented by Visual Comfort’s Nodes 2 sconce and a vanity wall in Grigio Muretto tile from Stone Source.
THE DETAIL
“The owner had dreamed of having floor-to-ceiling bookshelves ever since her first job as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble,” says Bickley. “We had a few thoughtful conversations on how we could achieve this piece, and we managed to design—with our millworker JJ Millwork Designs—this stunning, navy blue library. The whole family loves it, and on any given day, one or more of the kids will be curled up on the couch in the living room, reading. In conjunction with this piece, we also designed a new entryway cabinet, which on one side has hanging room and closed shelves, and on the other side a grouping of functional, floating shelves. We tried to hit every detail with thought and intention.”
The dining room features RH’s Parsons dining table in reclaimed Russian Oak, Ferris dining chairs by Burke Decor and a Palecek Quinn chandelier from CAI Designs.
THE OUTCOME
Sums up Bickley, “The clients are elated with the house’s evolution. It was very dark and tired before we started, with lots of odd choices and outdated designs. Upon finishing it, we had a light, bright, airy space full of color. The rooms felt like our clients and each of their personalities. They entertain more, cook more and overall spend time in all the rooms, because they feel inviting.”
The stunning navy blue floor-to-ceiling bookshelves by JJ Millwork Designs—inspired by the client’s first job as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble—are one of the project’s pièces de résistance.
TYPE
Single-family home
LOCATION
Bucktown
BUILDERS/PAINTERS
Brendan Fields/Fingal Construction
fingalconstruction.com
INTERIOR DESIGN
Bickley & Co. Design
bickleyandco.com
MILLWORK
JJ Millwork Designs/Eurocraft, Inc.
jjmillworkdesigns/eurocraft-inc.com
ANN SACKS
Tile in fireplace surround and girl’s
bathroom
annsacks.com
ARHAUS
Living room sectional
arhaus.com
BLU DOT
Family room sofa, living room chair
bludot.com
BUILDER’S CABINET SUPPLY
Kitchen cabinetry
buildmykitchen.com
BURKE DECOR
Dining chairs, living room/family room coffee tables
burkedecor.com
CAROLINE CECIL TEXTILES
Powder room wallpaper
carolinececiltextiles.com
CEDAR & MOSS
Sconces in staircase
cedarandmoss.com
HYDROLOGY
Kast concrete sink in powder room
hydrologychicago.com
MIMSIE O’HARA’S DRAPERY SOURCE
Custom Roman shades in primary and girls’ bathrooms
draperysource.net
NEYBIR
Various accessories
neybir.com
SERENA & LILY
Living room rug
serenaandlily.com
THE SHADE STORE
Wall coverings throughout
theshadestore.com
STONE SOURCE
Shower and vanity wall tile
stonesource.com
Photography by: Photographed by Margaret Rajic
