Young love blossoms with a sense of possibility and an undeniable je ne sais quoi. That was the case for a young couple who reconnected in the Windy City years after they met in college. “Our relationship bloomed fairly quickly,” the now-wife says.
Indeed, the enchanted couple’s whirlwind courtship inspired Brianne Bishop’s design of their new sun-drenched seventh-floor, three-bedroom abode in the upscale development Renelle on the River.
“Working with such a young couple, we were definitely able to take a lot more risks,” the interior designer says. “It was fun working with them during such a special time in their lives.”
The Foyer
That sense of bold irreverence starts in the front foyer, which sports an accent wall adorned with a brassy hand-painted, textured wall treatment by Bozena Kapcia, of Studio BK.
“It just made the space,” Bishop says, noting it pairs effortlessly with an elegant leather console table from CB2 and a mirror from Arteriors.
The Living Room
The collaborative designer also teamed up with Armazen Design to create an illuminated built-in cabinet in the living room that contains a full bar and a fireplace. Made of porcelain, wood and smoked mirror, it creates a dynamic focal point for a sectional sofa from Montauk atop a colorful rug from the client’s existing collection.
“We love to sit on a massive couch with 20 people and talk or watch football,” the wife says, noting it’s as comfortable as a high-end mattress. “The things we invested were the things we’d have the most memories with.”
The Dining Room
That holds true for the often-used dining area, where a set of curvaceous camel-colored Alpaca-upholstered chairs surround a vintage ebony-stained carved wood table base with a new quartzite top – a far more luxurious option than the old door that originally topped it.
“We gave it new life,” Bishop says. An elegant LED rope chandelier from Luke Lamp Company acts as both light and sculpture.
The Kitchen
The heady mix of materials also characterizes the open kitchen, which is outfitted with wood cabinetry with a distinctive grain by Snaidero juxtaposed by a sleek integrated white quartz perimeter counter and backsplash.
Illuminated by a multi-armed pendant the wife had long coveted, the island sports a gray quartz countertop that perfectly complements the mustard-colored mohair upholstered stools from CB2.
The Primary Bedroom
The neutral hues flow into the primary bedroom, an Art Deco-inspired space with a custom vertical channeled upholstered headboard with brass reveals flanked by a pair of hanging pendants and tall mirrors.
“This space has an overwhelmingly warm and fuzzy feeling that’s so inviting,” Bishop says.
The Office
Wall treatments contribute to that feeling throughout. An accent wall by Black Crow Studios distinguishes the office, for example, enhancing an oval desk from Arteriors and a mirror from CB2.
The graphic design proved to be fortuitous during the pandemic, when Zoom calls became a way of life. “It’s always a conversation starter,” the wife explains. “So cool.”
The Family Room
And despite the wife’s penchant for neutrals, the wife is equally thrilled with the way Bishop accommodated her husband’s predilection for color, furnishing the family room with a blue sofa chaise from Interior Define and a vintage ottoman by Kruek & Sexton that she reupholstered in a vibrant post-modern fabric.
“I love that a little piece of Chicago modernism is here in this modern Chicago building,” Bishop says.
The blissful newlyweds are overjoyed with the way the entire space turned out. Their meetings with Bishop often turned into happy hour-like affairs, with cocktails and conversation flowing freely, as she married their unique styles in ways that they both appreciated.
That meant the world to the couple, who became engaged during the project, which meant they were planning their wedding at the same time they created their new home together.
“It was quite a journey,” the wife says. “We’re thankful we had her to guide us along the whole process, which made it fun for us.”
This article originally appeared on spacesmag.com.
How to Help:
If you’re interested in helping more people have access to design services, you can support the nonprofit Designs for Dignity, which transforms nonprofit environments through pro bono design services and in-kind donations.
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Tate Gunnerson is a Chicago-based freelance journalist with an equal appreciation for natural beauty and good design. He is a passionate supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the National Kidney Foundation.
