The Guide: Chicago
September 1, 2005
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A David Adler home in Lake Forest from 1931. (Click image to enlarge.) Interior Designers
Interior Designer Suzanne Lovell has been working as a designer for 20 years. She trained as an architect and worked for SOM after studying with Olivio Ferrari, a Bauhaus-trained, Swiss-German architect. With a client list that includes the city’s most prominent families, Lovell’s work extends from modern penthouses on North Lake Shore to clients’ vacation homes throughout the U.S. and abroad. Established over 30 years ago by Bruce Gregga, the firm of Gregga Jordan Smieszny creates clean, modern interior spaces for homes, yachts and offices. The firm is now managed by Alex Jordan, known for combining fine art and antiques with contemporary furnishings, and Dan Smieszny, whose background in landscape architecture facilitates collaborations with landscape designers that merge indoor spaces with the outdoors. Merilee Elliott’s eclectic, transitional style incorporates materials like stainless steel, stone and silk (which she has used to upholster 30-foot long ceilings to help conceal high-tech wiring). Her offices at the Merchandise Mart mean that she’s among the first to see the newest home furnishings from the city’s top designer outlets. Van Tullis has studied furniture design, sculpture, ceramics and drawing and is an active member of various artistic foundations, including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Architecture Foundation. His interiors are most often defined by neutral color palates.
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A Four Seasons residence by Merilee Elliott. (Click image to enlarge.) Contractors
Even the sturdiest of the city’s historical homes need
updates from time to time—having the right kind of contractor is essential to
both preserving and restoring important architecture, as well as to building new
homes that will complement the vintage. Blackmore Construction has won several
AIA awards and frequently collaborates with architects like Booth Hansen and
Marvin Herman. The family-owned company specializes in millwork and sculptural
ornamentation, which require an immense amount of detail and architectural
knowledge. Harold O. Shulz, a three-generation contracting firm, has done
low-rise and high-rise condominium projects with big architectural firms like
Wheeler Kearns as well as high-end residences from Lake Forest to Lincoln Park.
Their past awards include the Winnetka Preservation Award for New Construction
and the AIA Chicago Interior Architecture Honor Award.
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A Marvin Herman–designed townhouse on the Gold Coast. (Click image to enlarge.) Design
David Hovey, 847.835.8400, www.optimaweb.com
Ross Architecture,
847.498.4848, www.rossarchitecture.com
Marvin
Herman, 312.787.0347
Lichten Craig, 312.321.7400, www.lichtencraig.com
Suzanne Lovell,
312.595.1980, www.suzannelovellinc.com
Gregga
Jordan Smieszny, 312.787.0017, www.gjsinc.com
Merilee Elliott,
312.222.1313, www.merilee.com
Van
Tullis, 773.278.2113, www.vantullis.com
Blackmore Construction,
708.535.1000, www.blackmoreconstruction.com
Harold O. Schulz, 847.869.4949, www.hoschulz.com
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