It is with so much excitement that I’m finally sharing the infamous “Henry House”. If you follow along on Instagram, this one may ring a bell. Built in the late 1800s and thought to predate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, this 5,000 square foot Italianate home is something genuinely special. Its all-limestone facade, soaring proportions, and grand-scale rooms have quietly stood on a historic Lincoln Park street for more than 150 years. When we were brought in to work alongside En Masse Architecture & Design, we knew right away that the job wasn’t to reinvent this house. It was to honor it and make it work for our clients (who’ve become great friends).

Listening to the House

Our process always begins from the outside in, and this house told us its story immediately. The Italianate style is all about European romanticism, and this home had all of it: a semicircular bay window, a Juliet balcony, floor-to-ceiling windows, thick plaster crown moldings, and a stained glass skylight that I immediately knew we had to save. That skylight was a hill I was willing to die on, and thankfully, I didn’t have to fight too hard.

So many elements of the original home were treasures, but nothing compared to the dining room fireplace. It’s brass and iron, petite, and unlike anything I have ever seen. The upper corners feature circular rosettes that mirror the window moldings, leading me to believe that it was custom-designed to coordinate with them. That level of intentionality is humbling, especially in a home built in the 1800s. Of course, that was another “must save”. Details like that became our inspiration for the entire project. The windows, base, crown, and window moldings, the incredible staircase, multiple fireplaces, and that stained glass skylight all appeared to be original and were either restored or carefully replicated. I did lose the battle on the original parquet floors (still grieving), but we salvaged and honored so much else.

The Vision

From the start, we had a clear vision of the feeling we were after. Walking into this home, you should feel like you could just as easily be in New York or Paris… metropolitan, chic, understated, yet still youthful and fun. This house has special proportions for Chicago. The living room is truly grand, and we wanted to highlight its scale and beauty, while making this formerly formal home genuinely livable for a modern, casual family.

The good news? We’d known these clients for years, which made the whole process feel intimate, collaborative, and fun. The “before” presented a real challenge, and being selected as the designer to transform it was especially rewarding. With that level of trust, I never had to push pieces I didn’t feel were truly them. And they were open to almost everything — color, pattern, unexpected choices. When they said yes to the coral headboard in the primary bedroom, I was absolutely thrilled. That kind of client trust is something I don’t take lightly.

All in the Details

There is so much to say about how we wove vintage and modern throughout this project, but the staircase says it best. The original woodwork is stunning and full of character.  We paired it with a contemporary color-blocked runner. That balance of historic and fresh is what gives the whole project an edge. As with all projects, we make sure the design never tips into museum territory. It always feels like a home that people actually live in and love.

Many of the pieces throughout the house were custom-made by our firm, including the dining table, the primary bed, and the fabric mirror over the fireplace. Others were sourced on a special trip to the Round Top Antiques Fair in Texas, where we hunted down French and American antiques specifically for this project. The large glass hutch in the living room and the marble café table are both early 1900s French. The organic live-edge coffee table is massively heavy and a bit of a mystery… I wish I knew its full provenance. All of the art was sourced through Architectural Anarchy, a wonderful gallery and antiques dealer here in Chicago. If you haven’t been, put it on your list!

And the Kitchen!

The kitchen is where the clients’ personalities come through most fully. Dark wooden cabinetry, textured plaster walls, living brass finishes, and gorgeous turquoise marble create a space that feels rooted in the natural world. And yes, no upper cabinets. Just clean plaster walls, open shelving, and breathing room. It’s a bolder choice in a historic home, but it works beautifully, and it proves that you don’t need black windows to be modern and cool.

A Restoration Success Story

This type of restoration demands patience, collaboration, and a genuine willingness to advocate for what matters… even when it’s easier to let them go. But the results are incomparable. The level of quality and craftsmanship built into the bones of this house simply cannot be replicated at today’s construction costs. Saving what was there was always going to be the right choice. Shooting this project and having it featured in Modern Luxury was a full-circle moment. We are so grateful to Lucas and Mike at En Masse for being such thoughtful partners, and to our clients for trusting us with something so irreplaceable. This will forever be a special one for me.

Interested in a historic renovation of your own? We would love to hear about your home. Reach out here.