One of a Kind
By Lisa Arnett
June 2026 View more Home
This Naperville row house breaks the mold
Designing a home for a Chicago executive is one thing. Designing a home for a Chicago executive with a deep appreciation for culture and a rich array of interests—travel, fashion, art, wine, mixology, music—is another.
So was the case when designer Bryn Wulf of Two Hands Interiors in Glen Ellyn met a Naperville homeowner who wanted help customizing a row house yet to be built by DJK Custom Homes. “He really wanted to make sure his unit was unique and different from others in the complex,” she says.
Two Hands partnered with Naperville-based DJK to customize the row house’s floor plan, and the inspiration started with the homeowner himself. “We decided that we were going to use his personal aesthetic, his wardrobe, as a jumping-off point. He wore a lot of cool plaids and…had a love for fine leather belts and shoes,” Wulf says. “In addition to being a really snappy dresser and someone who enjoys travel and collecting art, he really loves wine and is an amateur mixologist.”
The reimagined row house has many spaces for entertaining, including a cozy den for listening to records and a media-and-mixology lounge with a big TV, comfy sectional, and cocktail prep station. There’s even space carved out for a climate-controlled wine room adjacent to the dining room. Hidden doors, custom lighting, and offbeat wall coverings make this home truly stand out from its neighbors.
1. (above) The showstopper in the living room is the floor-to-ceiling fireplace surround, crafted from two slabs of Laminum, a ceramic surface. Thanks to the surround’s dark color, the mounted frame TV can display artwork to stand out or blend right in when turned off. Built-in cabinetry on either side holds books and treasured items from the homeowner’s travels. The 1960s leather chair from Spain was purchased at South Loop Loft, a Chicago store specializing in European vintage furniture. “[The homeowner] would wear these cool plaid sport coats, so we tried to make a subtle nod to that throughout the house, like with these pillows,” says designer Bryn Wulf.
2. She created the dining room with flexibility in mind, with several small ceiling-mount lighting fixtures above an extendable table custom-made by Element Furniture in Joliet. “Centering one big lighting fixture over the table would have committed him to having a gigantic table on the regular,” she says. “This way he can either have a dinner for four or he can have the whole family over and open up that table as far as it can go, and either way it all looks like it was meant to be there.” Blue upholstered chairs complement an abstract painting from the homeowner’s existing collection.
3. and 4. A custom fixture from Hennapin Made, a Minneapolis-based lighting studio, hangs in the home’s entryway. “We knew this lighting fixture was going to have to be special, because it’s visible from windows on two sides of the entry…and you’re going to be looking at it dead-on from the dining room,” Wulf says. “Each of those globes was hand blown to a custom size for this piece.” Wall covering that’s crafted to look like Venetian plaster by Phillip Jeffries provides a contrasting background.
5. In the kitchen, focal points include a custom metal hood and twin lighting fixtures from Arteriors over the island.
6. The wall of dark cabinetry conceals a jib door entry to the scullery. “A scullery is really popular right now for people who want their main kitchen to look beautiful all the time, especially in an open-concept space where there’s not much space to hide your crazy,” Wulf says. “So if [the homeowner] is entertaining, all the food prep can be done in the scullery.”
7. This scullery houses the homeowner’s must-have double ovens, beloved Italian coffeemaker, and icemaker. “So many people spend a lot of money on a high-end icemaker, and then it drives them bananas because they tend to make a lot of noise,” Wulf says. “So let’s put that baby in the scullery.” She also chose a beveled mirrored tile for the backsplash to help brighten up the windowless space.
8. “These particular [row house] units were designed to have a little office and pantry behind the kitchen,” Wulf says. “We were like, ‘He doesn’t need an office here; he needs a wine room.’ ” Floor-to-ceiling racks maximize bottle storage, and there’s enough space for a few guests to step inside and enjoy a wine tasting. “A shout-out to DJK because they were able to figure out how to go through the joists to build in the cooling system and the venting system, which required a high level of collaboration in a unit that is attached to another house and has two more stories above it,” she says.
9. Adjacent to the living room, there’s a space where the homeowner can read or listen to music, separate from the TV-centric living room. Wulf chose a quartet of emerald velvet chairs by Kravet and a slatted cabinet from Design Within Reach to stow the homeowner’s record player. The lighting fixture is also from Design Within Reach. “It was nice to have something here that was a little more voluminous and not just another metal lighting fixture,” she says.
10. Instead of heading down to the basement to watch a movie or share a round of drinks, guests ascend to this upper-level lounge. Ottomans tucked under the coffee table provide extra seating.
11. A bar setup with open shelving puts the homeowner’s spirits collection on display. For the walls, Wulf chose a metallic cork wall covering by Phillip Jeffries, which extends into the powder room for maximum drama. Because this space connects to a west-facing outdoor space, “he can make some drinks for his guests, and then they can head out onto the deck and enjoy the sunset,” Wulf says.
12. In the primary bedroom, maple paneling in a warm shade of toffee provides a decorative accent and serves a purpose, too. Look closely and you’ll see the tiny black handle of a jib door that opens into the en suite bathroom (13.), which features a steam shower, freestanding tub, quartzite countertops, and illuminated vanity mirrors.
Photos: Kristi Hughes Photography
