PULL TO ELMHURST

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November 2019 View more

A trim carpenter built the shelving and framework, then the cabinet company measured after for the doors—a huge cost savings, says Christina. Grasscloth wallpaper (Manila hemp by Phillip Jeffries) covers the ceiling around a Kelly Wearstler cubist chandelier (top, $1,719) from Circa.

Blaine and Jennifer Reames’s move to the suburbs started innocently enough, at a friends’ barbecue. “We met all their neighbors. Everyone was so welcoming, and there were kids riding their bikes,” says Jennifer. “It was perfect for the next step in our life.” The couple, who was expecting their first child at the time, couldn’t find a home to renovate, so they decided to build—but knew they needed assistance. “I felt very overwhelmed with bringing a new baby home and picking out all these things,” says Jennifer. Designers Christina Samatas and Renee DiSanto from Park and Oak and Island Construction builder John Pembroke were the perfect team to take on the project. “They helped pull us out of our comfort zone a little bit, and do things that we couldn’t visualize, but it ended up feeling exactly like us,” says Jennifer. “Seeing it all together is more than we imagined.”

The French range in the family’s white-on-white kitchen really stands out. “Our oven is probably one of the big features,” says Jennifer, “and people always comment on it when they come over. It’s beautiful, and it helps break up some of that white.” The stainless steel oven is offset with brass accents, and the two metals are mixed consistently throughout the kitchen for a timeless appeal. The marble oven hood (not shown) is also unique, and posed some building challenges due to its weight. “There was a lot of back and forth with the builder,” says Jennifer. “It was one of the bigger hurdles that we had to get through.”

Knowing that the couple lived in London for a few years, Park and Oak designers wanted to incorporate a bit of a European feel to the family room. “We lived in a flat that felt old and historic and special. When they showed us the idea for the fireplace,” says Jennifer, of the Francois & Co. limestone surround and hearth, “we were sold.”

Photos courtesy Park and Oak