Westward Bound

By Lisa Arnett
October 2025 View more Home

A family moving from the city to the suburbs gets fresh start

When interior designer Christie Kenny got a call from a Chicago couple who had just purchased a home in Clarendon Hills, they had a specific goal in mind. “They had a beautiful townhouse in the city and they have a child who is going to be starting school soon,” Kenny says. “They want to grow their family and they want to do it in the suburbs. But they wanted the city vibes in the suburbs home.”

Built in 2016, the house they purchased had popular finishes of the time, such as dark wood floors, lantern-inspired chandeliers, and stairways with scrolled iron balusters. “We went in there and brightened up the space,” says Kenny, whose business, Christie Kenny Interiors, is also based in Clarendon Hills. “The overall design aesthetic is playful, abstract, and organic. We used a mix of handmade items and juxtaposed different materials so everything has this really cool, playful mix.”

The homeowners were hoping Kenny could incorporate artwork they had collected while traveling and a new dining room table they had just purchased. “Whenever I start work with a client, we come out to your home and take an inventory of all your items,” Kenny says. “We don’t always use them, but at least we know if we are looking for a 24-by-24 piece of art, we look through the inventory first. In this case, we were able to use many of the pieces they already had.”

FAMILY ROOM (ABOVE) For their family room, the homeowners wanted a comfortable place to kick up their feet without having to worry about too-precious furniture or finishes. You wouldn’t think that would translate to cream sofas, but think again. “We used Sherrill Furniture out of North Carolina, and their pieces are family-friendly and built to last, and we upholstered them with a heavy-use fabric,” Kenny says. The sofas ended up working well alongside a pair of chairs from the couple’s former townhouse. A lack of sharp corners makes the coffee table an especially practical choice. “It has an olive ash burl wood veneer, and it’s complemented by a faux raffia gold edge,” Kenny says. “And for their child, it’s great because there are no harsh edges, but it also has a cool, organic shape.” For paint, Kenny chose Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray for the walls and Alabaster for the trim and woodwork. Intriguing artwork is a major feature in this room; Kenny chose handcrafted ceramic domes from Sam Mayell, an artist based in Queenstown, New Zealand, and a green abstract piece from Zoe Bios Creative, a Los Angeles–based art atelier. For the floor, she chose a hand-knotted wool rug by Feizy in muted neutrals. “It has an abstract geometric pattern that’s subtle, so it’s not dominating the space,” Kenny says. “Because we have so many other playful elements, we didn’t want one to be stronger than the other.” A flower-inspired rattan chandelier by Made Goods provides the perfect finishing touch.

KITCHEN This kitchen revamp is proof that you don’t have to replace everything to get a new look. “These cabinets are the original ones from 2016,” Kenny says. “They were custom and beautiful quality, and, yes, there were some areas that needed to be fixed, but we refinished them with a fresh coat of Sherwin Williams Alabaster and new hardware.” With new plumbing fixtures and lighting by Regina Andrew above the island, the kitchen looks refreshed. “The owners weren’t sure about keeping the existing countertops, but we said, ‘Just please trust us—it’s going to save you a lot of money, and they are going to be even prettier once we make these other updates.’” Kenny and her team were able to incorporate the homeowners’ barstools and live-edge wood dining table from their former townhouse as well.

DINING ROOM Kenny opted to forgo a rug for maximum contrast between the natural oak floors and this showstopper of a table by Arteriors, which features an ebony oak veneer top and a concrete composite base that’s hydroprinted with a faux marble finish. The wall covering above the wainscoting is handmade by Vahallan, a Lincoln, Nebraska–based company, and the lighting fixture by Regina Andrew is fittingly called the Molten Spider Chandelier.

OFFICE This home office features a lift desk by Room & Board and a Feizy wool rug, as well as the homeowners’ own art displayed over a console table by Noir.

STAIRWAY One of the guiding elements of this design was the new floor color. “It’s actually natural. After our floor guy sanded everything down, we decided to leave the oak flooring in its natural state and just put on a clear coat,” Kenny says. They also replaced the home’s original scrolled balusters and ornate newel posts with a simpler, clean-lined design. The lighting is from Kelly Wearstler’s collection for Visual Comfort.

POWDER ROOM The existing vanity was a high-quality custom build and still in good shape, so Kenny chose to repaint it with Sherwin Williams Brandywine, a rich orange. New fixtures and wallpaper by Black Edition complete this bold bathroom makeover.

UPSTAIRS FOYER For this space, Kenny chose a chandelier from Visual Comfort’s Aerin collection by designer Aerin Lauder and artwork by Four Hands Art Studio in Austin, Texas. Titled See Through Black, it’s made from paper cutouts on linen backing.

Photos: Ryan Thomas Lay; photo shoot styling by Brittany Fitzpatrick