Modern European Family Home In Western Springs — Featured In Rue Magazine

Our home is a fully gut-renovated residence in Western Springs, IL — a charming suburb just outside Chicago — with a modern European sensibility rooted in Italian-inspired design. The entire first floor was reimagined: we reconfigured the floor plan to create a dramatically larger kitchen anchored by two custom walnut islands, Carrara marble countertops and backsplash, Venetian-plastered cabinets, and DeVol brass plumbing fixtures. A moody butler's pantry with glossy green zellige tile and color-drenched cabinetry connects the kitchen to the dining room, which features grasscloth wallpaper and a custom built-in hutch. The family room centers on a hand-carved Indiana limestone fireplace surround set against Venetian-plastered walls and restrained old-world shelving. The home office — where I tutor students in Italian — is color-drenched in Sherwin-Williams Sable with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and antique bronze lighting. The powder room is a jewel box moment with dark gray limestone tile and Venetian plaster. Upstairs, the primary suite underwent a full structural renovation: walls moved, a new layout created, and white oak beams installed into the original coved ceiling. Throughout the home, materials include carved marble, Venetian plaster, walnut, brass, and limestone — all chosen with an eye toward warmth, patina, and timeless European character. The mudroom features locker-style cabinetry and radiant heat under checkerboard limestone floors. The home was featured in Rue Magazine in April 2026 (Linden + Co. Interiors, photography by Sarah Crowley). It is a lived-in, beautiful family home with three young children — designed to be both elevated and genuinely functional.