8 min readSometimes a home is more than just a place to live—for Isabel Schultz’s clients, moving into their new Victorian house was the start of their second act. They had raised two boys in what they considered their “starter home” just a couple of blocks away in their town of Evanston, Illinois, but by the time both their sons had grown up, 20 years had passed, and they had never upgraded to the next size up.
“With adult sons, they desired a ‘grown-up’ house where they could invest in beautiful, yet not stuffy, design,” Schultz, the founder of her eponymous design firm, tells House Beautiful. What do two empty nesters want when starting a new chapter? Cozy spaces meant for cocktail hours and gatherings with friends, dedicated work-from-home zones, and plenty of room to host at the holidays and—most importantly—for Lollapalooza.
The historic home is near downtown Evanston and just a stone’s throw away from the Chicago suburb’s beautiful lakefront. When Schultz took on the project, she knew the main objective was to restore as much of the structure as she could while honoring the history with every new feature, furnishing, and detail she brought in. “This special home is truly the embodiment of a new chapter, in which they could elevate their living experience without being too formal or precious, while still feeling like an expression of themselves.”
Working with Alberg Enterprises and Susan Rundle Architecture, Schultz was able to restore most of the trim work in the house and on several of the fireplaces. Though she unfortunately had to remove two non-working ones—one in the foyer and another in the primary bedroom—to optimize furniture placement, she was able to refurbish the original Victorian-era radiators in the dining room and lounge. “Years of caked-on white paint diminished their beauty and hid an intricate arrow design,” she explains. “The client felt strongly about restoring these original 19th-century pieces to their intended beauty, while functionally meeting the heating needs of each space. Win-win.” Throughout the renovation, they discovered old newspaper clippings within the walls and layers of old wallpaper in various parts of the home.
After completing construction, Schultz’s timeline to furnish the home suddenly got shortened to 10 weeks, as they had the opportunity to showcase the house as part of Evanston History Center’s Mother’s Day House Walk. Rather than see this as an issue to solve, she turned it into an opportunity “to source unique vintage furnishings available on the spot, to design and build key pieces with local craftsmen, and to work closely with our long-standing workroom partners,” she says. Her clients’ open-mindedness and trust in her made this challenge so much easier.
Schultz knew from the start that this project was going to be a special one. In their initial onboarding meeting, she and the clients expressed their shared love of art; they even had a “first date” of sorts at The Other Art Fair in Chicago to learn more about each other and source some pieces. Her clients’ willingness to experiment with color, texture, and artwork gave Schultz freedom in her design decisions, resulting in a more fun experience overall. The designer leads with textiles to create a color story and design concept, and this house “allowed me to create a color-rich home grounded in authenticity, not trends,” she adds.
When they finally wrapped everything up, Schultz could only feel eternally grateful for getting to work on this dream project. “I’d say the incredible freedom my clients provided to design their home and literally touch every space was the greatest gift,” she says. “To be able to play with color, pattern, and art was such an incredible joy and honor in this historic home.”
FAST FACTS
Designer: Isabel Schultz of Isabel Schultz Design
Stylist: Brittany Fitzpatrick
Location: Evanston, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago
The Space: An 1886 Victorian just blocks from Lake Michigan, with four bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms over 3,737 square feet.
LIVING ROOM
An elongated room called for a creative layout with multiple seating areas.
This family room was designed to do it all. It needed to be casual and cozy enough for family movie nights and sinking into a comfy sectional with a good book or weekend newspaper, while still feeling like an elevated spot for hosting special occasions. With the length of the room, it thankfully wasn’t hard to fit in several different seating arrangements.
On the other end of the living room, Schultz created another spot to unwind and enjoy a cup of tea or a cocktail with friends. “We took this area as an opportunity to play with vintage and more sculptural pieces, such as the incredible light fixture from Soho Home,” she explains.
However, it’s the painting that really serves as the focal point for the entire room. Schultz knew they needed a large piece of art for this wall, so she looked to her vast network of local sources and pulled this incredible painting by Jingqi Wang Steinhiser with help from John Maloof. “It was love and wow at first sight,” Schultz adds. “My clients were equally enthralled by this beautiful artwork, and they didn’t hesitate to add this to their burgeoning collection.”
LOUNGE
Signature martinis and knitting sessions are commonplace in this cozy escape.
Now that their boys are older, Schultz’s empty-nester clients wanted a “grown-up space to unwind after a long work day, make a cocktail at the dreamy bar, and curl up on the sofa or by the gorgeous original fireplace.” To create the ideal place to retire every night, the designer evoked a warm, storied feel using different textures, finishes, and vintage furniture. A wallpapered ceiling creates a cocoon-like vibe, integrating even more layers into the space. Above the fireplace, a warm art piece by Patty Carroll Photography finds a new spot to live.
ENTRY & FOYER
A love of birds inspired the wallpaper choice.
“There is a beautiful prairie garden out front in lieu of a lawn, so we wanted the entryway to feel like an extension of the outside with this beautiful John Derian wallpaper,” Schultz says. Beyond the entryway is an inviting foyer, where a center table provides a place for fresh florals, something her clients were excited to have.
The earthy color palette and varying patterns ensure this room doesn’t feel stuffy or too formal; it’s yet another warm, artful space that welcomes guests inside and shows them exactly what they can expect from the rest of the historic home.
KITCHEN
Without a separate pantry, the cabinets are optimized for storage.
During the construction process, they completely gutted the old kitchen but kept the original footprint. Being able to design an oxblood kitchen was thrilling for Schultz, and she used the other design details, like the checkerboard flooring and brass cabinet grilles and hardware, for added dimension. Because they kept it rather small, she worked closely with her cabinet maker, Trim Tech Designs, to optimize the interiors and drawers to suit her clients’ needs.
While the pair love to cook, there was no need for a six-burner stove or oversized island, since it’s mainly just the two of them. “They wanted every spot in the kitchen to feel purposeful and rich in color and movement via the stone and flooring, but not too precious,” Schultz says. “We aimed to strike just the right balance of creating a beautiful and eye-catching space that could work hard yet feel inviting—a kitchen where you can make a big mess and also host family and friends around the island.”
BREAKFAST NOOK
A custom banquette and table make this casual eat-in spot feel original.
Just off the cook space is the eat-in breakfast nook, a practical spot where her clients can sit down for a casual meal or that first coffee of the day.
DINING ROOM
A whimsical cat-shaped table lamp nods to the clients’ irreverent sense of humor and love of felines.
Closed off by two sets of pocket doors is the formal yet cozy dining room, awaiting big family gatherings around the holidays. The pocket doors are replications of the originals from 1886; Skokie Millwork did the work, keeping the original hardware to further honor the home’s history.
The dining table self-stores extensions for larger dinner parties, during which the client “loves to close the pocket doors to create a more intimate, warm space,” Schultz explains. More playful artwork by Patty Carroll sits above the fireplace, adding an element of whimsy to their evenings.
POWDER ROOM
Bold color pairings and bespoke details create a vivid jewel box space.
Such a loud wallpaper might make some clients weary, but not Schultz’s; they agreed to it without hesitation. “This was one of those dreamy opportunities to have a favorite wallpaper inform the whole room design, from the color of the trim and ceiling, to the Robern deep green vanity, to the Calacatta viola marble mosaic floor,” she adds. She got the vintage pendant light from a local dealer and couldn’t have been happier when it was still available for this space.
As an homage to her clients’ three kitties, Schultz hung up two cat portraits in a Victorian style on one of the walls. They’re photographic artworks from Victorian Creatures, which the designer found at a Chicago art fair. “We worked with local framer Alley Gallery to design the custom, high-gloss black Victorian frames as well,” Schultz says. “While not high-end art, this placement was so intentional and fun, and SO my clients!”
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Dreamy floral wallpaper was the jumping-off point for the color palette.
Her clients wanted to sleep in a bedroom that was interesting and cocooning—this moody wallpaper was the perfect match. Schultz pulled it from her “treasure trove of gorgeous papers,” and she used it to design the rest of the rich, warm space.
For more texture, she chose a forest green bouclé fabric for the custom bed frame, pairing it with striped alpaca pillows and a fluffy Mongolian sheepskin bench at the end of the bed. Darker tones are invited in through the walnut nightstands and dresser. As a little luxury, Schultz had custom motorized shades made for the windows so her clients could open and close them from bed.
PRIMARY BATH
Heated floors help combat cold Chicago winters.
“This was another full gut renovation room in which we closed off a door from the hallway, and created a walk-in dressing room off the primary bedroom that leads into the primary bathroom,” the designer says. Since the clients aren’t fans of bathtubs, Schultz reconfigured the space to create a large, beautiful shower covered in gray-blue tiles with a built-in bench. The space still incorporates some color, but in a calmer way.
LOFT BATH
Vintage artwork brings in a bright pop of color.
Most Victorian homes have a third floor as opposed to a basement level, and while they’re typically used for playrooms or an additional family room, Schultz designed her clients a multi-purpose space instead. It’s meant to be a highly functional living, working, and sleeping zone that she’s dubbed “the loft,” and this is the ensuite connected to it.
Light and airy with a signature pop of color, this bathroom needed to have everything a standard full bath would have, but the sloped ceiling made it a bit tricky to fit everything in. Schultz’s solution was to create two vanity spaces, one with a sink and cabinet, and a lower adjacent one with a mirror at the appropriate height for getting ready. A custom cabinet on the opposing wall is for overflow towels, a built-in hamper, and additional storage.
About the Designer
Though designer Isabel Schultz was born and raised in Los Angeles, she opened her design firm, Isabel Schultz Design, in the Chicago suburbs back in 2015. Since she was little, Schultz has always had a passion for design and architecture, and she credits exploring 1920s theaters and beautiful neighborhoods for this fascination. Her design philosophy centers on creating stunning spaces that tell her clients’ stories through unique art, intriguing textiles, bold colors, and vintage treasures.
