Unlocking Your Dream Home: Smart Design Solutions for Heartfelt Desires

Introduction

In the heart of Chicago, a couple, both esteemed classical music professionals, alongside their musically gifted son, were desperately seeking a sanctuary that would not only resonate with their passion for music but also provide the privacy and serenity they craved. Their journey led them to a picturesque condo with a stunning lake view and abundant natural light, only to have their harmonious melodies disrupted by neighbor complaints about their music sessions. Soon after, they thought they had found a seemingly perfect newly decorated house, but buyer's remorse quickly set in as the reality of its shortcomings dawned upon them. It was at this point that they reached out to Sung Interiors through a mutual friend.

Challenges & Solutions

Every project has its own challenges and charms. The power of design is to transform these challenges and embrace the beauty of the space for people to dwell in beautiful ways both functionally and aesthetically, reflecting their lifestyle and characters. After analyzing the space, here are breakdown of challenges we faced and how to solve the problems:

Challenges

1. Enclosed Layout: The kitchen, dining, and kitchen were divided by walls with varying ceiling heights, and mismatched flooring materials with small windows, feeling like a cave, according to the client.

2. Non-Functional Kitchen: The refrigerator was tucked away from any counter space with little counter space next to the stove, despite the generous size of the gallery kitchen. The location of the open bar countertop was impractical.

3. Inefficient Dining Room and Narrow Family Room: The 9’ wide family room felt cramped and too narrow to accommodate their sectional sofa they wanted to keep, while the size of the dining room was less practical.

4. Awkward Entrance: The family accessed the house from outside the garage through an elevated deck and entered the family room. They desired a mudroom for their shoes, clothing, etc., but it would be too costly financially and spatially.

Solutions

1. Embracing Openness: Through an analytical design approach, the space was transformed into an open-concept layout with three distinct zones, fostering a sense of airiness and connectivity.

2. Functional Kitchen: With smart space planning, we reclaimed space from the old pantry and closet areas, relocating the refrigerator closer to the new island countertop to create an efficient work layout with excellent flow. Additionally, we repainted the existing cabinets with minor modifications to maintain a consistent design concept while ensuring cost-effectiveness.

3. Expanding Spaces: The family room was expanded, and the seating arrangement was flipped to capture the better nature view with better engagement with people in other areas.

4. Clever Mudroom-Millwork Fusion: Leveraging the existing deck as an entrance, Sung Interiors seamlessly integrated mudroom functionality with multifunctional millwork, eliminating the need for a physical mudroom. The millwork incorporates an entertainment center (TV, bookcase, and electric fireplace) along with mudroom essentials such as bench seating, coat closets, and shoe storage. This solution provides a pleasant and functional entrance from the garage to the backyard without sacrificing space, disrupting the family room atmosphere, or breaking the bank.

5. Amplifying Natural Light: A new 12-foot patio door and windows replaced the old, smaller patio doors and window, flooding the space with natural light and inviting the beauty of the outdoors inside. This enhancement also creates a seamless connection with the seating on the deck, visually expanding the family room.

6. Harmonious Seating and Viewing: Through strategic rearrangement of furniture, the TV and seating areas were optimized for better connectivity and interaction.

7. Aesthetically Pleasing Soffit: A stylish soffit was incorporated, not only concealing the hood duct space but also adding a touch of architectural elegance to the space. It provides a sense of separation between the kitchen and the rest of the space while maintaining a defined open concept.

What my Client says

"Aunhwa’s incredible attention to detail, her clear knowledge of design and the dynamics of architectural nuance set her apart from other designers. Her creative solutions for difficult spaces, her ability to bring warmth and light into the darkest corners and her ingenuity in utilizing every aspect of a room to its greatest functionality while all the while making a truly beautiful and artistic statement left us utterly speechless!" - Dr. Mischa Zupko

Would you like to hear what my client says about the full process and impression with Aunhwa at Sung Interiors in his own voice? Here is the link you can see the full story by my client:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q5EdqJi0DyMhiDvrExYo6Dm5A1uIrQT5/view?usp=sharing

Conclusion

Step into the harmonious world of this musician family, where Sung Interiors has orchestrated a breathtaking transformation. Join us as we celebrate the culmination of passion, creativity, and design expertise, resulting in a symphony of aesthetic perfection. We would love to assist you in achieving your heartfelt dream home.