City Homes
Susannah Holmberg Designs A Carriage House With Color, Pattern And Cozy Layers
Published on December 29, 2024
Like a petunia in an onion patch, this charming painted-white brick, two storey, three-bedroom carriage house stands out. Believed to once have been part of a grand old, turn-of-the-century estate in Chicago’s Buena Park neighbourhood, it’s now surrounded by towering trees and unremarkable apartment buildings of a more recent, less romantic era. But the pair who bought the carriage house — a fun-loving couple in their 40s who have recording studios in Denver — were looking for just such a unique structure to call home. They coveted the carriage house the moment they laid eyes on it and, since love is often blind, they quite willingly overlooked its biggest drawback: it was dark.
Little natural light penetrated into the house, and its rooms were small and a little gloomy. For solutions to the lack of light, they hired an architect to open up the floor plan, remove some interior walls and add skylights in the second floor living room. In 2021, when the first designer tapped didn’t satisfy the couple’s craving for comfort and cosiness, they pulled the plug on the project halfway through and turned to Susannah Holmberg. Susannah and her now four-year-old Salt Lake City design studio had become known for creating layered spaces using patterns, colors, textures and pieces from different eras that, in less skillful hands, would be visual cacophony but, in hers, were timeless and unique.
Scroll down for a look inside this Chicago carriage house!
During the nearly one-year-long renovation, the designer needed to manage her clients’ disparate tastes. His preferred seating was a sleek, mid-century chair, while hers was a classic, skirted, sink-in sofa. She liked ruffles and pleats; he liked clean-lined, clutter-free, hold-the-throw-cushions minimalism. She preferred preppy, piled-on patterns, vintage chinoiserie and maximalist opulence — in other words, she liked more — while he liked less, and lots of it. “There were no battles for one aesthetic versus another because neither owner had to compromise,” says Susannah. “We set out to seamlessly incorporate both styles.”
Susannah’s bold style is on display as soon as you walk in the front door. “The graphic art contrasts with the busyness of the wallpaper,” she says. “I love the front entryway,” says Susannah. “When you walk in, I like to create a pause — a moment to establish the design ahead.”
“The home looked like it needed finishing and cohesion,” says Susannah. “The design brief was to make it feel warm and cozy, despite the lack of natural light. It might seem counterintuitive but, often, when faced with a dark room, clients try to brighten it with wall-to-wall white, which can make it feel uninspired. We brought this home to life by embracing the darkness and going moody with deep, vibrant colors.” Luckily, the homeowners were very receptive to change and didn’t bat an eyelash when Susannah suggested a palette that veered from midnight blue to rusts, mauves and bright red.
Susannah created a home that was comfortable for both of them while also prioritizing entertaining. “I’m inspired by the hotel lobby layout — dividing the space into rectangular, distinct sitting areas,” she says of the living room, which followed that idea. The once sad and dreary room became the spot the owners loved most, whether they were lounging on the sofa or playing a game of backgammon.
Colorful, densely patterned wallpaper climbs formerly white walls. A Little Petra lounge chair and pouf originally designed in the 1930s happily coexists with a classically frilled sofa in a surprising burnt orange upholstery fabric; the intentional juxtaposition infuses the home with warmth, energy and personality.
The living room’s densely patterned wallpaper and vintage bar cart deftly define the home’s hotel lobby–style cocktail area.
“The living room is a mashup of patterns that, because they’re part of the overall color palette, complement each other rather than collide,” says Susannah.
Taking advantage of the soaring, vaulted ceilings that are typical of a carriage house, the kitchen and living room are on the second floor. The formerly all-white kitchen millwork and ceiling are now painted in rich hues to add personality and emphasize the ceiling height.
Glass-fronted cabinets are backed with bold patterned wallpaper, “which adds visual interest and creates a feeling of depth,” says Susannah.
Ornate, oversized cabinet pulls add drama to the owners’ vintage sideboard.
A formal dining area was transformed into a spot for playing backgammon; rustic wood chairs juxtapose the sleek table and Flowerpot VP10 pendant.
Like a piece of jewelry, the ornate antique sconce — part of the owners’ chinoiserie collection — adds personal style to the ground-floor den.
Cheeky botanical wallpaper and warm metal finishes define the petite powder room.
The second-floor office features a whimsical mix of colors, patterns and decorating styles.
In the principal bedroom, layered textiles with small-scale patterns in soothing colors have a comforting vibe.
Rather than replace the existing wallpaper in the second-floor bathroom, Susannah chose a delicate pendant to enhance it. “It was a fun challenge to marry her love of pattern with his love of mid-century modern silhouettes, and they were over the moon with the overall design — the home felt like a much happier place,” sums up Susannah with the kind of smile that would light up any room.
Ryan McDonald
House & Home
Susannah Holmberg