Trad-sitional Transformation

All Photos Courtesy of Sweet Peas Design 

I think I just coined a new term – trad-sitional! It’s a blend of traditional and transitional furnishings that my team and I put together recently for retired executives in Libertyville who were ready to give their formal styling a more relaxed look. They asked us to incorporate some of their much-loved, existing traditional pieces and art work, which we blended with new, transitional pieces and voila – a home that reflects exactly who they are. These empty nesters had pondered whether to move or stay after raising their three daughters in this two-story home. They elected to stay, but build a major addition to accommodate visiting children, and perhaps grandchildren. You can find all of the photos of this whole-house project in our portfolio but I have gathered a few here to whet your appetite.

The family room is almost all new and the most contemporary space in the house. It has simple lines and an industrial-chic focal point – a 54-inch wood and metal cocktail table bracketed by a pair of three-seat sofas. Would you believe that the noble iron horses on the mantel are from antique weather vanes? We mounted them on clear acrylic bases – a perfect symbol of how we harnessed traditional and transitional elements.

Our clients love the spacious seating area in their new master bedroom suite. It’s cozy and private for watching TV or just hanging out in front of the fireplace on the comfy angled love seats with their feet up on the sturdy ottoman edged with nail heads.

We couldn’t resist these Tibet swivel counter stools – and neither could our clients - with a pickled white finish and pewter nail heads. They’re comfortable and stylish – a design two-fer.

This used to be the master bedroom, but now it’s a well-appointed guest suite that we call “the hotel room.” It has two queen beds, a pair of dressers, an ensuite bathroom and these practical-and-pretty benches with a walnut finish. The red fabric on the benches and cylindrical pillows are taken from the clients' existing rug. All their guests need is a coffee maker and a mini-fridge and they might never go home!