Summer 2017

2017 Antiques & Fine Art 95 A iming to access a clear language of expression, a historic residence overlooking Lake Michigan in Chicago was modernized by Suzanne Lovell Inc. for the first time since the last renovation in the 1960s. Original details of the circa-1923 apartment, designed by one of the city’s leading architects of the time, Howard von Doren Shaw, have been either flawlessly restored or painstakingly recreated to honor the elegance of the interior spaces, while updating the residence to twenty-first century standards. A trained architect-turned-designer, Lovell says, “The goal was to bring the classical details back to what Von Doren Shaw would have intended had he designed it today. We pulled together a team who could use color, style, installation, proportion, and scale to make the apartment modern yet respectful to the past.” Mechanical systems were cleverly concealed behind plasterwork, grillwork, or millwork; materials such as stone, wood, plaster, and metals were sourced from around the world to create a sophisticated platform upon which to present a carefully considered collection of antiques, design furniture, and fine art. Always immersed in the three-dimensional experience of architecture, design, and fine art, Lovell and her firm pushed the boundaries beyond what could have been simply the presentation of an Art Deco-inspired apartment. “The clients knew exactly what they wanted, asked questions, and focused on meticulous results,” says Lovell. “It was a wonderful collaboration and we were driven to create the home of their dreams; they inspired perfection.” Throughout the process, the presentation of mint condition Art Deco and modern furniture was paramount. The placement of vignettes was carefully considered when selecting each and every piece, with iconic examples complemented by furniture from other eras. For example, in the living room, Lovell’s addition of a lyrical serpentine sofa by Vladimir Kagan makes an elegant counterpoint to the striking straight lines of the circa- 1930s game table in mahogany by André Sornay. In the library, which the clients refer to as the ebony Specimen Room, the Palais Stoclet sofa after Josef Hoffmann was added to complement the spectacular circa-1912 reading chairs from Austria by Dagobert