A Modern Blend
Jessica Blue Interiors recasts a traditional Lincoln Park Home for the modern era.
Blue’s thoughtfully curated living room features a CAI Designs sofa upholstered in a striking green Nobilis fabric, sourced through Holly Hunt. Custom pillows in Kravet textiles draw the eye, while statement ceiling and wall lighting from CAI Designs creates sculptural impact. A photograph by Carla Sutera Sardo hangs over the mantel. Walls, trim, and ceiling are finished in Mountain Peak White by Benjamin Moore.
Renovations are often standard fare, but modernizing a home with traditional bones takes on a new layer of complexity when it involves a client committed to sustainability. Jessica Blue, whose namesake interiors firm has a focus on conscious design, proved to be the perfect choice to bridge the gap. “The family transitioned from a modern condo to a traditional Lincoln Park home, and while they wanted a contemporary feel, she [the wife] didn’t want to rip everything out from an environmentally considered perspective.
So the goal was to mindfully bridge the two styles into one cohesive, balanced, bright, and neutral-forward refuge,” says Blue.
To temper the home’s formality while preserving its historic charm, Blue and her team updated the home’s existing wall detailing—articulated by horizontal indentations and a more buttoned-up look—with fresh paint that brought it into the present. In the living room, a teardrop-shaped sofa in an eye-catching green velvet sits bathed in natural light. A sense of symmetry was established through chic tubular sconces, minimal mirrors, and shapely patterned stools flanking the room’s original fireplace, above which hangs a mesmerizing photograph. The Eames chair, a request from the husband, provides an additional perch for lounging and entertaining. In the connected dining room, Blue continued her use of organic shapes to add visual interest, punctuated by a stunning light fixture that perfectly illustrates the theme. An extendable, oval-shaped dining table anchors the space.
Left: A dynamic light fixture from CAI Designs commands attention in the dining room. The designer softened the effect of the frosted windows with soft drapery.
Right: Benjamin Moore’s Deep River adds nuance to the home’s beautifully considered entry foyer. Blue reframed the clients’ artwork for the space.
To create drama and highlight the entry’s existing cream-and-black octagon-and-dot patterned tile, Blue wrapped the walls in a moody mural in the wife’s favorite color—green—complementing it with ambient lighting and some of the family’s artwork. The trim and ceiling were painted an enticing dark green that adds depth. The powder room went from a timeworn, early 2000s Tuscan aesthetic to impeccably refined—the walls enveloped in an atmospheric wallcovering that mimics the natural look of agate.
Left: The kitchen’s dark, lackluster shelves were updated with fresh paint that accentuates their architectural appeal.
Right: A sofa from Baker upholstered in a bouclé-like Pindler fabric, paired with cocooning, swivel wingback chairs from CAI Designs, invites relaxation. An area rug from Scott Group Studio featuring alternating directional stripes creates movement and interest underfoot.
Though less of a departure, the kitchen too received a transformative refresh. Curved shelves opposite the stove, which Blue described as having a “drab, monastery-like feel,” were overhauled from a dark brown to a welcoming ivory hue. The backsplash meanwhile was replaced with zellige tiles that underscore the client’s love of light, inviting neutral palettes. The color scheme is echoed in the primary bedroom—which is layered in texture and variations of white and ivory to create a serene, cloudlike space. A custom bed upholstered in a lush velvet lends an undercurrent of tactile warmth.
Artisan-crafted tiles that celebrate the beauty of imperfection breathe new life into the kitchen.
The family room, meanwhile, channels an easygoing elegance with two swivel wingback chairs enhanced by a blue- and-white-striped area rug and a sofa in an inky-hued textile. “The husband is big on comfort, he didn’t want to feel like he was sitting in a museum,” laughs Blue. “So we made sure the chair widths, cushions, etc., were all appropriate and lent themselves to a space the family could enjoy.”
Left: A rattan wall sculpture, gestural sconces from CAI Designs, and a custom bed upholstered in a decadent velvet from Kravet define the primary bedroom.
Right: A standout moment, the powder room’s mood-enhancing wallcovering is from Carlisle & Co. through Holly Hunt. Sink skirt fabric by Pindler; trim and ceiling painted in Tarrytown Green by Benjamin Moore.
While each room has its own distinct appeal, a strong sense of cohesion defines the home—from the neutral foundation to the curves woven throughout. “I loved that it was a challenge. I’m very color-forward and having that restraint forced me to be creative within limitations, ultimately creating a more intentional design,” remarks Blue.