Home for the Holidays

CHRISTMASTIME MEANS FAMILY TIME IN THIS PRETTY CHICAGO HIGH-RISE

Shiny new toys and sticky-fingered grandchildren spill across the antique carpet in Kim and Bruce Scodro’s living room—bringing chaos to a space Kim created to exude calm. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. “Christmas is my happiest holiday,” the Chicago designer says. “The whole family jams in here, and it’s absolutely awesome. We are truly home for Christmas. We spend the day in our pajamas, the grandkids play, and it’s an all-day eating fest. Life just doesn’t get any better.”

Warm memories fill every inch of this apartment in a venerable 1920s high-rise. The couple were drawn to the building’s location in the heart of Chicago and to its prewar interior architecture with delights such as intricate plaster moldings.

Kim respected the integrity of the era’s design, retaining the classic bones and separate rooms—no open floor plan here—as she renovated the spaces to suit her aesthetic and modern life. “It is a family home,” she says. “You can really live in it. Nothing is too precious.”

It is, however, refined. Beauty reigns from the first step out of the elevator onto the Carrara marble floor in a vestibule wrapped with delicate hand-painted chinoiserie wallpaper

and furnished with character-rich antiques. Soft blues and creams along with hints of saturated royal blue set a serene mood. “You immediately know what you’re walking into,” Kim says. “We wanted a very clean, soft space. I love a layered look, but I didn’t want a ton of stuff around in my own home. This feels more comfortable.”

Ease and elegance converge in the living room, a large space that Kim delineated into two zones using furniture groupings: a convivial gathering area and an intimate spot to curl up and relax. Windows and French doors frame picturesque views of Lake Michigan, its soothing blues reflected in the floor-to-ceiling draperies. The soft palette jibes with soft fabrics, including luxurious velvets and matelassé on silk.

The room, though, is much more than a pretty face. It’s family central, especially during the holidays when cheery stockings hang from the fireplace mantel, wreaths dot the paned windows, and ribbons decorate the topiaries that rise from patinaed urns.

“Christmas is a big deal at our house,” Kim says. “We practically start at dawn.” Bruce brings in bagfuls of bagels and cream cheese from a little shop that’s open on Christmas

Dining room “Incorporating mirrors is like adding a window,” says designer Kim Scodro, right, who used the trick to visually expand her formal dining space. A dramatic contemporary work by Chicago artist Francine Turk juxtaposes the classic furniture pieces.

Living room Seating from Kravet and Nancy Corzine brings shapely silhouettes to the gathering area, where antiques—including a French fireplace surround and a Biedermeier chest—mingle with pretty wool draperies, brass lamps and sconces, and festive holiday greenery. In a more intimate corner of the room, bottom left, a chaise invites quiet lounging. Vestibule Paul Montgomery wallpaper greets guests with its classic beauty.

Kitchen An antique chandelier over the stained-wood island complements classic white cabinetry and a traditional Rohl faucet. Breakfast nook Kim was happy to find a spot in the corner of the kitchen for a banquette, which she loves for family meals. Midcentury-style chairs from Poly & Bark offer additional seating at the table from Noir.