Creating dream spaces: home spruce-up makes old condo appear new

AFTER nine years of living in a one-bed-room, high-rise condo on the north side of Chicago, marketing expert Susan White decided to move to a larger space. But he changed her mind after surveying the market and worked with interior decorator Shyvette Williams to make her home look new and larger.

"Susan White is a minimalist, so each piece matters," Williams says. "She has exquisite taste and was involved from beginning to end."

Together they worked for three months with the existing furniture and space to create an improved look that White has been happy living with for the past year. "I wanted a new look and I wanted it to look like a new place," says White, director of consumer marketing for Excelon, the parent company of the utility companies, ComEd and PECO.

In the living room, a new custom-made chaise lounge was upholstered in White's favorite colors to complement the beige carpeting and existing cranberry red chair and sofa with black pillows. All of the furniture was made to scale to fit its 5-foot-1-inch owner. Also in the living room, a larger teak bookcase replaced a smaller one to better display White's books. African abstract art was re-framed to hang in black shadow boxes in the hallway beside the living room. The black living room cocktail and side tables were refinished as well.

The bathroom is the smallest room, and it's where White wanted the most changes. The room was gutted, a new toilet was installed and a 17-inch-tall taupe tub replaced a 12-inch-tall white one. Three of the formerly plain white walls were covered with taupe-colored marble. The fourth wall was completely mirrored. The floor has matching the with red-square accents.

The focal point of the bathroom is an ornate, hand-painted, Habersham cabinet installed as a vanity. White discovered it while she and interior designer Williams were out looking for a sink. She fell in love with the piece of furniture made more for display in a foyer or living room instead of a bathroom because she liked the look of the distressed exterior and red interior design, and it matched her color scheme. A mirror framed with similar distressed wood hangs above it.

"I wanted the bathroom to feel like a spa," says White, who researched books and magazines trying to find just the right look before hiring Williams. "Now, it's in warm, inviting, relaxing colors." The addition of a dimmer switch adds to the tranquil atmosphere.

The bedroom and living room have new cloth, vertical blinds in neutral taupe shades. New thermal windows add insulation to both rooms.

White ordered from Italy handmade bedding, including sheets, shams, a duvet and dust skirt in the colors of chocolate, lavender and taupe to enhance her distressed oak sleigh bed. It took seven months to receive her purchase; but it was worth the wait. "It's like coming home to a suite at a five-star hotel," says White of her bedroom.

Another little change that made a big difference is that White replaced her old doorknobs with new brass knobs shaped like flower petals and pillows.

White is pleased with the new look of her old home. She hired a decorator to make sure all of the rooms worked well together. "It was a collaboration," White says. "I knew what I wanted, but I don't enjoy shopping. Now, I don't have an itch to move."