WE WANTED A HOME FULL
OF WARMTH”
“
“I didn’t want a severe modern look,” the client says.
“We wanted a home full of warmth that was fun to live
in and comfortable.” Schirn selected a color palette
on the main floor of cozy coppers, oranges and pinks.
Cooler, more serene blues, yellows and greens were used
on the second level. “Color comes before style,” Schirn
notes, “Colors create space, atmosphere and mood.” To
fill in the rooms, Schirn pulled inspiration from the
1950s and onward, sometimes using a contemporary
item with clearly stated deco antecedents. Still these
were always uncomplicated, always clean. “Upholstery
for my purpose is very simple and doesn’t become a
style element … I feel different about tables and art,
but upholstery should be restrained and the shapes
should be quite simple and basic, not a distraction,”
Schirn says. Were it not for those unfussy lines, she
says, she would not have had the “audacity” to use such
vibrant fabrics, like the red on the sectional sofa in the
living room or the lively blue on the nearby chairs.
Still, the signature of Schirn’s design sensibility
becomes most apparent through her deft application
of more decorative items. It is through these that she
adds life and interest. “I give decorative pieces much
thought because if you don’t you’ll end up with a
showroom,” she says. In fact, for the Keck house, it
is these touches that add a subtle depth to the design.
Upon the contemporary skeleton, Schirn layered rich,
sumptuous elements pulled from varied centuries
and exotic cultures: the pairing of an old Tibetan
carved table against a contemporary red sofa, or a
15th century wooden Siamese sculpture next to a sleek
steel fireplace.
“The most distinctive and individualistic homes
are achieved with strong, original juxtapositions,” she
explains. “Light against dark, small against large, sleek
and reflective against old and knotted—those kinds
of adjacencies add visual and sensuous excitement”
c Janet Schirn, Janet Schirn Design Group, 401 North
Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 312.222.0017
