A standout feature of the residence lies in the
Anderson-designed paneling in the library, living
room, office, bathroom and dressing room, either
painted or stained, depending on the locale. In the
dining room, Anderson eased the formality of the
paneling by reducing it to wainscoting and adding a
chartreuse linen damask to the exposed wall. “I started
out deciding which rooms needed the backdrop of
paneling, and then took into account the pieces that
were going into them as well as which rooms would
open onto one another,” Anderson says. “My finest old-world craftsmen then built, carved, lovingly finished
and meticulously installed the pieces to appear as if
they had always been there.” The effect is both solid and
gracious, a perfect backdrop for Anderson’s placement
of the owner’s extensive and unusual mix of antiques,
furniture and art. A 2,000-year-old stone sculpture of
a head plays well against a contemporary “Imagist”
school painting by Ed Paschke in the dining room,
while an antique Chinese root chair challenges a large
1950s abstract Grace Hartigan canvas in the foyer.
And it’s not just the large-scale items that Anderson
considers. “I work with all kinds of artists in my
designs—glass, metal, paint, potters—and I look to
those pieces for elements I’ll use elsewhere,” she notes.
“For example, I pulled some of the color themes out of
the pottery the owner collects.” When all is said and
done, the residence combines into one cohesive whole,
despite revealing influences that are Spanish, Indian,
Portuguese, English, French, Chinese, Italian (Roman
and Venetian), as well as American Arts & Crafts and
folk art. Accessories include a Turkish tulu as a rug and
a scattering of antique and hand-embroidered textiles
fashioned into pillows. “I love it when the home is
used and enjoyed, and the feet go up and there’s no
preciousness about it,” Anderson says. “There are
a lot of fine things in this apartment, but there’s no
standoffishness” c Dale Carol Anderson, Dale Carol
Anderson Ltd., 2030 North Magnolia, Chicago, IL
773.348.5200 dalecarolandersonltd.com
