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Volume II - Hinsdale Living Room
For our next chapter in celebrating fifteen years of rooms we love, we are turning to a space that perfectly captures our approach to tradition with a sense of freshness: the living room of our historic project in Hinsdale, IL, completed in 2022 for a young family.
The room takes its neoclassical cues from Bill Blass’s Sutton Place living room, decorated by MAC II, the design firm founded by Mica Ertegun and Chessy Rayner, whose work is known for its elegance, confident restraint, and reverence for classical forms reinterpreted through a cultured, worldly lens. That room has long been a touchstone for me. The neutral pallet embodies a kind of New York sophistication that feels timeless yet relaxed, formal but never stiff.
Our muse is Bill Blass himself. Few understood the power of timeless and tailored design better. His interiors, much like his fashion, were grounded in classic principles but always carried a sense of glamour. There is a confidence to his work, and a warmth, that continues to resonate.
In Hinsdale, the living room is anchored by rich chocolate brown walls inspired by Bill Blass's Connecticut bedroom. From there, the space unfolds through a neoclassical vocabulary: symmetry, proportion, and carefully considered detail. The feeling is moody yet inviting. This is a room meant to be lived in, gathered in, and enjoyed by a family.
We layered the space with pieces that bring texture and personality. A series of artworks by Jane Timberlake Cooper hangs above the banquettes, introducing movement and narrative, while Stark Carpet’s iconic Antelope rug grounds the room with pattern and a subtle nod to the 1970s — a decade I return to often for its confident use of color and form.
A key design strategy in the room was the use of two banquettes wrapping the perimeter of one of the walls, which allowed us to maximize seating, create multiple areas for conversation, and take advantage of the ample wall space. The arrangement creates intimacy within a generous footprint while maintaining a sense of flow and ease.
One of my favorite details is a quiet one: a hand-painted Greek key motif that wraps the room’s trim. It is a distinctly neoclassical gesture and a hallmark of Bill Blass’s spirit, offering a sense of continuity, craftsmanship, and intentionality.
The result is a living room that feels rooted in the classics but alive with a fresh energy. Elegant, comfortable, and unmistakably personal, it reflects what we value most in design: rooms that honor the past while supporting the way people live today.
