Mansion makeover
The pattern on the wide wallpaper border did not fit Mary Susan Bicicchi's plan for the oak-paneled library.
But it is elegant and expensive, and the homeowner said it stays.
Low-tech designer secrets to the rescue.
A hand-painted floral canvas was attached by wax to the wallpaper. The frieze by Rose Ann Jennings can be removed without any staining or damage, Bicicchi said.
"My inspiration for the botanically inspired library came from looking out the window," said the LaGrange designer. Two acres of gardens surround the Elizabeth F. Cheney mansion, the site of the designer showcase house sponsored by the Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society.
The house is open today through Sept. 30 to raise money for the society's clinic for children.
In keeping with the botanical theme, Bicicchi used richly colored, natural materials. The hand-loomed and hand-felted upholstery fabric was created by Lou Ann Forbes of Blue Sky Prairie in rural Kane County in a process that involves boiling.
Bicicchi wanted to cover the room's floor with recycled leather, but settled for putting the material on the front of a custom desk.
The removable border is just one example of how designers got around restrictions set by officials of the Park District of Oak Park -- as protective of their historic mansion as any proud couple.
Not only did the 1913 home need refreshing, but it posed another challenge for designers creating an elegant, upscale home. For more than 30 years it has been a public building, and after the show it will continue to host weddings, parties, memorial services and tours.
A high-tech solution brought a delicate look to that most vulnerable of spaces -- the staircase wall.
Pearly gray Ultrasuede is practical because it can be washed with soap and water, said Mary Ann Naso of Pastis Design Service in Oak Park.
It's certified to take 18,000 rubs, said Dan Murphy, her partner.
In the second-floor guest suite, it wasn't sacrosanct walls that confronted designers, but two pieces of a heavy, carved bedroom set that officials said must stay with the mansion.
"It was a little overwhelming at first, but we polished it back to life," said Maryann Edwards of Wilmette, one of the students from the College of DuPage working with Patricia Bailey, an instructor.
The stenciled border around the top of the wall was inspired by the carving on the bed and the crystal pendants on the ceiling light fixture. The colors are bolder than the pink, green and blue traces on the bed.
The works of William Morris, a famed English Arts & Crafts designer, provided inspiration, too. Check out the gorgeous big red flowers on the closet door painted by Sharon Wallis of Wheaton's Unique Walls, Etc.
Down the hall in Serena's Room, Jane Irvine of Kildeer had no restrictions on attacking the walls, and she took advantage of this with the multistep ArmourCoat, which she first saw decorating the Louis Vuitton store in Paris.
The marble dust mixed with pigment creates the delicate celadon green shades. Silver glaze, waxing and buffing add to the magic.
Another highlight in the room are the metal valances with central painted landscapes and a cutout leaf pattern on the bottom. Although they point down, the leaves remind Irvine of the pickets on the top of a fence.
Irvine kept the room from being too traditional by adding accessories like a contemporary painting by Chicago artist Susan Volk, a lamp and small tables.
A few designers tucked in rooms that would not be found in a private home. For example, every wedding venue needs a Groom's Dressing Room.
Sal LaPorta of Lombard gave the males of the party comfortable furniture and a mirrored four-panel screen with metallic silver- and gold-leaf frame to check their appearance in before they head to the ceremony.
With the help of Barbara Pergande and her students from the Interior Design Program at Joliet Junior College, he also decorated a small adjoining pub where the groomsmen can snack and have a drink.
The furniture is from Carson Pirie Scott & Co. in Lombard's Yorktown Shopping Center.
By the time visitors get to the master suite, they might be wise to some of the tricks played by Judi Mills-Grossman of Space Redefined in River Forest.
To create a wall for the canopied bed, she built a fake, windowless wall in front of asymmetrical windows and a radiator. The Arts & Crafts era tiles around the fireplace have been temporarily covered to fit her gray color scheme.
A pale blue paisley on green-gray wallpaper is framed with molding Mills-Grossman added.
The window trim inspired a frame for a large bridal party-worthy mirror.
You might not guess it, but the large, artsy black-and-white wedding portrait on the wall is of the designer herself -- married 18 years ago in this very mansion.
Also on the second floor, Leann Heininger of Designs of the Interior in Oak Park achieves a light, airy feel despite a rather heavy, dark fireplace with a terra-cotta marble surround.
She kept her palette in Elizabeth's Retreat apricot and what she calls citrine -- a yellow green.
The koi painting's take on these colors make it the room's most critical accessory, said Heininger.
Betty J. Weir of Joliet had great fun in the three small, back rooms of the children's quarters, which probably never had any architectural finery to protect before she came along.
She concentrates on details, and the best features in the suite are probably the hollyhock garden that Sandy Phalen painted on the wall of Victoria's Room and the tuffets or ottomans that Weir made.
The nautical one is tailored, while the little ballerina is loaded with pastels and tulle and the nanny's is more adult.
Most designers do not have to worry about decorating ballrooms, but park district officials wanted this third-floor space kept open, said William Walker of Barley Twist in Oak Park, which specializes in English antiques.
He designed several huge, low ottomans that not only made the ceiling seem higher, but provide great places for dancers to sit when they need a break.
The tops are brown leather, the sides a mod print of circles in terra cotta, subtle aqua and mint green on ecru.
Walker used the print throughout the ballroom and the nearby beamed library, which can house a bar during dances.
A mansion's living room -- more than 31 feet long -- is great for public events, but difficult to decorate as a family home.
One of the tricks Gail Prauss of Oak Park used was vertical furniture: A very tall china cabinet balanced down the wall by a Chinese painting with a gold frame and wingback chairs.
The Garden Conservatory or sun-room featured a bright blue tile floor with a green border that probably would have been a challenge to anyone except Jae Berni of River Forest., known for her use of colors and patterns.
She found a fabric of blue floral with green leaves for drapes to soften the 56 French windows.
In the kitchen, Jean Stoffer of River Forest copied the simple cabinets found in the butler's pantry and had them finished in white.
She expects the specially stained espresso-colored concrete floor and the Cambria countertops made of quartz and epoxy resin to hold up to cooking classes in the mansion.
To make up for a lack of countertops, Stoffer designed a 7-foot taupe table with a top that looks like honed limestone.
As a bonus, the mansion also has a coach house with several small rooms that Janet R. Debits of Oak Park transformed into a Honeymoon Cottage.
Every room drips with romance. Artwork depicts romantic table settings or honeymoon destinations such as Paris.
Creating a haven from a rustic apartment is not easy. For example, 100 rolls of wallpaper went up in this retreat.
In the dining room, a tone-on-tone botanical toile is pale roses.
Park officials were even nervous about changes to the coach house's tiny kitchen, said Debits, which she insists was at least 50 years old with no redeeming features.
But when they saw the black Joliet Cabinet Co. cabinets and the myriad of stainless steel KitchenAid appliances -- all donated -- all was forgiven.
More work went into reviving the one feature Debits saved from the kitchen. The black-and-white checkerboard floor required considerable scrubbing, but the shiny finished product inspired the country French decor.
What would a honeymoon cottage be without a bedroom -- decorated in a very popular, soothing ocean color that Debits considers a cross between teal and blue.
And even the morning after the festivities will be a delight for the happy couple that has brunch on the porch overlooking the mansion's gardens.
Here are some of the decorating surprises in the 1913 brick mansion designed by Charles E. White Jr., who worked with Frank Lloyd Wright.
Dining Room: Acrylic and chrome chairs in a contemporary design soften the rectilinear style of the room and the house. R. A. Maxwell Inc., Chicago.
Vintage Classic Retreat: Not all mid-century furniture is prohibitively expensive, and refurbishing pieces at least 25 years old can be fun.
A pair of soft white chairs has gracefully curving arms painted with a pewter automobile finish. They are $675 each.
"We're looking for structure and design, not pedigree," said Marlene J. Rimland of ReDeFined Design, Chicago.
Elizabeth's Salon: Chuck Nitti of Forest Park painted a faux bronze cladding on limestone trim that had been painted too many times to be stripped. This involved three coats, including dry brushing. Jae Berni Interiors Inc, River Forest.
Butler's Pantry: Don't miss the original German silver sink, dented but gorgeous. The material is copper, nickel and zinc and thought to be softer than steel or cast iron and thus safer for fine crystal and china. Jean Stoffer Design, River Forest.
Elizabeth's Retreat: In this second-floor bedroom, five small gold shelves march above the bed, each carrying a clear vase holding a mango calla lily. "Art would be placed too high," said Leeann Heininger .
Note the throw on the chaise. She had planned to make a coverlet of this apricot silk -- till she saw the price tag of $325 per yard. Designs of the Interior, Oak Park.
Childrens' Quarters: Betty J. Weir Interiors found several accessories on the Internet, including a confetti rug on the floor in Victoria's room.
The one she bought was blue and pink -- with no green. So the handy lady added green pieces to make it work in her room. Betty J. Weir Interiors, Joliet.
If you go
What: 35th Annual Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society Designer Showcase House & Garden
Where: Elizabeth F. Cheney Mansion, 220 N. Euclid Ave., Oak Park.
When: Through Sept. 30
Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; closed Monday.
Tickets: $30
Information: (708) 848-0528, ext. 300, or www.infantwelfareoakpark.org
-- Deborah Donovan
If you see something you like at the Oak Park River Forest showcase house, it might be for sale.
The guide in each room will have a list of items available and the sales price.
Visitors pay for what they want, but pick the items up after the show closes Sept. 30.
While individual pieces have often been for sale in showcase houses, this is a more organized way of presenting them. It is hoped this will help designers defray the costs of decorating the rooms.
A boutique will also be open to ticket holders, and a special sale that includes many handmade items will be held Sept. 20 to 22.
Several special events are also planned.
Visit infantwelfareoakpark.org or call (708) 848-0528, ext. 300.