Vernon Hills homes made even better by professional decorators
Paint a frame here, raise a mirror there. When Hawthorn Elementary District 73 PTO recruits gorgeous houses for its annual house walk, it might be difficult for the casual visitor to pick up changes professional decorators have added.
But the homeowners know.
"I feel like it's so finished now," said Lynn Moesta, one of two Gregg's Landing homeowners assisted by Sharon Heinz of Shelby Lynn Design in Vernon Hills.
The May 23 walk features a total of six homes in three neighborhoods.
Designer Asmah Amed of Chic Decor opens her own home in Gregg's Landing; Cindy Winemaster is another designer showing her home in the community; Dana Brandt of Stagingism helped a homeowner in Deerpath and another in Centennial Crossing.
At Heinz's suggestion, Lynn Moesta painted the frame of a large picture of magnolias hanging in the family room. The shiny gold (OF WHAT?) was lost against the gold wall, said Heinz, but now it pops.
"I painted it black and then added gold again," said Moesta. "I just kept at it."
In Lynn and Dan Moesta's foyer, Heinz suggested moving a round silver mirror 4 inches higher, a better height for guests to peek at themselves.
And Moesta said friends have noticed the change in an adjacent hallway where panels outlined by molding are perfect for a family photo gallery.
She had hung just three photos of her children there, and Heinz's suggested more photos to make a dramatic statement.
"They ask, 'What did you do?' They remember something being there," said Lynn Moesta.
In Tricia Bedell's two-story family room, Heinz worked a different magic with a frame.
A larger, open and empty frame is hung around a framed picture of the three Bedell daughters.
"It gives it more scale," notes Heinz.
The Bedell dining room shows Heinz's touch. She found two large silver plates in the family room and moved them here.
"Sharon took these down in the family room, but I told her they were very important," said Tricia Bedell, "so she found a home for them. Now they're more dramatic and a showpiece in the dining room.
"They were a gift from my husband (Tony) when we were engaged. He bought them in Arizona, and it was quite a chore for him to bring them back in his suitcase. It was a very sentimental thing that he had done."
Heinz also moved sconces in the dining room, added tassels and perhaps most importantly chose larger, chunkier candles for them.
Not to be missed are murals by Tanya Cooper of An Eye for Art, who also chairs the housewalk. Three sports jerseys - basketball, soccer and football - hang on a clothesline in the laundry room to celebrate the Moesta children's activities.
And the Bedell girls can measure their growth with a lady bug theme chart Cooper painted in their bathroom.
Decorative lofts way up high are often a challenge in homes with two-story ceilings. Because spots like this are designed to attract attention, getting it right is important. Heinz helped both homeowners find large decorative items for these spaces, both among things they already owned and in shops.
"The display draws attention to the picture molding up there," said Heinz of a space in the Moesta foyer. "Scale is really important. It must be big enough. Some of the things she had were smaller. They have good stuff, and we are trying to give it a new life."
Visitors who notice subtle fleur-de-lis in each room will not be surprised to learn Tony Bedell is a fan of the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints.
Heinz takes little credit for the three darling girls rooms that Tricia Bedell decorated for her family. For reading, each boasts a butterfly chair covered in cozy "poodle" fabric like the zebra pattern in Piper's room. In Brooke's room little butterfly mirrors that Tricia Bedell picked up on vacation glide across a periwinkle wall. Heinz did suggest the large clear containers for ribbons and hair decorations that brighten the dresser in Morgan's light pink room.
Heinz explains one of her theories for accessorizing.
"It's the small things that bring the room together and make it cohesive. If you have too many color palettes and finishes, you don't enjoy it. If you can paint it, paint it. In Lynn's case darker fit her decorating."
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>Hawthorn PTO annual house walk</b></p>
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>What: </b>Six Vernon Hills homes, enhanced by local designers and businesses</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>When:</b> Noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, May 23</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>Tickets:</b> $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Advance tickets at Vernon Hills Village Hall, 290 Evergreen Drive, or The Sullivan Center, 635 N. Aspen Drive. Day-of tickets at The Sullivan Center and each home.</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>Benefits:</b> Hawthorn Elementary District 73 PTO</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>Information:</b> <a href="http://www.hawthorn73.org/pto" target="new">www.hawthorn73.org/pto</a></p>