Sarah Crost

Photographer

William E. Drummond (1920)
David Muriello (2025)

Architect

1920

BUILT IN

River Forest, Illinois

There’s always a weight and responsibility to becoming the next caretaker of an architecturally significant home. We appreciate when our clients bring that to us, and we’re there to honor the history and make a house work for modern living. When reimagining the kitchen and renovating two bathrooms of this early 20th-century gem, our guiding principle was that any and every new element should feel as though it belonged to the house from the beginning.

Verdant Meets Vintage

Kitchen with walnut cabinetry, green tile backsplash, marble counters, and a center island

Rich walnut cabinetry, hand-glazed tile, natural stone, and unlacquered brass were selected for their warmth, craftsmanship, and ability to age gracefully. Notes of green existed throughout the house and carefully placed windows frame both the light and the view of the woods. We wove that verdant scheme in the new spaces. And a moment, please, for those dramatic, custom raku pendants.

Green vertical tile backsplash with marble ledge, brass sconces, and a walnut range hood

Walnut kitchen island with marble top and brass pulls beneath glass pendant lights

Kitchen with a walnut island, green tile wall, and three pendant lights over the island

Iridescent glass pendant lights over a marble kitchen island with green tile behind

Floor-to-ceiling walnut pantry cabinets beside original wood trim and a doorway

Walnut coffee bar cabinet with open shelving, espresso machine, and marble counter

View from the dining table into a kitchen with green tile and walnut cabinetry

The isolated kitchen was in desperate need of an update. We opened one wall and closed another to create a space better connected to other rooms yet also still connected to the original design. Our trusted craftsman replicated the trim and plaster with such care — so that everything felt seamless.

Hallway with original dark wood trim, white walls, and framed art

Pantry with open shelves and a rust velvet curtain framed by original wood trim

We replicated the original trim when adjusting walls and windows. And where they weren’t replicated, they were respected. The result is a collection of spaces that feel deeply integrated with the architecture — thoughtfully updated, highly functional, and seamlessly connected to the story of the house.