From House To Home

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Everybody appreciates the serenity that comes from sitting down to relax after a long weekend of spring cleaning, but these Algonquin homeowners got more than a clean slate when interior redesigner Jeffrey Rice stepped in to help them clear their clutter. They got to fall in love all over again with the collectibles they had been acquiring since building here nine years ago.

Rice is the owner of Décor Designs Inc. in Crystal Lake, and unlike designers who go to market to discover the trends, his shopping trips are shorter and much more intimate. He arrives on the scene armed only with a trained eye and a solid background in classic design. He then goes from room to room selecting the overlooked—or misappropriated—elements and developing a plan to reintegrate the pieces that his clients have on hand.

In a sense, it is green design in its purest form because there is no waste, and energy is manifested from places where it had been hidden.

In a sense, it is green design in its purest form because there is no waste, and energy is manifested from places where it had been hidden.

This time, Rice was blessed with clients who had plenty of treasure to “loot.” They had traveled the globe to decorate their 3,500-square-foot home, and the result was an intriguing collection of distinctive pieces, which simply needed to be reorganized toward a more cohesive statement.

Rice focused on the downstairs living spaces and began by dividing his clients’ art collection into two basic categories. He isolated the Asian elements and separated them from those that had a more European flavor. The beautifully fauxed walls were never in play, so the basic color palette for each room was already established.

In fact, Rice drew inspiration from some of the elements of the faux painting and began his redesign of the kitchen by focusing on a pair of three-dimensional Tuscan urns mounted high above the room in the ceiling vault. From here he developed a blend of sunny florals, which were arranged above the custom cabinets along the adjoining wall. In the larger living area, faux-marble architectural columns also help establish the classical motif.

While reinventing interiors, Rice tries not to become overwhelmed by the myriad of choices but always seeks to find the fresh perspective. He removes every piece of furniture down to the lighting. He then identifies the focal point of the room and begins reintroducing his selection to enhance the sense of wholeness. From there, he circles back around and plays with juxtaposing certain elements that may appear somewhere else in the home so that in traveling from one room to the next, there is always the sense of familiarity inherent in good design. He calls it “offering hints of things you’ve seen somewhere else in the house.”

In this project, the authentic Asian and European artwork offered Rice the perfect opportunity to pull the eye gently from one to the next and to trick the viewer with this sense of deja vu. “There are Asian-influenced elements in all the rooms, and there are tidbits of European, too. But I tried to contain the themes,” he explains.

The flow made Rice’s technique easier because an open floor plan connects the family room to the kitchen, and it was here that he developed the Tuscan palette. In the more formal areas—including the dining room and the living room—he used the darker woods, lacquered pieces, and white accents for contrast.

His clients admit that their previous design had become a little overwhelming in the sense that “it was kind of like walking into an antique store and not knowing where to look because there was so much stuff.” But now, thanks to Rice’s technique, the home is cleaner, clearer, and more spacious.

Ordinarily Rice works alone, and the grand finale is what he calls “the reveal.” He knows that change can be difficult, so he stages the event for maximum impact by lighting candles, fluffing the pillows, and generally “making sure everything is set and ready to go.” He then walks eager home