Show & Tell: Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens Part 1
Just a short drive north of the city, the scenery changes dramatically in Lake Forest. Surrounded by acres of greenery, you find ambling side streets populated by pristine and architecturally gracious homes. One such residence has the distinction of being the site of this year’s Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens. The home was designed by architect Howard Van Doren Shaw and carries all the elegance of 1922, the year it was constructed.
Master Bedroom at the Lake Forest Showhouse. Photo: Allison Knotts
The Lake Forest Showhouse is a special event, drawing an impressive roster of Chicagoland interior designers, and this year PAGODA RED made more than one appearance in the home. We are delighted to highlight the talented designers who selected some of our one-of-kind offerings for their spaces. It’s inspiring and exciting to see how these creatives have translated Pagoda-style into their interiors—we’ve captured the finished looks here, starting with Susan Brunstrum, the principal of Sweet Peas Design. Susan conjured up the soothing and artful master bedroom, blending a mix of our rock crystal spheres and small Feng Deng stools from our collection for her striking vignette. We get the scoop from Susan in this rapid-fire Q&A:
PR: Tell us about that amazing vignette with the rock crystal spheres and wooden stools. That’s such a unique assemblage.
SB: I love collections that fill a corner on a floor and or to assemble them under artwork. They help layer a room… The wooden stools added height and the rock crystal spheres are reminiscent of a dream.
PR: Why were you drawn to the PAGODA RED pieces that you selected for your room?
SB: PAGODA RED has one-of-a-kind pieces and unusual items that you cannot find everywhere. Like artwork, your accessories should have meaning.
Master Bedroom at the Lake Forest Showhouse. Photo: Allison Knotts
PR: A master bedroom is an oasis for many people, but they often forget that in an attempt to decompress they shouldn’t be so spartan in the bedroom. How does your design walk that line of being decorative but also serene?
SB: Editing is so important. We always start with more accessories than needed and then place accordingly. Once we have the room complete, we start to take away and edit, edit and edit, until we have achieved the needed balance.
