Modern Home Builders Issue 141 | Page 14

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and visual weight. Custom furniture and carefully selected materials helped us strike the right balance- strong enough to hold their own, but quiet enough not to compete with the architecture.
For me, incorporating modern elements into a historic space is all about balance. I choose pieces that feel like an ode to the past through their texture or craftsmanship but maintain a modern sensibility. In the Tribune Tower, clean-lined upholstery, aged brass accents, and natural materials created a soft counterpoint to the drama of the architecture.
Every element was selected to enhance the dialogue between past and present.
Historic spaces have so much to teach us. As designers, we don’ t always need to innovate. We need to observe. There’ s wisdom in how these buildings were constructed: in their proportions, their materials, their lasting beauty. They teach us patience and perspective.
To anyone modernizing a historic home, my advice is to identify what’ s essential; the bones, the materials, and protect them. Layer in modern comforts gradually, and
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▲ Photographer: Ryan McDonald