a beautiful Chicago Christmas

As I have said before... when it comes to my family and home, I am a traditionalist. So it should go without saying that my favorite all time magazine is Traditional Home, right?  Well, it is! And what better month to enjoy a traditional home setting than December... the Mother Month of ALL Traditions.

First - a wonderfully warm "Thank you" to Traditional Home for one of the best issues ever.  The whole magazine is a beautiful trip through Christmas, decor, architecture and 'tradition'.  For me, it really is difficult to choose just ONE beautiful home to share with you (I may share more anyway!)... but this home's architecture is so stunning that I just want everyone to see it and enjoy!  So, please enjoy!

A Chicago Traditional (with some hipness) Christmas

Rebecca and Charlie Besser's brand-new house on the city’s Gold Coast

Double doors at the entry of the new family home are illuminated by custom brass-and-black steel sconces.

Entryway and staircase

Inspired by a 1920s design, the 40-inch-tall, gilt-and-glass light fixture hangs from a skylight at the top of the three-level winding staircase.

Designer, Martin Horner spotted this seeded glass ball in a Portland, Oregon, shop. He carted it home in his suitcase, and repurposed it as a dazzling accent on the antique newel post at the bottom of the front hall stair.

Matching antique mirrors flank the living room fireplace.

The Bessers' mutual love of classical architecture led Martin Horner to pick up pieces on his travels that he knew Rebecca would like, such as the white opaline vase that is one of a pair that flank the living room fireplace.

The custom dining room table adapts to many occasions, seating 20 or breaking down into separate tables that each seat four. It also has leaves that alter its shape, from square and rectangular to round and oval.

Large islands—one in the center of the room, the other dividing the kitchen from the family room—make things handy for caterers serving at dinner parties. A home office is tucked into one end of the kitchen.

Ivory and gold “Madrid” wall covering by Scalamandré and a chandelier from Century Lighting give the master bedroom a vintage feel. The headboard of the custom bed is upholstered in “Velvet Linen”by Cowtan & Tout.

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For the master bathroom, Rebecca got a Lucite-legged ottoman topped by a puffy white cloud of mohair pelt. (Charlie’s special treat was a bit more practical: a custom-made sandwich station in the kitchen that Horner created out of maple and pine.)

The Bessers' daughter Elena “is all about sparkle,” Horner says. “The chandelier in her bedroom is from the Bessers’ old dining room—and that glamour/sparkle set the stage. It’s all about texture and sparkle, like Elena’s personality.”

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Traditional Home

Designer: Martin Horner, Soucie Horner

Architect: Wayne Zediker, Advanced Architectural Design Ltd