GILT TRIP

IN CHICAGO'S GOLD COAST DISTRICT, ONE HISTORIC HOME SHOWS OFF A DOSE OF MODERN SHINE

- ELLA SCHULTE

The dos and don’ts of design look a little something like this for Chicago-area interior designer Megan Winters: Do work with clients who share your love of dynamic interiors with palpable palettes.

Don’t take anything at face value—that is, unless you’re talking about the emblematic Patterson-McCormick mansion designed in 1892 by Stanford White and with an addition by David Adler, whose prolific architectural contributions pepper Chicago’s finest neighborhoods. In that case, Winters knew exactly what she was getting into, and excitingly so.

Exterior The 1800s Italianate structure boasts ornate stonework that melds with the brick facade. Entry A vestibule accented with custom Murano glass sconces leads into the foyer, where glass doors allow light to stream in and onto an Art Deco-era lacquered center hall table wrapped with caramel-color leather and sitting atop an antique zebra rug. Previous pages Upholstered linen seating lends crisp yet classic shapes to the living room. A crystal chandelier sparkles overhead.

“From the moment we stepped foot into the mansion, we knew we weren’t just tasked with the design but preserving a legacy,” Winters says of the historic property.

Originally built for Chicago Tribune owner Joseph Medill as a wedding gift for his daughter and later sold to turn-of-the-20th-century businessman Cyrus McCormick Jr., the Italianate mansion shows its flair amid Chicago's coveted Gold Coast district that hugs Lake Michigan. The interiors promise not just timeless elegance but unparalleled city living. So when Winters' clients came calling just days after receiving their keys to one of the mansion's highly prized units, she got right to work crafting a master class in gray-scale grandeur.