FRENCH connection

OUTSIDE CHICAGO, INTERIOR DESIGNER AMY STORM AND HER HUSBAND, JOSH, HAVE BUILT THEIR DREAM HOME—INSPIRED BY EUROPEAN TRAVELS BUT GROUNDED IN THE MIDWEST.

- KELLY RYAN KEGANS,ADAM ALBRIGHT,STOFFER PHOTOGRAPHY INTERIORS

zones out In the backyard, a series of gathering spaces unfolds from the dining room, fulfilling Josh and Amy Storm's vision of seamless indooroutdoor entertaining: a seating area with a firepit and TV, a dining table next to a pizza oven, and a Soake Pools plunge pool that doubles as a hot tub.

SEVERAL VACATIONS AGO, Amy Storm found herself in the sidecar of a motorbike, zooming along the medieval cobblestone streets of Normandy, France, beneath rows of tall, white stucco and half-timbered buildings topped with gunmetal-gray slate roofs. Years passed, but like many of the interior designer’s travel adventures, the trip left a permanent impression.

“When I came back home, I thought, I want that,” Amy says. “I love a modern European vibe, and that’s what we modeled our house on.”

Amy and her husband, Josh, recently built for the first time—a new home outside Chicago—just as they embarked on a new life stage as empty nesters. Drawing on more than 20 years and 583 projects’ worth of experience since founding her eponymous design studio, Amy decided to involve her entire team in the project, each person overseeing a room in the house. They held regular meetings to review materials and keep the vision cohesive, but Amy says she never doubted the unorthodox approach: “They know me well enough to know my DNA.”

ABOVE In the dining room, Baker swivel chairs allow the Storms and their guests to easily swing around to chat with people in the kitchen or living room. The table by Palecek is made of whitewashed wood, and the striking ceiling light is by Apparatus.