Open House . . . Hilary's Chicago Riverfront Town Home

When Hilary Bailes of Hilary Bailes Design agreed to open her home for us, I was excited for a few reasons:

1.) She's an interior designer in Chicago, so I was thrilled about the prospect of befriending her and all the fun shopping trips that we would have together at the Mart.

2.) I've been driving by the riverfront town homes for years and my curiosity was awakened with a vengeance when I realized that she lived there.

3.) Hilary is British, and after visiting London last summer (where there are a surprising number of British people), I was looking forward to listening to her accent while I daydreamed that I was once again on vacation in the U.K.

When Hilary opened the door, I didn't know where to look because everything was spectacular (including her sharp outfit and knee-high boots). I immediately noticed the Lucite umbrella holder and from there, my eyes darted around the room like a pinball - to the soaring windows, the entryway art gallery, the hot pink-painted stair risers and on and on.

And then, I settled down and we chatted a bit, and she was so lovely and I spied her 4 year old daughter, Margo's toys, and the superficiality of my first impression morphed into a sort of awe that Hilary had so beautifully integrated Margo's "stuff" into the space without sacrificing high style and drama and glamor (and don't get me started on Margo's bedroom, because frankly, I'm a bit jealous).


Margo's room. See what I mean?

Hilary's got design in her blood; her father was an art historian and antique dealer who brought the family to America in 1978. As a little girl, she exhibited her creative side by designing and sewing her own clothes using her grandfather's vintage upholstery patterns. "You can imagine me walking around in my full length cape in an English chintz pattern," she said.

Hilary wanted a career in fashion but at her father's suggestion, she enrolled at Harrington and soon after graduating, began designing carpet and textile patterns before moving on to designing interior spaces for law firms, startups and many Fortune 500 companies. She started her own interior design business in 1997 and has been growing her client base ever since.

After living as an urban pioneer in Wicker Park (where there were bullet holes in the steel front door) and sinking good money after bad in a dilapidated 3-flat, Hilary moved to the fabulous town home where she replaced the upstairs carpeting with wood, added lighting and gutted the bathrooms and kitchen. So what does Hilary like about living in this space? In her own words:

"Sometimes I think living here is like being on a boat. Every day is different, the water, the wildlife, the large open expanse of space and light. In the summer the old men fish and people sometimes swim, the boats and canoes go by. The rowing teams go by at 6am and 6pm each day, Margo waves. In my last house everything was directed inward, here with the windows, light and space the outdoors is part of my experience. You see it as soon as you walk in the door."

It's a really special place. Thanks for allowing us to tour your home, Hilary (and Margo). If you are interested in meeting with Hilary to discuss your home design needs, you can contact her at 773-489-7100.

For a full set of thumbnails, click here.
For a Flickr slide show, click here.