Open House: Dan’s Vintage Splendor – Part 1

This week’s Open House is so good, I’m breaking it up into two pieces, so check back in at Noon for part two.

When a native Chicagoan returns from Manhattan, every apartment looks spacious. So Dan Santow, a public relations executive and the mind behind the popular writing blog, Word Wise, was smitten when he came across a unit that’s large by even Chicago standards.

The Lakeview condo, which is located in a vintage building on Lake Shore Drive, has a foyer larger than some studio apartments, and every room is similarly proportioned with a pleasing, meandering layout that’s strangely reminiscent of a elegant Manhattan Co-Op. Santow knew immediately that the space could be home.

Although the unit’s previous owner had made a number of very specific design choices – hardwood floors stained in bold colors, faux treatments and intricate moldings on the interior doors, Santow, who favors specific and easily identifiable colors, liked the overall aesthetic and has made very few changes to the main living areas in the ten years since he moved in. Even the lack of closets, most of which were torn out long ago, didn’t bother Santow, who hates to shop for clothes anyway.*

It’s immediately clear that Dan Santow, who has written five children’s books and articles for numerous publications (including People Weekly, Men’s Health, Metropolitan Home and the Chicago Tribune), loves the written word; a large bookshelf takes up an entire dining room wall, and books occupy prime decorative real estate in nearly every other room.

Santow just completed his first major project in ten years, a total renovation of the alley kitchen. To maximize the openness of the narrow space, Santow and his contractor eliminated upper cabinets on one wall and incorporated a very narrow bank on the opposite wall. To reduce costs, stock cabinets were used and customized with molding. The end result appears deceptively large and feels both modern and vintage, a lovely contradiction.

Santow shares the space with his English Springer Spaniel, Bailey. His canine companion was the inspiration for Santow to start collecting ceramic English Springer Spaniels, which are now charmingly peppered throughout the space.

To see part 2, click here.

And come back tomorrow for a look at Dan Santow’s ceramic spaniel collection.

To see past Open House home tours, click here. If you have a great space or know somebody with a great space, please e-mail me.

Dan’s Family Room

*No closets? Strange.

While I’m normally very self-centered, today, I ask that you subscribe to Strange Clo . . . I mean, Dan’s writing blog, Word Wise, which succeeds at every level; it’s informative, funny and interesting. Plus, I’ve read your emails.