DINING ROOM

Viewing the original marble fireplace mantel that Frances Elkins designed in the 1930s for the dining room at Pembroke Lodge was a moving experience for Maggie Getz, founder of Maggie Getz Studio in Lake Bluff. “What an honor to have the opportunity to design a space around such a piece of interior design history!” exclaims Getz.

“This house really took a turn in the late 20th century when it was redesigned,” says Getz. “I think every designer involved in this Showhouse, including myself, is incredibly honored to take part in bringing back a piece of history by honoring the aesthetic that Henry Ives Cobb, David Alder, and Frances Elkins intended.”

As she planned her design for the dining room, Getz says this trifecta of design icons was a source of inspiration. “It’s really a treat to design a space that Elkins once designed,” says Getz, “so I wanted to honor that with nods to what she and Adler would have envisioned.”

At the same time, Getz wanted to make the room fresh and approachable; to shape the room how people today see themselves living. “So many people aren’t really using the dining rooms in their homes anymore,” Getz explains. “Dining rooms have become a place for collecting junk mail on the table, a room to pass through, or to use only a few times a year,” she says. “What a waste of square footage! I want to bring back the dining room, making it a livable space used as much as any other room in the house.”

Toward that end, Getz decided to lean into a dining lounge aesthetic and approached the room from a dual perspective with two focal points: the gorgeous fireplace with Elkins’ original fireplace surround; and the dining area with a large round dining table suitable for formal or casual seating.

Shaping the overall scheme for the room’s design, Getz says she has been grateful to partner with Schumacher and Patterson Flynn “because they offer some of the most fresh and approachable textiles in the game right now.”

“Any scheme starts with one fabric,” she adds, “mine was the Elizabeth Chintz from Rita Konig’s new collection with Schumacher. It has every color of the rainbow but is done in such a sophisticated yet approachable way.”

As Getz always uses a lot of color and pattern in her designs, when it comes to textiles, she likes to balance that with natural rugs. Here, Getz chose a Patterson Flynn Abaca rug with a center star medallion designed in partnership with Showhouse honorary chair Mary McDonald. “When I saw it, I knew it would be the perfect selection,” says Getz, “because it was a tip of the hat to the star motif floors David Adler used in many of his homes on the North Shore.”

Another architectural high point of the dining room is its cove plaster walls and ceilings. Because she could not do a wallpaper with these, Getz chose a punchy deep color to tie everything together.

Located right at the front of the house to the north of the foyer, the dining room faces east, flooding it with morning light. But the windows themselves were a challenge. Replaced sometime in the late 20th century, “they were looking a little tired,” says Getz, “but there wasn’t enough time to replace them for the Showhouse. So, I chose to paint them the same color as the walls,” she explains. “This helped them blend into the space and gave them a nice refresh.”

Getz feels very lucky to participate for a second time in the Lake Forest Showhouse. “And the best part is, all this prettiness goes to help a wonderful cause: the Infant Welfare Society. Since starting my own business, being able to donate my time to things that matter has been one of the more fulfilling parts of my career.”

For more information, visit maggiegetzstudio.com, @maggiegetzstudio, or email [email protected].