ROTUNDA

Kaylan Kane, founder of Kaylan Kane Design in Lake Forest, is such a David Adler enthusiast that she almost named her son “Adler” when he was born last spring. So, the opportunity to preserve a piece of architectural history by designing a room in a home Adler had once worked in was not to be missed. “So much of my career has been spent trying to make new builds feel ‘old,’ it’s refreshing to have the opportunity to take a historic home and make it feel fresh again,” says Kane.

In her bid for designing a room at Pembroke Lodge, Kane pushed for the rotunda, “I have only had the opportunity to design a few completely round spaces, and I thought this would be really fun,” Kane explains.

The curved walls and compact scale of the room dictated the need for wallpaper and minimal furniture, which also meant “putting a lot of thought into a few small details would really enhance the result.”

Because adding art to curved walls would be nearly impossible, Kane decided to go with a Kravet Chinoiserie mural as the focal point. “These panels are colorful botanical prints inspired by nature,” says Kane.

Kane recovered a vintage, round settee for the space in an iconic Lee Jofa Taplow Print in the Garden Walk colorway. To keep from overwhelming the space, she scaled back on trim and decided to go with a tented ceiling in a low-key beige, cream, and tan ticking stripe with burgundy tape trim. “The colors are vibrant and fun for this small space,” she notes.

Kane liked the amount of storage and function the closets built into the rotunda’s walls provided, but she wanted to do something fun and bold over the doors. For this, Kane carried over the paneled wallpaper. She also added a Missoni rug, generously donated by STARK Chicago, providing a colorful moment under your feet. And the Pooky sconces were a nice “make under” moment that upgraded the outdated glass display cases filling the space.

She says the Showhouse experience was a great chance to get to know more designers, vendors, and tradespeople in the area. “Despite being small, this space required much attention from many generous people. I am thankful to be a part of this creative project with so many wonderful individuals.”

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