Bringing a bit of “imparfaiT” home
March 20th, 2024
Written by Rebekah Zaveloff, Creative Director, Imparfait Design Studio and KitchenLab Interiors
To us, the “Imparfait” of Imparfait Design Studio represents character-driven design, spaces and objects with soul, layers and the patina of a life well lived. In grammatical terms, “imparfait” is the French imperfect tense used to describe an incomplete or ongoing action or state of being. Our homes are always in an evolving state of being, just like the people who live there.
So now that we’ve got that out of the way, I’ll explain how we bring a bit of the Imparfait touch to all our projects, whether new construction or vintage remodels.
Sheridan One
Our first complete home remodel was finished in 2006 in Higland Park, Illinois, north of Chicago, and it still looks fresh and timeless. We take great pains to avoid being trendy, but that does not mean we don’t use some materials or furnishings that are having their day in the sun. We’re just thoughtful about trends and make sure we mix styles and pieces from other eras. Speaking of trends, this house was originally Victorian inside and out, but in the 1920s, when the Tudor style became on trend, the owners ripped off the wraparound front porch and gave this grand dame a Tudor exterior facelift because Tudor was in vogue at the time! Thankfully, the interior details were kept intact, and when we remodeled the back half of the house, including the kitchen, we matched everything, from the mouldings to the little nail heads in the new oak floors. Lots of vintage furniture pieces, mixed with 70’s David Hicks carpet patterns and some newer upholstery complete this unique home.
Valley Lo
This Valley Lo home in the suburbs of Chicago was our first new build from the ground up. We used character-grade white oak flooring throughout the home, and we specified a more substantial and decorative baseboard and casing to avoid the ubiquitous modern farmhouse look. Mixing metals throughout the rooms helps a home feel less brand new or associated with a specific era as does mixing modern and traditional light fixtures. Our first purchase was the brass Sciolari flush mount light fixture in the foyer. From there, we used a mix of vintage and reproduction lighting from Chairish, Visual Comfort and School House Electric. We brought patinaed materials into the kitchen using hand-glazed terra-cotta tile from Tabarka on the backsplash behind the sink. We had a custom-made hutch built to resemble a vintage piece of furniture. Almost all the living and dining room furniture is vintage, except for the sofas and dining banquette.
Blackstone
We completely gutted the back of this Hyde Park rowhouse, moving the powder room and opening the kitchen to the dining room. To make the renovation look seamless with the vintage details in the front of the house, we included a vintage fireplace surround, matching casing, and base trim profiles and added vintage-inspired built-ins to the dining room. In the kitchen, we used hand-glazed terra cotta tile to add patina and texture, along with a painted brick fireplace. Integrating unlacquered brass touches and mixing metals makes the space feel like it crosses different time periods.
Imparfait Takeaways
1. Mixing metals throughout a home or mixing modern and traditional light fixtures makes a new build feel less brand-new or associated with a specific era.
2. Matching details in a new addition to a historic home, such as mouldings, baseboards and casing, and even flooring and nail finishes, makes the addition feel seamless.
3. A home environment becomes unique when you mix vintage furniture with more modern patterns, upholstery, art and accessories.
