A Grand Illinois Estate Uses Rich Color to Balance Formal and Functional
Published in House Beautiful, September/October 2024 Edition, Written by Elizabeth Kiefer
Sunroom, photographed by Lesley Unruh
This stunning Hinsdale, Illinois estate, featured on the cover of House Beautiful (Sept/Oct 2024 edition), showcases designer Sarah Vaile’s impeccable talent for blending the grandeur of classical Georgian architecture with everyday functionality. The 12,000-square-foot home, originally built in the early 2000s, was transformed into an inviting and practical family home for a couple and their four children.
Vaile’s design expertly balances formality with a livable aesthetic, drawing on a variety of textures, palettes, and antiques. A notable highlight is the library, where a playful mix of leopard-print carpets, floral armchairs, and carved millwork creates a harmonious space under a photograph of Cher, Elton John, and Diana Ross.
Other key spaces include a high-gloss green lacquered dining room contrasted against intricate de Gournay panels, and a sunroom turned cozy movie-watching haven anchored by a plush velvet sofa. Vaile’s layered approach to design also extended to how she acquired the furnishings, spreading purchases over time to give the home a lived-in, curated feel.
“Balance—of masculine and feminine, seasonality, formality, and functionality—is a constant calibration in Vaile’s practice.”