Kismet. Serendipity. Plain good luck. You don’t have to be all woo-woo to believe that life operates in mysterious ways, that the universe knows what you want and is happy to deliver. After a day at the beach in suburban Evanston, Illinois, Scott and Ellen Hurst were heading back to their car when they spotted a realtor pounding a “For Sale” sign into the ground right where they had parked. The Chicago couple was in the market for a new home outside the city, so – still wearing their swimsuits – they took a look. By the time they’d toured the house and hit the backyard, they were ready to make an offer.
Built in the 1920s, the two-story brick colonial needed work, but nothing these two couldn’t handle. Ellen is managing director and lead designer at Boffi Chicago, and Scott is a partner at the global architecture and design firm Gensler. The first space they tackled was also the most outdated: the kitchen. They took down a wall separating it from the dining room and installed Boffi cabinetry in a putty color with a soft lacquer finish. The tall and shallow pantry units lining one wall are stopped short of the ceiling to provide a perch to display serving pieces. “We love to cook together, and so the kitchen was the easiest space for us,” shares Scott. “It took one evening and a bottle of wine, and we had the design down to a T.”
As partners in allied fields, the couple shared a shorthand that came in handy. But give and take is always a part of the program. “Ellen was adamant on white walls and putty-colored doors, so I knew I wouldn’t have a voice there,” admits Scott. “After 20 years together, you know when to trust each other and when to argue your position.” When it came to the basement, Scott wanted to lean into the darkness of the space and paint it entirely in Benjamin Moore’s Black Forest Green. “We debated that for a few years until she caved, and now we have an interesting, moody space to watch TV, play games or have a glass of Scotch by the fire.”
The couple’s Chicago town house was smaller than their newfound home, so they were able to bring everything with them and then add pieces strategically over time. “I am a fan of merging different design styles while keeping the palette soft and neutral,” notes Ellen. “We brought in a few classic cane elements from Pierre Jeanneret for texture, along with Mario Bellini pieces for grounding.”
Ellen was very intentional when it came to the disposition of their furnishings. “It could just be how you see something through a doorway and take a moment to appreciate that object,” she observes. “But it’s also how you engage with the space when you are entertaining, whether that’s a casual conversation between two or a bigger gathering. Working in a showroom environment, how space is perceived is not lost on me. If I see someone standing, I’ll shift in a chair as an invitation to stay longer and have a cup of coffee. I do the same in my own home. I always want it to be a place where you feel very at ease to stay and let a few hours go by.”
Photography by Petrini Studio.
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