Dickens Residence

Our Lincoln Park residence is an ongoing exploration of how hospitality design principles can shape everyday living. Set within a historic Victorian building, the project balances the home's original character with a contemporary, layered approach to interiors—creating spaces that feel timeless, collected, and deeply personal.

When I first stepped into the condo, I was immediately reminded of the Victorian homes I admired while living in Savannah, Georgia. That connection became the foundation for the design: honoring the architecture's history while creating a home that reflects our family's evolving story.

Rather than decorating all at once, I approached the project as I would a boutique hospitality environment—carefully curating furnishings, artwork, and objects over time to create richness, authenticity, and a sense of discovery. Vintage pieces, inherited family heirlooms, contemporary furnishings, and collected artwork come together to create a home that feels both refined and lived in.

Several pieces hold particular significance. Original artwork by my late grandmother, who trained under renowned artists in El Salvador, is displayed throughout the home alongside photography by the late Jesse Kalisher. At the entry, a treasured family candelabra passed down through my mother-in-law's family serves as a reminder that the most meaningful interiors are those layered with history and personal narrative.

More than a renovation, this home continues to serve as a living design laboratory—an opportunity to explore materiality, craftsmanship, proportion, and the emotional experience of residential spaces through the lens of hospitality design.