Family Life

I'm Liz Rogatz and my family and I have lived in Glencoe for 12 years. We actually closed on our house 7 days before our daughter Brie was born. Our son Eli, now 16, finished preschool here and our daughters Nina (10) and Jillian (6) have only known Glencoe as their home. I grew up in New England and that definitely shapes my aesthetic when it comes to houses. I am an old house person. I love their character, charm and history.  There is a lot to be said for new houses - their logical lay-outs, in floor heat, 9 foot basement ceilings; but I'm taken in by laundry chutes, imperfect windows and thick plaster walls.

Before I became a full-time Mom, I was a practicing interior designer. I did primarily commercial design, but I do have some tips if you are stumped designing your own space.

-The least expensive way to change your space is with paint. To choose the right shade of a color put paint chips on the wall of the room with the most windows. This is the darkest wall in the room. Then make sure to look at the chips in natural light at all times of the day. Don't choose until you've seen the colors on a sunny day, cloudy day and at night. Then paint the walls with an eggshell finish and the trim a contrasting (I always do white) semi-gloss.

-When picking a carpet put it on the floor, not the counter or bed, then follow the paint direction, above.

-Don't cover windows with window treatments unless you need privacy. Natural light can never be underrated. I never turn on lights in my home when there is daylight to work by.

-Keep family photos in family spaces - bedrooms or family rooms, not living rooms or dining rooms, where you entertain.

-If possible, make your bedroom your oasis. Do it in a different palate than the rest of the house and continue that into the master bath.

We have renovated our home three times since we purchased it in 1998. We have taken it from its 1926 interior to 2010. The house has grown as our family did. Some of the things that makes this house our home are the following:

A backyard space that we live in all summer. It is casual and functional. The pergola provides shade and houses an outdoor fan, which cools us off. We have an outdoor fridge and sink as well as a grill.

We have a sport court that allows the kids to play basketball, ride skateboard and hit tennis ball against the netting.

We stayed true to the architecture of the time and carefully matched all the materials when renovating.

In decorating our house, I tried to find unique things and create collections. I found these prints in an antique store in Wisconsin. Each one was a page in a botanical book. They were $4 each, so I bought them and framed them.

They make a statement when in a grouping.

I collect hour glasses. They are not easy to find, so I'm always on the lookout.

I group and display my children's art in a gallery in our basement. I shrink wrap frame them at the Custom Framer in Highland Park. (http://www.thecustomframer.com/)  It is very reasonable and the kids love that I display their creations.

I found that little kids love little spaces. We created this "dollhouse" off of our daughter's bedroom. It is about the size of a walk in closet, so it makes a great reading nook.

I've always wanted red cabinets, but knew they wouldn't work in our open kitchen, so I opted for them in the laundry room and I just love them, although I still hate doing laundry.

I couldn't resist buying this and hanging it in our mudroom, it makes me think of summer.

Original to the house, I just love this cabinet. Even though the drawers no longer close all the way, it reminds me of the era the house was built.