Dual Concept Design Works Magic On An Old Town Abode

By J.P. Anderson

Dual Concept Design’s Andrea Fripp and Paulina Cervantes work their magic to bring a new construction home to fabulous life.

In the family room, Interior Define’s Ainsley sectional, Noir Furniture’s Island coffee table in black steel and a custom armchair by Eurocraft Inc. set a comfortable scene.

THE CLIENT

Call it the power of feminine energy: After working with the female-led team at Urbane Home to build their new abode, the clients turned to Andrea Fripp and Paulina Cervantes of Dual Concept Design to outfit the interiors with beautiful yet comfortable and durable furnishings for their young family. Notes Fripp, “After just a few minutes of chatting with them and explaining our process, we completely hit it off and were hired a few days later.”

In the breakfast nook, a pair of Non Random pendant lights by Bertjan Pot for Moooi, a Room & Board table featuring the Julian base in stainless steel finish and a custom polished Vicostone Uliano top fabricated by Tithof Tile & Marble; Oden round upholstered stools by Crate & Barrel and smiley face art by Andy Blank.

THE PRIORITY

Explains Cervantes, “The couple has two young children, so durability and [ease of maintenance] were very important to them. From an aesthetic point of view, they gravitated toward a neutral color palette with interesting shapes in furniture and a focus on detail. They wanted the space to feel sophisticated, yet functional for their young family.”

A series of six black-and-white prints of Chicago architecture sourced from barewalls.com draws the eye in the family room.

The powder room pops with Cole & Son’s Nuvolette, a cloudy sky mural by Fornasetti, along with Beaker sconces by Progress Lighting.

The living room is highlighted by a quartet of custom lounge chairs by EuroCraft, a pair of custom coffee tables by Jose Herrera Upholstery, Sanam handloomed area rug by Solo Rugs, the framed print “Nimbus Dimensional” by Norman Wyatt Jr. and a Wall Play art installation by Gold Leaf Design Group.

THE CHALLENGE

“The most significant obstacle on this project was the availability and lead time of the furnishings,” says Fripp. “The majority of the project was worked on during the pandemic, therefore items did take longer to arrive than hoped for. [Adding to the issue was that] the clients lived in the home while waiting on their furniture pieces, which made the extra lead time period challenging.”

A Meurice chandelier by Jonathan Adler, Arteriors chairs and a polished Vicostone Nero Marquina dining table with custom base fabricated by Tithof Tile & Marble star in the dining room.

THE DETAIL

“We pride ourselves in being able to design in the aesthetic the clients are requesting, pushing ourselves to get out of our comfort zones,” notes Cervantes. “We’re typically known for our design aesthetic to be sophisticated with lots of color. This project was different for us, as the clients wanted a neutral color palette throughout. We absolutely loved working on this project with the neutral colors and clean lines.”

With Élitis Fromentera’s La casa de paja wallpaper in Algue Sauvage, a Harlow console from Made Goods, CB2’s Serpette black cowhide stool and vintage mirror, the entry is a show-stopper.

THE OUTCOME

Sums up Fripp, “The biggest compliment we as designers can receive from a client is a referral to their friends and family, which this particular client has done several times. The family has expressed on multiple occasions how much they love that the house they built is now a home.”

The lower level rec room wows with Vycon Watercolor wallcovering in Stormy Cloud from MDC, a custom ottoman by Jose Herrera Upholstery covered in Birds of Paradise: Oasis fabric from Holly Hunt’s Great Outdoors collection, and a trio of multicolor wool felt stools handmade in India.