This Modern Tudor Emerged From a Massive Fire

The timing couldn't have been worse: 37 days after a young family of five moved into this Tudor-style house in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, a toaster oven fire burned it down. Luckily, the family dog saved everyone after climbing three floors. Afterward, instead of moving, the family embraced the chance to completely modernize and personalize the rebuild. They hired Morgante Wilson Architects for the project, and yes, a brand-new fire suppression system ranked high on the list of priorities.

The new-and-improved home now sprawls across 8,076 square feet on four levels, encompassing five bedrooms, seven baths, plus the basement and attic.

"The homeowners fell in love with this pair of gilded mirrors that were perfect for the spacious symmetrical entry," says Katawna Tyler, interior design principal at Morgante Wilson Architects, who goes by K.

"The expanded U-shaped kitchen is the heart of the home," says K., sharing how it's one of the family's favorite parts of the rebuild. K. explains how the owners wanted a classic black-and-white kitchen, but they also wanted to keep it light and airy. This was achieved by opening the wall between the kitchen and stairs, thereby flooding the room with light from a two-story wall of windows in the family room. K. also highlights the kitchen island: "It's designed to feel like a piece of furniture, with cerused oak and a marble top accented with metal cross bracing," she says.

The grand arches seen in the foyer also divide the kitchen and this breakfast room. In addition to all the windows, there are four skylights in the barrel-vaulted ceiling to ensure loads of light. The scallop-backed banquette is custom, and upholstered in a glazed canvas of gray-blue eggplant. The final touch is this zinc and walnut table that perfectly blends with the room.