Shelter for the Storms

Glen Ellyn, IL

We always thought we might someday design our own house, but we didn't expect it to go quite like this...

There's a storm brewing.

It all started, as it often does, with a plot of land. At first, we thought it might be a site for an ASC spec house, but one conversation led to another and our ideas formed and re-formed until eventually we found ourselves in the center of a serious plot-twist.

Suddenly we weren’t just building a home to sell, but to settle into ourselves... and to keep. On top of that, Luxe jumped in as a publishing sponsor, alongside 15 brand partners and countless others to collaborate with. All of whom contributed in one way or another to the design, process, and final outcome of this project we affectionately refer to as Shelter for the Storms. (We're the Storms... it's our shelter... get it?!)

Follow the project

#ascshelterforthestorms

Conditioned to last.

The project took on a life of its own, complete with a video series documenting the process beginning to end (check it out on our YouTube). With it living on this way (forever), we were forced to consider who we work with most, what brands we trust, and who we'd want to collaborate with, talk to, and share about along the way. If you've ever built a custom home with us, you'd know we're going to be talking... a LOT. So we might as well have fun while we do.

From roofing, to pavers and everything in between, we tackled each step of this custom build with creativity and excitement, as we usually do. Like always, we played with new design elements all while implementing our tried and true expertise. Even while the circumstances were rather... extraordinary... our approach and design process stayed the same, through and through.

Team

Studio 1 Architects

Architect

Patrick Murphy Builders

Builder

Stoffer Photography Interiors

Photography

Making a statement.

We count ourselves lucky anytime we work with clients who give us creative freedom to do our thing. With the tables turned, we aimed to be these kinds of clients, encouraging our team (and vendors) to let their imaginations run wild. Believe us when we say they delivered. Every square inch of our home is filled with tons of personality: rich colors and textures, bold design choices, and personal relics collected during our travels.

Being on a cozy corner lot had us getting creative with layouts and space-planning and "custom" took on a whole meaning here. We worked with artisans to add tailor-made, hand-crafted finishes, like a curved staircase, custom parquet flooring, metal fireplace, and more. Completed in just under a year, it required all-hands-on-deck. Luckily, we had the honor of working with amazing brands and contractors to carry it over the finish line.

Welcome to the party...

At the end of it all, we hosted a good ol' fashion house party to celebrate with everyone who helped make our dream a reality. We teamed up with Porsche, who showed off their newest Electric Macan in our driveway (and brought some incredible models for people to take for a spin). Plus, Sub-Zero Wolf chefs served up incredible food, local bartenders whipped up hand-crafted cocktails, and all of us had a late night dance party in the kitchen.

Okay, this was also a bit out of the ordinary... but it only felt right to end an extraordinary project this way. The best way we knew to celebrate and say thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly to get the project completed in time for the Luxe Jan/Feb 2025 story.