Old friends reunite, new project begins

Interior designer Jennifer Sucher reconnected with a childhood friend from Camp Tamakwa after 25 years. The friend and her husband asked Sucher to redesign their Logan Square basement.

“No one ever calls me that, unless they grew up with me.”

From storage dump to living space

The basement was cluttered with sports memorabilia, office papers, and old furniture. The owners wanted a warm, colorful room for reading, watching sports, and playing with their toddler.

“She loves to read, he loves to watch sports, and they have a toddler who has toys down here, but it felt disorganized and chaotic.”

Camp nostalgia inspires the color scheme

Sucher drew inspiration from Camp Tamakwa, using sunset tones, plaids, and flannels to create warmth and nostalgia. The goal was to make summer feel like it never ends in this basement.

“Down here, summer never ends.”

Paint creates instant architecture

Sucher painted the ceiling a sunbaked orange called Masada and carried the color down the upper walls to mimic crown molding. The walls are a soft peach that flatters the room and everyone in it.

“I like to drop a paint line.”

Sofa repositioning improves flow

The TV used to face the couch, which bisected the room and disrupted flow. Sucher moved the sofa to the window bay and positioned the TV elsewhere, opening up the space.

Reading nook replaces work desk

A vintage Adrian Pearsall chaise with fuzzy brown upholstery now sits where the standing desk used to be. The work-from-home space moved to another room entirely.

Yellow carpet replaces gray

Instead of swapping gray carpet for more gray, Sucher chose a sunny yellow saffron color made from EnVision BCF Nylon. This durable fiber resists stains and can be revived if water damage occurs.

“If there was a flood, true wall-to-wall wool carpeting would need to be pulled up entirely, whereas this could be revived in the event of water.”

Banquette gets plaid cushions

The existing banquette received new seat and backrest cushions in dark plaid fabric. Two smaller bistro tables replaced one large dining table to improve entertaining flow.

Hidden toy storage and bold art

A large antique armoire from New York hides the toddler's toys when the room is tidied. A custom Hayley Carrow painting ties the whole design together, celebrating the room's colorful transformation.

“The goal wasn't to keep it light and bright. We leaned into the moodiness.”