Milan contemporary meets Paris flea market in the stunning new model at the Elysian Private Residences in the Gold Coast.
Lisa Simeone, a founder and principal of Simeone Deary Design Group, describes the new model home at the Elysian Private Residences as a collection of moments: “wow” moments, art moments, moments that inspire, moments that nurture, but most of all moments that work together to create a new definition for luxury living—one that is passionate, instinctual, experiential, and unexpected.
The Elysian development team commissioned Simeone Deary to design the 4,000-square-foot home on the building’s 36th floor in order to give potential buyers an idea of the possibilities for the handful of remaining residences in the 60-story tower at 11 E. Walton.
The firm, which won the 2010 Hospitality Design Award for its work in the Elysian Hotel’s public spaces and guest rooms, responded with a mix of styles and materials that simultaneously do away with the buttoned-up conventions of traditional high-end design while leaving no doubt about the building’s status as Chicago’s new premier luxury address.
The designers tapped a variety of local, national, and international vendors including Poliform, Jayson Home & Garden, Design Within Reach, Luminaire, and Orange Skin. And while the styles run the gamut from contemporary to rustic, a common theme throughout the three-bedroom, 3.5-bath home is the blurring of lines between traditional uses for traditional spaces.
“We live differently today. Our lives have become so portable that the boundaries between rooms have become somewhat irrelevant. And as the functional requirements of the home evolve, so too does the design,” Simeone explains.
For sales information about the Elysian Private Residences, please contact @properties luxury representatives Kathleen Malone or Gwen Farinella at 312-646-1406, or visit elysiandevelopment.com.
Q&A with David Pisor
What makes the Elysian different from other Chicago condominium developments that share real estate and services with five-star hotels?
One difference is the intimacy of scale. There are only 51 residences in a 60-story tower. Our amenities are also state-of-the-art. But what really sets the Elysian apart is our service. It’s not only what we offer in terms of service; it’s also the manner in which that service is delivered.
How is your brand of service different than, say, a Ritz or a Four Seasons?
It’s interesting. We’ve found that service in the five-star space tends to be very scripted. For example, when a staff member concludes with a guest or owner, they’ll say something like, “Is there anything else I can do for you today, sir?” That’s great the first time it happens, but after you hear it 15 times in a day, you feel like you’re in a bad movie. What’s intended as great service is actually impersonal and insincere. By contrast, the Elysian is about a very authentic, sincere delivery of service.
Robb Report named Elysian to its annual “Best of the Best” list, citing the hotel’s “less formal ambience.” How does that carry over to the private residences?
It’s this idea that you can feel totally comfortable, whether you’re walking through the property in blue jeans or a tux. When you can feel completely at ease, and you’re experiencing outstanding, genuine service in exquisite surroundings…that is pretty close to the definition of true luxury.
The Elysian has many old-world features in its architecture, but there is also something very contemporary about the whole experience. Would you describe the Elysian as something old or something new?
That’s a great question. I think what we are trying to achieve is something timeless. When we were working with our designers to create the Elysian’s interior spaces, we went after this period in the 1920s when Coco Chanel was designing these stunning pieces. A woman could wear Chanel’s fashions 100 years earlier or 100 years later, and they would still be amazing. It’s that timeless elegance to which we aspire.
For sales information about the Elysian Private Residences, please contact @properties luxury representatives Kathleen Malone or Gwen Farinella at 312-646-1406, or visit elysiandevelopment.com.
