Susan Kroeger Ltd & The 2013 Lake Forest Showhouse & Garden

Last month, I blogged about a recent Palm Beach shopping excursion and my visit to C. Bell. One of the fun things about shopping in Palm Beach, Florida is you never know who you will run into. I missed Carleton Varney at C. Bell by about five minutes,but I had the great privilege of meeting the lovely and imensly talented decorator, Susan Kroeger, an icon of Chicago’s North Shore. Susan’s design studio and boutique are located in Winnetka, IL, but she also has an office in South Florida.

Susan and I instantly hit it off, and it was clear that we shared a similar design esthetic. I am a huge fan of her work, and I was delighted when she sent me a sneak peek of the amazing guest bedroom she designed for the 2013 Lake Forest Showhouse & Garden, opening today.

The Guest Bedroom, by Susan Kroeger Ltd, is a study in contrast and tranquility.

The furniture is carefully edited and balanced, combining antiques with modern. Here the focus is on the Louis XVI bed in a gilded fruitwood finish with fluted corner posts, ribbon & reed frame and a grand tailored canopy of white linen. Modern white lacquered night tables with scallop fronts and silver tassels complement the gunmetal grey metallic grass cloth.

The gilded, black lacquered Louis XV desk anchors the room, balancing the abstract black and white prints on the opposite wall. Two low Louis XVI style slipper chairs, dressed in neutral linen, flank the black lacquered fireplace. A white lacquered table provides a surface for books and magazines so that the arrangement is, above all, comfortable and functional.

Below are a few more of my favorite images from Susan’s portfolio, including a fabulous Boca Grande, Florida, beach bungalo. I dream of one day owning a beach house in Boca Grande!!

Boca Grande Beach House

The 2013 Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens chose a spectacular estate on the shores of Lake Michigan – built in 1916 by David Adler – for this year’s showcase home. The 15,000 square foot villa includes breathtaking views and a tremendous courtyard. The Showhouse is open April 27 through May 19. To learn more, visit lakeforestshowhouse.com.

Click here to learn more about Susan Kroeger, Ltd.