FEATURED IN JUNE: STUDIO CAK + THE FARNSWORTH HOUSE

DESIGNERS TO KNOW: STUDIO CAK

Studio CAK is a Chicago based interior design firm by Christopher Kent. Kent studied design management and housing and urban development at Parsons and Arizona State. He went on to work as a stylist at Abercrombie and store designer at Restoration Hardware, starting his own firm in 2014. Studio CAK “brings a fresh take on European elegance finding accord in balance and striving for function over frivolity with a link between tradition and the future.” The work is rooted in classical forms and styles but brought to the present with inventive colors and composition. Kent’s work is singular, making tradition sing in an inventive way. Studio CAK’s work can be seen in major shelter publications and in projects nationally.

Photos from the Palmolive and Schiller projects

MODERN LANDMARK: THE FARNSWORTH HOUSE

The Farnsworth House is one of the most iconic modern buildings in the world. Located in Plano, IL, the house was designed by Mies Van Der Rohe and commissioned by Edith Farnsworth. It has been culturally significant and newsworthy from the time of its inception. The house stands today as a historically important site for viewing mid century modern design.

Dr. Edith Farnsworth is often erased from the history of the building despite being the commissioner and her close collaboration in its design. Farnsworth was educated, multifaceted, and existed outside of American 1940’s conventions. She was born to a wealthy family in Chicago’s Gold Coast then moved to the north shore, spending her summers in Maine. She studied zoology, literature, and the arts at the University of Chicago and in Italy, going on to medical school at Northwestern. In 1945 she commissioned Mies van der Rohe to design a weekend home on a riverside plot of land outside Chicago. The house was completed in 1951; Farnsworth said “my house is a monument to Mies van der Rohe, and I’m paying for it.” Arguments about the practicality and livability led to lawsuits and major disagreement. In 1967, local government took a quarter of the land to construct a highway. Farnsworth then sold the house and moved to Italy to get back to literature and poetry.

The home is now open to the public and is a National Historic Landmark, and is currently held as a Historic Site by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Since its construction, water issues have been a problem. The site slopes down to the river and flooding has threatened and caused damage to the home. Currently, the lower terrace is being restored. You can support for the maintenance of this iconic and important building here.