Julia Edelmann

In an Evanston Victorian, Julia Edelmann uses a lively palette of yellow, turquoise, and gray that’s bright but not too sweet.

“As we chose colors and fabrics, we kept asking ourselves, ‘Is this happy enough?’ But we were also careful—if you have too much color, it’s easy to grow tired of it.”

 

 

A kitchen decorated in light colors, which includes a banquette with Mokum fabric

CITRUS PUNCH
“The grapefruit yellow Mokum fabric on this banquette gets more discussion than anything else in the house,” says Edelmann. “It was the first one we chose, and I’m always getting phone calls asking me where I found it. The client moves this piece all over the house—it works in any space.” A black drum shade and table base “keep a bright decor from feeling precious,” she says.

 

 

A sitting room, decorated with furniture featuring large floral prints

BIG PRINTS SPEAK VOLUMES
The oversize botanical print on the sitting room chairs incorporates all of the colors in Edelmann’s palette against a cream base. When mixing patterns, she points out, “subtle colors on a neutral background don’t fight each other.”

 

Photography: (Interiors) Eric Hausman; (headshot) Jodi Jacobs; (fabric) Leonard Gertz

 

A kitchen, decorated in turquoise and white

BLUE BLAST
Turquoise and white, two of the dominant colors in this home, really come into play in the kitchen, where Edelmann went for a bright blue vinyl from Valtekz on the barstools. Brass nail heads give them class; the sturdy fabric keeps them indestructible

 

 

A small nook, decorated in subdued colors

SERENE SCENE
Edelmann left some areas of this happy house a little quieter. In this nook, she used unpainted steel instead of stronger hues, and hinted at blue in the artwork. “It’s soft but not devoid of color,” she says.

 

 

Glass Melon knobs, Viceroy velvet curtains, Maze rug, and a velvet pillow with a linen back

Get the Look

Colorful glass knobs can transform a boring dresser. Glass Melon knobs, $8 each, at Anthropologie (anthropologie.com). When it comes to prints and patterns, Edelmann likes “lively and youthful takes on old fabric designs.” Viceroy velvet curtains, $108 to $168, at Anthropologie. An eye-catching geometric rug adds instant good energy. Maze rug, $298 to $698, at Chiasso (chiasso.com). A velvet pillow with a linen back, $32, at Urban Outfitters (urbanoutfitters.com), brings a little shimmer to Edelmann’s favorite shade of turquoise.

Resources: See Buy Guide.

 

Photography: Eric Hausman; (fabric) Leonard Gertz