Set against the picturesque backdrop of Lake Forest, Illinois—a tony suburb of Chicago’s North Shore—the 20th anniversary of the biennial Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens provides the perfect marriage of architectural history and forward-thinking design. Opened for tours starting Saturday, April 26, this year’s house is Pembroke Lodge, a Georgian-style limestone mansion that is steeped in history.
Built in 1895 by renowned architect Henry Ives Cobb (who also designed the iconic Chicago Athletic Association), the house featured original landscape architecture by Frederick Law Olmsted. Then, in the late 1930s, interiors on the first floor were revised by architect David Adler and his sister, famed interior designer Frances Elkins.
Benefiting the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago, which provides healthcare to medically underserved communities, this year’s milestone event unveils the stunning transformation of nearly 50 interior and exterior spaces.
As designers and architects honored the house’s storied past—while also looking to decorating’s bright future—here are the top three trends we noticed during a sneak peek at the house just before its grand opening.
Warning: Curves ahead.
The first trend that stood out was just how curvy everything was, from a wave-like headboard to rounded sofas and arched doorways.
In the kitchen by ABLAZE Design Group (above), island dining tables with rounded corners and an arched range hood soften the edges of a room where sharp lines are often the norm. This unique range-hood design carries through to the scullery (also above), which was decorated by Jennifer DeCleene.
In the sunroom adjacent to the primary bedroom, an en suite bar by Studio W Interiors (below) achieves a similar effect with its rounded end, curved cutout for stools, and reeded front.
Playful curves also show up in furniture silhouettes throughout the house. A wavy headboard anchors a girl’s bedroom (below) by Robbins Architecture and Interiors, while in Sarah Dippold’s second floor hallway (also below), organic shapes prevail in the custom settee and mirrored artwork.
The wavy furniture continues in the Mahjong room by White Couch Design (below), where a custom scalloped settee and gossip chair for two bring whimsy to a delightful game room that the designer describes as “feminine not frilly.”
Finally, in the upstairs sitting room by Unpatterned (below), a wave-topped bookcase and serpentine side table add a playful touch to this garden-inspired reading room.
Shop the Trend
Dos Gallos Custom Curvy Side Table
Muir 90″ Camel Velvet Curved Sofa
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ANDY STAR Irregular Mirror for Wall
Trees are climbing the walls.
While floral wallpaper is nothing new, designers at the Lake Forest Showhouse are bringing the garden indoors with larger than life trees that literally climb the walls. Throughout the house, walls are covered in tree-inspired wallpaper, murals, plaster relief sculptures, and even beaded 3D wallcoverings.
Called the “Ethereal Garden Pathway” by its designer Lauren Collander, the first floor hall and stairwell (above) are inspired by the beautiful grounds of the estate itself. Intended to invoke the joy of walking through a Parisian garden, the star is a glittery, hand-embroidered wallcovering of fronds (Lala Curio) that suggests a canopy of hanging ferns.
In both the girl’s room by Robbins Architecture and Interiors (above) and reception room by Rebel House Design (above and at top of article), oversize plaster flowers transform into delicate trees, acting as both wall treatment and art. According to the reception room’s designers, this faux bois plaster was inspired by Frances Elkins, serving as an “antidote to wallpaper, a statement in texture and form.”
That said, there is also plenty of gorgeous tree-inspired wallpaper on display. In the mudroom by Jen Marie Interiors (above), a monochromatic scene by Schumacher watches over a custom marble work desk.
In the back stairway and reading nook by R Titus Design Studio (above), a Plantasia wallpaper by House of Hackney brings a sense of grandeur to a tight space. Meanwhile, a leafy Fromenthal wallcovering envelops Joey Leicht’s salon (also above) in beautifully hand-painted and embroidered silk.
Enveloping a room in a tree-like canopy is a running theme throughout the house. In the formal library by Kipling House Interiors (above), a custom Gracie mural covers the ceiling in a hanging garden of blooming flowers, while also popping up subtly as the bookshelf backing.
At the Lake Forest Showhouse, fruit trees also reign supreme. In Kaylan Kane’s rotunda hallway (above) that leads into the primary bedroom, a citrus tree wallpaper by Kravet reimagines this dressing area as an orchard. A similar motif continues downstairs in the pantry hallway by Sarah Jacquelyn Interiors (also above), as a Harlequin wallpaper suggests a summer day surrounded by a peach trees.
Finally, tree-inspired fabrics and wallcoverings continue in the three distinct areas that make up the stately pool house. In the main pavilion by Mandarine Home Design (above), a wallpaper by Thibaut anchors the space within the surrounding gardens.
In the pool house ladies lounge (below), Courtney Petit uses a floral pattern by Schumacher to evoke the vintage feel of 1970s summers spent poolside in Lake Forest—her hometown—as her mom played cards with friends nearby.
This nostalgia continues in Meghan Jay’s pool house cabana (also below), where an Isidore Leroy wallpaper peeks through a trompe l’oeil curtain mural by Julie Lawrence, blending the charm of 1920s beachside hotels with the designer’s own memories of childhood summers spent at a Connecticut beach club.
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House of Hackney Plantasia Wallpaper
1980s Spanish Woven Wicker Palm Tree Lamp
MINDTHEGAP Chinese Garden Floral Wallpaper Roll, Set of 3
As nature’s neutral, the color green is here to stay.
A strong penchant for the color green in all its many shades is also a running theme throughout the Lake Forest Showhouse. Like the tree-inspired wallcoverings, this trend helps bring a bit of nature in, which is especially useful in rooms with less natural light.
Green dominated the three dining areas of the main house, starting with the dining room and breakfast room (both above). In the main dining room by Maggie Getz Studio, chartreuse accents serve as an energetic foil to rich chocolate-brown plaster walls. Meanwhile, in the breakfast room and adjacent hallway by Nora C. Marra Interiors, shades of mint and green apple offer a cheerful start to the day.
Perhaps the most dramatic use of green is in the garden room (below), where designer Amy Kartheiser brilliantly employs dark green wooden lanterns by Casamidy and a ceiling wallpaper by Voutsa to balance the bright blues and yellows used throughout much of the room.
Going green was popular not just in the dining rooms but also in the food-prep areas. While the main kitchen uses teal cabinetry for the lower cabinets and island, the pantry (below, also by ABLAZE Design Group) goes all in, with a dark forest green covering the space from top to bottom.
Upstairs, North Shore Nest’s English resting room (above) brings the look of an English garden indoors via a coffee-and-tea station painted Cushing Green by Benjamin Moore, while a deeper blue-green creates a moody moment in a kitchenette-meets-cocktail-lounge by Mason & Brass Design Studio (below).
One of the most surprising rooms of the house was the laundry room by Suzanne Sykes Interiors (below). Custom cabinetry inspired by antique Louis XVI chests conceals the front-loading washer and dryer on either side of the marble sink, while garden-fresh greens echo the outdoor view, as seen in this Brunschwig & Fils fabric and Thibaut wallcovering.
Also unexpected was the use of seafoam green in the primary dressing room by Forward Fruit Design (below). Verdigris drawer fronts anchor the curved vanity, while a mix of greens and blues dances across a paisley wallpaper hand-painted by the designer.
Though green fully ensconces many of the rooms, in others it acts as a more subdued focal point. In the gentleman’s retreat by Anthony Michael Interiors (below), olive green millwork draws the eye to an antique secretary at the end of the room, while a custom sofa covered in an emerald Schumacher fabric takes a starring role in the wood-paneled office by Birkman Interiors (also below).
In Michael Del Piero and Randy Heller’s gallery located at the back of the house (below), a neutral color palette of browns and grays is punctuated by two single pops of green: in a single tree shown in the wall mural, mirrored by a similar real-life tree and floral installation that extends throughout the room.
Finally, in the little girl’s playroom by Theresa Hansen Interiors (below), the three trends we observed in the house come together magically. A pale green by Benjamin Moore softens the straight edges of the bookcase, while a wavy valance and window-seat skirt create a magical reading nook. Finally, a twinkling tree and dollhouse—a replica of Pembroke Lodge—complete the enchanting ambience.
Shop the Trend
Rosalind Wheeler Buderus Wingback Chair
CPC Agate Green Ruffle Throw Pillow Covers
While all of these rooms can provide endless inspiration, nothing beats seeing them in person. Another benefit of attending in person is that you can shop the rooms, as almost all of the furniture, artwork, and accessories are available for purchase. The 2025 Lake Forest Showhouse is open through May 25, so buy your tickets today.
Victor Maze (he/him) is the creative director of VERANDA, overseeing all visuals for the brand. He has spent the last two decades leading art teams at interior design, travel, and lifestyle magazines around the U.S. You can follow Victor on Instagram @victormaze and read about his career—and the career paths of other top editors—in his forthcoming book, Lead Like an Editor: Hire Passionate Teams, Tell Stories That Inspire, and Build Brands People Love. Outside of work, his passions include travel, pop culture, and Broadway musicals.
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