Dunham House Home Tour: A Modern Farmhouse Retreat in Chicago
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Welcome back to a new edition of our home tour series, y’all. Today’s stop is a good one!
I’m taking you inside the Dunham House, a gorgeous modern farmhouse designed by Laura Design Company, tucked into a wooded lot just outside Chicago. If you know me by now, you know I’m always a sucker for that perfect blend of traditional bones and modern ease, and this home has it in spades.
The way this house sits with its surroundings and takes inspiration from it is just enchanting.
Big windows framing the trees outside, warm wood tones layered against crisp white millwork, and just enough black and brass accents to keep things feeling fresh without ever tipping into trendy.
What I love most, though, is the balance. Modern farmhouses can sometimes lean a little too stark, a little too catalog-ish but this one has real warmth and light to it.
Dunham House Home Tour: A Modern Farmhouse Retreat in Chicago
Traditional millwork, plaid and gingham textiles, antique furniture pieces mixed with more current silhouettes… it all comes together in a beautiful way.
So grab your coffee (or your tea, no judgment here!), and let’s start the tour with the heart of any good farmhouse: the kitchen.
A Kitchen Built for Real Life
If you ask me, a kitchen tells you everything you need to know about a home tour before you even step into the next room, and the Dunham House is such a good example of this.
The first thing that catches your eye is a gorgeous island, dressed in a rich wood tone that stands out against the crisp white perimeter cabinetry. It’s such a smart move! Rather than matching everything to everything, the designers let this piece feel like a true standout piece, anchoring the whole room.
Soapstone countertops, a farmhouse sink, and a pair of oversized black lantern pendants overhead give it all a lovely sense of weight and warmth.
Lately I’ve noticed myself appreciating millwork so much more than I used to! It’s a detail that does so much of the heavy lifting when it comes to creating an elevated space.
Here, floor-to-ceiling paneled cabinetry flanks the window, and it’s paired with charming leaf-print roman shades that add just the right dose of pattern.
Tucked into its own little nook between the cabinetry, dressed in plaid cushions and a floral throw pillow, we have the most charming little window seat.
It’s not just pretty, either. Built-in drawers underneath give it real function, which is exactly the kind of detail I love discovering in these tours. Beautiful and hardworking? Yes, please!
The black hardware throughout, from the cabinet pulls to those statement lanterns, adds just enough contrast to keep the all-white cabinetry from feeling too one dimensional.
And that dark, richly patterned rug running through the kitchen brings in a layer of coziness that grounds the whole space.
A Dining Room with Old World Charm
From the kitchen, we move into a dining room that feels like a completely different chapter while keeping the same style story.
Where the kitchen leans clean and functional, this dining room is all about atmosphere. That arched doorway alone had me pausing mid-scroll! It’s such a classic architectural detail, and it instantly gives the space a sense of formality and flow as you move from room to room.
The oval dining table grounds the room in a rich, dark wood finish, surrounded by chairs upholstered in the most charming leaf-print fabric. I love that the chairs bring in pattern and softness against all that dark wood and white trim! It’s a small choice, but it keeps the whole room from feeling too formal.
A Mudroom That Means Business
Just off the kitchen, tucked behind a stairway that leads straight up to the second floor, this mudroom and laundry space takes a completely different turn stylistically.
Deep navy cabinetry wraps the entire room floor to ceiling, and a black-and-white checkerboard marble floor adds a bit of a dramatic flair.
It’s a bold choice for a mudroom, but it works because every other material stays classic: brass hardware, a soapstone counter, and a bridge faucet over the sink that feels like it was pulled straight from an old farmhouse kitchen.
I love that this space does double duty as a proper laundry room. The washer and dryer sit built into that same navy cabinetry, so nothing feels like an afterthought.
A Living Room for Curling Up
From there, we land in the living room where two sage green velvet sofas invite us in.
anchor the room, facing each other across a low wood coffee table in a way that practically begs for conversation.
I love that the seating doesn’t compete with the built-ins behind it. It just settles in and lets the room
The floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lining the far wall are an absolute dream.
Stacked with books, pottery, and little collected treasures, they give the whole room that collected vibe that’s so hard to recreate with new stuff.
Over in the corner, a floral-upholstered armchair and ottoman create their own cozy little reading nook, brass floor lamp included, a quiet spot within an otherwise open room
A Primary Bedroom Dressed for Rest
Head upstairs and you’ll land in the primary bedroom, and after all that pattern and personality downstairs, this room gives you room to breathe.
A four-poster bed is the star here, with tall black posts that stretch almost to the ceiling and a dark, curved headboard grounding the whole thing.
It’s a striking piece, but it never feels heavy thanks to all that soft striped linen and the pale plaid curtains framing the windows on either side.
I love that the art above the headboard is such a quiet moment. A small landscape painting in a simple gold frame, understated next to that dramatic bed. And up above, a brass chandelier with its candle-style arms adds just enough shine without competing with anything else in the room.
On either side, matching wood nightstands keep things simple, with white gourd-shaped lamps that pick up on the same soft, rounded curves you’ll spot throughout the rest of the house.
Bathrooms with a Story to Tell
Just off the bedroom, and visible right through that same doorway where the bed peeks through, sits the primary bath.
It’s a small architectural detail, but I love how the two rooms stay in constant conversation with each other.
Step inside and the mood shifts completely.
Olive green wainscoting wraps the lower half of the walls, while a delicate vine trellis wallpaper takes over above it, giving the whole room a garden-like quality.
The freestanding tub sits front and center, dressed with a vintage-style brass filler and a little wood stool beside it.
Small details like that stool go a long way in making a bathroom feel almost spa-like.
Modern Farmhouse Home Tour: Get The Look
Loving this modern farmhouse as much as I am? I’ve pulled together a few pieces that capture that same collected, old-world charm for your own home.
That floral wingback chair is such an easy way to bring in pattern without overcommitting, especially paired with a rug in those warm rust and cream tones. A pair of fringed green pillows adds texture, while the brass swing-arm floor lamp and a stack of framed landscape art give the whole corner that quiet, reading-nook feel we saw upstairs. Add a carved wood side table for your coffee (or tea!), and you’ve got yourself a little retreat.
Floral Wingback Chair | Pharmacy Floor Lamp | Round Side Table | Gold Framed Wall Art | Throw Pillow Cover | Scenery Framed Art | Area Rug | Ceramic Vase
That’s a wrap on the Dunham House, y’all! From the kitchen island to that showstopper of a powder room, this one had so many little details worth slowing down for.
Which room stole your heart?
Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to save this post so you can come back to it anytime you need a little design inspiration!
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