In Chicago's Lincoln Park, a couple with two kids and two dogs built their home to measure. The new build was shaped around the way they cook, gather, and play. One of the homeowners is a serious cook and baker who hosts holidays and seven-course dinners, and the kitchen is tailored to him, right down to counter heights set to his stature. They also collect board games and wine, and between the meals and the company, the house rarely sits quiet.

At the center of the home, a staircase spirals the full height of the house, a cascade of pendant lights falling through its open center. The rest of the house unfolds from there, transitional and modern, every room with a passion behind it. The kitchen hides custom drawer systems and outlets out of sight, on surfaces made to take a beating. Downstairs, the mood flips entirely. The speakeasy-style lower level revolves around a custom game table that doubles for dinner, with a theater for movie nights and a wine room sized to their bottles.

The rooms each go their own way, but they all come back to that staircase — the spine of the whole house.

Architecture by Gibbons Fortman. Interior design by Elizabeth Krueger Design. Built by Blackmore Construction. Indoor photography by Johnathan Allen. Exterior photography by Tony Soluri.