Traditional Home Fall 2025

In a world where the need to sort out authenticity from deep fake has us sharpening our eyes, I see more people turning to classic design influences to ground their homes with a much-needed sense of reassurance. Our magazine staff sees this in every facet of the marketplace. Whether it’s antiques in shops and at fairs, reproduction furnishings and rich wood tones at High Point Furniture Market, or elegant fittings at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, traditional design resonates better than ever for modern life. The designers and architects behind the projects in this issue share those sensibilities and helped clients bring authenticity to their homes. Admittedly, authenticity can be an overused term today, but at Traditional Home magazine, it stands for history and connection to location and local…

FRENCH CONNECTIONS What if furniture whispered the secrets of Parisian flea markets and shouted of decades of design passion? Maison Madeleine makes bespoke French-inspired pieces that own a room rather than just filling it. Designer Leah Cumming’s brand mixes timeless tradition with chic city edge born of her global wanderings and Los Angeles design grind. shopmaisonmadeleine.com THREADS SOFT GOODS Threads Soft Goods showcases handcrafted pillows and throws that exude warmth and character—perfect for fall’s slower rhythms and cool evenings. Founded by New York home furnishings veteran Eileen Applebaum, the brand takes inspiration from enduring motifs such as florals, butterflies, and stripes—some vintage and others rendered by artisans from around the globe. threadssoftgoods.com The Mill Sisters Lindie Lourens and Michelle Driessen’s family has been anchored in the textile industry for decades.…

Just as personal fashion sense isn’t solely about the nuance that earrings and lip gloss bring to an outfit, the spaces we primp in for the day can (and should) play a part in expressing a style statement too. As linen and eyelet fabrics are exchanged for suede and cashmere, fall proves an opportune time to add a piece of furniture to your room’s wardrobe that will set the tone for a day of dazzle: room dividers, vanity tables (writing desks work too), mirrors, and benches. These pieces don’t enjoy the spotlight of a runway’s catwalk, but they do leave an impression. Part of the fashion game is furniture. As with the clothes in your closet, choose pieces that speak the language of chic. “IT’S ALL ABOUT PUTTING WHAT YOU…

Before a renovation begins in earnest, there’s typically a get-to-know-you period when the designer quizzes the homeowners about their lifestyle. With kitchens, designer Melissa Lewis keys in on three things: How big is your family? How much do you entertain? How big is your Thanksgiving turkey? As curious as it may sound, that last question stems from a life lesson. Shortly after she was married, Lewis bought her first Thanksgiving turkey—a 24-pounder. She managed to shove the big bird into her apartment’s oven but ultimately caused a small oven fire and ruined the dinner. Ever since, she’s been serious about oven size and the insight a client’s holiday turkey holds. In the case of a renovation Lewis headed up for a Chicago-area couple with three children, the five-burner La…

Design’s nomenclature deceptively assigns the term “natural colors” to quiet tones of brown, mushroom, stone, and sage. Sometimes, it implies the Earth’s palette is void of vibrance. The colors of nature, however, encompass a broader spectrum, especially in autumn. Deep blue skies and remnants of greenery welcome fiery foliage to challenge this assumption. A harvest of pumpkins and butternut squash cozy up to mums in deep purple, and dry leaves land below exposed tree bark, suggesting the tones of gray days to come. As the season for gathering around the table commences, use this kaleidoscope of vivid dishes—a mix of new and vintage—as inspiration to personalize your place settings. Visit websites where cherished discontinued patterns are available for a new chapter of love. (We found the vintage/discontinued pieces featured here…

The dos and don’ts of design look a little something like this for Chicago-area interior designer Megan Winters: Do work with clients who share your love of dynamic interiors with palpable palettes. Don’t take anything at face value—that is, unless you’re talking about the emblematic Patterson-McCormick mansion designed in 1892 by Stanford White and with an addition by David Adler, whose prolific architectural contributions pepper Chicago’s finest neighborhoods. In that case, Winters knew exactly what she was getting into, and excitingly so. “From the moment we stepped foot into the mansion, we knew we weren’t just tasked with the design but preserving a legacy,” Winters says of the historic property. Originally built for Chicago Tribune owner Joseph Medill as a wedding gift for his daughter and later sold to turn-of-the-20th-century…