See How Lorraine Rothermel Has Used Her Love of Art to Create a Beautiful and Distinctive Home

By Melissa Borgerding
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

“When people walk in, they say, ‘Oh, this looks just like you,’” says Lorraine Rothermel of her apartment home at Sedgebrook.

Lorraine’s Jackson is a gracious corner home that boasts two views; a roomy, eat-in kitchen; and a spacious guest room. But the most striking feature of Lorraine’s home is the warmth and personality it exudes.

To ensure that her new home would reflect her personal style and truly feel like, well, home, Lorraine brought furniture from her house in Buffalo Grove. She also made a few upgrades, like a beautiful and easy-toclean glass stovetop and white tiles to make her kitchen even brighter and more cheerful.

Most importantly, Lorraine wanted her home to showcase her art. She had the walls painted a soothing cream to complement her extensive collection of African art.

“I’ve been collecting for about 20 years,” says Lorraine, whose passion for art began during a trip to Mexico, where she and her husband picked up a few pieces of Mexican folk art. For a time, Lorraine collected both Mexican and African art, though she says she has more or less whittled her collection down to African.

“I think it gives my home a little individuality,” she says, “since most people don’t collect African art.”

Lorraine’s pieces range from small sculptures to large, exquisitely detailed masks. She admits that she  may have chosen the Jackson primarily for all of the space to display her art. For Lorraine, it was very important that she be able to see and enjoy her art every day.

Even so, Lorraine’s collection is so big that she still has a number of pieces stored securely in her Sedgebrook storage room, where she knows they’ll be close by.

While Lorraine uses her living/dining area primarily for entertaining, she uses her guest room to relax.