After Stacy and Brian Sanderson moved to the North Shore suburb of Lake Bluff, they agreed not to budge — unless, that is, an opportunity came along for a place with a water view. So when a contemporary house on a pedestrian street overlooking a ravine and Lake Michigan hit the market in 2019, the couple jumped.

“It was very ’80s, but it was on a great lot,” says Stacy, who began tearing out pages of home decor magazines. “I took these sheets to Morgante Wilson Architects and was like, ‘These are my thoughts.’ ” Once the Evanston-based firm began opening up walls, it became clear that a wrecking ball would be the best way to realize Stacy’s vision. “At least we didn’t change the foundation,” she jokes.

Now when neighbors walk past the Arts and Crafts–style home, they probably don’t remember the greige silo-shaped structure that once stood on this leafy lot. Instead, they are met with a series of interconnected boxes, framed by a brise soleil that dramatically plays with the light throughout the day.

Curb appeal was important to the Sandersons, but so was a clean design, optimal natural light, and an abundance of textures inside to offset the interior’s black-and-white palette. “Stacy was willing to embrace having every surface treated with something, while remaining very contemporary and minimalist,” says Elissa Morgante, the firm’s cofounder. For example: As you enter the foyer, you’re met with a graphic staircase with floating slats and a railing that looks like leather. The entry is done in terrazzo covered partially by a mohair rug, with a gray faux-suede coat closet that guides guests upstairs. Above that very spot sits a bench upholstered in a tie-dyed velvet. “If you look closely, there is a tremendous amount going on,” says Morgante.

A floating wall, wrapped in grass cloth, at the window-heavy staircase landing hides all the action in the open-plan main floor. “We live behind that wall, but you can’t really see it from the road,” Stacy says. “I wanted a main floor where we could be part of each other’s lives but separate.” That includes a massive kitchen with a mirrored breakfast nook and a hidden coffee station and pantry; two screened-in porches, one of which shares a two-sided fireplace with an indoor living room; a home office for international trader Brian (with a puzzle table for stay-at-home mom Stacy); and a second, less formal living room, comfy enough for the couple’s three tween and teen kids.

The architects were equally mindful of how the private spaces upstairs and in the above-grade basement would be used. The primary bathroom has an ingenious built-in counter cabinet for toothbrushes and other necessities, plus a seamless shower lined in dimensional tiles. The primary bedroom’s walls are covered in luscious fabric. Downstairs, a guest room with individual electronic tablets affixed to the four bunk beds stands ready for sleepovers. The mudroom’s lockers keep the kids’ stuff tucked away, while a shower prevents the dreaded creep of sand and dirt. (Stacy is, after all, an admitted neat freak.) A central seating area has been wrapped in noise-dampening cork and double-layer curtains so the Sandersons can enjoy regular movie nights. Says Stacy: “Everyone has their happy place.”

GREAT HEIGHTS The entry stairs were configured to take advantage of southern light. Each surface brings a different texture: a mohair rug on the floor, faux leather on the banisters, a suede-like finish on the closet.

CUISINE SCENE “We were hired to redo the kitchen, but the project grew,” says architect Fred Wilson. His partner, Morgante Wilson, wrapped the room’s end wall in grass cloth: “Drywall wasn’t sexy enough,” she says.

GAME NIGHT, EVERY NIGHT The Sandersons opted for a fireplace rather than a television to anchor this spacious living room. Its veneer is covered in a faux marble, and most of the family’s existing furniture was retained to create an unfussy, usable hangout that feels welcoming, day and night.