Jaffe Architecture

Jaffe Architecture Lisa Jaffe -
Thoughtful architecture + interiors. Quiet luxury, timeless design, intentional living.

The forecast calls for outdoor living. From Lake Geneva to Chicago, the North Shore to Southwest Michigan, the long week...
09/04/2026

The forecast calls for outdoor living.

From Lake Geneva to Chicago, the North Shore to Southwest Michigan, the long weekend is looking pretty good.

Here’s to soaking up the last unofficial weekend of summer. Time by the water, meals outside, evenings around the fire, and a little extra time to simply enjoy where you are.

Wishing everyone a relaxing, sunny, and very Happy Labor Day weekend!

From all of us at Jaffe Architecture

A room designed around the ritual.There’s something about a freestanding tub that changes the way a bathroom feels. It c...
09/03/2026

A room designed around the ritual.

There’s something about a freestanding tub that changes the way a bathroom feels. It creates a focal point, gives the room a sense of openness, and offers an opportunity to think beyond pure function.

Across these four primary bathrooms, the approach is completely different. Tucked alongside a marble shower. Framed by art and softly veined stone. Set against a clean architectural backdrop. Positioned to take full advantage of a remarkable view.

Different materials, different proportions, different personalities. But in each, the freestanding tub becomes part of a larger composition designed specifically for the home.

Which one would you happily soak in? 1, 2, 3, or 4?

Follow Lisa Jaffe for more custom spaces designed around the way you want to live.

What makes a great room truly great?For a vacation home, it starts with an easy sense of connection. To the outdoors. To...
09/02/2026

What makes a great room truly great?

For a vacation home, it starts with an easy sense of connection. To the outdoors. To the people you’re with. And to the way you want to spend your time away.

At Pure Michigaas, expansive windows and doors fill the great room with natural light and bring the wooded Michigan landscape into nearly every view. A warm, modern palette keeps the space relaxed, while the open connection between the kitchen, dining, and living areas makes gathering effortless.

The result is a light-filled great room that feels open without feeling oversized, modern without feeling precious, and connected to nature at every turn.

Because the best vacation homes should make it easy to settle in, slow down, and stay awhile.

Follow Lisa Jaffe for more custom homes designed around the way you want to live.

Location: Harbert, Michigan
Architecture + Interiors: Lisa Jaffe
Builder: Dunes Development

The best solutions are the ones you barely see.When we undertook the full gut renovation of this vintage Chicago duplex ...
09/01/2026

The best solutions are the ones you barely see.

When we undertook the full gut renovation of this vintage Chicago duplex penthouse, its three large terraces were just as much a part of the project as the interiors.

Re-roofing and bringing the insulation up to current requirements created an unexpected challenge: the historic crenellated parapet would no longer provide the required guard height.

Our solution was intentionally subtle. We replaced the original terracotta caps with custom limestone caps designed to receive structural glass panels. The added glass brings the guardrail up to code while virtually disappearing against the views of Lake Michigan and the city. Just as importantly, it isn’t visible from the street below, preserving the historic character of the building.

With that problem solved, the terraces were completely reimagined with Ipe decking, pavers on a pedestal system, privacy screening, integrated planters and irrigation, and lighting, creating outdoor spaces that feel every bit as considered as the interiors.

Sometimes good design is about what you add. And sometimes it’s about making what you add disappear.

Follow Lisa Jaffe for more of the details, problem-solving, and design thinking behind our custom homes.

Project: Shuffling the Decks
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Architecture: Lisa Jaffe
GC: wujcik_construction_group
Landscape Design: Hoerr Schaudt
Photographer: Tony Soluri (after photos)

One room. Two remarkable views.The living room at Ravine Reimagined was positioned to capture two of the site’s greatest...
08/25/2026

One room. Two remarkable views.

The living room at Ravine Reimagined was positioned to capture two of the site’s greatest assets: the ravine to the south and Lake Michigan to the east.

To make the most of both, expansive Kolbe Windows & Doors VistaLuxe WD LINE windows wrap the room, opening the architecture to the landscape in two directions.

Thin sightlines and crisp, square detailing were essential. We wanted the windows to frame the views, not compete with them.

Because when the setting is this extraordinary, sometimes the best design move is simply getting out of the way.

Follow Lisa Jaffe for more thoughtful design shaped by site, views, and the way people live.

Architecture: Lisa Jaffe 
Interiors: ANDREA GOLDMAN 
Builder: wujcik_construction_group 
Windows: Kolbe Windows & Doors
Window Contractor: Assured Corporation 
Photography: Ryan McDonald 
Styling: darwin.fitz

Designed for face-to-face conversation.This kitchen island was designed around gathering. Rather than lining up stools a...
08/24/2026

Designed for face-to-face conversation.

This kitchen island was designed around gathering. Rather than lining up stools along one side, our clients wanted family and friends to be able to face one another, more like they would around a dining table.

A generous solid oak top creates that flexibility, with seating wrapping the end and room to add more when needed. Below, Imperial Danby stone and antique brass bring function, materiality, and detail to the everyday centerpiece of the kitchen.

Because an island can be more than a place to sit. It can be a place to connect.

Follow Lisa Jaffe for more homes shaped around how people live.

Project: Back to the Future
Location: Lincoln Park, Chicago
Architecture: Lisa Jaffe 
Interiors: Barbarella Marchesi 
Builder: Power Construction 
Photography: Tony Soluri 
Styling: Amanda Wolfson | Prop Stylist + Visual Merchandising Expert

When the work is custom, the standard needs to be clear.A control sample is an approved physical sample that establishes...
08/20/2026

When the work is custom, the standard needs to be clear.

A control sample is an approved physical sample that establishes the target for the finished work, giving everyone the same reference point for evaluating color, texture, movement, and sheen.

Here, our 12” x 12” approved blackened steel sample was held alongside the newly fabricated kitchen hood. The movement, body, highlights, and lowlights didn’t quite match.

With the control sample as our guide, the hood returned to the metalworker’s shop for further finishing. The final result was spot on.
Control samples turn expectations into something everyone can see, understand, and work toward. So what’s envisioned is what gets built.

Follow Lisa Jaffe for more of the process behind thoughtfully designed custom homes.

Moody by design.A powder room is the perfect place to lean into rich materials, texture, and a little drama.Honed Ocean ...
08/19/2026

Moody by design.

A powder room is the perfect place to lean into rich materials, texture, and a little drama.

Honed Ocean Blue stone from Marble & Granite Supply of IL, Inc. pairs with bison bricks from The Fine Line Tile Showroom to create a layered, tonal backdrop.

Nickel fixtures from KALLISTA and O C H R E bring contrast and just the right amount of glow.

Small space. Every detail considered.

Designed in collaboration with ANDREA GOLDMAN.

Follow Lisa Jaffe for more of the materials, details, and decisions behind our custom homes.

Architecture: Lisa Jaffe
Interiors: ANDREA GOLDMAN 
Photography: Ryan McDonald 
Styling: darwin.fitz

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Highland Park, IL
60606

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm

Telephone

(312)4751800

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