At Home with Stef Coyne

Stef Coyne loves a good party. After 15+ years in the event industry, Stef left a role of connecting people through events to connecting people as the Creative Director for Olive Well. "I love telling people ‘Oh you must meet so-and-so!’ Making that introduction and watching their relationship grow—I can’t get enough of it.” Stef is happiest when she’s making a connection—whether it be small business owners or just new friends. “It's kind of like playing matchmaker,” Stef says, “but instead of a romantic relationship, it's with businesses and brand partnerships."

Stef moved to Winnetka in summer of 2019 with her husband Brian and their dog Goldie. For a couple who loves to host parties, the house is “an entertainer’s dream.” Stef’s favorite spot is the living room.

Centrally located and ideal for hosting, Stef and Brian decided to paint the living room black (the exact color is called Raccoon Fur) for an elegant, cozy feel. Stef says “a fresh coat of paint is essential when you buy a new home and are trying to make it your own. We mostly chose neutral shades of white throughout the house and stained the original light floors to a dark, chestnut brown. Two simple adjustments and it's a completely different look and feel. Add in your personal touches and you have just taken a house to a home.” For Stef and Brian, those personal touches include Brian’s one-of-a-kind Phish posters (“I surprisingly love the aesthetic, as much as I don’t love the band,” Stef admits), and a large black-and-white print of Steve McQueen relaxing with his famed revolver. “We love to throw on a record, start a fire, make a cocktail and talk the night away.”

Some of Stef's favorite fireplace decor items include a matte black globe, faux palm leaves, antique brass log holder and an absolute must is the Good Medicine santalum candle all from CB2.

• 

• 

Of course, life isn’t always event planning and inviting friends over. Stef and Brian have learned to make the most of their time alone together during the COVID-19 pandemic. For their fifth anniversary, Stef gave Brian a smoker (wood, get it?), so they spent the summer experimenting with different smoked meals and playing fetch with Goldie in the yard.

One of their favorite things to do is open a nice bottle of cab, settle in on the patio, and plan their future vacations. Lately there has been a lot of talk reliving some of their favorite trips like pub-hopping in London with friends from Amsterdam or spending a long weekend getting lost in the charm of New York City again.

One Last Design Tip for the Road

"Two words: natural and neutral.

I love all things natural; woods, ceramics, textures and colors. I am not super into color so having a red Ralph Lauren rug in my living room is really out of the norm for me but it works in that space. Trends will come and go but natural, neutral elements will always be in style."

​

​

Stef's Favorite Natural & Neutral Finds

Natural Wood Sierra Table Lamp

Stone & Beam Round Concrete Lamp

Neutral Area Rug

Olive Wood Bowl

Dried Palm Leaf

• 

• 

Photography by Alina Tsvor

Text by Eric Grant