E2 Apartments Designer Showcase draws a crowd to Evanston

To celebrate the grand opening of E2, a 356-unit luxury apartment community in downtown Evanston, co-developers Fifield Companies and Carroll Properties recently hosted a Designer Showcase May 5 – 7, featuring seven local designers.

The event featured nine decorated model apartments from designers Morgante Wilson Architects, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Bardes Interiors / Maze Home, Brook Furniture Rental, Staging North Shore, Cort Furniture and World Market. Open to the public, the event drew 700 attendees over the three-night period and highlighted models ranging from an artist studio to a chic two-bedroom retreat.

“We created this event to give residents on the North Shore an up-close look at the possibilities luxury rental living can bring,” said Randy Fifield, Vice Chair and principal of Fifield Cos. “From the amazing views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline from these professionally-designed, premier units, to the seemingly endless amenities in the building, E2 demonstrates why the luxury rental lifestyle has become the preferred option for today’s urban dweller.”


Fifield noted the model residences on display during the Designer Showcase represented the range of renters E2 appeals to, with each designer creating a distinctive unit with its own name and personality to demonstrate the lifestyle opportunities in the building. For example, a one-bedroom unit designed by Cort Furniture was dubbed the “Scholar Suite” in reference to grad students and faculty at nearby Northwestern University who enjoy the convenient location of E2 in relation to the college.

In a nod to Evanston’s artistic character, Morgante Wilson Architects created “Izzy’s Art Studio,” a 504-square foot studio showing the versatility of the floor plan as a live / work space with multi-function pieces such as a contemporary murphy bed that transforms into a sofa and a long, industrial-chic wooden table to serve as both a dining area and a work surface.

The Morgante Wilson team created a total of three models at E2, including “Fred and Elissa’s Home,” a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment with unique high-end pieces to appeal to an empty nester couple downsizing from a single-family home.”

“The beauty of E2 is that it was easy for the designers to imagine so many different people living here and appreciating the building’s location, its amenities and its overall design,” said Fifield.

“We wanted to have an eclectic mix of showcase models with interiors demonstrating a range of price points and the variety of our tenant-base, from students and professionals to families and downsizers. Our designers really delivered and created absolutely stunning apartments to illustrate the lifestyle at E2.”


Guests at the Designer Showcase were also able to tour E2’s impressive fourth-floor amenity deck, which includes a full-size basketball court, state-of-the-art fitness center, lounge area, party room with demonstration kitchen, theater, business center with conference room, coffee bar and an outdoor pool and spa with cabanas, grills with sinks and dining areas.

Created as a community event, the Designer Showcase featured Evanston fashion store Chalk Boutique displaying a sample of its apparel each night, and the work of several local Evanston artists.

“We want E2 to be all things Evanston,” said Fifield. “This building is not only a home for local residents, but also a partner for local businesses, artists and organizations. With E2’s location and robust business capabilities, we also believe it will be home to many local business owners who can oversee their operations from their homes in the building and our business center, as well as have direct access to their client base in Chicago and the North Shore.”

E2 consists of two buildings, a 16-story tower at 1881 Oak Ave. and a 14-story tower at 1890 Maple Ave. in downtown Evanston. The two buildings are connected by a four-story structure that includes three floors of parking and the amenity deck. The building also contains 4,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

E2 apartments feature quartz countertops, plank floors, stainless steel appliances, in-unit laundry, oversized windows and high-end lighting and Grohe plumbing fixtures.

Apartment tower residences range from 500 to 1,400 square feet and offer studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts. Starting prices range from $1,650 for a studio to $3,950 for a three-bedroom. The property also has 12 rental townhomes ranging from 1,750 to 1,875 square feet and featuring three bedrooms, 2½ baths and a third-floor deck. Townhomes have private entrances from Emerson Street and full access to building amenities at E2. Pricing for townhomes starts at $4,100.

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