This renovation of a 1893 rowhouse took cues from the Orientalist strain of Victorian aesthetics. Without adding any square footage, the first floor was reconfigured to feature a kitchen that included handmade tiles and wood screens from Morocco, as well as a corner breakfast nook and ritual hand-washing station with copper sink. A rolling library ladder makes high cabinets accessible and maximizes storage space.
We left only the exterior walls and floor plates of this full-scale conversion from a rabbit-warren two-flat to a lofty single family home. The first floor spaces are defined not by walls, but by large-scale cabinetry, which not only provide storage and seating opportunities, but also hide ductwork, plumbing pipes and structure. At its center, the house opens to a sleek, modern atrium stair lit by a grand skylight. Photography by Scott McDonald & Hedrich Blessing.
This turn-of-the-century house was brought new life by the addition of a large kitchen/potting room and master suite. Sunny tiles and the centerpiece of a La Cornefeu range make the cook’s kitchen a pleasurable work and social space. An unused front porch was revived as a three-season sunroom, with Cuban cement tiles in a lively vintage pattern. Photography by Darris Lee Harris.
This major addition and complete renovation of a David Adler house more than doubled the footprint of the original mansion and included a new kitchen wing, guest suites, and pool house. New construction echoes the elegant style and materials of the 1920s structure, but were given a modern twist.
Dramatic roofs reflecting new room shapes replaced the bland existing building envelope in this major renovation and addition. Vertical cedar siding was added to complement the existing first floor brickwork. An informal dining-music room became a major family gathering space at the rear of the house.
Sometime in the last century, an old train depot was moved and converted to a small house in central Evanston. Our project opened up the main spaces of the former station, exposing high ceilings and original brickwork. The new owners, a mystery writer and a non-fiction writer, both work at home, and require a delicate balance of privacy and an communication. This was achieved by re-purposing the vintage exterior windows that were removed as interior windows . An added challenge was the necessity to make the house fully accessible.
Custom white oak cabinetry contributes to a unified aesthetic throughout this conversion of “service space” to the central family gathering space in a vintage Lincoln Park condominium. Lime plaster walls and display box finishes by a decorative painter add depth and interest to the warm, inviting kitchen/dining/lounging areas. Current work in the same apartment includes built-in millwork in the bedroom areas.
This hand-crafted house on a triple-lot in Chicago is an ongoing collaboration between artist-owner, artisan-carpenters, and our studio. No space conforms to conventional expectations, but each is tailored to the creative activities that take place there. A flexible, open first floor allows for gradations of interactivity between dining, writing, designing, and socializing. The loft-like second floor contains a painting studio, bathrooms, and a bedroom suite opening to a sun deck with outdoor shower.
