Modern Outlook + A View
Chicago, IL (Gold Coast)
5000 sq ft
Full gut renovation of historic Gold Coast Co-op Apartment
with Steve + Filip Interior Design and Tip Top Builders
A classic, 1920s vintage condo with a cerulean view finds balance between old and new, intimate and open, and learns to embrace the good life, after the kids are gone.
“Renovation,” says En Masse partner Mike Shively, “is often about opening up.” That was certainly the case on this project, which started with a collection of boxed-in rooms that — in spite of their wonderful historic detailing — limited access to the mesmerizing view across Lake Michigan and didn’t enable the client’s free-flowing, modern lifestyle. En Masse approached the project with a focus on maximizing the view and heightening the sense of history by both careful preservation and thoughtful juxtaposition with new, modern elements.
“Keep what’s beautiful and original, then layer on more contemporary things with the same level of richness and a modern spirit.”
- Lucas Goldbach
Opening interior walls and reimagining the function of key spaces allowed the main living area to shift forward, focused on the view, and the kitchen to join the party, with access to both the larger living space and that lovely slice of lakefront. In the study, classic mahogany-paneled walls stand in beautiful contrast with steel-and-glass doors that allow light and connection to flow; a pairing that is echoed by the crisp, white envelope of the kitchen, centered around a wood-clad island that echoes Brutalist sculpture.
