Earlier this year, we gave you a sneak peek into our new Chicago design studio. We’ve been hard at work renovating this space into a place that’s equally functional and beautiful for our growing team. Juggling progress on our studio with many large client projects, it was truly a labor of love.

Today, we’re so excited to reveal the “after” photos so you can see exactly how it turned out!

A quick refresh: The studio is located in a historic building in Lakeview / Lincoln Park that formerly housed Drehobl Art Glass, a Chicago company that started making stained glass and beveled glass windows in 1919. I first fell in love with the space after walking by and noticing the beautiful original moldings from the 1920s and the abundant natural light inside. I wanted this to be a space that felt lovely to work in, that could host events for our clients and that felt more like a home rather than an office.

Here are the before photos:

Now, for the transformation!

We started the renovation by taking out the back room and bringing the walls up to full height so we could create a true storage closet (a necessity for interior designers!).

Another essential was, of course, the bathroom. We redid this to be a calming space with a new vanity from our cabinetry line and Rosso marble from Calia Stone.

The small kitchenette showcases our custom cabinetry line and has all the latest Monogram appliances, including a 5-in-1 oven, dishwasher and under-counter refrigerator drawers. The cabinets are white oak with a black stain and we chose Arabescato Corchia marble to make a natural statement. The dual design, with both countertop and bar height counter, gives us extra countertop space for prep and the ability to sit, eat and converse more easily.

Along the large wall as you enter the studio, we created a large library featuring 18 feet of cabinetry, plus a custom work table to house our sample library and showcase our ability for intricate millwork details.

To accessorize the studio, we added vintage rugs and vintage furniture, including a secretary desk and a bench from Chairish, one of our favorite places to source high-quality vintage items at affordable prices.

A New Orleans furniture maker we work with frequently, Doorman Design, designed our custom conference table and white oak desks.

We refreshed all the paint, then brightened up the space and helped to set the mood with beautiful lighting from our two of our most used lines Circa Lighting and Curry & Company. I love how the conference room chandelier feels like a modern art glass. Fitting for an old stained glass factory!

We kept the original oak floors, which were in good condition, throughout the office. To add visual interest in the front entry, we hung beautiful wallpaper by one of our favorite British designers, Beata Heuman. The millwork for the entry mirror and bench is original, but we added new smoked glass and painted it dark for some contrast.

What do you think of our new studio? We’d love to know your favorite design elements! Drop a comment below to share with us.

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