Bakery Building Residence

Built in 1895, this project involved the renovation and restoration of a 2,200 square foot unit at the historic Bakery Building. Located in the heart of Lincoln Park, this 3-story condo featured two bedrooms, two bathrooms plus a powder room, open concept living areas, and a lofted area on the third floor providing access to a sweeping roof deck with panoramic views of the Chicago skyline. Our client sought to create a space which would inspire her lifestyle and provide a comforting place to call home. In collaboration with Jessica Margot Design, our team was tasked with reinventing existing spaces and restoring the historical elements of the home to improve its functionality and aesthetics through thoughtful design and luxury finishes.

The original architecture of this building provided floor plans that did, in fact, maximize the functional utility of the condo. As such, the design focused on reconfiguring the areas that required improved functionality and transforming the remaining layouts with both subtle and dramatic design details. For example, the existing kitchen was literally separated from the dining and living areas with glass doors. A high level of culinary function and the ability to converse with others while cooking was a top priority for our client. Jessica Margot Design removed a mere 16 inches from the existing wall opening and omitted the glass doors completely to transform the room an open, airy kitchen which integrated with the dining and living room while maintaining its own distinctive design. The existing master bathroom was a good size; however, it consisted of a galley layout and dated finishes. The final design rotated the layout, raised the ceiling 12 inches, and included contrasting tile with exotic millettia laurentii hardwood millwork.

Millwork was an essential part of inspiring the spaces. It provided improved use of space and allowed the different rooms and levels to collaborate throughout the home. All millwork was fully custom and fabricated by Integro’s team. The pieces ranged from maple to exotic millettia laurentii wenge hardwoods. The mouldings consisted of 1-inch thick baseboards to conceal significant gaps between the existing hardwood floors and the walls in order to omit the need for any base shoe. 5-piece casings adorned all window and door openings. The continuous handrails for the 3-story staircase were custom designed and fabricated as an important design element impacting every floor.

The millwork was further improved with Caesarstone tops. Caesarstone was also added to the kneewalls flanking the staircases. The stone terminated at the 1st floor with a mitered, waterfall edge as an entry centerpiece to both contrast and compliment the historic architecture of the building.

In addition to the high quality of craftsmanship required to execute this design, our team was also challenged by unforeseen conditions such as poor original craftsmanship at the existing hardwood floors, water infiltration due to a cracked main pipe, undisclosed fire damage found in the living areas, extensive mold found at the 3rd floor ceiling underneath the roof, and a global pandemic which erupted during the course of construction. Integro worked closely with our client and the building management to provide code-compliant, complete, and expedient solutions for remedy including the application of smoke sealant, structural reinforcement, mold remediation, installation of proper insulation and vapor barriers, and intensive site coordination and safety management. We presented these solutions with respect for our client’s budget constraints–offering multiple options and approaches for all parties to consider regarding scope and pricing.

Our final product provided our client with a luxurious space featuring the high quality amenities expected of a Lincoln Park residence. Through the thoughtful design of Jessica Margot Design and superior craftsmanship and management of our teams, we prepared this unit for its next generation of use and transformed these collections of spaces into an inspiring place to call home.