Blog fulton market loft

We always say that our favorite part as designers is the ability to help people feel empowered in their decisions and in their homes, and this Fulton Market Loft is a perfect example of just that. Our clients came to us with an under-utilized loft space bursting with potential in Chicago’s Industrial West Loop, and we were excited to turn that space into a functional, modern, and bright family home.

Construction

When we first came into the unit, the first thing we noticed is the prime orientation of the unit within the building. As a corner unit, there are a ton of huge windows that showcase the stunning cityscape and pour in natural light. However, the way that the kitchen was originally laid out blocked all of this beautiful light with old laminate cabinets circa 1982. We went in with a holistic approach and decided to rebuild the layout of the kitchen so that it would open into the living space, which would also make the whole unit feel bigger and brighter.

Our clients wanted to turn this one-bedroom loft into a two-bedroom for their growing family (yay!). By reconstructing the kitchen to make a larger living space, we were able to carve out a nursery from the living area. Everything felt logical and thoughtful while still remaining open and spacious.

“While we added a room and took out a closet to make a walk-in shower, somehow the space feels bigger even though we created more walls and structure.” – OI Client

Functional Considerations

Now that you have an idea of how the construction and remodeling happened, we can get into some of the custom and functional elements! Our clients were very engaged throughout this process and we had fun reviewing every detail together. The main motive behind each decision was to make sure everything was as functional as possible. So when it was time to select a countertop, we tested out stain resistance by leaving bbq sauce/ketchup/soda/oil on it for a few days and seeing how well it wiped off. Spoiler alert: the cement quartz we chose passed these tests with flying colors! When it was time to locate the shower fixtures, we measured the location of the handshower wand to ensure it could reach down to wash their pup with ease. When we built the wall between the new nursery and living room, we made sure to use sound-proofing materials……Any-who, you get the idea! Everything was custom designed with our clients’ lifestyle and needs in mind.

Finishes

And for the grand finale — the beautiful finishes! Our clients had a really cool industrial inspired vision. We were pretty jazzed when they said they were feelin’ our black kitchen concept To keep things bright, we picked a crisp white wall color which provided a high contrast yet calming effect with the black finishes. We also painted the window interiors and duct work black, which were the perfect touches to make this kitchen a true show-stopper. Our clients were completely trusting and were excited to take this risk, and now they are absolutely reaping the rewards!

In the primary bathroom, we installed a super unique emerald zellige tile – which provided a varied look since no one tile is alike. Upgrading to a double vanity and a huge walk-in steam shower created the mini-retreat feeling they were craving. Welcoming their first child at the height of a global pandemic was certainly stressful AF, but we were so glad to have set them up to enjoy some much deserved self care time here and there from the comfort of their home.

There aren’t really words to describe the feeling of creating someone’s dream home, especially one that they welcomed their first child into. This was absolutely one of our favorite projects to date, and the best part was gaining lasting friendship with our lovely clients.

To see more about this project: check out our Fulton Market Loft IGTV Video!

Ready to start a project with us? We would love to work with you! Submit your Project Information Form here.

Following over a decade of experience in luxury interior design Laura Tribbett founded Outline Interiors in 2015 with the purpose of creating moments of joy for others – MOJO. This followed her work at a variety of “AD Top 100” firms in New York where she had the privilege to hone her design sensibility and project and construction management skills under renowned designers such as William T. Georgis, David Easton, Thom Filicia, Shawn Henderson, and Thomas Juul-Hansen. Laura holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Interior Design (cum laude) from Texas Christian University.