A hallway with white walls, light wooden flooring, patterned tile flooring at the end, and a wooden door on the right side.

— DUAL-UNIT COMBINATION | LUXURY INTERIORS | HIGH RISE

Lake Shore

Pied-à-Terre

PRACTICE AREA

Custom Residential

LOCATION

Lincoln Park | Chicago, IL

SCOPE

Gut Renovation | Dual-Unit Combination | Luxury Interiors | High Rise Logistics

RECOGNITION

Contractor of the Year by National Association of the Remodeling Industry

— THE PROJECT

Two apartments combined,

one home

raised above the lake.

The clients resided elsewhere and wanted more permanent roots in Chicago: a pied-à-terre worthy of the city and its lakefront. Two adjoining condominiums spanned the entire west end of the building, roughly 3,000 square feet, both carrying finishes three decades old. Integro gut-renovated both units and delivered a single residence from the combined footprint, anchored by a 180-degree panorama of the skyline and the lake.
Every system was rebuilt: electrical upgraded and centralized, lighting overhauled, radiant heat set beneath the bathroom floors, and an integrated low-voltage platform threading audio and lighting throughout.
The complexity lived in the building itself. Work could begin only after a thirty-minute haul from the loading dock to the unit, inside a single elevator reserved two weeks out, across a workday bounded by an eight o'clock entry and a four o'clock exit — seven productive hours, at most. Structural concrete floors could not be cut, so Integro ground and re-leveled them under building oversight; ceilings that varied unit to unit were brought flush beneath continuous fixtures that would have exposed any error. Imported Italian Scavolini cabinetry was matched in custom millwork across the radiator covers, living-room casework, and breakfast nook; an entry mosaic of water-jetted Italian marble was set loose piece by loose piece to a rendered pattern; and shower tile was laid from rough carpentry forward, so that no piece met a wall or corner cut.
What remains is a seamless residence that betrays none of the effort that produced it.

— CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION

The finished home tells one story. The build tells another. These images and clips document the conditions the building imposed — structural concrete that could not be cut, ceilings that varied unit to unit, a single shared elevator and a seven-hour workday — and the work that produced a seamless home within those limits.

Technical drawing of geometric patterned sheets, labeled with measurements in inches, including dimensions of approximately 27.25 inches, 13 inches, 6.5 inches, 40.5 inches, 58 inches, 77.5 inches, and 84 inches.

Decorative wall art featuring a black and white butterfly design.

Shop drawing layouts for custom mosaic tile installations.

Foyer mosaic tile fabricated in and shipped from Italy.

An able, but perhaps not willing participant for final glass shower door measurements by the design team.

Italian marble countertops fabricated with waterfall edges in primary closet.

A room under construction with a freshly poured concrete floor, construction tools, and exposed wall framing.

A city skyline with tall buildings near a large body of water under a cloudy sky. There is a marina with boats and yachts, and several green areas with trees and roads.

Distracting views during limited work hours!

Hand grinding of structural concrete floors to level for finish installations.

A modern bathroom with a wooden floor, white walls, and a patterned black and white tile section. There are two closed cabinet doors, one dark gray and one light, with metal hinges and a door handle. The ceiling has sleek, linear lighting.

Ceilings lowered, custom lighting inset, floors ground and leveled, Italian mosaic tile laid, and custom fabricated millwork closet placed to conceal separate unit entances and combine into one single entrance and foyer.

Close-up of a marble or granite countertop with light gray and dark gray veining.

A man is measuring his arm in a bathroom with marble tiles using a yellow measuring tape, while a woman is taking a photo of him with her phone. There is a mirror and some cleaning cloths visible.

A man standing in a hotel hallway wearing a jacket and camouflage pants, smiling, with a room number 36 on the door.

Person installing white hexagonal tiles with gray grout on a wall, using a trowel, in a construction or remodeling setting.

36 stories of logistics.

Mosaic floor tiles laid with meticulous design intent.

Close-up of a partially constructed or renovated wall with printed info and a patterned floor with hexagonal tiles.

Mosaic floor tiles laid for seamless continuity up the shower curb.

— PROJECT IMAGERY

A modern bathroom with dark, cloudy patterned wallpaper, a white countertop sink with soap and toiletries, a large mirror, and a white toilet with a tissue box. There is a door partially open, and electrical outlets on the wall.

Modern living room with dark gray sofa, colorful patterned armchair, glass coffee table with a plant, a white pillow on the sofa, yellow pillow on the armchair, a small black side table with a plant and red decorative item, a tall bookshelf with book

Modern living room with large floor-to-ceiling windows showing a city view, a mounted flat-screen TV, a gray sofa with white and furry pillows, a patterned armchair, and a wooden dining table with black candlesticks.

A modern blue bookshelf filled with books, magazines, and decorative items against a white wall, with a large window on the left providing natural light and a city view.

Modern kitchen with white upper cabinets, marble backsplash, and a marble kitchen island with a blue orchid in a teal pot, with seating area to the right.

Modern kitchen with white marble backsplash, wood cabinetry, and a breakfast bar with two green chairs. Large window offers a city skyline view, including tall skyscrapers.

Modern bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows showing a cityscape view of high-rise buildings and a river.

A modern walk-in closet with hanging clothes, open shelving, and a marble-topped dresser, next to a large window with a city view.

Modern bathroom with marble walls and patterned floor tiles, featuring a shower area with a built-in bench and a stainless steel shower fixture.

Modern bathroom with marble tile walls and flooring, wooden storage with rolled towels, and a white toilet.

Modern walk-in shower with beige marble tiles, glass enclosure, built-in marble bench, and white hexagonal tile flooring.

A minimalist bathroom shower area with large marble tiles, a built-in bench, a square drain on the floor, and a small shelf with toiletries. The shower has a square showerhead, and part of a toilet and jar are visible in the corner.

Interior view of a hallway with white walls, a decorative black and white patterned tile floor, and a brown wooden door on the right side.

Interior view of a modern room showing a wooden panel wall with a light switch and a patterned tile floor transitioning into a hallway with natural light and a glimpse of a living space.

A modern dining room with a view of a city skyline through large windows, featuring a white dining table, white chairs, and a floral centerpiece.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Paper + Pate

PRACTICE AREA

Custom Residential

This project belongs to our Custom Residential practice, where anticipation and coordination decide the outcome long before the first finish is installed. Two aging units, a single shared elevator, and structural concrete that could not be cut became one seamless residence — and the permanent Chicago footing the design envisioned.

EXPLORE CUSTOM RESIDENTIAL

De Golyer Vintage Condo