The Bakery Building Residence

— HISTORIC PRESERVATION | STRUCTURAL RECONSTRUCTION | FIRE REMEDIATION | WATER REMEDIATION | HIGH RISE

PRACTICE AREA

Custom Residential | Remediation

LOCATION

Lincoln Park | Chicago, IL

SCOPE

3-Story Renovation | Historic RestoRation | Luxury Interiors | Custom Millwork |Urban Logistics

RECOGNITION

Contractor of the Year by National Association of the Remodeling Industry

— THE PROJECT

From maple to wenge,

one hand

on every floor.

This residence occupies the top three floors of the Bakery Building, an iconic Lincoln Park landmark raised in 1895. Two bedrooms, two baths, and a powder room are arranged across an open plan, beneath a lofted third level that opens onto a roof deck featuring sweeping views of the Chicago skyline. The original plan held its logic, but its finishes had not kept pace: a galley primary bath with dated tile, hardwood floors showing inconsistencies throughout the unit, and a kitchen closed off from the living areas behind glass French doors. However, the Victorian stained glass had survived intact, and it established the standard the renovation was required to meet.

Demolition revealed what the finishes had concealed: fire damage in the living areas, mold across the third-floor ceiling, and water infiltration traced to a cracked main. Integro remediated each condition in tandem with The Bakery Building Board of Directors and reinforced the structure to code before a single finish was restored.

Integro reset the plan wherever it compromised the experience it was meant to serve. The kitchen was opened to the dining and living areas — sixteen inches off the existing wall, the glass doors gone — while retaining a distinct character of its own. The primary bath was rotated off its galley axis, its ceiling raised twelve inches, and its surfaces rebuilt in contrasting tile set against wenge millwork. Millwork governed the renovation throughout: every piece custom fabricated in species ranging from domestic maple to exotic wenge. One-inch baseboards were sized to close the gaps between the original flooring and the adjacent walls, eliminating any need for base shoe; five-piece casings framed every window and door; and a continuous handrail, designed, custom fabricated, and finished by our craftsmen, drew three disparate floors into a cohesive home.

The residence now presents only its refinements — the light, the stained glass, the figure of the wood — over a building made sound to its frame.

— CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION

The finished project tells one story. The process tells another. The residence now gives no sign of what demolition uncovered: undisclosed fire damage in the living areas, mold across the third-floor ceiling, water infiltration from a cracked main pipe, and a structure that had never been properly reinforced. Integro resolved all of it to code before a single finish returned. The photographs record the real work.

Ceiling framework showing exposed wooden beams and metal supports for a suspended ceiling.
Interior view of a living room with a window featuring colorful stained glass panels at the top, a white fireplace with a mantel, and wooden flooring. Part of a staircase with a wooden newel post is visible on the left side.

Day One: The original stained glass, circa 1895, anchored the level of crasftmanship required to bring this residence back to life.

Demolition soon uncovered latent conditions: fire damage.

View of a construction site ceiling with metal framing and black mold spots on the wooden subfloor.
Construction site ceiling with exposed metal framework and insulation.

Then, mold was discovered at the 3rd floor under the common roof. This remediation required extensive coordination with the Board.

The burnt timbers were treated with an architectural fire-retardant and intumescent primer, then structurally reinforced.

View from inside a building showing an open window with a clear blue sky and cityscape with trees and rooftops outside. Inside, a man is working near the window, with a piece of equipment next to the window.

Heavy restrictions for deliveries and the building’s location on a major Chicago thoroughfare required early morning cranes to place materials through the windows flanked with stained glass.

Interior of a house under renovation with two men working near a window, stained glass panels, construction tools, and materials.
Two men kneel on a wooden floor installing flooring, with one wearing a face mask and the other assisting. They are working near a fireplace and tools are nearby.
Corner of a room with beige walls and hardwood flooring, with visible scuff marks and dust near the baseboards.

We were tasked with restoring the original hardwood staircase in situ. The existing condition of the treads were not level or plumb.

Image of an indoor construction site with stairs, electrical cords, and boxes

The craftsmanship for the staircase required trim carpenters, hardwood flooring specialists, and drywall technicians.

Wooden staircase with dark brown steps and matching handrail, viewed from the bottom looking upwards, with cream-colored walls.
A photo of stained glass windows with colorful floral designs, seen from indoors through a partially opened window with a screen and wooden framing, with a view of a sky with clouds outside.

The staircase installed.

Restoring the historic stained glass windows with hand-crafted mouldings.

Exacting detail with thoughtful intent is the hallmark of Integro’s work.

Ally giving the electricians a break and assembling the 125-piece bedroom chandelier.

Restoring and replicating individual hardwood flooring pieces for continuity on all floors and intentional transition details between materials.

Another early morning crane delivery!

Close-up of a stack of wooden blocks on a gray surface with a blurry person and objects in the background.
The image shows a set of unfinished wooden stairs with visible wear, scuffs, and chipped paint, leading upward. The surrounding wall is plain drywall with some visible drywall screws and patches.

Precise measurements for drywall to protrude over the existing staircase treads to create a perfect line.

The custom fabricated handrail millwork detail.

Woman standing on a red ladder, adjusting a modern pendant light fixture with multiple white, disc-shaped shades hanging from a black frame, in a room with a gray wall.
Close-up of a white wooden corner molding or baseboard next to a white wall with some dirt and damage at the bottom, and a black tiled floor with some debris and scuffs, with a person in sneakers and black socks in the blurred background.

— PROJECT IMAGERY

Living room with white walls, large windows with stained glass accents, a modern chandelier, built-in shelves, a beige sofa, a dark armchair with orange pillows, and various plants.
A spacious living room with a large cream-colored sectional sofa adorned with various patterned throw pillows. A wooden coffee table with books and a tray is in front of the sofa. There are multiple lamps providing soft lighting, and a framed vintage
A modern kitchen with white cabinets, a white kitchen island, and wooden lower cabinets, with pendant lights hanging from the ceiling and a chandelier, dark hardwood floors, and a plant on the countertop.
Kitchen with white upper and tall cabinets, dark wooden lower cabinets, and a countertop with a beige textured backsplash. There is a sink with a modern faucet.
A bathroom vanity with a white quartz countertop, a rectangular undermount sink, and wood cabinetry with dark brown, wood grain pattern. Above the sink, there is a round, vintage-style sculpture and a starfish-shaped dish on the counter. The wall beh
Modern bathroom vanity with a large mirror, dark wood cabinets, white countertop, three decorative vases, black faucets, and a view into a bedroom with a couch and curtains.
Modern glass-enclosed shower with a rainfall showerhead and a handheld shower in a bathroom with light-colored tiles and a patterned accent wall.
Interior view of a bright, modern kitchen or living space with a skylight, window, and dark hardwood floors.
A modern bedroom with large windows, blue and white patterned curtains, a white upholstered bed, a blue armchair with an ottoman, a small round table with decorative items, green potted plant, and a contemporary white chandelier hanging from the ceil
A modern bedroom with large windows, blue and beige patterned curtains, a light green armchair with a throw pillow, a bedside table with books, a ceiling light fixture with white discs, and a bed with a white quilt.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Nick Provost

PRACTICE AREA

A close-up of a section of a quarterback football helmet with a red and white color scheme and the word "Reveal" on the faceguard.

Custom Residential & Remediation

A residence like this one is decided long before the finishes arrive, in how clearly a builder reads what an old building is willing to show and what it is keeping back. Integro restored an 1895 landmark to a luxury residence and treated its hidden failures — fire, water, and mold — as the first order of work, never the last surprise.

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