Gold Coast Condo Kitchen

This Chicago Gold Coast condo kitchen had a logistical challenge before we even got to the fun part: getting a modern-sized fridge into a historic building with impossibly tight staircases. The solution? A crane. Worth it, because the fridge needed to be panel-ready and perfectly concealed within a meticulously designed wall that includes a hidden breakfast bar. The kitchen sits in an early 1900s condo, so we worked with Ratia Construction to lean into what would've felt right for that period — tiled walls, marble countertops, a rich walnut work table at the center—while mixing in modern custom cabinetry from Creative Woods Inc. and playful choices in the dry bar. It's a nod to history without being literal about it. Kitchens from that era were made up of furniture pieces rather than built-ins all around, so the central table grounds the space and gives it that collected feel. The client wanted natural stone, which became our starting point. We found a dramatic slab and built the rest of the design around it. The real showstopper is the vintage mid-century chandelier over the work table—vintage lighting has a way of anchoring a space and making it feel one-of-a-kind. This kitchen balances historic callbacks with modern function, and every detail was custom-designed to feel intentional, eclectic, and original.