Enlightenment

Visual continuity has always been a way to provide a seamless, coordinated interior and it's a particularly good approach to take when designing a large apartment.

In this new Chicago condo, architects William Massey and David Hoffman introduced walnut cabinetry through the main living areas, but opted for a softer look for the master suite.

"The antechamber between the bedroom and bathroom is paneled in beechwood, which provides a real change in the character," says Massey. "The beech has a softer, more uniform look than the walnut, which makes it very soothing. But it still has a richness and is a similar wood to what you might find in a vintage apartment building."

The beech extends to built-in furniture in the master bedroom, including cabinets, shelves and window surrounds. Angled walls open up the bedroom, creating plenty of room for a casual seating area.

"As the room has an irregular shape, we chose to widen the space from the entrance towards the view rather than force the perspective," says Massey.

The material palette continues in the bathroom, where a beech vanity echoes the sleek, uncluttered lines of the cabinetry elsewhere in the apartment. The cabinet features small, delicate metal pulls.

"We could have reinforced the horizontality of the vanity with long, heavy metal handles on the drawers, but we chose small Nanz pulls that are more like fine little pieces of jewelry," says Massey.

The designers also opted for a non-standard vanity top a ¾-inch-deep back-painted glass surface, which catches the light to provide visual depth.

Massey says the colors in the bathroom were inspired by the furnishings and rugs in the apartment. The walls feature celadon-colored glass tiles, which also bounce light and provide reflectivity.

"This was particularly important as there is no natural light in this room."

The central feature, however, is a large Calacatta Gold marble tub surround, which also wraps around the walls to form the sides of the toilet and shower rooms.

"We wanted to create a composition between the stonework and the glass tiles providing almost an altar-like experience," says Massey. "In introducing the various materials, however, we looked for complementary tones and hues to create a sense of harmony."

The marble has a high-honed finish, which limits glare. Massey says it also ensures the marble is not cloudy, and helps to soften the look. The floor features similarly colored Thassos marble mosaics, with Beauharnais limestone inset tiles.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes

Photography by: Jamie Cobeldick