A couple of empty nesters wanted to makeover their condo in the heart of Lincoln Park with spectacular views of the Park, Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan. The goal was to make the compact space feel spacious for entertaining clients and friends and comfortable for relaxing day or night.

“From the moment you open the door to the space you are surrounded by the beautiful view of the city and we wanted to bring that luxury inside,” said Normandy Designer Chris Ebert. “It became the focus of the renovation; a pied-a-terre in the heart of the Windy City.”

“The size of the space was a bit challenging because the condo was in a multi-family building and we couldn’t change the footprint so most everything had to remain in its original location,” added Chris. “I definitely had to get creative in order to give them the relaxing master suite they were looking for.”

The original master bathroom was so small it was almost unusable. But, we were able to utilize a small hallway closet just off the master bedroom, adding it to the bathroom space and giving it a few much needed feet. Removing the tub and replacing it with a walk in shower and bench with a partial glass enclosure made the bathroom seem larger and gave us more room to work with. We installed a rain head with a goose neck and handheld faucet to control the water splashes.

“The console vanity also gave the feeling of openness, and to provide some counter space, we tiled the bottom of the vanity mirror with an oversized marble chair rail giving them a 3” deep ledge for toiletries,” added Chris. “We also added a tall storage cabinet in the corner by moving the door to the bedroom down slightly. Both doors leading to the bath are frosted glass to take advantage of all that natural light.”

The bedroom also needed additional storage because of the loss of part of the hall closet, so it made sense to design custom built-ins to function as night stands as well as dressers on each side of the bed.  The beauty of this is that we installed separate switches so each side can control a sconce over their own tall bookshelf as well as hidden can lighting over each pillow. The room opens up into the living room so we installed double frosted glass pocket doors for privacy and more natural light.

“This couple loves to bring people into their space for the first time,” Chris said. “It is so unexpected that we were able to incorporate so much into a compact space that their reactions are so enjoyable,”  “It is usually a jaw-dropping experience and the homeowners  are thrilled with their oasis in the sky.”

Your mater suite doesn’t have to be large to be luxurious.  If you are looking to remodel your master bedroom or bathroom or contemplating more extensive changes to your home, you can set up a time with Chris to talk about the possibilities. You can also learn more about additions, kitchens or other remodeling projects at an upcoming workshop. Check out the photo gallery or follow Normandy Remodeling on Facebook and Instagram for even more home tips and inspiration.