A 1920s Chicago Penthouse Gets a Family-Focused Revival
Craig & Company renovated an 8,000-square-foot 1920s penthouse duplex in Chicago's Gold Coast Historic District over 22 months. The project removed walls to create open living spaces, added an eat-in kitchen, a terrace, and a mudroom, while preserving original Art Deco details. Pocket doors and French doors allow flexible separation between rooms.
The 22-month project involved removing walls that separated the original narrow kitchen, a disused service kitchen, and the formal dining room. A solarium added in the 1960s or 1970s was replaced with a family room and terrace, doubling the home's outdoor space. The contractor obtained a separate demolition permit, allowing work to begin while construction documents were still being finalized, which helped uncover unknown conditions inside the historic walls sooner.
Original Art Deco features were carefully retained, including 15-foot ceilings, paneling, and crown moldings in the living room, where a television is concealed behind mirrored panels. A laylight above the new kitchen island echoes the original entry feature. Pocket doors with hand-painted wallpaper and French doors allow rooms to open into a sun-filled enfilade or close off for privacy, supporting gatherings of any scale.
This renovation could serve as a reference point for homeowners and designers tackling historic properties, demonstrating that modern family needs and preservation can coexist. The project may influence how other teams approach similar challenges—balancing open-plan living with period character while upgrading mechanical systems. Families in older urban homes could benefit from seeing that thoughtful design can adapt historic spaces to contemporary lifestyles without sacrificing authenticity, potentially encouraging more sensitive renovations in historic districts.