Contrasting, Comfy Industrial Style in Chicago

Name:Dave and Mollie Code
Location:West Loop — Chicago, Illinois
Size:2,300 square feet
Years lived in:1 years

Tall ceilings, brick walls, sleek surfaces—this raw, industrial-style space is the home of Dave and Mollie Code. They runStudio Codetogether, a development firm based in Chicago with the goal of restoring the historic elements of homes while also creating functioning spaces. Their Chicago condo stylishly represents their company’s goals and their comfortable, modern tastes.

Mollie writes intheir house call:

“My husband Dave and I have lived in this space for a little over a year. Prior to moving in we did an entire gut rehab of the space. The condo was originally a factory that was later converted to residential condos (imagine maple cabinets and dark granite counter tops).

We wanted our renovation to showcase the amazing bones of the space so we chose a lot of contrasting materials—cool gray kitchen, white walls, bleached floors to contrast with the warm timber and brick.

We loved the process of collaborating together on the design and have been discussing doing more rehab ever since. We recently took the leap and foundedStudio Code, a small architect-led development firm.”

Our Style:I like to think it is comfortable yet intentional. While I draw inspiration from many design movements, the thing I love most in a space is contrast, whether its contrast in color, texture, or style. I’m drawn to unexpected pairings, like mixing a rough barn table with sleek Danish chairs. While I don’t always have a grand vision for a space, I try to only include things that are either sentimental or that I love.

Inspiration:I draw a lot of my inspiration from other architects’ work and from design blogs, particularly Scandinavian blogs. I love stalking my favorite designers’ Pinterest pages! We are also lucky to be in the West Loop in Chicago, where there are inspiring examples of both old and new buildings.

Favorite Element:We love spending time on the rooftop. There is such a small window of opportunity to be outside in Chicago that we take full advantage when we can!

Biggest Challenge:The biggest challenge for us was to bring out the real beauty of the space. The condo was originally a factory that was later converted to residential condos (imagine maple cabinets and dark granite counter tops). We wanted our renovation to showcase the amazing bones of the space so we chose a lot of contrasting materials – cool gray kitchen, white walls, bleached floors to contrast with the warm timber and brick.

What Friends Say:Most people really respond to the view! It is an unusual view of Chicago – it looks west and is very industrial. I love that it reveals a whole different side of the city that most people never experience.

Biggest Embarrassment:The laundry/mud room – it isn’t pictured here because we stash all our clutter in there and it’s usually a complete disaster.

Proudest DIY:不是一个真正的DIY,但我喜欢水彩画there are several of my paintings around the house. My favorite is the large painting of Santa Costanza in Rome in our entryway.

Biggest Indulgence:Our biggest indulgence is probably our most recent – the dining room table and chairs. We agonized over the decision for months and returned many options. We finally decided to splurge and we love the result!

Best Advice:Foster the ability to self-edit your belongings. Dave and I try to keep only those belongings that are useful, meaningful to us or truly beautiful.

Dream Sources:My favorite sources and companies are those that have handcrafted products, these are some of my favorites:Hedge House Furniture,The Watermark CollectionandThe Commons.

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