A Funky Apartment Up in the Clouds

Think bigger. That was the advice designers Steve Somogyi and Filip Malyszko suggested to a recently married couple about the redesign of their new apartment in a 10-year-old building with expansive skyline views in the bustling West Loop. “They initially brought us in just to decorate,” Malyszko says of the revamp, “but they were so young and hip, and the place had so much potential, that we really wanted to make it spectacular.”

Bringing in builder John Wozniak—who worked on the initial development of the unit with FitzGerald Associates Architects, the firm that also served as the architect of record for the renovation—Somogyi and Malyszko carved out a space from the unnecessarily large laundry room, creating a much larger master bathroom with spa-like amenities, as requested by the wife, a busy physician. “I have a stressful job and enjoy taking time for a steam shower,” she explains. “It’s so nice to have all of these comforts.”

Although the scope of the project ballooned far beyond their early intentions, the owners are thrilled with the results of their new abode. “Steve and Filip pushed our limits, but we’re so happy we did this with them,” the wife says. “My husband’s style and my style were pretty divergent, but this place marries it together in ways we never expected. As I walk through the house, it makes me smile.”

—Tate Gunnerson