Explore A Tailored Abode With Prime Chicago Views

The best homes fit their occupants like a made-to-measure suit, cut to the precise contours of how they live while reflecting their style. That’s the case with this Streeterville residence, which architectural and interior designer Kelly Adamczyk reimagined with an unabashedly seductive edge.

Perched on the 55th floor of a luxury high-rise just north of the Chicago River and near Navy Pier, the neighborhood is quintessentially Windy City. “Before the remodel, the unit was nice, but it had a traditional air. Our young clients are very fashionable, and we wanted to make it sexy and moody,” Adamczyk explains. “My wife, Devon, loves high-end fashion, and we were looking to turn a white-box condo into something that spoke of Tom Ford, Chanel and Prada,” owner Ryan Hughes says. “I wanted our home to look like what she enjoys the most and mirror what we both love about city living.”

With fashion and the urban environment in mind, Adamczyk and her team recast the corner unit as a modern retreat that’s alluring inside while embracing the city and lake views visible through its expansive windows. The glamour starts in the entry, where walls with a textured covering and dark molding meet a tray ceiling crafted with radial edges and a wide brass band. It’s an appealing backdrop for a tiered light fixture composed of brass rings and the couple’s abstract art collection. “We channeled the masculine architecture of the building,” Adamczyk says. “But we also balanced it with the feminine, including a certain softness and rounded edges.”

As with good tailoring, customization is key. An example is the sofa in the great room, a piece the designer describes as a “wow factor.” Initially, the large space was a seating challenge for the team. “The intent of the room is to serve as a place to entertain and relax,” Adamczyk notes. “We struggled to make a plan that made sense for them and came up with four different options. The winner is the most unexpected: a large, modular sofa that can be configured to suit the occasion.” The sprawling, many-sided piece spans the room and provides front-row seats to the city skyline, a place to watch TV, and a spot to lounge next to the bar. It’s joined by swivel chairs that can face the room or the view. “Ryan told me that those are his favorite seats,” Adamczyk says. “He goes there in the morning with his coffee.”

The room’s custom, 21-foot-long alpaca rug was treated with the same precision as a couture fitting. Inlaid with hammered brass, it was carefully mapped to guarantee every detail landed in the correct spot. “We taped out the rug to confirm the size was perfect and to ensure most of the brass pieces were around the sofa, not under it,” she notes. “It felt like we went over it 100 times, but that’s what you have to do with this level of personalization. Whether it was the rug, the stone details or the bespoke hardware, we made sure everything was right.”

Most of the home has a dark palette, but the dining room offers a departure. “We desired a striking space, and what better way to do that than offer a contrast,” Adamczyk says. She selected a hand-painted wallcovering that’s primarily white with black veining. It’s accented by a trio of green-hued pieces: velvet-upholstered chairs, a silk-blend rug and an artwork by Nicholas Hernandez. Above, a curvaceous alabaster light fixture provides a sculptural note. “We entertain our friends here, and we wanted them to feel like they were in the private room of one of the city’s hottest, most intimate restaurants,” Ryan says.

But for all the chic styling, there is a sense of ease, too. Fabrics are soft, surfaces are durable and plush seats promote lingering conversations. “While the home is polished and put together, what we enjoy most is how it includes warmth and comfort,” Ryan says. “The design team truly made the space feel as good as it looks.”