apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

About the Sculptural Rooftop + Urban Garden:

• Penthouse condo concept: a calming space with textured landscaping


• Outdoor kitchen with dining area and bar, cove seating areas, a lounge area with pergola, a private sundeck, and open space large enough for entertaining


• Frosted Plexiglas risers on the steps (serve as night lights too)


• River birches and drought tolerant plants, such as grasses, sedums, and native prairie flowers, were selected for their beauty, texture, and their ability to survive the unique microclimate of an urban roof deck. These eco-friendly plants also absorb rainwater runoff and require minimal maintenance.

For the bathrooms at a different Chicago residence, the client and dSPACE loved glass tile at Ann Sacks, but with a prohibitive cost, they shopped around and came up with nearly identical tile for 75% less! This allowed the client to instead splurge on Dornbracht and Jado faucets and minimalist lighting...

In general, the bathrooms include (in Kevin's own words):

• Perimeter energy efficient cove lighting for dramatic floating ceiling plane effect.


• There is a practical reason for the perimeter ceiling cove: allowed for hidden (concealed) exhaust fans in both bathrooms (located up inside the cove side wall) - out of sight!


• Glass shower doors - custom frameless! (no aluminum exposed track at head or sill!) - the track was buried in the ceiling dry wall and the stone slab sill. makes for a very clean design


• Very small (reasonable sq ft) footprint in both bathrooms - these photos show what you can do with the average size bathroom.


• Custom quarter sawn walnut throughout


• Floating vanities in both bathrooms


• Spanish Marble on all walls and floors - uniform and restrained look


• Matching stone slab at tub surround, base trim, shower curb, vanity countertops


• Design continuity by using the same stone, wood, faucets, sinks in both bathrooms


• Design interest added by using different glass tile in each bathroom


• Beautiful small square down lights with trimless installation! Great scale for a bathroom ceiling.

Master Bath:

• Custom walnut doors with frosted glass inserted in 2" thick walnut wood portals


• Custom walnut floating vanity (unique shallow depth to reduce the scale and increase the floor space in the master bathroom)


• Floating mirror with integrated (frameless) mirror medicine cabinet


• Structural concrete columns were treated at a design opportunity not a design obstacle-we put a faux cabinet door over one column and then put full length mirrors on the column and back of cabinet door for a 2-sided dressing mirror.


• Custom mix 1x8 glass mosaic tiles in the master bath (3 color)


• This mosaic glass is strategically placed on only the east walls and is located in the same plane (used in two locations: shower wall and behind the mirror).


• Custom wall of cabinetry with asymmetrical display niche = lots of storage & open display niche

2nd Bath:

• 4x12 glass tiles in the 2nd bath


• Custom quartered walnut wall panel "wrap" with 2 shelves


• Walnut wrap continues "behind" full height mirror - It turns a 90 degree corner, and is then recessed into the side wall to accept a hand towel bar.


• Minimalist pendant light above lavatory


• Integrated (frameless) mirror medicine cabinet

(Thanks, Kevin! Visit dSPACE online.)

Images: Evan Thomas