Tour a Warm and Inviting Loft in Chicago

When Laura and Charles Tribbett bought their loft in Chicago’s trendy Fulton Market area, the 3,300-square-foot industrial space had very few walls — and even less personality. “We bought it from a bachelor. The story is that he had a half-pipe skateboard ramp inside the apartment!” says Laura, an interior designer. She used her professional know-how to carve out a floor plan with dedicated spaces for eating, entertaining and sleeping, all while making it a place for her growing family to thrive. (The couple has had two girls since buying the home in 2017.) “You have to get creative to make rooms with 15-foot ceilings and gigantic windows feel cozy, but we are all so happy and comfortable here,” she says.

The couple loves entertaining, so a built-in bar was a must; Ann Sacks glass tiles add sparkle to the back. They reupholstered West Elm chairs in performance faux leather to make a toddler-proof seating area (kids are welcome here!) and warmed up the whole space with seagrass-like Phillip Jeffries wallpaper and fireplace logs, stored on a bookshelf from Wayfair.

“Charles and I both love blue, so this was an easy decision,” says Laura of the custom-color Omega cabinetry. The Kelly Wearstler pendants had to be modified with a chain because the ceiling was too high for the rods — loft problems! The metal barstools from Amazon add a pop of red, and they wipe clean, so Laura says she’s keeping them until the girls grow up.

This eating area, which is open to the kitchen and living room, has the best views in the apartment, and the minimal Mitzi chandelier is perfect because it doesn’t block the window. “When we have friends over, we make sure they get the seats facing the skyline,” Laura says.