Tour a Warm and Inviting Loft in Chicago
This couple turned a cold, industrial space into a cozy family home. It's a wonderful loft!

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Photo By: Adam Albright
Photo By: Adam Albright
Photo By: Adam Albright
Photo By: Adam Albright
Photo By: Adam Albright
Photo By: Adam Albright
Photo By: Adam Albright
Photo By: Adam Albright
Photo By: Adam Albright
Photo By: Adam Albright
The Story
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 Living Room
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.
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The Kitchen
“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.
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The Dining Room
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.
The Family Room
After searching for a sectional to anchor the window side of the room, Laura landed on this oversize one from Crate & Barrel, upholstered in a durable two-tone poly blend. “It’s the most forgiving thing I’ve ever purchased,” she says. The girls love cruising around the ottoman, from Article; it doubles as a coffee table.
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The Main Bedroom
The original space was so large that the Tribbetts were able to turn it into their sleeping quarters and the nursery. Laura chose dark green for the walls (Salamander by Benjamin Moore) and a navy upholstered bed from Article to make the airy room feel more intimate.
The Nursery
Because Laura loves designing kids’ spaces, creating one for her own girls was a treat. “We didn’t know what we were having, so we kept the paint and decor neutral,” she says. The gallery wall features some family favorites, like a paddle from Augusta National Golf Club (Charles is a golfer).
The Guest Room
Laura and Charles like to read in here, but for overnight guests, they scoot the rounded green Crate & Barrel chairs and HD Buttercup ottoman to the side and pull out the sofa bed. (Sheets are stored in the credenza.) An accent wall painted Ambler Slate by Benjamin Moore complements the inky York Wallcoverings paper.
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The Bathroom
Laura, who’s obsessed with plants, fell in love with this fiddle-leaf fig pattern by Khristian A. Howell while designing her wedding invites. “Khristian decided to make it in a wallpaper, so I had to have it!” says Laura. The eye chart–inspired MN print is an homage to Minnesota, where she grew up.
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The Mudroom
Laura designed this spot for the girls’ growing collection of shoes and scooters. Wallpaper (the same as the living room) and trim (painted Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore) make the space look polished “even when it’s a mess,” she says. The upper shelves are sheets of melamine from The Home Depot, mounted with fun industrial brackets from Etsy.