Alison Victoria Turns a Massive Commercial Warehouse into Her Parisian-Style Dream Home

Step inside Alison Victoria's $1.2 million dollar masterpiece with French sensibilities. The renovated industrial warehouse project is the Windy City Rehab host's most ambitious undertaking yet.

August 09, 2023

By: Mariah Bowers

Show: Windy City Rehab

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Alison's American-in-Paris Aesthetic

When the lease to her Chicago apartment was up without the option to renew, Windy City Rehab designer Alison Victoria found herself in a precarious position. Just when she thought it might be time to pack up and leave town, the answer to her dilemma came by way of a 6,250-square-foot warehouse she used as an office for her design business. Built in 1927, the commercial space's sweeping 16-foot ceilings and vast rooms were the perfect blank canvas for a one-of-a-kind, Parisian-inspired home-office hybrid for Alison to take clients by day and live her best life by night. "The goal is never having to leave home," she says.

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From: Alison Victoria

Making it Work

But getting to the dream was no easy feat: Alison spent 10 months living out of luggage and making high-stakes decisions to get this $1.2 million dollar renovation across the finish line. With all the hard work and uncertainty behind her, feast your eyes on her Francophile-approved work of art. One look at this old-world, European courtyard and it's clear: This arduous remodel, captured in Windy City Rehab: Alison's Dream Home, was well worth the stress. Antique chairs sourced from a restaurant in Paris coordinate with custom planter boxes holding 8-foot-tall olive trees. Original bowstring trusses bring the eye upward for more historic charm.

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From: Alison Victoria

A Senti-Mantel Piece

When she decided to put her Atlanta loft on the market to help fund this seven-figure renovation, Alison knew she couldn't leave behind this opulent "McMantel" that adds grandiose structure to the cozy ambiance of her new family room.

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From: Alison Victoria

A Stone Muse

This marble sink is a dream fulfilled for the longtime designer. Antique, earthy veining prompts memories of worn cafe tables along cobblestone streets and also takes form in floating shelves, a waterfall edge island and a cabinet niche crafted from the sumptuous slab.

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From: Alison Victoria

Double the Ovens, Double the Design

A palatial brass hood and 60-inch double range balances separate fridge-freezer columns. "Bringing green [into my designs] is so important to me ... it just exudes calmness and happiness and life and energy," she says.

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From: Alison Victoria

It's Always Sunny in Alison's Dream Home

Six petite replicas join the warehouse's original 80-foot pyramid skylight to bounce light off of the atrium's black-and-white honed marble floor all day long.

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From: Alison Victoria

Spool Season

It's sunbathing weather all year round when your spa-like pool or "spool" (coined by Alison) is located in a one-of-a-kind climate controlled courtyard. Heated bistro floors and midcentury loungers reupholstered in a sherpa fabric invite guests to stay awhile.

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From: Alison Victoria

Built-in Luxury

Wall-to-wall onyx cabinets complete with a library ladder (repurposed from a former office) ensure there will be no shortage of storage — or good conversation — in the dining room.

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From: Alison Victoria

A Toast to Ari

This 15-foot-tall custom bar gilded with antiqued brass and mirror accents is actually a grand farewell for Alison's longtime carpenter, Ari Smejkal. He announced his retirement to Alison during its reveal.

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From: Alison Victoria

A Nod to Sin City Living

Taking a note from her Las Vegas home's main suite, lofty arched shelving flanks the marble mantel (sourced in Paris, of course) and dresses up the gas fireplace with drama. Antique doors outfitted with custom mosaic glass add a touch of glam.

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From: Alison Victoria

Remixing Old and New

Luxe aged marble countertop (also used in the kitchen) and plastered storage niches built into the walls complement sleek modern cabinets with brass hardware that will patina with age.

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From: Alison Victoria

Old-World Wet Room

No shower curtain or squeegee required in this dreamy walk-in wet room. A natural stone wall cements an old European setting for the plaster free-standing tub and shower niches.

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From: Alison Victoria