Stunning water views drew Steve Joung and Dana Guo to their high rise apartment in Chicago. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrap the entire unit, and every room has a view of either Lake Michigan or the Chicago River. The couple renovated the conventional inside, enhancing the home’s existing components with their fresh, personal style.
in a Glance
Who lives here: Steve Joung and Dana Guo
Location: Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago
Size: 2,170 square feet; 3 bedrooms; 3 baths
That is interesting: Guo setup a mock photo booth and took images of herself and Joung to make oversize photo-strip art.
Cynthia Lynn Photography
The hardwood flooring throughout the apartment were refinished with a dark ebony stain. A blue-green chaise adds a jolt of color to the delicate white walls. While the living area contains a Lucite coffee table out of CB2, Guo fantasies of substituting it one day with a classic Lucite version from Roche Bobois.
Sofa: Arhaus; chaise: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; seat: Walter E. Smithe; lamp: Z Gallerie
Cynthia Lynn Photography
The couple worked with a general contractor from ConstructionRex to add a peek-through space from the living room into the dining area. The pub sits just above the bar in the dining area, so people seated at the breakfast table can feel like they’re part of this action.
Breakfast table: Crate & Barrel; chairs: Arhaus
Cynthia Lynn Photography
“Given our panoramic view of the lake, we didn’t want the inside of the home to compete with the view outside,” Guo says. “All of the colours we selected are subdued and gentle; they blend nicely with the scenery outside.”
The mantel and built-in bookshelves are first to the home. The double French doors to the right of the fireplace, part of this renovation, improve the flow from room to room. The third bedroom became a study.
Cynthia Lynn Photography
The couple recently splurged with this custom built-in bookshelf from the study. Lighter colors emphasise this room; Languid Blue by Sherwin-Williams accents the colours of this lake just outside the windows.
Desk: Horchow; couch: Walter E. Smithe; coffee table: West Elm
Cynthia Lynn Photography
The hallway from the living area connects the home office, guest room and master bedroom.
When choosing additional elements to furnish the home, Guo went for a French resort texture. Multiple frames full of classic Parisian images adorn the hallway. A large-scale version of a photo booth film strip hangs in the end of the hall. Guo made this by setting up her own mock photo booth. She wrote tight photos of herself and Joung and printed them all on a single large canvas to make a larger-than-life replica of an old fashioned favorite.
Cynthia Lynn Photography
The foyer serves as the primary artery of the home, connecting the bedrooms, office, living area, dining and kitchen room. The entryway is one of those few rooms at the device painted in a darker hue: Turkish Coffee by Sherwin-Williams. A framed mirror and console dining table, which Dana painted glossy white, contrast with the espresso-colored walls. A chandelier overhead offers extra lighting.
The embellished mosaic tile in the foyer is the only original flooring that Joung and Guo maintained. They left it due to the renovation challenges that removal could have introduced.
Bench: Ethan Allen
Cynthia Lynn Photography
Guo added a full-size mirror to the dining room wall to open up the space. For the identical reason, the couple chose a simple, sleek dining table with a glass top. Four creamy tufted chairs and a bench on the window side provide ample seating. “My proudest homeowner moment was when we invited each one of the family over for dinner the first time in our new place,” Guo says.
Paint: Marooned, Sherwin-Williams; dining place: Z Gallerie
Cynthia Lynn Photography
Green accents, such as an espresso machine, scatter the dining area and kitchen. Guo feels most at home in the dining area. “I do a lot of work from the table rather than this office. The dining area gets tons of light throughout the day and also has a view of both the Chicago River and Lake Michigan,” she says.
The granite countertops and stainless steel appliances came from the last homeowners, but Guo and Joung fully repainted the cabinets and added new light.
Kitchen backsplash: Porcelanosa porcelain tiles
Cynthia Lynn Photography
A simple espresso-colored wood furniture collection works perfectly in the guest bedroom. This area includes a direct, unobstructed view of Navy Pier outside. The couple wanted to make this very simple guest space feel like a beautiful hotel room.
Cynthia Lynn Photography
The master bedroom features stunning views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrap the space, and sunlight pours in all day long. The couple enjoys the luxury of watching the sun rise from their own bedroom.
A linen-covered armchair and patterned chest improve the classic Parisian feel, and a vignette of glossy white frames hangs out of a corner column. A framed photo from the couple’s wedding day sits on a side table.
Cynthia Lynn Photography
Guo’s beloved designer isKelly Wearstler, and she tried to apply Wearstler’s aesthetic during the space. “I like her fresh, glamorous and daring style,” she says. In the master bedroom, mirrored nightstands flank a tufted headboard out of Ethan Allen. The couple chose fabric background to accentuate the French resort vibe.
Cynthia Lynn Photography
The conventional master bath was the only space the couple didn’t remodel, but it is next on the list. “We want to completely redo the master bathroom to change it from the current traditional design into a more contemporary, Japanese-inspired design,” Guo says. “I would like the master bathroom to have a more serene, tranquil and spalike feel” The couple made only a few straightforward changes in the meantime: a new paint color, light fixtures and a Parisian print above the bathtub.
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