Back to News

Excerpt from:

The Rehab of a Ukranian Village Loft is Just What the Doctor Ordered

By Lisa Cregan. Lisa Cregan, a Lake Forest writer, is a frequent Magazine contributor
Published October 23, 2005

…..on the shape of the new kitchen island.

"It looks like a bird taking flight," architect Bill Rodon-Hornof insists.

Rodon-Hornof, who has many clients in the neighborhood, says Chicago's Near Northwest Side is a neighborhood in transition, its wide lots attracting renovation, single-family home construction and new residents who are sophisticated about architecture.

The tri-level loft that the couple chose rambles over an expansive 3,500 square feet and has another 1,100 square feet of rooftop terrace. There are beautiful views of the Chicago skyline and a 19th-Century brick facade wrapping around a courtyard containing a Japanese-inspired communal garden. The only glitch was that the former industrial space had been converted into its 20-condo units in the early '90s and it felt a little tired.

"The place needed a face-lift," says Rodon-Hornof, who quickly enlisted his wife, Colette, his partner in 2RZ Architecture and Construction, into the project. Incredibly, it took only eight months to finish. You can wait longer than that for a Toyota Prius.

Stepping inside the front door, it is clear the '90s have been exorcised. A glistening partial wall, constructed from two overlapping panes of translucent glass, separates the entryway from the dining room. "Your eye goes to the left, and you know something is behind that glass. It piques your curiosity," says Michael. "To make the glass free-standing in that spot took a lot of engineering," says Colette.

2RZ conceived a breathtaking open central living area that is contemporary, but not in a hard-edged way. The cozy, bare-brick walls and Douglas fir beams were preserved from the original renovation.

"A lot of the things we put into the loft are actually in contrast to the brick and Douglas fir, like the dark-stained cabinets in the kitchen," says Rodon-Hornof. "We wanted to showcase the contrast." His philosophy is that placing strikingly dissimilar materials in close proximity catches the eye and creates beauty. For instance, in the master bath, glass tile is juxtaposed against natural river rock. The loft's overall design feels like Miami Modern as interpreted by Ralph Lauren.