Vintage Condominium Apartment

This 5,500 sq. ft. vintage residence occupies a 1928 Benjamin Marshall building on Chicago's gracious East Lake Shore Drive. When we first encountered the apartment, it had suffered from an earlier renovation that ignored the elegance of the original architecture, leaving spaces and openings out of proportion with the building's historic character. The owner, an entrepreneur and acclaimed film producer, came to us with three essential requests: a screening room for viewing his dailies, a generous exercise room, and a design that felt neither too modern nor too traditional.

At the core of the apartment was an extraordinary enfilade of library, living, and dining rooms, each offering sweeping views of Lake Shore Drive and Lake Michigan. This sequence became the foundation for a new design vocabulary inspired by the Parisian apartments of Jean-Michel Frank in the 1930s, interiors that were sparse yet luxurious, modern yet deeply refined.

Craftsmanship guided every decision. Walls and ceilings were paneled in figured sycamore and mahogany. Natural vellum squares introduced a warm, tactile softness. Etched glass doors were framed in intricate nickel silver. Throughout, the furnishings formed an eclectic but carefully curated collection spanning 1790 to 1996, creating a dialogue between eras that felt intentional, balanced, and quietly opulent.

The result is a home that immerses its owner in a sense of timeless elegance, a space where restraint and richness coexist effortlessly. As Architectural Digest noted in its feature on the project, “Architects love process, interior designers love acquisition; Scott Himmel loves both.”