Apartment with Staircase is a minimal apartment located in Chicago, Illinois, designed by Norman Kelley. A mezzanine office space is reached from the living room by a three-quarter spiral staircase. The staircase has 15 distinctively tinted wood treads and one steel stringer for support. As a result, the white oak floor on the lower level and the ebonized oak floor on the top level are seamlessly connected. A new library, kitchen, two bathrooms, and three bedrooms are included in a thorough refurbishment of the existing finishes, fixtures, and equipment. The owner’s sizable collection of modern and midcentury art and furnishings is also incorporated. The renovation includes custom furniture created by the architects, such as a set of barstools with unusual shapes, a white oak platform bed, an all-ipe shower bench designed in the style of George Nelson, and a display wall that allows multiple chairs to be suspended above a bookshelf.

Photography by Kendall McCaugherty Ristau, Sarah Crowley