While I’m sure you are all clamoring to see the new John Cena vehicle pulled from the depths of the comic book universe, I first invite you to scroll the equally deep catalogue of the HBO Max streaming app to see us on the 4th and latest season of ‘Where We Call Home’, premiering October 3. In episode 8, we lead you through our architect-led development project, Logan Certified in Chicago, IL. You’ll hear us spin tales of the design, construction, how we use the space, cabinet heights, soaking tubs, and Zen-style master suites. And, just how good is that pizza? You’ll also get a sneak peak of the solar powered wine cellar. Watch it right now on your HBO Max streaming service. Profanities have been edited, so the show is safely rated G for all audiences. Enjoy the show!
Why send it to the landfill when you can convert it into a live/work/designer compound? That’s what we thought when we purchased an abandoned bodega in Logan Square and transformed it into a mixed-use building that activates the street. Thanks to all at @wsjrealestate for including our renovation project in this story! Here are a few excerpts from the story:
The homes have plenty of awkward angles, windows that lack privacy and entrances that are too close to the curb. But owners love them.
In Chicago, decades-old corner stores, bars and other shops have new lives as converted residences in some of the city’s residential neighborhoods. Some boast newer renovations and standout for a mix of vintage charm and open layouts—making them a draw for buyers looking beyond new construction. Many have a smaller footprint and can cost less than homes on adjacent lots. Owners say the older brick combined with new windows make them soundproof, despite their proximity to the street.
Matt Nardella, a Chicago-based architect, says he was specifically looking for a corner store to repurpose into a live-work space. In 2016, Nardella and his wife, designer Laura Cripe, purchased an abandoned 6,000-square-foot, corner building that was once a store in the Logan Square neighborhood. The $550,000 property offered plenty of sun exposure but needed extensive work. “It was generous to call it a grocery store, by that time it was more of a liquor store that sat empty for years,” he says.
It took the couple six months to renovate initially at a cost of $350,000, including adding a second story. The space now functions as an office for their firm, Moss Design, a showroom, a small art gallery, a rental apartment and a two-bedroom home where the couple lives. They kept the vintage marquee sign that says Logan Square Food and Liquor on the exterior. Once in a while, it attracts unwanted visitors. “It happens from time to time—and they are mainly looking for liquor,” he adds. (continued in comments)…..
Link in bio for more about the design
the building. Read the complete WSJ Real Estate article via their IG link.
Photo credit: @sarastathas
Not everything here is finished rooms or curated photos; here are some real-time Bucktown renovation in progress shots. Walls opened up, plaster and drywall down to the studs, and the basement being dug out through dense Chicago clay. The excavation is no small task, with clay-like soil, tight access, and a lot of trips up and out. We’re on this project as both architect and general contractor, so design and construction stay in the same line of sight.
Demo day in Bucktown. We’re on site as construction begins on this 3-unit brick building renovation. As architect and general contractor, we’re starting below grade, breaking up the basement slab and excavating to gain additional height. Sound off unless you’re in the mood for jackhammer audio.
Construction starts this week in Bucktown. As architect and general contractor on this project, we’re renovating a 3-unit brick building. Working within the existing structure to maintain density while introducing more light, air, and access to outdoor space.
The scope includes interior and exterior improvements to the 2-story + loft + basement building, with new roof decks: one at the rear and another created through a partial roof removal on the east elevation. Projects like this are about preserving our existing housing stock without resorting to teardowns and maintaining the neighborhood’s character.
In other bird-related architectural and conservation news, because we could all use a dose of good, cute bird content 🐦
The first Piping Plovers of the season have arrived at Montrose Beach. Imani (Chicago-born, son of Monty & Rose), and Pippin of Green Bay, WI (possible nemesis…depending on how the flirting goes this year).
Back in 2021, the Montrose Dune Natural Area expanded to include more protected space for these tiny, resilient birds and the ecosystem around them. All thanks to advocates like Leslie Born, Bob Dolgan, and many others.
Back in 2019, our team at moss took on a speculative exercise: what could Montrose Beach become if we leaned further into its identity as an urban ecological edge?
We imagined:
* a nature center embedded into the landscape
* bird observation towers offering unobstructed views
* permeable pathways replacing hard paving
* rethinking of recreational zones to coexist with habitat
The idea wasn’t to “design over” the site, but to give more of it back, while creating access points for people to engage meaningfully with it.
With Montrose Beach already recognized as a national birding destination, what if we kept going? What if this continued to evolve into a world-class urban refuge, something that draws both locals and visitors, not just for the beach, but for the ecology?
Welcome back, little ones. We’re rooting for you!
→ More on our proposal + renderings at the link in bio
4th photo credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
APOTHECARY LOUNGE::: Half speakeasy, half old-world apothecary. We’ve been collaborating with our clients to design a space that fuses industrial and opulent materials. Organic textures, atmospheric lighting, and plush seating set the tone for revelry and repose. Nearing completion - check out @theapothecary_lounge for more details.
Crown House transformation continued.
The renovation blends old and new, with a restored Queen Anne envelope extended by a rear charred-wood volume that draws in light and landscape. By reworking the program and consolidating the former two-flat layout into a single-family home, the plan becomes more open and connected. Original details remain, set alongside custom millwork and refined finishes.
Photos: @soluriphoto
A glass box addition set against the existing masonry structure, establishing a clear dialogue between old and new. Above, a roof deck extends the program vertically, creating an outdoor room open to sky and canopy. #wip
CROWN HOUSE::: A house brought back together and redefined through material and form.
This Queen Anne was once split into two apartments. Now, it lives as one home again, as a connected, open space shaped around how a family moves through the day.
At the front, the facade is recalibrated: masonry restored, openings refined, entry redefined. At the rear, a new charred-wood volume extends outward, bringing light, landscape, and daily life into closer alignment.
Inside, white oak herringbone runs continuously underfoot, while custom millwork is integrated into the architecture: built-ins, storage, and library elements conceived as fixed volumes rather than applied furniture.
Upstairs, the primary suite settles into a slower pace. The bath is designed as a retreat, with Venetian plaster walls offering a soft, shifting depth, light drawn from above and diffused throughout the space. A Vermont Verde serpentine stone vanity introduces a grounded, quiet richness.
Original details remain throughout, but are held within a quieter, more intentional framework. Design details at link in bio. Photos @soluriphoto
Part of a basement renovation, this subterranean steam shower shifts in hue with the moment: soft amber to settle, deep blue to restore, a slow wash of color through vapor and stone. A quiet descent below the city, where light, steam, and color recalibrate the pace.
#wellness #spadesign #interiordesign #residentialdesign #hospitalitydesign
