LIVING AND WORKING IN STYLE

Going all white could scream minimalism with a capital M, but there’s nothing missing from the home and studio Pam Maher has created for herself in Chicago’s West Town. The timber and brick loft needed some serious TLC when the veteran designer bought it and, from the start, she knew a neutral palette was the way to go.

“I tend to live in monochromatic spaces with clean lines,” shares Maher, who gut-rehabbed the entire unit and painted all the brick and wood white. “But every interior I do is guided by the space itself. This loft felt dated and tired. I wanted to unify and modernize the space, so I chose to freshen it with all white. The rough industrial feel remains and that is a departure from the more refined homes I lived in and typically design for on the North Shore.”

Originally from a small town in southern Illinois, Maher made her home for many years in Glencoe, with her husband, David, and their two children. “David is part of a very large family,” says Maher, “and many of his siblings live on the North Shore, so we all raised our kids together, 23 nieces and nephews.” With the children grown, the Mahers decided to shake things up a bit, selling their Glencoe house and purchasing the city condo, as well as 26 wooded acres in Michigan’s Harbor Country.

While sporting 16-foot ceilings and awash in natural light, the unit—situated on the top floor of a 100-year-old building that is home to a bevy of creatives—required a deep reimagining to make it functionally and visually appealing. One of the smaller spaces in the building, it had to provide multiple work areas for Maher and her employees, as well as a comfortable living area for those times when Maher found herself staying in town for the week.

Taking advantage of the unit’s volume, Maher constructed additional levels to create dedicated zones for sleeping, working, and relaxing. She deployed cabinetry throughout to define individual spaces, as well as give herself much-needed storage. New stairs, ladders, and a catwalk not only provide access to the newly carved-out spaces but add to the dynamism of the entire interior. And because Maher had roof access, she was able to relocate mechanical systems and transform an existing utility room into a much-appreciated laundry room. Unsightly venting in the existing bathroom was mediated by painting the wall black and introducing a slatted wood detail.

The kitchen—central to any home, no matter how compact—is cast with satin finish cabinetry and porcelain counters. The sandy tone of the backsplash, composed of Zellige tile laid vertically, adds a contrasting textural rhythm and subtly references the loft’s original brick character. Two doorways and a window-wide opening in the white-painted brick wall link the living room visually to the kitchen. An intimate space made all the more cozy with a contemporary fireplace constructed of raked plaster, the living room is anchored by a table fashioned from a solid slab of wood discovered on a trip through Arizona.

Part atelier, part apartment, Maher’s city digs are well-served by her near monochromatic palette, which forms an inspiring blank canvas in which to work and a restful place in which to relax once the day is done. That overused adage, “less is more,” is too often a cover-up for a lack of inspiration or worse, overbearing austerity. But sometimes, less just makes sense. Taking in the crisp, clean, and comfortable environment Maher has created, well . . . who could ask for more?

For more information about Pam Maher Design, visit pammaherdesign.com.