![South Loop home and studio by Collective Office](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/08/south-loop-home-studio-collective-office-renovation-chicago-illinois-usa_dezeen_2364_hero-852x479.jpg)
Collective Office founder converts Chicago factory into his apartment and studio
Chicago architect Jeff Klymson has designed a home for himself inside an old industrial building in the city, while reserving the ground floor for the studio of his firm Collective Office.
The office-cum-residence is located in Chicago's South Loop neighbourhood, inside a former factory built in 1889.
![South Loop home and studio by Collective Office](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/08/south-loop-home-studio-collective-office-renovation-chicago-illinois-usa_dezeen_2364_col_16-852x529.jpg)
The project involved the adaptive re-use of the small industrial building into a studio for Collective Office on the ground floor, and a three-bedroom apartment for its founder upstairs.
Principal Jeff Klymson undertook the conversion with his partner Sarah, who is also an architect and interior designer.
![South Loop home and studio by Collective Office](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/08/south-loop-home-studio-collective-office-renovation-chicago-illinois-usa_dezeen_2364_col_7-852x578.jpg)
Together they overhauled the deteriorating structure, adding new timber floors upstairs, as well as custom woodwork and white walls to brighten the space.
The two-storey brick building features a narrow floor plan, with the levels connected by two stairwells: one at the front entrance, and the other to the rear of the studio.
![South Loop home and studio by Collective Office](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/08/south-loop-home-studio-collective-office-renovation-chicago-illinois-usa_dezeen_2364_col_8-852x852.jpg)
On the upper floor, a focal point of the redesign is a courtyard for the residence, positioned between a living room and a library, and accessed through sliding glass doors.
Bedrooms are located at each end, with a third room near a galley-style kitchen. A combination of dark wood and white cabinets, marble counters and gold fixtures feature in the cooking area.
![South Loop home and studio by Collective Office](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/08/south-loop-home-studio-collective-office-renovation-chicago-illinois-usa_dezeen_2364_col_5-852x949.jpg)
Lightwood chevron-patterned floors, white walls and a grey-toned palette are found throughout the apartment. Hints of red and yellow are used on upholstery, along with other colourful decor.
Artwork and furnishings by well-known designers and local artists feature prominently, reflecting the couple's passion for design.
![South Loop home and studio by Collective Office](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/08/south-loop-home-studio-collective-office-renovation-chicago-illinois-usa_dezeen_2364_col_1-852x852.jpg)
A black Kristalia Sushi table in the dining room is surrounded by six Eiffel Eames chairs – four in moulded white plastic and two in wire. Overhead is a black, two-arm light fixture by French midcentury designer Serge Mouille.
Other pieces include a walnut credenza by American designer George Nelson, a series by Shepard Fairey in the hallway, and work by fine arts students at School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).
![South Loop home and studio by Collective Office](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/08/south-loop-home-studio-collective-office-renovation-chicago-illinois-usa_dezeen_2364_col_13-852x568.jpg)
Downstairs, the architecture studio for Collective Office has polished concrete floors, a black feature wall, and white tables.
Much of the ground floor is an open-plan workspace, with a small kitchen and two bathrooms located in the middle of the building. At the rear is a one-car garage and a separate meeting space.
![South Loop home and studio by Collective Office](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/08/south-loop-home-studio-collective-office-renovation-chicago-illinois-usa_dezeen_2364_col_21-852x479.jpg)
Also in Chicago, architect Matt Nardella turned an abandoned bodega into his home and a studio for his firm Moss, which similarly arranged around a courtyard.
![South Loop home and studio by Collective Office](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/08/south-loop-home-studio-collective-office-renovation-chicago-illinois-usa_dezeen_2364_col_17-852x852.jpg)
Other conversion projects in the city include a headquarters for hat maker Optimo based in a former firehouse by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and the Proxy restaurant housed in an old print factory by Meyer Davis.
Photography is by Mike Schwartz.