My Houzz: White Paint and Light Floors Transform a Chicago Loft
Fresh holiday ideas add a festive touch to a couple’s renovated Scandinavian- and industrial-style home
Jenna Jeffery Petersen and Ryan Petersen bought their loft in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood in 2016. Despite its outdated features, they could see its potential in the open floor plan, lofted ceilings and wood trim accents.
“We really had to have an open mind on being able to see what we envisioned for the unit when we first moved in,” Jenna says. “The floors were super dark, the walls and ceilings were painted a beige color, the cabinets were a darker wood, the granite was drab and outdated and the layout was very odd.”
Jenna works as a customer success manager at CareerBuilder and Ryan is co-founder and chief operating officer of arts and crafts retailer Blitsy-A.C. Moore.
Sectional: Interior Define
“We really had to have an open mind on being able to see what we envisioned for the unit when we first moved in,” Jenna says. “The floors were super dark, the walls and ceilings were painted a beige color, the cabinets were a darker wood, the granite was drab and outdated and the layout was very odd.”
Jenna works as a customer success manager at CareerBuilder and Ryan is co-founder and chief operating officer of arts and crafts retailer Blitsy-A.C. Moore.
Sectional: Interior Define
Photo by Jenna Jeffery Petersen
Before: “We immediately knew we wanted to brighten up the place and bring out its true loft potential,” Jenna says. “Our biggest issue with our new loft was how dark it was at all times of the day. It was amazing how dark it felt when it was such an open and airy space.”
The existing kitchen featured cherry cabinets, red oak floors, a dark slate tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances.
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Before: “We immediately knew we wanted to brighten up the place and bring out its true loft potential,” Jenna says. “Our biggest issue with our new loft was how dark it was at all times of the day. It was amazing how dark it felt when it was such an open and airy space.”
The existing kitchen featured cherry cabinets, red oak floors, a dark slate tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances.
Find a kitchen remodeling professional near you
After: The couple’s first project was to paint all the walls, doors and ceilings bright white. They went with Super White by Benjamin Moore. This immediately made the loft feel brighter. The homeowners kept the kitchen cabinets but repainted all of them in Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore and added brass drawer and cabinet pulls to update the look.
They got rid of the existing countertops and slate backsplash. “We ripped out all the old granite and replaced it with a white quartz countertop,” Jenna says. “We love it. It’s super durable and doesn’t come with the same worries of marble, yet we achieve a similar look.” They also used quartz for the backsplash.
Emery dipped gold leaf bar stools: Safavieh; quartz countertops and backsplash: Granite Selection
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They got rid of the existing countertops and slate backsplash. “We ripped out all the old granite and replaced it with a white quartz countertop,” Jenna says. “We love it. It’s super durable and doesn’t come with the same worries of marble, yet we achieve a similar look.” They also used quartz for the backsplash.
Emery dipped gold leaf bar stools: Safavieh; quartz countertops and backsplash: Granite Selection
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“We knew we wanted a Scandinavian whitewashed look for our floors but were told by a number of floor refinishers that there would be no way to accomplish it with our red oak floors,” Jenna says. “We aren’t very good at hearing no, [so we] decided to do some research of our own.”
The couple read online about bleaching hardwood floors to achieve the pale look they wanted. “They give plenty of warning that it’s not for the faint of heart, but we wanted what we wanted and decided we were going to give it a go. We found a floor refinisher willing to do it, and we went for it,” Jenna says. “The bad news is that it took two attempts to get it right! The good news is the floors turned out exactly how we wanted.”
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The couple read online about bleaching hardwood floors to achieve the pale look they wanted. “They give plenty of warning that it’s not for the faint of heart, but we wanted what we wanted and decided we were going to give it a go. We found a floor refinisher willing to do it, and we went for it,” Jenna says. “The bad news is that it took two attempts to get it right! The good news is the floors turned out exactly how we wanted.”
Find a local hardwood flooring professional
“Holiday decor just immediately makes us happy,” Jenna says. “It exudes positivity and warmth.” She adds, “We go big for the holidays.” Pictured here is a holiday vignette on the kitchen counter between the stove and refrigerator.
“We have inherited a number of really cool holiday pieces from Ryan’s grandmother that are sprinkled throughout our entire home,” Jenna says. “We have boxes and boxes of holiday decorations, as this is definitely our favorite time of year.”
The couple love to buy a tall (14-foot) Christmas tree for the loft. “Luckily, with our super tall ceilings we can get the biggest tree they have,” Jenna says. “Last year we were so disappointed when January came around and we had to take it all down. But it makes it that much more special when we got to put it back up this year.”
14 Easy Last-Minute Holiday Decorating Ideas
“We have inherited a number of really cool holiday pieces from Ryan’s grandmother that are sprinkled throughout our entire home,” Jenna says. “We have boxes and boxes of holiday decorations, as this is definitely our favorite time of year.”
The couple love to buy a tall (14-foot) Christmas tree for the loft. “Luckily, with our super tall ceilings we can get the biggest tree they have,” Jenna says. “Last year we were so disappointed when January came around and we had to take it all down. But it makes it that much more special when we got to put it back up this year.”
14 Easy Last-Minute Holiday Decorating Ideas
The couple recently swapped out their existing stainless steel appliances with a stove, refrigerator and dishwasher in a matte white finish with gold accent hardware. “We absolutely love them and love the way the whole kitchen turned out,” Jenna says. The indigo-dyed runner is hand-loomed.
The Petersens are busy with work during the week, so they love having a slow start to their Saturdays.
“Getting time on Saturday mornings to just relax, enjoy our place and one another is the best,” Jenna says. “Our favorite part of the entire week is getting up, putting on a pot of coffee and making banana pancakes. They are a healthy twist on pancakes but still taste amazing.” It’s also dog Ranger’s favorite part of the week since he gets his own pancake.
Combi coffee machine: DeLonghi
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“Getting time on Saturday mornings to just relax, enjoy our place and one another is the best,” Jenna says. “Our favorite part of the entire week is getting up, putting on a pot of coffee and making banana pancakes. They are a healthy twist on pancakes but still taste amazing.” It’s also dog Ranger’s favorite part of the week since he gets his own pancake.
Combi coffee machine: DeLonghi
Browse popular espresso machines on Houzz
The couple describe their decorating style as a mix of Scandinavian, farmhouse and industrial. They favor “a lot of bright whites, blacks and grays, with tons of live greenery throughout,” Jenna says.
“We have this amazing antique grandfather clock from the late 1700s that was passed down to us by Ryan’s grandmother,” she says. “She loved everything painted black and white. She painted the outside black, and had it maintained with all its original interior.”
Beyond ‘Hygge’: How to Enjoy Scandinavian Style at Home
“We have this amazing antique grandfather clock from the late 1700s that was passed down to us by Ryan’s grandmother,” she says. “She loved everything painted black and white. She painted the outside black, and had it maintained with all its original interior.”
Beyond ‘Hygge’: How to Enjoy Scandinavian Style at Home
“Often Scandi-style homes can be a bit on the colder side,” Jenna says. “But we feel all the greenery and some of our other design choices that lean more toward a farmhouse style cause it to be much warmer than you might think.”
The couple inherited the pothos plant growing down from the beams from the previous owner. A trunk with storage doubles as a coffee table.
High-Impact Houseplants for First-Timers
The couple inherited the pothos plant growing down from the beams from the previous owner. A trunk with storage doubles as a coffee table.
High-Impact Houseplants for First-Timers
Before: The original layout included the two bedrooms in the loft area. The couple knew immediately that they would try to create a master bedroom on the main level. “We knew we wanted [a bedroom] on the main level, but at the same time we didn’t want to lose out on the open loft feel,” Jenna says.
“The first level had two closets in the back corners between a beautiful wood-burning fireplace. This was the perfect spot to create a new bedroom,” Ryan says.
“We spent a bunch of time on Houzz for all the projects we have done,” Jenna says. “No matter the project, we always gain some sort of inspiration from Houzz.”
The couple had seen images of homes that used black steel-framed doors and walls in various rooms. “We found a number of similar walls via searches on Houzz and fell in love with the look,” Jenna says.
“The first level had two closets in the back corners between a beautiful wood-burning fireplace. This was the perfect spot to create a new bedroom,” Ryan says.
“We spent a bunch of time on Houzz for all the projects we have done,” Jenna says. “No matter the project, we always gain some sort of inspiration from Houzz.”
The couple had seen images of homes that used black steel-framed doors and walls in various rooms. “We found a number of similar walls via searches on Houzz and fell in love with the look,” Jenna says.
After: “We decided to see if we could create a layout that made sense using a similar look and feel,” Ryan says. “After a bit of trial and error, we came up with a wall that is 75 percent glass with a black aluminum frame that has French doors leading to the fireplace, connected to 25 percent drywall.”
The couple hired the Chicago branch of The Sliding Door Co. to install the custom-built doors. Now to the right of the fireplace is a closet area and to the left, their bedroom. “This is, by far, our favorite part of the renovation and we believe is the statement piece of the whole house,” Jenna says.
The glass wall keeps their bedroom connected to the living room. “To keep the open feel of the loft, it turned out to be the best decision we made in the entire renovation,” Jenna says.
In the corner of the living room is a hand-carved wood chair.
The couple hired the Chicago branch of The Sliding Door Co. to install the custom-built doors. Now to the right of the fireplace is a closet area and to the left, their bedroom. “This is, by far, our favorite part of the renovation and we believe is the statement piece of the whole house,” Jenna says.
The glass wall keeps their bedroom connected to the living room. “To keep the open feel of the loft, it turned out to be the best decision we made in the entire renovation,” Jenna says.
In the corner of the living room is a hand-carved wood chair.
“We did not want 100 percent glass, so we could have a privacy wall in the bedroom that could also double as the wall that holds the TV for the living room on one side and the TV for the bedroom on the other,” Jenna says.
The French doors open up to their fireplace. The couple painted the existing tile a dark gray and covered over the hearth floor tile with a Carrara-marble-patterned removable vinyl. Here, the revamped fireplace is decorated for the holidays with faux fur stockings and decorative birch logs.
“We love having a place that isn’t necessarily the status quo,” Jenna says. “Whenever someone says how unique our place is followed by how much they love it, we couldn’t get a higher compliment.”
“We love having a place that isn’t necessarily the status quo,” Jenna says. “Whenever someone says how unique our place is followed by how much they love it, we couldn’t get a higher compliment.”
Ryan commissioned a local woodworker to make their bed a few years ago. Jenna describes it as having a midcentury modern feel and loves how its wood complements the existing architectural trim.
On the opposite side of the master bedroom is a custom open-closet area. A stand-alone three-drawer dresser provides additional storage.
Shop for closet storage on Houzz
Shop for closet storage on Houzz
In the corner of the closet area is a full-length mirror and a gallery wall. “I had this vision in my head of a wall covered in Vogue prints. Unfortunately, my wallet wasn’t as big as my vision,” Jenna says. She bought the book Vogue: The Covers by Hamish Bowles and cut out her favorite pages, laying them out exactly how she wanted in the same white frames to create a gallery wall. “At this point, I figured the worst-case scenario was that I’d still have a great coffee table book that was short a few pages,” she says.
“Instead of putting nails into the wall and trying to line them up perfectly that way, I used double-sided tape and put it on all four corners of each frame,” Jenna says. “It was as simple as sticking them up on the wall using a level to keep them straight. It was such an easy project.”
The previous owners installed dark slate tile in the master bathroom. Jenna and Ryan left the existing finishes and painted the ceiling in Super White to brighten the space.
The couple built their bathtub caddy with reclaimed wood found at Chicago’s ReBuilding Exchange.
The couple built their bathtub caddy with reclaimed wood found at Chicago’s ReBuilding Exchange.
The living room’s existing wall of shelving matches the other exposed wood trim in the loft. It was one of the first things the couple loved when they saw the home.
“Our favorite artwork that is all throughout our place comes from a little African art gallery in Saugatuck, Michigan, that Ryan’s uncles own called Amazwi Contemporary Art,” Jenna says. “The pieces we find are all so unique and fit amazingly in our place.”
“Our favorite artwork that is all throughout our place comes from a little African art gallery in Saugatuck, Michigan, that Ryan’s uncles own called Amazwi Contemporary Art,” Jenna says. “The pieces we find are all so unique and fit amazingly in our place.”
“The wood accents all throughout the place [have] provided the perfect canvas for us to be able to make our dream loft,” Jenna says. The open staircase leads up to two bedrooms, a home office area and a bathroom.
Browse popular bar carts
Browse popular bar carts
Before: The existing second-floor bathroom at the top of the stairs didn’t match Jenna and Ryan’s design style, but they didn’t have the budget to give it a complete renovation. Instead they decided to paint the cherry vanity, add a new wall treatment and swap in a new sink fixture and toilet.
After: “We have always been in love with shiplap so decided to add an accent wall to the bathroom, paint the cabinet and walls white and match the countertop to the kitchen,” Jenna says. They painted the accent wall a light greenish-gray color — Benjamin Moore’s Tranquility.
The couple painted the vanity in Decorator’s White. And just as they did in the kitchen, they replaced the existing granite with a quartz countertop and added brass hardware.
“We do have aspirations to change out the tile in the bathroom at some point in the near future,” Jenna says. “We just haven’t landed on exactly what we want to go with just yet. It’s just more reason to spend time on Houzz.”
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The couple painted the vanity in Decorator’s White. And just as they did in the kitchen, they replaced the existing granite with a quartz countertop and added brass hardware.
“We do have aspirations to change out the tile in the bathroom at some point in the near future,” Jenna says. “We just haven’t landed on exactly what we want to go with just yet. It’s just more reason to spend time on Houzz.”
Find a local bathroom designer
The upstairs includes a guest bedroom with a full-size bed. Thanks to a skylight in the sloped ceiling, the space gets plenty of natural light.
Browse area rugs
Browse area rugs
When you turn right at the top of the stairs, a wooden walkway connects to the other side of the upper level.
Here, the couple’s cat, Chessie, is leading the way to that area, which features a home office, sleeper sofa and hammock.
Here, the couple’s cat, Chessie, is leading the way to that area, which features a home office, sleeper sofa and hammock.
Chessie loves to hang out by the shelves, which hold art, books and various knickknacks.
This view is looking toward the guest bedroom and bathroom area from the office area. The couple added string lights here for some additional lighting.
The desk was made by local custom furniture shop MegMade. A twin daybed cushion provides another place for the pets — and homeowners — to relax.
“Home is that comfortable feeling that exudes happiness. Luckily, being home with our pets is our absolute favorite place to be,” Jenna says.
“Home is that comfortable feeling that exudes happiness. Luckily, being home with our pets is our absolute favorite place to be,” Jenna says.
The homeowners prioritized comfort and style in this cozy lounge area. Accent pillows are at the ready for use on the blue velvet sleeper sofa and hammock. It’s all part of the cozy home this couple have created where they can relax and entertain friends and family.
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
See more of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Who lives here: Jenna Jeffery Petersen and Ryan Petersen of Chi Loft Style; their English springer spaniel, Ranger; and their cat, Chessie
Location: Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago
Size: 2,000 square feet (186 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms