Ravenswood Living Room Update
This living room renovation in Ravenswood, Chicago focused on upgrading the heart of the home with custom-built architectural details, a new fireplace feature wall, and warm, timeless finish work. The update included a custom built-in wall around the fireplace, gas fireplace installation, a new stone surround, decorative ceiling detailing, and carefully integrated millwork elements throughout.
The fireplace wall, built-ins, ceiling detail, and trim work all had to be designed and built as a system — individual elements that only read well when they're proportioned and aligned correctly relative to each other. The project also extended into the adjacent kitchen ceiling area, so the transition between the two spaces had to be clean and consistent.
All of it was done while the family was living in the home.
Our approach to this project focused on building layers of detail in a way that felt custom and well integrated. We started by creating a built-in wall for the fireplace, giving the room a stronger focal point and additional architectural presence. We then installed a gas fireplace and finished it with a new stone surround to add texture and elevate the overall look.
To further define the room, we added a small coffered ceiling pattern detail and installed shiplap on the kitchen ceiling adjacent to the living room, helping tie the spaces together. Throughout the project, we used shaker-style detailing on the doors and around the built-in and fireplace, adding classic millwork character that feels timeless and clean.
The scope of work for this Ravenswood living room renovation included building a custom wall built-in for the fireplace, installing a gas fireplace, installing a new stone surround, adding a small coffered ceiling pattern detail, installing shiplap over the kitchen ceiling next to the living room, and incorporating shaker details on doors and trim patterns around the built-in and fireplace. Together, these updates transformed the room into a more finished, functional, and design-forward living space.
The living room now has a focal point. The fireplace wall and built-ins anchor the room in a way the original layout never did, and the ceiling detail carries across the kitchen opening so the main level reads as connected rather than separate. Completed in 18 days in residence.
Ravenswood's housing stock — classic Chicago bungalows, worker cottages, and two-flats — has good bones and rooms that respond well to this kind of targeted architectural investment. Adding a fireplace wall and built-ins to a space that already has the right ceiling height and proportions produces results that feel like they were always there.
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Still have questions? Let's talkA full gut rehab typically takes 5–9 months depending on scope, structural work, and permit timelines. Chicago Department of Buildings permit lead times vary — we factor that into your schedule from day one and manage the entire process. New construction on an infill lot typically runs 10–14 months.
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