When people hear “penthouse renovation,” they usually think about expensive finishes and fancy views. And while this Lakeview project has plenty of both, the real story is about how a design firm and a construction team worked together to solve everyday problems.
We’ve all seen bathrooms that look good in a photo but feel cramped or poorly built when you’re actually using them. Our goal at IRPINO Construction is to make sure that never happens. By partnering with Lugbill Designs for this extensive bathroom remodeling project, we were able to build a space that is incredibly bold but also functions perfectly for two people getting ready in the morning.
Why Bold Color Actually Works
Let’s talk about the blue. It’s the first thing anyone notices. Usually, people are afraid to use a color this bright because they think they’ll get tired of it. But here’s the trick: when you use a bold color on high-quality, custom cabinetry, it doesn’t feel like a “trend.” It feels like a choice.
The Custom Vanity
The blue cabinets aren’t just painted; they are custom-built with a vertical texture. This ribbing adds a bit of shadow and depth so the blue doesn’t look flat. From our side of things—the construction side—installing a floating vanity like this is a big job.
Since there are no legs to support the weight, we had to open up the wall and add heavy-duty structural framing. If you just screw a heavy vanity like this into standard studs, it’s going to sag or pull away from the wall over time. We made sure this thing is anchored so well you could sit on it (though we don’t recommend it!).
Balancing with Caesarstone
To make sure the blue didn’t take over the whole room, Erica Lugbill and her team at Chicago interior design firm, Lugbill Designs chose white Caesarstone quartz for the countertops. We love quartz for Chicago bathrooms because it’s basically bulletproof. It doesn’t stain like marble, and it doesn’t crack easily. It gives the homeowner a clean, white surface that makes the whole room feel brighter.
Smart Planning: The “Guts” of the Renovation
Before we ever picked up a hammer, we spent a lot of time looking at the floor plan. This was a full gut renovation. We didn’t just swap out the tile; we tore everything down to the metal studs and the concrete floors.
The Layout Challenge
In a Chicago condo, you’re stuck with the walls you have. You can’t build an addition. So, the question is always: How do we make this footprint feel bigger?
Lugbill Designs came to us with a few different layout options. We compared them based on how hard they would be to build and how much they would improve the room. We landed on a plan that moved the plumbing around to create a better flow between the vanity, the shower, and the tub.
Adding a Separate Toilet Room
One of the best things we did for this project was adding a separate room for the toilet. In a master bath, privacy is a luxury. By reworking the square footage, we were able to create a dedicated water closet. It’s a small change that makes a huge difference in how the bathroom feels when two people are using it at the same time.
Ceiling-Mounted Mirrors: Thinking Outside the Box
One of the coolest features of this bathroom is the mirrors. In a normal bathroom, you put the mirror on the wall behind the sink. But in this penthouse, the sinks are right in front of these massive windows with a view of the city.
If we put a wall there for mirrors, we’d lose the view. If we didn’t have mirrors, the bathroom wouldn’t be very useful.
How We Built It
The solution was to hang the mirrors from the ceiling. This was a technical challenge for the IRPINO crew. We had to:
- Secure the Ceiling: We had to find the structural points in the ceiling to make sure the mirrors wouldn’t move or vibrate.
- Electrical Wiring: We had to run the wires for the pendant lights through the ceiling so they would hang perfectly next to the mirrors without any visible, messy cords.
The result is that the homeowner can brush their teeth while looking at the city skyline, and the natural light from the windows bounces off the mirrors to make the room feel huge.
The Shower: More Than Just a Place to Wash Up
The shower is a great example of how you can use different materials to create a custom look. We didn’t just use one type of tile; we used three.
- Green Tiles on the Bottom: These give the shower a solid, grounded look.
- Patterned Tiles on Top: This adds some “fun” to the room and draws your eye up to the ceiling.
- Mosaic Floor: This provides extra grip (so you don’t slip) and hides water spots.
The Steam System
Behind those beautiful tiles is some serious engineering. This is a steam shower. To build a steam shower correctly, you have to do a lot more than just regular plumbing.
- The 220V Line: We had to run a dedicated high-voltage line to power the steam generator.
- Waterproofing: A steam shower is like a sauna. If you don’t seal the walls perfectly, that steam will get into your walls and cause mold. We used a top-of-the-line vapor barrier to make sure this shower lasts for decades.
- Body Jets: The homeowner wanted body jets, which means we had to run a complex network of pipes inside the wall to make sure the water pressure was even at every nozzle.
Coordination: Why Design Matters to the Builder
A lot of homeowners ask us, “Why do I need a designer if I already have a contractor?” This project is the perfect answer.
“We love partnering with interior design firms like Lugbill Designs. They streamline the process by delivering a complete, coordinated package before we break ground — fixtures specified, circuits mapped, framing requirements resolved — we can build more efficiently and with fewer surprises for the homeowner.”
No Guesswork
When we start a project, we want to know exactly where every light switch, every towel bar, and every tile goes. On this project, Lugbill Designs gave us a “roadmap” before we even started.
- We knew the Kohler Veil toilet needed a specific electrical outlet.
- We knew exactly how high the California Faucets tub filler needed to be.
- We knew where to put the extra wood in the walls (blocking) to hold up the floating bench in the shower.
When a builder has all this info on Day 1, the job goes faster, there are fewer mistakes, and the homeowner doesn’t get a “surprise” bill at the end because we had to move a pipe we didn’t know about.
The Finishing Touches: Matte Black and Natural Light
To tie everything together, we used matte black hardware. In a room with blue cabinets and green tiles, you need something to act as an “anchor.” The black faucets, shower heads, and door handles do exactly that. They look modern, they don’t show fingerprints as much as chrome does, and they give the room a high-end, finished look.
The Soaking Tub
We placed a white freestanding tub right by the window. To keep the area looking clean, we used a floor-mounted tub filler. Installing these is a bit tricky because the plumbing has to come up through the floor at a very specific spot. If you’re off by even half an inch, the water won’t hit the tub right. Our team takes the time to measure three times so we only have to cut the floor once.
A Partnership Built to Last
At IRPINO Construction, we pride ourselves on being the team that can take a wild, creative idea and make it structurally sound. Working with Lugbill Designs on this Lakeview penthouse was an incredible experience because their team brings so much more to the table than just selecting beautiful aesthetics.
While Lugbill certainly handled the visual elements—curating the perfect electric blue, finding the sculptural light fixtures, and sourcing the graphic tiles—their real value lay in their comprehensive management of the project’s framework. They completely re-engineered the bathroom layout for maximum flow, drafted detailed scopes of work, and conducted regular on-site job check-ins to ensure their vision was being executed flawlessly.
Throughout construction, Lugbill acted as the ultimate client liaison, bridging the gap between the homeowner’s dreams and our building crew. They even provided a comprehensive design binder containing every technical detail, finish, and specification required for the project. That organization simplified our build immensely. Meanwhile, the IRPINO team focused on the heavy-duty execution—the structural framing, complex plumbing relocation, 220V electrical routing, and precision tile installation.
The IRPINO Difference
When you hire us, you’re not just getting guys with tool belts. You’re getting a team that knows how to read a circuit map, how to waterproof a steam room, and how to coordinate with a powerhouse design team to make sure your project stays on track.
This bathroom shows what’s possible when you’re not afraid to be a little different. It’s bold, it’s graphic, and it’s a total one-of-a-kind space. But more importantly, it’s built to the highest structural standards.
Planning Your Own Remodel?
If you’re looking at your current bathroom and thinking it’s time for a change, here is our advice:
- Get a Plan First: Don’t start swinging a hammer until you know exactly what the finished room will look like.
- Invest in the “Invisible” Stuff: The tile is what you see, but the plumbing and waterproofing are what keep your house from rotting. Don’t skimp on the rough-in work.
- Find the Right Team: Choose a builder and a designer who actually talk to each other. It will save you months of stress.
Lugbill Designs is a Chicago-based interior design firm focused on residential design-build projects in Chicago and the Northshore. From whole home projects to kitchen and bathroom remodeling, they help design spaces that elevate everyday life, while streamlining the process to get there. When they bring a fully coordinated design package to a project, our construction process runs more smoothly—and the results, like this Lakeview penthouse, speak for themselves.
IRPINO Construction is ready to help you build your dream space. Whether you want something as bold as this Memphis-inspired bathroom or something more traditional, we have the experience to get it done right.
Let’s get to work. Give us a call today to talk about your next project.