Brick by Brick

Hernandez and Surratt relax in the living room, which is enlivened by the house’s internal topography. A short flight of steps divides the interconnected areas and offers a place to sit. Above is a loft that can be converted to a bedroom.

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Tereasa Surratt and Jack, a friend’s German shepherd mix, hang out in the kitchen, where appliances are hidden behind aluminum-and-frosted-glass wardrobes from Ikea.

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In the light-flooded living room, Hernandez does a little work on a 1976 Italian-made Harley-Davidson SXT125.

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When open, the garage enables the owners to work on their vehicles while visiting with neighbors who do the same.

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David Hernandez and Jack enjoy the house’s walled garden.

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A onetime horse stable in Chicago underwent a modern renovation by Studio Gang Architects. The master bathroom, with its frosted glass walls and chair (rescued from the trash pile and rehabbed), is large and elegant enough to serve as a gathering place for parties. Read the entire article here.

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In the master bedroom, the couple enjoy the ample natural light that filters through the brick screen.

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At the edge of the dining room, with its eclectic collection of fixtures and furnishings, orange velvet curtains playfully frame an opening to the skylight garage. It serves as a kind of sculpture gallery for motorcycles and cars, including one of Surratt's favorites, a yellow 1968 Camaro Rally Sport.

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Once a horse stable, this Chicago house first got a superficial makeover from Oprah (we wonder whether Stedman likes modern) before architect Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang was called in for a more substantial renovation and a dazzlingly porous brick screen.

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