designer interview: inside the chestnut place amenity refresh

designer interview with lindsay fong

Located at 8 W. Chestnut Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast, Chestnut Place sits just steps from River North and the Near North Side. With such a prime location, the property’s amenity space needed to feel just as elevated, flexible, and welcoming as the neighborhood around it.

KDI was brought in to refresh the building’s second floor amenity space, creating a more intentional resident experience through updated furniture layouts, new lounge and co-working zones, refreshed lighting, new rugs, and select wallcovering updates in the café area and conference room.

The result is a moody, timeless, and comfortable amenity floor designed to support how residents live, work, gather, and unwind today.

To take a closer look at the project, we sat down with the designer behind the Chestnut Place refresh to talk about the goals, inspiration, favorite moments, and design decisions that brought the space to life.

Can you give us a quick overview of the Chestnut Place project and the spaces KDI updated?

Chestnut Place was a refresh of the property’s second floor amenity space. KDI reimagined the furniture layout to create more intentional zones throughout the floor, then sourced new furniture, rugs, and lighting to support the updated design direction. We also incorporated select wallcovering updates in the café area and conference room to help tie the spaces together and create a more cohesive resident experience.

What was the overall goal for the amenity space refresh?

The overall goal was to modernize the amenity floor and make it more functional, inviting, and flexible for residents. By updating the layout and furnishings, we were able to create distinct areas for working, relaxing, gathering, and hosting.

The refresh also helped the property better utilize the amenity floor for private events, creating an added revenue opportunity while giving residents a more elevated everyday experience.

What did the client want residents to feel when they walked into the lounge and co-working area?

The client wanted residents to feel immediately welcomed, while also creating a strong first impression. As soon as residents stepped off the elevator, the goal was for the space to feel elevated, comfortable, and memorable with a true “wow” moment.

The furniture palette feels moody, timeless, and elevated. What inspired that direction?

The design was inspired by Chestnut Place’s downtown Chicago location and the surrounding neighborhood. We wanted the space to feel sophisticated and timeless, while still having the warmth and comfort residents want from an amenity space.



Rich greens, subtle pops of color, camel leather tones, and layered textures helped create a palette that feels both polished and approachable.

How did you balance creating a space that feels beautiful and design-forward, while still being functional for everyday resident use?

The layout was really the starting point. We focused on creating separate zones so multiple residents could use the space in different ways at the same time, whether they were working, relaxing, meeting, or socializing.

From there, we layered in residential-inspired elements like deep greens, leather, soft fabrics, and comfortable lounge pieces to make the space feel elevated without sacrificing everyday functionality.

How did you approach selecting furniture for a multi-family amenity space where durability and comfort are both so important?

For this project, it was important to be thoughtful and strategic with the budget while still delivering a full-floor transformation. We selected a mix of residential and contract-grade pieces that allowed us to maximize the overall impact of the refresh.

Every selection had to support the design direction, provide comfort for residents, and hold up to the level of use expected in a multi-family amenity environment.

What was your favorite furniture piece or design moment in the space?

One of my favorite moments is the main lounge area with the large sectional. It creates a comfortable, welcoming anchor for the amenity floor and gives residents a true lounge space where they can relax, gather, or spend time outside of their apartments.

It feels inviting, layered, and very usable, which is exactly what we wanted for this space.

How do you think this updated space supports the way residents live, work, and gather today?

This refresh gives residents more flexibility in how they use the amenity floor. The updated layout allows the space to support multiple functions at once, from working remotely and taking meetings to relaxing with friends or hosting a private event.

It feels much more aligned with the way residents live today, where amenity spaces need to be beautiful, comfortable, and highly functional.

The Chestnut Place amenity refresh is a great example of how thoughtful furniture planning, layered materials, and intentional zoning can completely transform the way a shared space feels and functions.



By creating distinct areas for work, relaxation, gathering, and events, the updated amenity floor now offers residents more than a beautiful place to spend time. It offers flexibility, comfort, and a stronger connection to the building’s downtown Chicago lifestyle.

Moody, timeless, and welcoming, Chestnut Place now has an amenity space that feels elevated enough to impress, but comfortable enough to use every day.