Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Whipple.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I moved to Chicago in 2004, I was working as an architect and urban planner. While I enjoyed this work, I was looking for a profession that I could have more control and ownership of the project. I started working for a real estate developer 12 years ago and have purchased, designed, renovated and managed small apartment buildings in the Logan Square neighborhood for the last 7 years with my business partner, Matt. Our approach is always to save the building and celebrate its most redeeming qualities. Adding custom, handmade details, usually by re-purposing materials, made the apartments very unique and desirable to the renters in Logan Square. We experimented with concrete sinks and countertops, refinished steel cabinets and various reclaimed or re-purposed wood materials.
Three years ago we met Simon, a woodworker and the owner of the building which is now, The Joinery. We convinced him to sell us the property by promising him that we would not demolish it. When renovating, most of what we did was similar to our approach with our apartments — we cleaned it out and exposed its original volume and materials. Our big moves such as adding a large central skylight and converting the second floor from office space to residential use helped to create a mixed-us property with myriad of unique spaces. Since the scale of the building is larger than our prior projects, we had the opportunity to try some larger interventions. With the help of my cousin Katherine and her husband David (also part of the partnership), we added touches to soften up some of the spaces and bring some femininity to the industrial shell. The final result was a fairly austere main space surrounded by a variety of smaller, custom-designed spaces.
So, the path to here hasn’t been a completely straight line but I have tried to focus energy on developing projects that lend themselves to an exploration of materiality and pushing the boundaries between aged and modern. The partners and I love to create space and then observe how it is used. While my narrative tends to focus on design elements, the projects have to be strategic and profitable as well.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road has definitely been bumpy and a little slow. Our biggest challenge early on was convincing a bank to lend to us. While we developed successful projects in the past, this project did not fit the normal mold for most banks. We ended up closing on the property with an acquisition loan and then paying out cash for the initial work. While we became more and more confident that the direction we were heading in was the right one, the banks were still nervous. Our construction loan was delayed for over three months which pushed our completion to after prime booking season.
Also, while we have some history managing apartments, running an event venue was not something with what we had experience. Luckily, we got a lot of help from vendors such as caterers and other venue operators who helped us to shape our business plan. From pricing and selling the space to setting up relationships with vendors, we traveled a very steep learning curve.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Joinery – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
The Joinery is an intimate gathering space that specializes in hosting one-of-a-kind events and celebrations. If a customer can think of it, we will help to make it happen. At this point, I do believe we specialize in hosting beautiful weddings. We have hosted many lovely couples and every one of the experiences have been unique. We are one of only a few venues that will work with all vendors (with no commissions charged) as long as they are properly licensed. This allows our clients to assemble a team of people to make their event fully-customized to their particular tastes and desires.
Another thing that sets us apart is that, unlike many venues, we are not designed for any other purpose. We are not caterers, retailers, bartenders, florists, DJ’s or photographers. We designed the venue from the eye of architects and space creators, in order to curate a combination of backdrops for the clients’ own, unique experience. This also means that the space is not being used for another use outside of gatherings, so we have it available for use at many daytime and weeknight times. Because of this, we have developed a plan to reach out to our neighbors to make sure they knew about us and how we could be an asset to the neighborhood. We have, in the last year, hosted many toddler birthday parties, family film nights, neighborhood gatherings and partnerships with our ward’s political leadership. While most of our revenue comes from weddings or parties, we are constantly meeting with neighbors, not-for-profit organizations and other local businesses to see what unique events and activities we can host for reduced pricing. The idea that we can be a service to the community is very important to us and we will continue to develop and expand this program.
We also have recently joined The Green Wedding Alliance, an organization of like-minded businesses in the event profession which follow and promote green practices. We have always believed that the most ‘green’ thing we can do is to preserve existing buildings, so we are obviously very excited about being members of this organization and plan to further expand our green qualities into our everyday operations.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The best part of the city is, hands down, the people. As designers, a lot of time we are creating spaces for people to use that we never meet. The best part about The Joinery is getting to meet so many different types of people and then watching how they experience the space that we created.
Our least favorite part of the business is when we are faced with bureaucracy that we don’t know how to navigate. When we talk to other business owners, we hear similar feedback. I think once you know who to talk to, it gets easier but we are still learning.
Pricing:
- 2018 Pricing for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday ranges from $7500 to $8500
- 2019 Pricing for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday ranges from $8000 to $9000
Contact Info:
- Address: The Joinery
2533 W Homer St
Chicago, IL 60647 - Website: www.thejoinerychicago.com
- Email: info@thejoinerychicago.com
- Instagram: @THEJOINERYCHICAGO
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thejoinerychicago/
Image Credit:
Daniel Garcia, Matt Stegmaier, Daniel Garcia, Genevieve Lauren
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
