Rolling out of bed only to face an hour-long commute to work doesn’t exactly make for a good morning. That is never a worry for local interior designer Ben Sundermeier, who decided to take his work home—permanently.

Built at the turn of the century, the Gothic Revival building, now the home and headquarters of Benjamin Sundermeier Space Planning + Design (522 Harrison St.), mirrors the architectural genre found in Columbus Park, where a number of buildings have ground-floor commercial space with residential units located above.

Sundermeier purchased the building, formerly an Italian market, in 2006 and undertook an 18-month-long renovation. He was attracted to the area because so many of the structures are untouched.

Past the entrance, the space naturally flows through an airy showroom with 12-foot ceilings illuminated by natural light and surrounded by texture and shades of white. The studio and fabric showroom occupy the second floor. To get to the private residence on the third floor, one must proceed through a clever doorway designed to be hidden from curious patron eyes.

After having 13 homes in almost 20 years, Sundermeier plans to stay put. “I really like the neighborhood and the diversity of its residents,” he says. “I have always enjoyed moving and change and the freedom of creating new spaces for myself. But staying put frees up so much time and other resources to explore the larger world. I am interested in that and what it brings to my work.”

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