Plainfield Salon Relocates To Former Baci Building After Major Restoration: 'Now It's Shining'

PLAINFIELD, IL — A longtime Plainfield business is giving new life to another local, storied institution.

Arriving in downtown Plainfield, it's hard not to notice the white church building on Lockport Street — dating back nearly 160 years, it's known for its distinctive steeple and eye-catching stained glass windows. Most recently known as the Baci building, the structure has been home to churches, a popular Italian restaurant, and now, a salon and spa.

Karen Hurtado, the owner of The Loft Salon and Spa, decided it was time to stop renting and invest in the space housing her business. Sixteen years ago, she opened The Loft in the bungalow next door to the church, where she stayed until this year's move.

"It's truly a dream come true," Hurtado told Patch. "There's a feel to this building; I don't know if it was because it was a church or because the community really loves this space so much, but there's a feel in here. It's stunning. A lot of people say that they feel like they're in downtown Chicago, it feels like they're in a castle, it feels like you're in Greece."

The building was in rough shape when Hurtado decided to make the move.

"Now I know why a lot of people didn't want to buy it; it was a huge project," she said.

But Hurtado and her husband, Miguel, maintained its essence, keeping the stained-glass windows, the dome and architectural details, but adding touches that enhanced the space, including chandeliers and a piano.

"We feel like we bought a rough diamond and just needed to polish it up. Now it's shining again," Hurtado said.

Hurtado and her husband took on much of the work themselves after purchasing the building at 24018 Lockport St. in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Little by little, we just kept finding all these people along the way ... until we found our crew, and we did it," she said.

Like many properties in Plainfield, the Baci building has an illustrious past. It was built in 1868 as a Unitarian church and was also home to St. Mary's Catholic Church at one point. Many remember it as the former Baci Ristorante, which closed in 2010.

In 2012, the village purchased the property for $125,000, and sold it in 2015 to an investment group for $185,000. In 2021, Patch reported the salon would renovate and move into the space.

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The Loft celebrated its grand opening Feb. 28. Hurtado unveiled nine hair stations — up from three at her previous salon — five shampoo bowls, multiple nail stations and four spa rooms.

"I think just the break room is the size of our building next door," she said, adding that her old space spanned about 630 square feet.

Not only have clients, friends and family shown up to support The Loft, but Hurtado said community members and passersby with a connection to the church have also come to see the restored building.

"We have met so many people that they did their first communion here; they got married here," she said. "We met some gentlemen that used to be the usher boys in the church. One of the guys, he got tears in his eyes. He was so thankful ... for restoring this beautiful building."

As for what's to come at The Loft, Hurtado said her goal is to be fully staffed within the next year and continue growing as a business.

"The community is growing so much, and we just want to grow with it," she said. "I'm going to retire here in Plainfield. I love it here. I feel so safe; I love the community."

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