SOUTH BEND — "Everyone looks up," Kevin Buccellato says with a smile when asked how people react when they walk inside Buccellato Design's studio.
And how could anyone resist?
The architecture and interior-design firm he runs with his wife, Aimee Buccellato, enjoys a soaring space inside the old LaSalle State Bank building.
The ceiling rises 18 feet above the terrazzo floor, and sunshine streams in from skylights. Other architectural details — such as Corinthian pilasters and dentils molded out of plaster — also draw attention to the room's upper reaches.
"A lot of people say when they come in here that it feels light and airy and inspiring," Aimee says.
"We understand the relationship between people and the built environment. We try to create spaces where people can live and work and play, and live the good life," she adds. "We certainly feel we've created a space that does that."
The bank building — which has stood at 526 E. LaSalle Ave., just west of St. Joseph Catholic Church, since 1921 — was not always light and airy.