Note: Due to the server crashes yesterday that made the slideshow for this tour unviewable for much of the day, we are re-publishing today - Enjoy!
Name: Amy
Location: West Rogers Park, Chicago, IL
Size: 900 sq/ft in 1920s building
Years lived in: 1 yr, 8 months, owned
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Our first-ever house tour (run as a trial post over on AT:NY) was of Amy's Ravenswood apartment. It was always a personal favorite, and we're happy that Amy can get the same feel with an entirely new "backdrop." While the bones of Amy's home may have changed since moving, many of Amy's personal touches like the science charts, furniture, and a cat that likes to be in photos, have all gone with her. The big change is that Amy is now...
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...a condo owner, and her love of color and experimentation can really take effect. You may remember AT posts featuring the new Ann Sacks penny rounds in the kitchen, a close-up of Amy's framed flocked wallpaper, and of course her original house tour (that Ravenswood apartment building has now turned condo, with strange little balconies added and Amy fears a loss of the apartment's original features/built-ins that she loved so much). While she still has work left to do like replacing the old light fixtures, hanging window treatments and hanging photos and art on walls, we love Amy's new place so far!
AT Survey:
My style: Whatever makes me happy if it's not too expensive.
Inspiration: Science, shiny car parts, books
Favorite Element: Warmth, pretty angles and curves
Biggest Challenge: Seeing out of the peep hole (I am short); figuring out window coverings and paint colors
What Friends Say: Is this carpet new? (the one in the entry that I bought used 8 years ago)
Biggest Embarrassment: My chandeliers. Why are they still there?
Proudest DIY: "Helping" with the kitchen tiling
Biggest Indulgence: Living here!
Best advice: "We should put up shelves and hooks in the closets." - Dad
"The walls would be pretty green." - Lynn
"Keep the (old, ugly) blinds in the bedroom until you can replace them." - Mom
"We should ship a table from Denver!" - Dad
"Yes, let's build a soffit." - Mom
Dream source: Asplund!!!! So cushy and simple.
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Resources:
Appliances: Sears
Hardware: Ace and pretty original doorknobs
Furniture: eBay, Mom and Dad, Craigslist, Dania
Accessories: eBay, antique shops, family
Lighting: Flea markets, IKEA, what was here (unfortunately), Rockford antique mall (before it closed)
Rugs and Carpets: IKEA, CB2, vintage shopping on road trips
Tiles and Stone: Ann Sacks penny rounds in the kitchen
Window Treatments: Vintage fabric my Mom found. Hopefully Smith & Noble sometime soon
Artwork: eBay, friends, my own
Paint: Benjamin Moore
Flooring: Already here, and I might put Ann Sacks white penny rounds in bathroom
(Thanks, Amy!)
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OMG, OMG, I MUST have that human anatomy blanket.
view aladywhoknows's profile
Nice place! Where did you get the Yellow and Steel Canisters from?
view kerri's profile
I really like the bedspread--where is that from?
I love your place--so many great vintage lamps. I can never find stuff like that.
view jooly's profile
A lot of great vintage finds! Well done!
And I love that the cat's name is Furnando ;-)
view ridge_van_winkle's profile
Nice, Amy.
You have an outlet in the fireplace. That's a dream. You should implement the logs wrapped in holiday lights idea featured in TimeOut a couple of weeks ago.
view ChiAdam's profile
Very nice! You did a terrific job in decorating your place. Loving all the nice vintage lamps you have and the anatomy wall hangings. Your Orange tabby is just too cute..especially in the last pic where he's actually looking at the camera. This is one of my favorite house tours.
view suzy8track's profile
For some reason, the house tour links aren't working for me today. Is anyone else having this problem or is it something with my computer?
view shayshay213's profile
I'm having the same problems with the house tour links as well. AT in generally is running super slow for me.
view katie's profile
I am as well ^ took a while for AT to load (wasn't loading an hour ago), and I the link isn't working for m
view S. Elizabeth's profile
I have the same problem.....
Gallery links don't work for me
view Emmm's profile
Something about this place just rubs me up the wrong way. Maybe it's just something simple like the slight murkiness of the photos, or perhaps that Amy is ahead of the curve and embracing 80s retro before the rest of us are ready for it. To me the dining room seems stark (although that sideboard is great), and the science posters in the living room are perhaps too large for the space. Plus I just plain hate penny rounds.
However I can still appreciate Amy's talent, even if it doesn't quite work for me. And the cool collection of vintage wing mirrors is fantastic!
view Blandwagon's profile
This is a really stunning home! Everything has so much personality and seems comfy and cozy.
Additionally, it's always interesting to see the same pieces in a different setting. I particularly like the wall hanging that was displayed horizontally in your kitchen flipped on it's side in the living room. And I'd be a fool not to mention how much I love the Russel Wright collection tucked away in your kitchen. Thanks for sharing (again).
view tooyellow's profile
Can't agree with Blandwagon. Nothing 80s about this home. That's a beautiful, calming green color in your living room. Love the fireplace. You're lucky to have an apartment in such a lovely, old building.
Beautiful, very personal objects too. Your home strikes the right balance of comfortable, relaxing, but also interesting and individual.
view lolax's profile
This isn't my personal style, but I still find it to be stunning. Great job. I love the car mirrors. And as for the bones, I love the entry.
T8
http://www.strangeclosets.com
view t8's profile
Kerri: The steel canisters in the kitchen are from one of my parents' flea market tours of Southern Illinois.
Jooly: The bedspread is from Rubylane.com
Thanks for everyone's nice comments!
view abermy76's profile
How did you get those cool moorish arches? did you put those in or were they always there?
Super cool condo!
view SydneyBristow's profile
I love the cats everywhere!
view ee2485's profile
I love all of your mid-century items. Perhaps, unconsciously, your collection of rear-view mirrors is symbolic of a need to embrace the past! :)
view nazrd's profile
I don't normally complain about stuff on the site, but I think this tour had WAY too many upclose shots/shots of the same thing. I couldn't manage to keep clicking through.
view Lexo's profile
Wow. Truly weird and really beautiful. The car mirrors are great. This woman must be an amazing person to know.
We should all be saying " this ins't my style" because it's hers alone.
view wannabe minimalist's profile
Love, love the bathroom art-- where did you get it? Very cool place!
view crystalbreeze's profile
Beautiful job with the place. I especially love your choice of colors, they're so soothing. Can you share the name of the shades, I was looking for a gray-pink color for my bedroom & when I saw your kitchen, I thought "That's the shade!".
view ferha's profile
Great pad. If the cat is relaxed, that says a lot of the mood of the place.
view Allison1888's profile
Crystalbreeze: Thanks! I love the bathroom art, too! My friend made it when he was in college and I got lucky because I was sitting there when he found it in a his drawer.
Ferha: I can't remember the name of the paint but I'll see if I can track it down tonight...
view abermy76's profile
hi amy-
your apartment is lovely. thanks for the tour. do you recall who made your kitchen cabinets? and are you happy with them?
view photini's profile
Love the anatomy banner hanging at what strikes me as the perfect height. How was that hung? Looks like some sort of bar.
view dtom03's profile
Amy- I love the color on your living room wall, do you have a name?
view veloria's profile