Name: Kathleen and Alex (and Milo)
Location: Lakeview, Chicago
Size/Type: 3 Bedroom Condo
Years Lived In: 2
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Kathleen and Alex love to entertain, whether throwing a big party or having a small group over for dinner. Their guest room (complete with its own balcony) is always ready for friends and family. Since moving in 2 years ago, they've focused on creating a comfortable space that combines vintage pieces with clean-lined modern furniture. Visiting their home is a warm, welcoming experience. Their dog, Milo, greets you at the door as you enter a living room flooded with natural light...
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From the tray of goodies carefully laid out in the guest bath to the reading nooks set up throughout the space, they've paid attention to the small details that make their condo a friendly place. Their style combines carefully curated furniture with hand-me-downs, so the space feels both uncluttered and approachable.
AT Survey:
Our Style: Eclectic and low-key. We love having people over, so we want our home to be nice but relaxed.
Inspiration: Various homes we’ve seen on design blogs and in Domino. We’re also inspired by our parents’ homes, which are nicely decorated and often filled with people and good food.
Favorite Element(s): Our books and the living room—it gets great light, even in dreary months.
Biggest Challenge: We agreed to only buy furniture and art that we both love, which has resulted in one or two long searches. Storage is also a challenge, since the closets are small.
What Friends Say: Do you care if I spend the night?
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Biggest Embarrassment: Our closets, which we cannot keep organized, and the hallway bathroom, which is various ugly shades of green.
Proudest DIY: We have not done much DIY beyond changing light fixtures, etc. However, our friend Karen built the bookcases on our loft and she did a great job. Thanks, Karen!
Biggest Indulgence: Our couch. It was the first thing we bought for this apartment and the living room came together around it.
Best Advice: Don’t just buy things to fill space—buy things that you love, even if it means waiting.
Dream Source: Re:vival, Jayson Home and Garden, Victoria’s apartment on SFGirlbyBay.
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Resources:
Living-Dining Room
Couch: Jayson Home and Garden
Coffee Table: Stitch
End Table: The White Attic
Sideboard: The Ambiente Collection
Pillows: Osborne and Little, Jonathan Adler
Rug: Madeleine Weinrib
Media Unit: IKEA
Bench: vintage, found at Design Shoppe
Cork Lamp: vintage, found at Scout
Sconce: Nelson Pear Wall Sconce
White Lamp: The Conran Shop
Dining Table: Saarinen Tulip table from Luminaire
Chairs: BABA side chair from Design within Reach
Screenprint: Jessica Ritter; Photographs: Aya Brackett, Dan Saelinger, Alicia Bock; Collage: Swallowfield; Print on fireplace: Jeanna Sohn; Pen and Ink Drawing: Jen Donahue
Blanket: Made by a family friend
Kitchen
Stools: CB2
Plates: John Derrian
Office
Futon: West Elm
Bookshelves: Crate and Barrel
Pillows: Area Home, Thomas Paul
Chair: Target (Thomas O’Brien)
Afghan: Made by Kathleen’s grandma
Photography, Barry Brukoff (from a book on Greece), Jen Causey (Photobird), our friend Matt
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Hallway, Guest Bedroom, Guest Bathroom
Wallpaper: Orla Kiely Blossom
Bedding: John Robshaw, Bedside Manor
Shower Curtain: Blue Chain, Sprout Home
Table Lamp: Crate and Barrel
Furniture: Hand-me-down
Photo: Jen Causey (Photobird)
Master Bedroom
Bed: BluDot Nook bed, I.D. Chicago
Bedding: Calvin Klein, Missoni
Rug: Thomas Paul Flock
Wingchair: hand-me-down
Grey striped pillow: Blissliving Home
Bedside table: House Eclectic
Lamp: vintage, found at Re:Vival
Grey light: Noguchi Akari Light
Dressers: IKEA Malm
Curtains: Pottery Barn
Art: Print: ah_yi; Photos: Port2Port Press; Love poster: Jennifer Ramos
Outside
Wooden deck furniture: West Elm
Red deck chairs: Target
White tables: West Elm
Thanks, Kathleen and Alex!
Just lovely. This makes me want to throw out everything I own and start over.
view purlgreyhound's profile
Beautiful. Love the color schemes!
view RedMaiko's profile
How do you keep the beige couch clean with all the parties?
view Yokie's profile
and the Orla Kiely wallpaper looks great.
view Yokie's profile
lovely, soothing home!
view hanako66's profile
does anyone know where the pillows on the couch are from? also what about the art work framed behind the couch. i love that piece.
view LittleRock's profile
It's as if you went out and bought all of the stuff I have been wanting! Love the Thomas Paul rug, the Missoni, the couch, the Madeline Weinrib rug. I love all of it! Beautiful apartment.
view leanbean's profile
It looks so clean and inviting!
view coconuts's profile
regarding new slideshow format:
those little blocks of pastel colors are detracting from the actual house tour photos. Can you please go back to the neutral (dark grey) background?
view randomname's profile
What a delightful home! love love love the bedroom. this is living well.
view MC8's profile
very inviting, love it all
view Nate5221's profile
Love it! Just one question...did you paint your IKEA Malm dresser? It looks two-toned.
view allora's profile
Cute dog!! Is he/she a Havanese?
view crewtag.com's profile
Your home is one of the better house tours I have seen lately. It is so lovely and comfortable looking and yet very well put together. What is the paint color you used in the living room? Plus I am totally in love with your couch. Great Job!
view Signe's profile
This is a very nice home - those two years were well spent.
view bepsf's profile
Thank you so much for all the nice comments!
Yorkie: Usually, the couch is kept clean because everyone congregates around the kitchen island and table. The only major mishap has been an entire glass of red wine dumped on it â we called an upholstery cleaning service and they got it out.
Little Rock: Our friend Sue sewed the couch pillows for us â they are made from Osbourne & Little fabric. The screenprint above the couch is by Jessica Ritter â you can find info on her work through her website, jessicaritter.com.
Crewtag: Yep, Milo is a Havanese. They are such sweet dogs.
Allora: It does look two-toned! That dresser is right near a skylight, so the shadows from the sun just make it look that way.
Signe: We actually donât know the paint color â sorry! We loved the colors (there are two shade of beige) when we moved in, so we kept them and just repainted the bedrooms and bathrooms
view KathleenL's profile
So nice! Everything works well together. I love your dog too.
view otis's profile
The couch is GORGEOUS! The missoni is to die for, so jealous. Great random pillows around the house too.
view Tiffany's profile
I love it, it is perfect. I agree with leanbean, it is all the things I want.
the slipcover on the wingchair looks good. I have been looking for some, where is it from?
view lcg's profile
Place looks awesome.
Do you know where that hanging wall lamp is from?
Thank you!
view natnatNYC's profile
So inviting - love your sense of color :)
view j_wild's profile
Fantastic!
view Cynthia in SF's profile
Delightful.
view hrhprincessfiona's profile
I love the couch ! Please, where is it from ?
view Jany's profile
Your "best advice" is something I didn't figure out until I'd been in my home for over a year (wish it had been sooner). In your home, it really shows - there's a sense of comfort and everything seems to feel just right. It also makes each picture so interesting, seeing the details and the care you've taken.
Very thorough source list, too. Thanks for the tour.
view hillde's profile
That Milo has a cool pad.
view LBhirise's profile
They make it look so easy! It looks so comfortable and inviting.
view boston brit's profile
Snorgle the furbaby!!!! Very lovely home.
view Monica's profile
Milo cutie! Love your home too.
view Snugglitas's profile
Forget spending the night! Do you care if I move in?!
Ideal...just lovely!
view HeatherAB's profile
lcg, the slipcover is from stretchandcover.com, which we discovered through an online search. It took us a long time to find more streamlined slipcovers.
natnatNYC, the hanging light is a Nelson Pear Wall Sconce. We got ours at Modernica Chicago, which I think is now closed, but you can try their website, modernica.net
Jany, the couch is from Jayson Home and Garden, which is one of our favorite stores (home or otherwise) in Chicago. Their customer service is fantastic.
thanks again everyone!
view KathleenL's profile
I agree with most of the comments here. Your home looks perfect but also comfortable and lived in. Does Milo need a petsitter? ;-)
view pungster's profile
OMG Kathleen, it's Tyler (yes that's right, Sarah's brother). I love your place and am so excited to see that we frequent the same blogs. I'm in total love with your credenza...where did you get it? I'm not sure how to contact you here, but hopefully you can find me.
Wow, totally geeked out!
view choppah4's profile