Name: Kevin
Location: Logan Square, Chicago
Size: 900 s/f
Kevin's apartment is going through an interesting and common transition. Having lived in the large two-bedroom with his girlfriend for a year, he is now dealing with more space, less stuff, and decisions about how to restructure since she moved to Montreal.
Since living alone, Kevin had to rearrange a little and do without a few things, like a dining room table, which has actually worked out well. Kevin says, "I've been doing a bunch of artwork. The dining room floor has become my working studio because I like to lay down when I draw." In addition to his art, Kevin manages Danny's Tavern (a converted apartment-turned-bar), and DJs (check out one fraction of his record collection in the slideshow). He is also currently on break from a T-shirt business...anyone remember the much-discussed "I (circle) Chicago" shirts? Those were Kevin's.
With so much extra space now, Kevin finds that he actually makes a point to use all of the rooms on a regular basis, just to switch things up. His landlords allowed him to paint as he wished, and the results are much more inviting than your typical renter's white. Kevin's also an advocate of painted ceilings, which helps to make the ceiling "disappear" and create a sense of more open space (in the long, narrow hallway, specifically).
Since Kevin works late nights, this bright, open apartment is the perfect place to spend his afternoons. The bay windows face west, looking out onto the trees and allowing a ton of light to stream through.
(Thanks, Kevin!)
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Looks like he's really made this place his own, working with what he had. Bravo. I love the colors in the living room. Cheery but not too much.
However ... "standard Chicago bathroom" I'm not so sure on! :P At least he has a vanity, with drawers, and not a pedestal sink! And a single faucet, not those two annoying individual hot and cold faucets. "Vintage charm" is one thing, but "convenience" is another! Ha!
Mad props on the built-in, though. Gotta love 'em.
i always thought painted ceilings would bring them down, but i think it actually makes them look higher. btw, love danny's!
Love the built-ins!! I love all of that light. I also really like the paintings above the couch. Kevin did you paint those? Sigh! Danny's!!!!!
i love those "i (circle) Chicago" shirts!
He needs a visit from the police. this place is homey and nice but it's lacking in style. needs work.
It looks like the first thing he did after the GF left was get some nudes for the living room.
katie:
those two paintings were done by Ian Darragh and given to Kevin years ago in NYC. They have moved with Kevin to many apartments.
adam:
see above.
My friend painted one of the art pieces in his place. Cool.
Kevin's place is great, and I appreciate his willingness to share it with Chicago AT. Ubetcha, your comment is both incomprehensible and unfounded. I worry that people will be discouraged from showing us their unique homes if they are bracing for criticism from anonymous pundits. "Style" is deeply subjective, and your comment is clearly lacking in it.
Adam, I wouldn't call those paintings porny by any stretch of the imagination. I'm guessing that you're single.
This is a great new online community for Chicagoans. Let's try to keep the jerkiness in check.
Bravo, Kevin!
Funny to see the apt of someone you know. Hope all is well.
Sarah M. from 94 trip to NYC.
christina:
i immediately wanted kevin's paint color too. the paint is made by BENJAMIN MOORE (kevin used b. moore on the entire apartment). the paint in the living room is a latex satin flat finish in GREENMOUNT SILK (code is HC-3). you can find it at most ACE hardware stores.
thanks!
heather,
greenmount silk? the wall behind the couch looks green, but greenmount silk on colorcharts.org looks like, well, silk. sure we're talking about the same color here?
doug;
you're right, it doesn't look the same at all.
http://www.o-geepaint.com/ArchiCoats/Mooresamples.shtml
i'll check with kevin to clarify!
thanks for investigating.
I didn't insinuate that there was anything lewd or inappropriate about the images. Or make any reference to pornography whatsoever.
One off-hand, joking comment and suddenly I'm villified.
Nice job! I really like the paint color on the wall above the couch. Do you remember the brand and color?
i am so completely jealous of all that space & light. i covet the hutch, pass-through & deck. a nice, comfortable, unpretentious home. looks like a great place to relax. thanks for sharing!
Dora: Surely on a blog about design and style, it's appropriate to comment on the design and style of a showcased home? It's not like AT is supposed to be full of home tours of any poor schleppy house and we all have to search for something positive, "oh, what a clean soap dish you have!"
Not that I particularly dislike this apartment, but the notion that nothing mean can be said about a contributor's place is a bit overly PC, if you ask me.
Tom, when did not being mean become "PC"?
My mother would say that's common courtesy that dates waaaaay back. When did having manners become a bad thing?
I think it's fine to say what you like and what you would change, but there's no need to be "mean" (and I'm quoting here). I think Dora's point is a good one; if people are ripped apart here (and I'm not saying that's happening in this case), then no one will show us their homes.
The photos raise an interesting question: what to do with the almost inevitable old house problem of wood (unpainted) door trim meets white (painted) baseboard.
Good eye for color and arrangement here. I like the paintings in the LR. Painting the ceiling works best when you have a tall ceiling, as Kevin does. For those with 8' ceilings, you do risk making it feel like a box if you continue the color from the wall, or go with a darker one.
I think the best solution for the painted- baseboard-meets-wood-door-trim problem is what K.'s done here. Carry the wall color down to the baseboard, and around bottom of the door opening if the baseboard goes there.
About the only thing I'd paint differently is the chair rail. Rather than keeping it dark, I'd paint it into the wainscoting. But that's more of an English way of painting wainscoting, I think.
What a huge kitchen for an older apartment!
Are you out there, "Anti-Pat"? Is this positive enough for you? I'm with you, Adam. It's absurd for people to beat you up for your posting. Attention: Adam was just being funny, you guys. Don't take life so seriously. He wasn't being "mean" at all. I suppose you should ask Kevin if he took it that way, before you go try to kick Adam around.
I'm guessing Tom meant to say "negative" rather than "mean". Constructive criticism should never be mean, otherwise I agree with his sentiments.
I also love the amount of light in this place, thanks for sharing.
Pat, just so you know, I wasn't referring to Adam. I was responding to Tom's comment and to Dora's. I think it was pretty clear that Adam was joking.
Fiona, good to hear it. But I agree with Tom as well (I, too, think he meant "negative" rather than mean). I just had an AT anon accuse me of being negative all the time (the "Anti-Pat" I referred to). If one can't state an honest opinion without being lambasted, then there is no reason to even participate in things like this. I think it's fine for someone to say they don't care for something that's placed in the public forum. It's not o.k. to try to hurt people, ever.
Actually, I find some of the "I'd change this and that" postings the most interesting. Some good ideas sometimes come up.
I had a sample of Greenmount Silk at one point, and it did look like the color on Kevin's walls--but I didn't realize how nice it would look in a larger dose, darn it.
I am scared of yellow, and it was quite yellowy on the swatch.
I have a Greenmount Silk-painted hallway. It straddles green and yellow, but leans toward yellow in my home. Even though the larger hallway leading to it is Georgian Green. I am going to change it soon, as I've decided that it's too indecisive for me. In an adjacent room, I did Castleton Mist, which is, as I rememebr about two tones darker than GS. I was very happy with it.
kevin says:
yes, it looks completely different on the computer. it is actually much more greenish-yellow but the green washes out in sunlight. it is a great color with wood and frames bold-colored furniture well.