Name: Laura D.
Location: Oak Park
Size: 1250 sf., 2 bedroom condo, built in 1928
Years lived in: 3, but currently on the market as I'm moving out to LA this fall
Laura in Oak Park is just about ready to trade her near west Chicago home life for the real West: she is LA-bound. What better way to pay homage to the hard work and dedication that has made her home a dreamy design experiment? With a designer's eye and a love of vintage pieces, Jonathan Adler and custom paint mixes, the results will surely be hard to say goodbye to, and we're thankful she shared them with the AT community. We look forward to seeing Laura's new place on AT:LA once she's settled!
1. My
Style: I love mixing antique, vintage and new.
2. The Inspiration for my home: Nothing in particular - I get inspiration from so many things. Books, old movies, art, a ton of nature and animals.
3. Favorite element: Probably my books and random collection of animals scattered through out the place. I like the fact that it's a comfortable and fun place to hang around in.
4. Biggest Challenge in designing my home: The too tight of a budget
5. What Friends Say about my home: They like the little things - the surprises.
6. Biggest Embarrassment in my home: I have a great pair of early 70's deco chairs that need to be refinished and re-upholstered but am waiting till after the move.
7. Proudest DIY: I actually papered the dining room.
8. Biggest Indulgence with respect to my home: Definitely the kitchen
9. Best Advice given or received: Purchase what you love, but make sure it works within a plan and edit, edit, edit.....
10. Dream Source for stuff: Gotta love 1st Dibs
Resources:
Appliances
Thermador
Bosch
GE Monogram
LG
Hardware
Waterworks
Vintage
American Heritage
Furniture
Mostly all vintage - picked up through random places:
e-bay, vintage stores, auctions......
Sofa is Barbara Barry
Desk in Office is Ikea
Accessories
Again, mostly all vintage
Lighting
Yep, .... Mostly vintage
The horse lamps in the bedroom are Jonathan Adler
The sconces in the living room are Thomas Pheasant
Paint
Benjamin Moore - custom colors I matched
Flooring
Ebony stained wood
Rugs and Carpets
Sisal squares in kitchen - Flor
Rug in bedroom: CB2
Tiles and Stone
Kitchen and Bath: Bianco Carrera marble
Window Treatments
LR - Conrad shade
All other shades: Fabric I purchased at the Mart
Beds
A mix of custom and Ralph Lauren linens
Artwork
All of it's vintage with the exception of a print in the office that I picked up at Etsy.
(All photos by Laura. Thanks!)
Wow. Gorgeous.
I just wish the photographs were of a bit higher quality.
view Cassis's profile
GOD. That whole place is AWFUL. Bad antiques. Horrible colors. Bad fabrics. UGH
view bud smith's profile
Wow, love it! The lucite table in the foyer is great. And I LOVE the way the she has the marble countertop go all the way up the backsplash. That (carerra?) marble looks so good in an all white kitchen like that. I'm thinking of doing that in my all white kitchen next summer. I also think the faucet coming out of the backsplash is so great. Who did your counters? Thanks:)
view Tiffany's profile
Hi Casis,
Thanks for the compliment. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to coordinate a time with Apt's photographers. On my iphoto the photos looked pretty good in a larger format but somehow it lost a lot in the translation - especially once minimized. Sorry about that!
Hi Tiffany,
Thanks too for the compliment. The marble is carrara. I love it and it looks great, but I wouldn't recommend the company that I used. I was trying them out and they were really unprofessional. The faucet is actually Waterworks, Easton 2 hole in chrome - not coming out of the backsplash.
....and to Bud - wow THANKS, for your WONDERFUL comments. I hope you feel like you've accomplished something. I'd love to see your place sometime.
view laurad's profile
I loved looking at this. It looks personal, rich and complex and serene at the same time.
view Kate (NC)'s profile
Wow Bud...grumpy much?!
view Monica's profile
Really like the place, Laura!
Great color style.
Good luck in LA!
view Cherry Ride's profile
It looks fantastic. While I lean towards a more pared down aesthetic myself, I love the layering of colours and textures in this space. I think it comes together really well.
view arza's profile
This place is just stunning!!!!
view katie's profile
Not my style, but very interesting. Love your pottery collection.
view peggy's profile
I felt completely at home looking at those pictures. Will you come make my house look like that?
view feelingpunchy's profile
Very nice. Soooo envious of the seating area in the kitchen.
But I'd be remiss if I did not add my usual "you need a rug" comment. :)
view patrick (the other one)'s profile
Thanks for sharing!
It's a shame about bud's comment. I can see how that snarky non-constructive criticism might prevent other people from sharing their places in the future.
view saudoso's profile
wow. we have the exact same brown chair as she has a pair of (photo above), only with casters. but we found ours on a toronto street? nuts.
view olya's profile