apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Meg and Ross' Survey:

my Style: I'm a modernist at heart but wanted the place to look lived-in and comfortable. At the moment I'm into the warm colors of the 70s, as well as the 1980s take on art deco, mirrored surfaces, Lucite and all around colorful excess. It gets a little scary though when I start to decorate the way I dress, "ooh I should try to pull off that shiny gold curtain to divide up this room!"

favorite Element: It's two-room living- nothing's ever far away (and there's not much to clean)! I like to pretend we live in Tokyo.

the Inspiration for our home: I like modernism throughout the ages, and Ross wants to live in an apartment inspired by Dario Argento's Tenebrae.

biggest Challenge : Trying to make gut rehab have any character at all is quite a challenge. It's also hard to decide which ideas to execute since we don't have much room to experiment. It forces me to be more flexible.

what Friends Say: "It's cozy." Or "When's the next Korean BBQ night?"

biggest Embarrassment: The exposed brick is a little gimmicky but adds a nice historical element. Ross wants to add some custom neon from that shop on Western.

proudest DIY: Copying Todd Oldham's wood contact paper idea on my Ikea armoire (in 45 minutes!).

biggest Indulgence: 70s modern ceiling lamp from the Edgewater Antique Mall. Next up: subway tile backsplash in the kitchen.

best Advice: I read somewhere that if your place is small it's especially important to 1. get rid of everything but the essentials and, 2. avoid lots of different kinds of storage. Dedicate an area, floor to ceiling, to one dramatic idea.

myDream Source: Modern Times

Resources:

Appliances
The appliances are Frigidaire and came with the place. Though I once bought an adorable 1950s olive green gas stove from a Mike's used appliances on Ashland & Division.
Also, there's no reason for a one-bedroom apartment to have a full-size fridge!

Hardware
I love the kitchen cabinets. They're simple and panel-less, which is unbelievably hard to find in condos these days. The cabinet pulls are Ikea.

Before buying, our Realtor negotiated a $450 lighting allowance for us since the model's frosted glass and brass Home Depot fixtures were just not gonna cut it.

Furniture, Lighting & Artwork by Room

Living Room:
1960s sectional couch – a cheapie on Craigslist
Herman Miller chair, gray and black chair – inherited from my friend Kate
Side table with drawer – $25 thrift store find
Ceramic grape lamp – $2 at the Salvation Army on Fullerton
Rug – Ikea "as-is" section
TV Stand/Dresser – my shiferobe growing up
Desk – borrowing from Mom, given to my Grandma for her wedding in 1946
Desk chair – It's from a bar my Great Uncle used to own in North Aurora
Arc floor lamp – Threads, Etc consignment on Milwaukee Ave.
Vintage Lucite bench/coffee table – Ebay
Bird gate photograph – by me
Small deer print – by Matt Cipov via Etsy.com
Low bookshelf – Ikea, wheels – Ace Hardware
White shades – Ikea

Kitchen and Bar Area:
1980s deco kitchen stools – Craigslist
Chrome pendant lights – CB2
Acrylic shelves and spice rack – Container Store
Black & white clock – made by my Uncle in shop class, 1977

Forest photo mural – Online wallpaper site
Shelves – Ikea
1950s bar – Praha on Lincoln
Antique candle centerpiece – from the old Cycle & Saddle Club (my Grandma worked there in the 60s)
Cherry Sign – Lincoln Antique Mall on Irving Park
Teak tray and bowls – Mom's basement

Bedroom:
80s deco headboard – formally a waterbed inherited from an old landlord
Frame with drawers – Pre-pac, Online
Gold silk bedspread – Target
Mirrored and Birch Armoires – Ikea, Contact paper decorations by me
Gold flower 60s lamp – thrift store
Lucite Kartell stool – Marshall Fields Warehouse on Diversey & Pulaski right after it switched to Macy's. They stupidly marked this thing down to $13, and have since gotten rid of most of their modern furniture lines at the Warehouse site.
Curtains and wires – Ikea
Lyndale street photograph – camera-phone shot by me
Drawing of The Drake Hotel – by my Grandma, 1979
Paper mache branch – by my old roommate, Shira Melenson
Animal mask prints – by Matt Cipov via Etsy.com
60's geometric mirror – Edgewater Antique Mall

Many Thanks to Meg and Ross for sharing their home with us and to Evan for the photos!