Name: Molly & Raúl
Location: Ravenswood, Chicago
Owned/Rented: The bank owns our place, we just pretend to.
Size: approx. 950 square feet
Type: 2-bedroom condo
Years lived in: 5
Walking into Molly and Raúl's 2-bedroom condo, the first thing that commands attention is the view. The expansive living room window of their English Garden unit opens right up onto, well, the garden. And being a poet, Raúl (whose work is available through March Abrazo Press) knows inspiration when he sees it.
Their clean, botanical style is reiterated throughout the home; from the various shades of green on the walls to the uncomplicated lines of their mid-century furniture. Molly and Raúl have obviously listened to their muse, edited down, and the result is design poetry.
1. Our Style... Minimalist. Clean, spare lines allowing light to travel & envelop as much as possible. Organic forms, materials & colors.
2. The Inspiration for our home... Design - Danish/mid-century modern. Color - sunlight filtered through a canopy of leaves, spring shoots, Dylan Thomas' "green fuse."
3. Favorite element... Being surrounded by mementos of our friends, family & travels. View of lush gardens. Continuity of space (u-shaped floor plan), sunny & airy throughout. Raúl's desk with lots of cubbyholes & drawers. Art deco coat rack - super handy since there's no entryway closet. Our skiff-like coffee table. Hugely expandable dining table.
4. Biggest Challenge in designing our home... Painting the place.
5. What friends Say about our home... Airy, bright, cozy, cheerful & pretty. Love woods & greens - Feels like we've brought the outside in.
6. Biggest Embarrassment in our home... Having waited a long time to replace some of our blinds. Still have a few artworks from friends that we haven't yet framed.
7. Proudest DIY... [see #4.]
8. Biggest Indulgence with respect to our home... A trip we made a few years ago to Danish Teak Classics in Middleton, Wisconsin (which, sadly, is now out of business).
9. Best Advice given or received... Buy only what you'll actually use. Less = more!
10. Dream Source for stuff... Scout, Architectural Artifacts, Design Within Reach.
Resources:
General
CB2, Fast Frame in Andersonville, Manuel Zapata - Carpenter/Remodeler extraordinaire (773-509-9829)
Furniture
• Coat Rack: Architectural Artifacts
• Raúl's Desk: Danish Teak Classics
• Raúl's Desk Chair: Scout
• Eames Bentwood Chairs: Home Office Solutions
• Living Room Chair: Danish Modern antique store find
• George Nelson Table: annual Winnetka Community House Modernism Show
• Lamp on Nelson Table: Danish Teak Classics
• Eames Stereo Table: Home Office Solutions
• Molly's Desk: Passed from Grandma to Mom to Molly, purchased in Iowa in the '50s
• Molly's Desk Chair: Danish Teak Classics
• Set of 3 Nesting Tables: Danish Teak Classics
• Couch: the Fairlane Sofa from Dania
• Coffee Table: Danish Teak Classics
• Replica Yanagi Butterfly Stool: Estate sale
• Custom-made Shelves in Second Bedroom: Manuel Zapata
• Hutch: Passed down from Molly's mom, purchased at Sears in the '80s
Accessories
• Vase on Raúl's Desk: Uber Modern (now closed)
• White Porcelain Vase/Bowl on Raúl's Desk: Scout
• Rubber Stamps: Paper Source (and gifts from friends)
• Olympia Typewriter: Independence Business Machines
• Stereo: Panasonic
• Throw Pillows: Crate & Barrel
• Quilt in Bedroom: Made by Molly's great great grandmother
• Salt & Pepper Shakers in Kitchen: Uber Modern
• Bloodgood Japanese Maple Tree: Gethsemane Garden Center
Lighting
• Lamp on Raúl's Desk: Danish Teak Classics
• Lamp on Nelson Table: Danish Teak Classics
• Floor Lamp: Danish Teak Classics
• Lamps in Bedroom: Danish Teak Classics
Paint
• Entry: Sears Easy Living "Yellow Earth"
• Living Room & Hallway: Sears Easy Living "Kiwi Lime"
• Master Bedroom: Sears Easy Living "Twisted Lime"
• 2nd Bedroom: Sears Easy Living "Two-Tone Lime"
• Bathroom: Sears Easy Living "Springtime"
• Kitchen & Dining Area: Martha Stewart Everyday Colors "Honeydew"
Artwork
• "Be Kind or Leave" Postcard: Amos Kennedy of Kennedy Prints
• Skeleton with Typewriter figure: Gift from Mexico
• "Cyrk Cyrk" Elephant Poster: Gift from Molly's mother (to replace the one that was lost from Molly's childhood).
• Black and White Photography: Molly
• "Gretchen" (above fireplace): Karl Erickson
• Lifeguard Video Still (above couch): Karl Erickson
• "Wings of Desire" Poster: One of both Molly & Raúl's favorite movies
• "Con Solidavidad" Woodcut: Carlos Cortez
• Poster in Dining Area: International Theatre Festival of Chicago, 1992
Molly and Raul,
You have such a beautiful home!!! I'm totally jealous of your desk Raul.
view katie's profile
Great colors!
view art's profile
Guys - you are very funny. LOVELY home by the way. But you reminded me the day we closed in our house - I said to my husband: Oh wow, we are homeowners - and his response, well with our 20% we own about half the garage and a couple of bricks - The rest is the bank's :-) it was very funny... So here here to the banks that let us live in their property and we pay interest for the priviledge :-)
view Anusha73's profile
Dear Molly & Raúl,
Not only is your home amazing, but you have a BFF poster on your fridge. Extra points.
view big dane's profile
i love so many things in your house, but am surprised to see that green in every room. have to say, it'd totally give me a headache.
view my little apartment's profile
loved your place! Nice color choices and I loved your great grandmother's quilt. I live on Ravenswood too. :)
view jdryerart's profile
Dreamy. You can tell a poet lives here.
Please, what is that gorgeous mossy green in the picture toward your big window?
view Aulaire's profile
Big fan of Wings of Desire. Hard to believe that's a basement apartment. Good job, but hang your pictures a bit lower.
view Kurt's profile
I like this. My livingroom is "Tequila Lime" by Benjamin Moore with lots of wood furniture and I too concentrate on "bringing the inside in". We all spend enough time at the office so it's great for home to feel like a forest.
view Suzanne's profile