Name: Edyta Czajkowska + fiancé + 2 adopted lovable pit bulls
Location: Des Plaines, Illinois
Size: 1,100 square feet
Years lived in: 5 — owned
It's always fun to see the homes of interior designers. I had been checking out Edyta's professional projects on her website and flickr photostream for a while and I've always been impressed by her amazing style. When Edyta agreed to let us in for a House Tour, I was excited to see how her professional style would translate to her own home.
Edyta and her fiancé moved into this small bungalow in a suburb of Chicago five years ago. They lived with it mostly "as is" for a few years while they gathered resources and decided what they really wanted to do to the house. Eventually, they decided to completely gut the house and rebuild the interior just the way they wanted it. It meant moving out and living with Edyta's mother for a short period but in the end it was totally worth it.
Rehabbed, the house feels clean and modern but also warm and inviting. I particularly love the fact that Edyta decided to turn the small third bedroom into a giant closet/dressing room — complete with vanity make-up counter. I also love the rehabbed kitchen, with its breakfast bar overlooking the back yard. While shooting the house tour Edyta was telling me how she sits at the bar eating her breakfast while she watches the dogs run around the back yard.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: My style is clean line modern injected with classic elements and a bit of drama.
Inspiration: I find inspiration in many places: travels, fashion, nature, art, history — yet I believe the root of all inspiration comes from constantly reinventing and exposing myself to different surroundings, people, cultures, and situations. This way I am always thinking in a fresh perspective with a reinvented eye.
Favorite Element: I enjoy the whole house but having a nice open kitchen with ample cabinet storage and ample counter space is fantastic, the radiant flooring in the kitchen and the bathroom is great in the winter months for us and the dogs. A bedroom that was turned into my walk in closet with vanity is just perfection.
Biggest Challenge: Because I am exposed to so many wonderful design resources I am always ready to change things up in the house — it's hard to resist.
What Friends Say: People love the simplicity and comfort of our home, they always say they want to live here.
Biggest Embarrassment: The backyard (soon to be tackled).
Proudest DIY: I am not a big DIYer — I prefer to call the experts, yet I would love to tackle some project one day . On the other hand I am an artist and create paintings, therefore a few of my art pieces are displayed throughout our home.
Biggest Indulgence: Kitchen remodel. Prior to renovating the kitchen it used to be extremely dated with mismatched cabinetry, mismatched old appliances, and bad bright lighting. Everything was redone from scratch to suit our lifestyle while reflecting a modern, clean, and very functional sensibility. Another indulgence is turning one of the bedrooms into a closet where I can fit all my clothes, shoes, put on my makeup and do my hair. It's fantastic!
Best Advice: Creating a home that truly reflects your taste and suits your lifestyle is the best recipe for a space where you will feel your best.
Dream Sources: Original pieces of fine art, such as Mark Rothko.
Resources of Note:
My resources range from Merchandise Mart and design sources, boutique shops, eBay, antique shops and even Home Goods and IKEA.
Thanks, Edyta!
Images: Jason Loper
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Where is that console with the green ottomans under it from? It looks really familiar, but I can't place it.
Also, I love their living room!
lovely home. Could the wall colors be listed?
Nice Job!
That metallic silver pedestal table! I die.
it looks like Ikea console that was discontinued.
where is that big couch in the living room from? It looks so comfy!!
Great job, it looks very comfortable.
Thanks New York Muhtari! Totally looks like an easy DIY, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't already available somewhere in my price range (probably good the answer wasn't West Elm or Crate&Barrel, I'm more of an Ikea budget kind of girl anyhow.)
Very nice!
I see that little silver table often at Home Goods.
I think the console might be from West Elm's Parson collection. This is a really clean and fresh home! Definitely looks like a show home- I guess interior designers can't (and shouldn't) do it any other way, huh?
Oh, man, I would be thrilled to know where that awesome yellow/gray throw came from!!
i too want to know where that yellow/gray throw is from!!!
This is a nice home, but, ultimately, it's pretty generic and underwhelming for that of a designer.
The console looks like CB2's fresca white console table.
http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=114&f=5315
I'm seriously in love with this home, beautiful job. Love the neutrals and pops of color and how comfortable it looks
Good call, it is very similar to the Parson Colletion, MsDonnaGirl, the legs are different but I may have been thinking of that one.
I think you're right, Redd, totally looks like the CB2 one. Thanks!
I could spend all day on Sunday laying on that comfy living room couch.
No offense to Edyta, but I’m soooo bored with these home tours. I hardly even look at them anymore. Every space looks the same. The same furniture from the same catalogs. The same color schemes. The same accessories, and the same art. And it is all styled pretty much the same, too. Giant yawn. Bring on the freaks, please.
Were those chairs reupholstered? I am in the Chicago area, and need to have some cushions made. I'm not sure where to have it done (that isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg)...
eighteen throw pillows! does every chair need a pillow on it? really?
this house tour is strange. parts of it feel cluttered and over-worked while others feel vacant and half-done. i appreciate the clean lines and comfy vibe they're striving for, but for me it misses most marks.
I read and reread that headline and kept thinking the house tour was called "Edyta's Modern and Drab Home". Dab + Drama = Drab? (not here)
arroyo:If one's a freak then one would feel comfortable about living in a 'freaky' house and that's fine. What comes across to me in this house tour is that despite having all the latest decor at her fingertips, she's restrained and kept true to herself and what works well for her home and lifestyle. There are a lot of elements in here that I really like but I will adapt them to suit my family and lifestyle and that's ultimately what it's about. It's nice to have a 'showroom' house but it also has to be a house that is practical and you enjoy living in. Edyta: I adore this but then I've seen some of your projects on your blog so I have a better insight into how fantastic you are. :)
(elecatcreations.blogspot.com)
The wall colours are so beautiful. Especially the chocolate shade at the living room.
Source for the overhead light in the bedroom, anyone? Love it!
Fabulous house tour. Love everything about it!
CraigslistDecorator it looks like some version of a Sputnik light, there was a post a while back that mentioned one like it (http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/roundup/gaudy-in-a-good-way-gold-chandeliers-137794?image_id=2173154)
Morgan from The Brick House (mentioned in the above post) made one using a tutorial she found: http://www.the-brick-house.com/2009/12/chandelier.html
Ok, on second thought, Morgan's isn't like the light you're asing about; the one in the tour is a Sputnik.
This looks comfy, but the living rooms seems really crowded. What's the purpose of the chair next to the front door? If removed it would perhaps allow the sofa to be moved back some, freeing up some space in front of the TV? or simply remove the chair and replace with a small table or something of interest.
I'm loving the purple-pink blob paintings and the gray backsplash tile in the kitchen! Beautiful home.
Omoriala: Me too! I kept reading "drab" then looked at the intro photo and thought "no it's not" hahaha
so does no one here know where that comfy couch in the living room is from?
This is beautiful. When I imagine my dream "look," this is exactly it!
Loved the tour! Such a soothing, serene and restrained home! I could not take my eyes off the flooring!! I know it is a weird thing to focus on in such a pretty home, but we are looking to re-do our floors and that is the exact shade of warm, light walnut that we are going for. **Could you please share what shade of stain you used for those hard wood floors?? It is to die for!! Thank you : )
the bathroom vanity- where is that from? I love it!
I really love the blue-green color in the living room pillows and ottomans (similar to the color of a Tiffany's bag). Could you please share your source for these (or the fabric)?
care to share the accent wall color behind the TV in the living room? i love the ambiguous shade.
as for the rest of the house... its lovely. crisp but comfortable.
Don't get me wrong, this looks nice. But... what is with all the gray? This post, "Shannon and Aaron's" (the number three post on top tours today), even the Homies winner- Young House Love. Gray, gray, gray. Individually, I love these spaces (I do!) but then the repetition is starting to make me bored. Has the instant connection of design blogging watered down our cumulative creative talent??
Where is that gorgeous sofa from?!?!?
It appears that one would be trapped upon entering with barley a path past the dining table. How do the dogs maneuver without bumping into something?
I mean "barely". Sorry I'm hungry.
okay...so completely off-topic. But WHERE are the dogs?! I was a little disappointed when the article mentioned "two lovable pit bulls" and then noticed they were nowhere to be seen?! How could you leave out their insanely goofy-cute faces?!
I guess I will have to get my cute-dog fix elsewhere... ;-)
The chair behind the couch in the living seems out of place and with all the other sitting in that room just doesn't seem necessary.
The house is sweet. But...
"While shooting the house tour Edyta was telling me how she sits at the bar eating her breakfast while she watches the dogs run around the back yard."
Why is this activity so special that it had to be highlighted?
Eh, everyone has complaints about the house tours. I personally get frustrated that despite being in the top 2% of US households in income and living in a place where living costs are very reasonable, my husband and I could never come close to affording 90% of the interiors on AT. There's an air of Bank-of-Mom-and-Dad behind most of these that renders them pretty unrealistic.
But so what?
Very nice house, lovely details, great choice of colours.
@Cactina: I personally got very envious at Edyta having a back yard for her dogs. I'm sure I'd do the same thing, just enjoy my coffee and watch at my dog running around happy. I thought it was nice showing in one phrase how they can enjoy their home beyond the nice furniture and all.
Heela- agreed! I wanted to see the two pitties, too!
I think this is a very sweet and pleasant house. Looks like it would be lovely to spend time, and it wouldn't be depressing in the winter. I would love sources, though!
Heela, HernandoHouse, you can see the two cute dogs (and Edyta) on her web site: http://www.edytaandco.com/about/
Hey the house tour is nice and all but what about the two pitties? I want to see! I think when someone has a house tour and they mention dogs(or cats or any other beast), they should at the very minimum show us a picture!! LOL, As you can tell there are many dog lovers on this blog!
@Cactina - sometimes when I see that set up, if anyone ever uses the bar stools rather than the dining table. I like to hear about how homeowners actually use their space.
Lovely job, Edyta - most of these tours are of the same mid-century modern look, or the I-get-all-my-art-from-Etsy crowd. Your place looks real and homey. :)
YAY DES PLAINES. i'm from elk grove. nice to see something local-ish!
I love this house! It definitely feels homey and practical, while still being stylish. Edyta, do you mind sharing the paint color on your accent wall in the living room? (where the tv is?) thanks!
Thanks Cactina! My work day is now a bit better having seen her cute dogs :)
I love the living room! Well, I love the whole house, but I'm in the process of redecorating my living room and this is very close to what I have in my head, with the shades of grey and bright accent colours. This has definitely helped to ground my thoughts by showing me how these colours look all pulled together! It's different than what I have in mind for my space, but the feel and the gist of it are pretty close! Thanks for sharing!
The walls, trim and floor have been done really well, but I truly cannot identify any style or unity in the design. Lots of blocks and pillows - it looks very bulky to me. Where do you put the pillows when you want to sit - or sleep? But glad others like it :-).
Lovely. A lot like the feel I would love my home to have someday when I buy one. I'm in love with the wing back by the front door. I've been wanting to reupholster mine for years. This is great inspiration with the piping and fabric!
While I appreciate the effort put in, I don't understand how one could *gut* their house and end up with something that looks so builder-grade. The furniture/accessories are nice/fine, but the finishes and fixtures are SOOO boring!
I just don't feel the warmth in this house. It just seems as if most of the rooms (which seem to have great bones with high quality materials) are missing that "something" that makes it go from blah to a-hah! The only thing that didn't leave me feeling cold was the makeup/accessories mirrored area.
I am wondering where that light fixutre positioned above the entry door is from? Any thoughts?!
I second/third/fourth the request for paint colors--Edyta's used some great neutrals that I'd love to know the names of...have a living room/dining room paint project on the horizon!
With the exception of a few pieces, this is too much Ikea for my taste. Sorry, but I completely missed that 'dab of drama' we were promised.
I really like this tour, but must admit that the living room looks overstuffed with furniture. Perhaps some smaller chairs would help lighten the heaviness of furniture in the room. Also getting rid of that high back chair behind the sofa would also help...it seems lonely and out of place where it is now.
I don't know if it's the lighting or the photography, but I to me that in some of the spaces, the adjacent colors didn't coordinate well.
For example, the gorgeous white marble dining table doesn't seem to go well with the beige leather chairs. White, grey, black or colorful chairs would coordinate better. The same thing with the kitchen. Everything's neutral, but different tones/family of neutrals. And this is probably just me, but the sofas and chairs look like they were parts of different "sofa/loveseat/chair package". I mean they both are generic, big, bulky, plain colors, but slightly different shapes and material. I feel like they need to be the same, or then different, like the chair should be of a slimmer style or something.
I'm only nit-picking because Edyta is a professional designer with access to places like Merchantile Mart. Then again, maybe it's a result of a limited budget, or combining 2 households into one, etc.
I adore this house! It's great to see a house tour that is so well done, but eminently within reach (as in, I could see myself living there). Thanks for sharing!
This house is so cute! I love just about everything about it! Especially the wing chair! Very cute! And the front door is exactly what I want to have someday!
The only thing I didn't like is that I want to see more! And I want to see those dogs! :)
I love it, cool, serene, clean and feminine without being girly (except for the dressing area). Seriously wish I could re-do my kitchen like this one but can't afford it. Love that gray seems to be coming back in style again. The dogs are adorable (on Edyta's website) and their pictures should be included here.
I have the little silver pedestal table. I saw it at Z Gallery and ending up finding it at Home Goods (like one poster mentioned) for half the price. I love it!
Beautiful, tasteful home!
Beautiful!
I love the overall layout. It can be difficult to make separate areas for an entry, living room and dining room in houses with such a small and open layout. Great job in making the space feel cozy but not too crowded!
I also would love to know where the couch came from!
Sooooo meh. Just really uninspired. I'm with arroyo on this one.
I definitely get what others are saying about being confused that the decor doesn't scream "I'm an interior designer" BUT--I adore this tour. If I had a stack of cash to decorate my home, it would be very similar, I think.
I also love that couch, it looks similar to Room and Board's Chelsea sofa. Would love to know in addition to the zillion others!
To the people that were wondering who upholstered some of the furniture... Urban Workroom. Some of the pieces we did here were the pillows in the living room. We also did the ottoman and the wing chair with the pillow on it. Another piece we did was the pink/gray tufted chair with the pink pillow. Feel free to visit our blog: urbanworkroom.blogspot.com.
I absolutely would live here... no doubt about it. I love your home Edyta... it looks stylish, well put together, welcoming, comfortable, cheerful, clean, organized... I could go on. Great job!
very beautiful. feel free to hush all the haters! :)
Lovely house !!! Where is the couch from? I am in search for a new couch and this looks very comfy !!! N i would love to have the vanity you have :) The clean look of the house makes me want to move in ...
I love it. the understated-ness—and the colors—of this home provides a sense of calm, which is what many of us desire in our home. It is all very cohesive. The kitchen is fabulous, and I would love to borrow this exact idea.
BTW, I love the chair by the door, but I would move it to the living area. for same reason mentioned previously.
and the comment about the breakfast area: Clearly this is to illustrate why this eating area configuration works well for this homeowner. (ie, we don't always need to be looking directly at our dining companion)
I like it. I totally want an actual chair by my door to sit on while putting on/taking off shoes on my way out/in. Heck - put a reading lamp behind it and it double duties as a reading nook.
And the gray? Nice nuetral, more masculine foil for the pinks.
I like that most rooms have some fresh flowers - is that for everyday or just for us?
i love this house! great job!
anyone know where i can find that cushy bed/headboard?
Can you share what paint colors you used throughout the house? I am very curious especially about the entryway/living room color. I also really like the entry way light? Where can I find it?