Name: Elizabeth Krueger & Brent Sanders
Location: Ukrainian Village — Chicago, Illinois
Size: 1,250 square feet
Years lived in: 1.5 years — rented
The downturn in the housing market has left many high end, new construction apartments and condos sitting empty. For clever couples like Elizabeth and Brent this affords them the ability to rent an apartment with luxury features — like a fireplace in the bedroom, a kick-ass kitchen and a unique bi-level floorplan — that would normally be out of reach.
The housing market has been hard hit in Chicago, with some neighborhoods particularly hard hit. New construction units that were finished after 2007 have been sitting empty and luxury homes in neighborhoods that were still up and coming and feeling a bit down and out.
During the housing boom, Elizabeth and Brent wouldn't have been able to purchase this newly constructed luxury home. But after the empty building languished on the market for a while, the builder decided to rent out the units. Elizabeth and Brent get to experience all the luxury finishes but at a fraction of the cost of owning.
To outfit the apartment, Elizabeth relied on some new furnishings but also gladly accepted hand-me-downs, like the piano inherited from Brent's aunt. Elizabeth also admits to having sticky fingers when she visits her own mother's house.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: The best way for me to explain it is to compare it to the way I dress. I go for simple & classic with a bit of an edge. Brent inherently has great style and I have learned a lot from him. His mother has impeccable taste, so he comes by it honestly.
Inspiration: I am inspired by spaces that feel homey. Crackling fire, music playing and dimly light. There has to be symmetry and comfort and personality. I crave things with a story and interest. I envy those who make looking effortless seem so effortless.
Favorite Element: Master Bedroom windows AND a new construction bathtub - noone has used it before us!
Biggest Challenge: Covering the windows inexpensively!
What Friends Say: There's a downstairs?!
Biggest Embarrassment: Don't go in to the guest room closet....DISASTER.
Proudest DIY: My mom & I made the draperies in our Master Bedroom out of painter's drop cloths from home depot & old drapes for the banding.
Biggest Indulgence: Renting this apartment.
Best Advice: Do Yoga
Dream Sources: Oh geez .... I worked at Holly Hunt, so that was sort of torture. I do love finding a deal too, so anything great with a story, I love!
Resources of Note:
PAINT & COLORS
- • There are only two and I don't know what they are because the builder picked them!
ENTRY
- • Vases & mirror: my mom
• Shadow box: West Elm
• Stacked boxes, framed art and stool: Jayson Home & Garden
• Console & basket: World Market
LIVING ROOM
- • Consoles: Crate & Barrel
• Upholstered chair: Jayson Home & Garden
• leather & steel chair: Renegade Craft Fair
• Metal trunks: Nadeau
• African pieces: Brent's mom's resource Osami
• Draperies: West Elm
DINING ROOM
- • Shelving unit: going out of business sale from "Out of the West," on Armitage. .
• Dining table: IKEA
• Dining chairs: Restoration Hardware
KITCHEN
- • Barstools: Interior Express Outlet
BEDROOM
- • Screen/headboard: great grandma's
• Bedding: West Elm & Calvin Klein Home
• Desk: Target
• Lamp: IKEA
• Desk chair: Restoration Hardware.
• Green tufted chair: Jayson Home & Garden.
• Chair & a half: Jayson Home & Garden.
• African end table: Judy Sanders, resource: ossami.
OFFICE
- • Pull out couch: IKEA
• Mirror: IKEA
• lamps: IKEA
• End tables: West Elm
• Rug: IKEA
• Black cabinet: Crate & Barrel
• Piano: aunt Margie
Thanks, Elizabeth and Brent!
Images: Jason Loper
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FYI, the second "enter house tour" link is to someone else's tour.
Now that I've actually seen the house tour...it all looks really nice! My version would have a lot more color, but the neutrals are really nice without being too neutral. It helps that there are textures all over the place.
Where did you get those lanterns? They're great.
No feel for the layout of this home.
Yep, second Enter House Tour links you to a different tour. Had to check it out for myself. ;) I love the bedroom in this home. What a great fireplace! Lucky!
The condo is lovely, but I would love more information, or a another post about trying to rent empty condos. How we they "clever"? Are there tips for renting vacant condos?
I could live there...
Fixed the second link - thanks!
about that great chevron rug - is that really ikea? i thought the ikea one had wider stripes & was a more stark black & white color, not so beigy. anyway that rug under the piano is gorgeous.
When I read the words "rented luxury," I did not expect to like this tour nearly as much as I did. I do wish there were more wide shots and not so many close ups though.
I especially love the lanterns, and how they are hanging from the mantle. So pretty!
I love that wood/metal shelf in the living room. Where's it from?
I like it a lot. One thing I'd like to see more of is a wide-angle shot of the fireplace--to give it more perspective. The close-ups are nice, but I'm curious about its placement and overall effect in a room.
Lovely styled home.
Agree with Tamom, the chevron rug is great. I couldn't find it on IKEA's website-- can you give us the product name? Or possibly IKEA was listed as the source inadvertently and it is really from somewhere else? Let us know, please! =)
Stay crunk, y'all.
I like text art, and that one is really great.
Lots of cozy, layered areas, and a gorgeous fireplace, but I have no sense of how it all fits together from one space to the next. God loves a floorplan, AT editors.
This is really nice. Seems very cozy!
Looking for the dinning room? Yes. I do like this apt but something is missing just cant figure. Ah ha no warm colors!! I still like it.
I want to live there..
gorgeous.
Lovely condo. Very cozy!
Perfect design even if we consider it as an old style design it is brilliant as for me. http://www.ventrolla.co.uk/sash_windows/
Lovely, well layered, thoughtful, but relaxing. I love it.
I love the kitchen cabinets! Still can't really figure out the apartment floor plan, but it doesn't bother me the way it does others.
yeah, it's nice. i'm curious what 'affordable' means to ap, though. i doubt that a place like this-- in chicago-- no less would be less than $1500 a month, even with the economic downturn specials. that's still pretty steep to some of us.
Love the screen as a headboard - really cool that it was great grandma's :)
The screen used as a headboard is beautiful. Also like the chevron rug. I don't know what that art sculpture is behind the chair in the living room, but it looks like it's made of wood and I like it too. Lovely and soothing use of neutrals.
The first pic is a close up of a piece of furniture. The second pic is that same piece of furniture, only a little further left so we can see the toilet. REALLY?? Seriously - why can't the tour at least start out with some shots of the whole space?? Why do we have to see close ups of a space we know nothing about? I really hate the way some of these tours are photographed and organized. I don't mind vignettes, but give me the whole space before you zoom me in! I want to CTRL-0 on so many of these shots!
Having vented that, I love the lanterns on the fireplace.
I really like your animal hide rugs... I've been eyeing those for awhile. Maybe I'll get one eventually.
WONDERFUL...Love the warmth and mixture of the NEW and OLD....Not only LOVELY..but very livable...where do we find the Designer?
Brent and Elizabeth,
I love your home. It is so beautiful !!!! It looks so inviting and cozy. Job well done. Where did you get the gray curtians in the living room ?
Hey Guys! thanks for all the great comments. The chevron rug really is from Ikea. It was in one of their catalogs about a year ago and I bought it at their schaumburg store. The lanterns in the bedroom are from World Market. The wood & metal shelf I bought from "out of the west," that used to be on Armitage when they were closing. The gray curtains in the living room are from west elm. The set up is hard to explain BUT I'll give it a shot. The living room, kitchen, console/entry, bathroom and guest/music room are on the second floor. When you walk downstairs (which is only half of the entire floor) that is where the bedroom is.
Lastly, I am an interior designer in chicago & I did the place! JRS Designs, where are you located?
Serene and edgy, really wonderful place - congrats! I enjoyed the faux sheep skin over cow hide - clever! And the contemporary meets woodsy/ethnic shows how mindful your choices were. I would be wondering what this place would look like with a child, though, if you plan on having one there (and not move to the burbs) - I'd love to see what the transformation would look like, since your beautiful condo is so grown-up. ;-)
I really like your coffee table/side table, where are they from?
* Also, cuddos for "blending" the plasma TV in with pictures....I think I'll do the same.
The "Stay Crunk" picture is everything.