Names: Gregory & Christine
Location: Chicago
Some classic Chicago style arrived in our inbox recently. Here is what Gregory had to say about the home he shares with Christine: Our two bedroom condo in Chicago, IL - full of antique furniture, painted wall murals, and custom built shelves. The inspiration for our home stems from the characteristics of the 100+ year old building mixed with our love for kitschy DIY aesthetics... with a sprinkling of modern mirrors, art, and sculptural objects that I have created as an interior designer for commercial properties. Custom shelves that I have built in the kitchen, bedroom, and living room along with the appropriately scaled furniture make the most out of this small space...
Wall murals add interest and color without taking away floor space. When I purchased this condo more than three years ago it was owned by a sixty-year old lady and the entire apartment was painted pink along with a pink kitchen floor, pink counter tops, and a shell-shaped bathroom sink. The entire bathroom, which is very small, was remodeled with a touch of modern influences. My wife and I painted (& sealed) the pink ceramic-tiled kitchen floor a dark gray. The built-in shelf over our bed houses an alarm clock, books, and has a light switch that turn on a night-light hidden behind the colored owl candle holder. The second bedroom is used for sewing and crafts by my wife and a wood-shop, bike shop, and art studio by myself.
Thanks Gregory & Christine!
Images: Gregory & Christine
We've had amazing response to our Apartment Therapy House Tour Submission Form. While we will work on full tours of some submitted homes, we will also share the best as House Calls — short, quick tours of readers' homes. Submit yours right here.
100 DIY Ideas for the 3-Day Weekend
Danielle's Charming, Classic Walk-Up
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
White Enamel Flatwa...
Party Recipe: Creamy Crawfish Dip
Perfect Summer Cocktail Recipe: Honey Bourbon Lemonade
Looks interesting, but it's kind of frustrating to see so little of the apartment. Could we see some more?
i LOVE the art piece in the hallway, with the little yellow creatures hanging off a tree. any one have an idea who the artist is?
Love the bedroom photo - the Malm looks high end in it.
very nice
What is the name/brand of the green paint color in the walls? In the living room and dining area. Love it, thanks!
Are the leaves on the white wall painted on freehand? I love how they tie the accent wall and the white wall together!
i really loved all the spareness, and bare surfaces. the place feels spacious, and it feels like a person can think, breathe, and do in there. lovely, thanks
Lovely! Very restful. what is your source for the blinds?
The artist of the poster in the hallway is Jay Ryan, of Chicago. You can find his work here:
http://www.thebirdmachine.com/
I love the shelf in the wall above the bed. DIY or did it come with your space?
Yes, how did you paint the mural? DIY or did you have a mural painter, stencil, etc?
It's quite nice and subtle.
I am moving into an apartment with a similar living room layout, and I would love to know the paint and color you've used in this space. What a lovely home!
I have to say, I am intrigued by a woman (earlier resident) who has the guts to cover every single surface with her favorite color (pink). But I like this better of course.
Nice sofa set. Are those Picachus in the tree in the print? :)
This is a lovely home. I really appreciate the lack of 'modern icons' actually. It gives my brain a rest from Eammes and reminds me we can design beautiful homes beyond or without all those design-savvy widgets (which are still awesome, don't get me wrong, just a little ODed is all). I really like your living room, it looks awefully cozy and the plants everywhere are wonderful.
You have great taste! I'm curious about the mural too, I've been looking for something "leafy" to complement by bedroom but not sure if i should go wallsticker, stencil, etc.
I would have loved to see the wall-to-wall pink! Please tell me there are photos!
My guess is that is free hand painting at it's best! (The wall color matches the stencil perfectly) You can do some pretty amazing things with vinyl decals though! Check out a few pics of some stuff I did at my office here:
http://bacacreative.blogspot.com/2008/04/i-heart-writing-on-walls.html
Great use of muted colors to highlight the home's traditional architectural elements in a modern way. So lucky to have so many big and beautiful windows!
great house! I love the yellow wall and the mural.
where is the dining table from?
Your living room is lovely---simple, serene, green.
They look like "Pikachu." Minus the red cheeks. What a fun painting!
Hi & thanks for all your comments, below are the answers to most of the questions above. As most of you know the artist of the large tree print with "yellow critters" in it is Jay Ryan, this was a piece my company commissioned from him for the rooms of the new Intercontinental Hotel in Rosemont, IL next to O'Hare airport. The green paint in the kitchen is Behr Asparagus on top and Grass Cloth on the bottom. The dining room table is a craigslist find, originally the table was the same colored wood as the chairs, but my wife and I sanded the table down and stained it the dark color you see in the picture now in order to add some interest and contrast to the area. The blinds throughout the house are from smith noble, I installed them myself and love them. The murals are both freehand and stenciled with a low-tack vinyl I had cut at Skyline Design, a art services company in Chicago. The branch above the bed was done freehand. The shelf above the bed was DIY by myself, the box rests between the studs of the wall and the cord for the outlet comes out of a 2" hole by just above the running board below and plugs into an outlet behind the bed. One outlet is switched for the nightlight and the other is constant for the alarm clock. This shelf is super handy and eliminates the need for a nightstand, on either side of the bed since its accessible to both of us! More pics? Yes, there are many more custom shelves, murals and areas in the house which are not included in these photos. I'm planning to have it professionally shot and re-submit my post once this is done.
Thanks,
Gregory
I love your bedroom - the mural is great!
Debbie
http://girlwhimsy.blogspot.com
Golly, I love the bedding - where's it from?
Love the mid century furniture!
that bedspread is lovely!!
kindly,
vintagedress
www.vintagedress.etsy.com