Name: Teresa
Location: Gold Coast, Chicago
Size: 800 square feet
Years lived in: 1
Today we have a "slightly smaller sized slideshow than usual but totally worth a peek" tour of Teresa's (now former) apartment in Chicago's Gold Coast. Before she hit the road for Brooklyn, her highrise home was captured for the Apartment Therapy readers. Located in a Bertand Goldberg building this is a classic mid century Chicago apartment decorated by a thoroughly modern resident - hope you enjoy!

A little bit about her home in Teresa's own words: The building and accompanying views of the lake is a looker and really speaks for itself. It was a rock star hotel back in the 50s/60s, designed by Bertrand Goldberg of Marina City fame. I try to keep the décor of my place minimal so as not to distract from the light and views.
If (interior) architecture is a manifestation of all that we desire to be and seek, then I think my bedroom does a pretty good job at expressing it. While I love my job, it’s pretty chaotic so I really wanted my sleeping quarter to feel like a hotel: clean, generic, devoid of character. I wanted to it have a very hushed and silent effect. (As for the typewriter and desk, I work in advertising so I guess I couldn’t help but pay some homage to Mad Men!)

Apartment Therapy Survey:
My style: In this case, relatively minimal: I wanted the apartment (and accompanying views) to show for itself. Otherwise, 1960s/ Mad Men/ Hollywood Regency. I love the anonymous feel of hotels so I tried to replicate that mood for the bedroom.
Inspiration: Apartment Therapy, other design blogs, my friends’ apartments, my parents, Post27, Mies, James A. Speyer homes
Favorite Element: The Paul McCobb-esqe marble coffee table and desk which I got for steal; cowhide rug from Argentina
Biggest Challenge: Not getting the place to look like a CB2 catalogue. That it’s true to my sensibilities and doesn’t just seem like an apt. that has the “right” design pieces and elements. Also, never having enough money for my expensive taste. :)
What Friends Say: “It’s very you.” “You could never have this if you lived in New York.”
Biggest Embarrassment: None to date. Though I do regret hiring my flat screen installer from Craigslist. He did a horrible job and how I have a huge hole in my bedroom with a tube sticking out.
Proudest DIY: Spending the five hours to put together and mount an Ikea workstation…Worst DIY: only to have it fall apart 5 minutes later
Biggest Indulgence: The unit itself and accompanying heated parking space.
Best advice: 1. Don’t take design too seriously. 2. Be patient: invest in quality pieces.
Dream source: Recent estate sale from the Ben Rose home (a/k/a Cameron’s house from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
Resources: I am brand and source-agnostic: pieces are from travels to Argentina, Shanghai, antiques from my pop... down to Post27, yard sales, Crate & Barrel and Ikea.

(Thanks, Teresa!)
Images: Evan Thomas


Comments (59)
I love the apartment, but really, who slices corn?
I like how this how is clean, has space with the pops of color. The bedroom desk is really cool.
I don't get a generic hotel feeling from it. The bed could use a little more love, even if just to cover up the platform and neaten the sheets.
More small tours, please. I know there's a whole contest devoted to them, but in general I'm much more interested in seeing what people do with small spaces than seeing how they fill up big ones.
Gorgeous place, though I don't think I'll ever come around to those ubiquitous circle mats.
I love your desk!
Carder, I believe she is chopping the corn in halves, which is usually done to be able to cook it in a smaller pot, offer smaller portions, etc. At least that's how my family has always done it. Though I find breaking it with my hands works well also.
Oh, those dining chairs are nice. Anyone know what they are? They look kind of like the Eames Eiffel chair but with different bases.
Nice! Thx for sharing!
I'm in love with the desk and orange sofa. Yum.
Too many vignettes compared to establishing shots. I am sorry to be critical but I am getting tired of glamorous closeups of people's books and tchotchkes, especially at the expense of showing how people live in their spaces (especially the small ones). Maybe I'll change my mind when I shoot my home for a house tour...
You can cut corn to add to stews...hmm. Lovely place.
the first photo instantly reminded me of Eames - he forbade his wife to wear anything but din colored clothes to avoid clashing with the interior. Then he left her for someone who wore rainbow colors!
Will you marry me?
I hope she has better views in Brooklyn.
I agree with sally about the vignettes. I would have preferred to see the lake views.
Regarding the bedroom, I don't know where she stays, but I don't get the "hotel" at all.
beautiful. though it appears far too "designed" to me. everything seems too too.
anyone know more information about those dining chairs? love em.
Yes, ditto to the tchotchke shots. Enough of those!
I wasn't bothered by her cutting corn.
Also, that's a beautiful coffee table. Teresa, where did you get it?
I love most of the space/furnishing however I agree with @ Aster about the bed needingmore love. Cover the mattress with the comforter/bed spread, etc. Reminded me a little bit to much of a college ex-boyfriend and sheets that never really fit on the mattress = sloppy looking.
As for halved corn cobbs, that's sensible if you don't have large enough pot to boil a whole cobb in...and what I was thinking before I looked at the photo again was of the six whole cobs I took to a party that were grilled but not all of them eaten. The host insisted I take the two home with me...I sliced off the individual grains off the cobb into a *very* tasty corn-avacodo-tomato-garlic salsa. I enjoyed that for several days. (Made a yummy salsa on my scrabled egg burrito and yummy with the grilled steak for dinner - prob with chix or pork too!).
"I love the apartment, but really, who slices corn?
posted by Carder-"
You take corn off the cob for many reasons, unless you buy it frozen.
What a great apartments so cheerful
get over the corn.... what I appreciated was that her place looks lived in... real stuff in the bathroom and comfy couches.... a little messy in such a great way. thanks.
Love the windows and the cream couch, but it seems a bit odd to me to have photographers over to photograph one's space for a hugely popular blog and not make the bed. That was only one step above a bare mattress on the floor.
i like the heels.
I can't get over all the windows looking back. She'd be something to look at too.
Teresa, could you be any cuter?? Hope your new Brooklyn digs are treating you well.
Love the desk, too.
I like the floating ceiling above the kitchen. It helps to anchor that space and define it separately from the living / dining area.
Great desk!
OMG! I made pancakes this morning in the SAME exact outfit!!
Is all about the views. This is the most successful element of this apartment, the fact that everything was kept very minimal for the viewer to focus outside. Like the selection of the furniture, mid century modern elements along with a neoclassic touch; gives character to the apartment. Colors are kept to minimum and quite soft, where used, nice combinations of lines and textures. Would like to see more shots instead of objects.
Love it!
Overall a lovely effect, except for my strong dislike of vertical blinds...can give a bit of a dental office feel.
an homage to Julius Sherman. nice.
Hmmm...
As I said in my earlier comment, which has mysteriously disappeared, I think the living room is cute and I like the color scheme a lot. But I think it needs more lighting near the seating area (get rid of the torchiere lamp in the corner and find lamps for the side tables). And perhaps the floor lamp in the bedroom can be brought out to the living room. That lovely desk would be a better working space with a task lamp anyway.
The bedroom seems like an afterthought, which is perhaps why we only see one corner of it clearly. It needs art and/or color on the walls, better bedding (a colorful, graphic duvet that complements the lorange sofa), a rug and curtains to cover up or replace the standard-issue condo-beige carpeting and vertical blinds. Plus a desk chair and some storage boxes or trays for the supplies scattered on top.
And I also had a hard time placing some of the detail shots (like that red box). Any 'vignette' or up-close photos should be preceded by one that shows that detail in the context of a whole room.
I mean: "orange sofa".
If you look at julius shulman's photo, the lady is using a can opener to cut the orange.
The Eames look a like chairs always creep me out.
My gosh, Teresa and the apartment are both lovely.
I'm really saddened by all the snarky comments and design advice. Didn't anyone read the part about how she doesn't even live there anymore?
Is it so impossible to either compliment what you like or else just (I can't resist) keep calm and carry on?
Goodness.
AlmostAD, this whole site is about design and inspiration to make our homes more appealing and inviting. I agree that Teresa is lovely but she is not the point of the post--her home is, and she did put it up for public scrutiny. (Also, since she doesn't live there any more, I am sure she can take it.) And seriously, the bedroom? With the fixative on the desk and the totally unmade bed, with the box frame and plastic storage box showing? At the very least she (or the author) could have edited out the shots that were not ready for prime time.
love the views and the living room and prefer actual pics of the room and not stuff.
About those dining chairs...they were designed by Sam Avedon for the Alladin plastics company in 1961. You can see the patent info here: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3034830.html
I love the red wall desk anyone know the designer?
By the by, cute home!
i also slice corn. i have a great aztec recipe, its to die for ;0)
I was surprised to see how little love the sleeping area had received. Other than that, a nice and comfortable home.
But what on earth is going on with the editing of photos? I couldn't care less about all the knick knack that people have collected unless I've seen lots of photos covering whole rooms.
@CKBH, I think that's the IKEA PS laptop workstation.
Love that dining setup.
earndoggo - thanks for that, I bought one for $5 at a vintage shop and knew there had to be a name behind it. now there's a nickel in it for anyone who can identify my mysterious vintage sofa.
Her place is yummy and lived in - I adore it.
Love your pad, love your dress even more! Is it Marimekko? It looks like some vintage Isola-era 'mekko placemats I have.
becky
i think this is a cool space with really nice finishes. love the pops of color.
You show me that red wall cabinet, but nowhere does it mention what it's called or who makes it. I'd love something similar, preferably narrower...any source ideas?
aj914...The red wall cabinet you are referring to is sold by Ikea. It is the PS laptop workstation.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70137919
Totally digging the color and the actual chairs in the dining room!
Both beautiful place and woman!! It's very inspiring. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, this post got a lot of action!
Frankly, this place isn't my style. It feels very plastic and cheap to me, but then I'm not there in person to catch the real ambiance. The bed with the boxspring showing is unfortunate and I guess I didn't properly appreciate the orange sofa or the vertical blinds either.
I feel badly saying there is very little I liked about this home (I mean there is not a single item in there which inspired me or I would like to own). However, it still has a nice overall cheerful vibe, so it really is more than the sum of its parts, Teresa looks lovely, and for a smallish space it really looks airy and spacious.
That was a smart move not to fill it up with too much stuff and just let the views speak for themselves.
I cut my corn in half too because I don't like the big cobs rolling around on my plate.
Those round Ikea rugs in the kitchen are great for small spaces. I have 3 in a narrow hallway and saved a ton of money buying those instead of a much more expensive rug runner.
I like your aesthetic for the living room area (and your bike!) but I don't like the untidiness.
Your place has a very midcentury modern feel, and seeing your toiletries on the sink or glad containers on toolboxes seems a little sloppy to me.
I love the typewriter! I also love the circular rugs; I own a few myself and you can do lots with them.
I'm sorry but this is one of the worst house tours I've seen on AT: not the apt itself, but the presentation. What is so inspiring about a pic showcasing a couple shelves of linens? That shot of the books on the bedside table is taken from a very awkward angle and doesn't properly capture the vignette. I don't see the point of the close-up shot of the bike. And that cute red wall unit: Either arrange the contents or photograph it closed. The pics don't do this place justice.
The strong point for this apt is obviously the fabulous city views. Also, I love the long mirror in the bathroom. Very nice.
I agree with other folks, this post seemed to be more focused on what is owned rather than what can be done with what is owned. Everything seems transitory and collected, rather than lived in or used.
But that same transitory and collected nature are very much part of advertising's language, so in a way the place was exactly what I imagined an ad person's decorating language to be.
I read all posts before actually looking at the pics - very entertaining. I was so disappointed, this apt has so much potential to be fabulous and in turn falls flat due to the owner being plain messy and a bit arrogant to think that this messy is in some way supposed to be contemplated as decor - silly - did she really use that tupperware or did she strategically place it there, hummm! really annoyed by the vignettes as referenced several times - poor choices! Love the motivation behind the colors and mid-century nods, but again, fell flat. Too bad so sad.
Please tell us where the desk is from...I have to have one!!
I'm saddened to say, I agree with most of the other commentators. I would love to see more of the space and layout vs. the stylized close up pics of accessories. Maybe what turns me off about this tour is the owner's words about trying not to look like a CB2 space. Yet oddly enough, the color scheme is exactly like CB2, but with a Pottery Barn meets IKEA decor.
I am definitely getting a very contrived feeling from this space. Even the books on the bedside table are color co-ordinated to the apartment (green, cream, orange-red and a touch of black). The only CB2 color missing from the pile of books, was the pop of aqua.
I do think this girl must be young and is still coming into her own skin. It is a killer space for an early 20's girl. I wish there were pics of the lake views that she mentioned.
With that being said, I think she has great style but it appears she is trying too hard..to make it look like she is not trying too hard.
this is really cool, i was able to get an idea on how to fix my apartment.
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