Name: Tanis and Terry
Location: Bucktown
Size: 1800 sq.ft.
Years lived in: 3
Tanis and Terry thought that they bought a classic Chicago bungalow...So here we are, thinking, “We’ve got ourselves a bungalow”. Excitedly, we scheduled an appointment with our Alderman to discuss the property and find out more about our house in detail. He tells us, “no no no, I’m sorry to say, you have a Workman’s Cottage, that’s one step below a bungalow.” POP.
The official designation of house style may not have been what the couple was expecting but they ran with it. They took their 1910 workman's cottage and turned it into a luxe urban home while respecting the original structure and its history. Tanis says, "The workman who lived and built this home was a woodworker by trade – and you can see his handiwork in our original and intricate wood flooring. I LOVE its rich character– all the dings and scratches and dents."
The warmth and coziness of an older home is apparent and accentuated by Tanis and Terry's decor choices - the mix of contemporary design, family antiques and bold artwork makes for just enough of a twist on tradition to keep things interesting and very personal.
AT Survey:
My Style: The perfect eclectic mix of antique and modern
Inspiration: Flea Markets, Garage Sales, Antique Markets, Salvage One, and Thrift Stores. Most of my “inspiration”, if you will, revolves around the memories of the home I grew up in. My mother has impeccable taste, and I learned to appreciate her style in my 30’s.
Favorite Element: Texture
Biggest Challenge: A narrow entertaining space and tiny rooms (with the exception of our bedroom and bathroom)
What Friends Say: The comments vary from “ooh you should do this full time” to, “good idea”, “your house is cozy” to, who knows what they’re really thinking in their heads - maybe, “oh, GAWD, what a no-no!”.
Biggest Embarrassment: Immediately coming to mind are the plebian quite hideous French poster prints flanking our hallway, and the ever-lovely iron imprint on my office carpet (always part of the 5 cent tour!).
Proudest DIY: the DIY would be at our cabin in Michigan. We’ve done so much there. We have a long laundry list of more design want-to-do’s on this house.
Biggest Indulgence: Our Knoll Couch (it’s extremely firm and everyone raises their eyebrows when they sit on it….Well, I love it!) And the LC1 chairs (I’d like to preface I had these chairs before the mid-century craze hit.) Pretty much everything else in my house has had a previous home.
Best advice: 1) why buy new? And, 2) it takes a lifetime to acquire the perfect pieces. Be patient (which is why we still have the Kmart patio-turned-kitchen table – I’ve found nothing better– so I can’t justify money for something else unless I am gaga over it).
Dream source: Domino Magazine, Jayson Home and Garden, Apartment Therapy
Resources:
Living Room
Couch: Piero Lissoni, Divina Lounge Sofa, for Knoll (Sunset Settings, Houston TX)
Chairs: Cassina LC1, Hairy Hide Sling Chairs (Manifesto, Chicago IL),
French Tea Chair (Craigslist) with sewn Knoll fabric remnant pillow
Painting: Jaret L. Johnston (great abstract art, does commissions)
Red Lamp: Jayson’s Home and Garden (Craigslist)
Coffee Table: Chrome and Glass (downtown Chicago Salvation Army)
Buffet: Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin White Lacquer and Chrome (Craigslist)
Framed Art: Free Lyric Opera poster from 2004 Grand Opening Performance
Rug: Turkmen Tribal Oriental Carpet (antique store)
Dining Room
Table: The Georgetown Galleries by Ritter (courtesy of Grandparents)
Buffet: The Georgetown Galleries by Ritter (courtesy of Grandparents), hardware replacement handles from Home Depot.
Dining Chairs: Italian brown leather (Stitch on Damen)
Petite Wingbacks (courtesy of Grandparents) re-upholstered by David at Comfort Upholstery (he’s the best in Chicago)
Candlesticks: Spode Lampshade Bases – converted to candlesticks with a modern top (Mom’s estate sale find & my snatch from her house)
Painting: Folk Art, Johnnie Swearingen, 1978 (Brenham, TX)
Office
Sofa: Troy Twin Sleeper (Crate and Barrel)
Painting: signed W Dunn landscape oil (courtesy of Great Aunt)
Drawers: Mirror and Chrome (commissioned)
Desk: Peter Protzman for Herman Miller (Craigslist –from Wright One auction house but they couldn’t sell b/c of poor condition), cut in half to fit room & touch up badly damaged areas (Comfort Upholstery)
Bookshelf: Peter Protzman for Herman Miller (Modern Times Chicago)
Art: Lyric Opera Poster decoupage on wood (Goodwill), “I want to be me” – from my youth (mom’s attic).
Downstairs Bathroom
Photograph: Bathtubs (Salvage One)
Pedestal: Granite (a good Lincoln Park garage sale) - now resides in upstairs bathroom
Kitchen
Chairs: Italian, brown leather (Stitch on Damen)
Table: Husband’s old condo patio table (Kmart)
Art: Renaissance woman decoupage on wood (garage sale)
Mirror: Silver paint mirror (Brown Elephant)
Bowl: Concrete (garage sale)
Guest Bedroom
Headboard: Pottery Barn Riley (c/o Craigslist). Slipcover (c/o me and my Singer – remant Mitchell Gold velvet fabric from basement of 2222 Chicago Ave. fabric store)
Pillows: two grey Marimekko (Crate and Barrel Outlet bin), two zebra (The Ark on Milwaukee – no pun intended, lol), fluffy one (Crate and Barrel Outlet)
Bookcase: Courtesy of my Great Grandfather, a lawyer– so he probably kept his law books in there.
Bedside
Tables: Room and Board (an apartment sale) painted them black and then took the shelves to Glassworks on Clyborn to request mirrors added onto the fronts.
Chair: was my grandmother’s and she needle-pointed the seat
Artwork: Stretched remant bin fabric from Crate and Barrel Outlet from painted canvases I found in an alley. This is until I can afford true artwork or I find “wonderfuls” at a flea market
Master Bedroom
Bed: Cassina Piero Lissoni “Site” Bed (Manifesto, Chicago, IL)
Sheets: Vera Wang (Kohl’s) - I do not recommend – cardboard sheets!
King Pillows: Thomas O’brien (Target)
Chair: Calla (Cost Plus World Market)
Lamps: White Reading Lights (Ikea)
Thanks to Tanis and Terry!
Photos: Evan Thomas
Small Cool Lessons: Discovering Small Space Design Ideas That Really Work
Beatriz's Fun & Functional Workspace
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Sheex Bedding
How to Cook Rice on the Stove
How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough in the Food Processor
wow. this is one my very favorites ever. It's crisp but still warm. Which seems to be rare.
I love the mix of eras and the fact that it doesn't have that very cliched mid-century modern look that has become very boring. The owners seem to have chosen things that they loved, not because they fit a trend, and it shows.
excellent art collection and beautiful kitchen. I love how warm everything is.
This is the kind of house tour I like seeing. Its different, clean, classy, tasteful and something you would see in a magazine. This house is beautiful.
I'm very jealous of your floor. It's stunning! A on the choice of art also.
If this is how a workman lives then I want to be workman.
This is just fabulous! A great job of mixing styles and eras.
I'd like to get a look at what appears to be the vignette in the top barrister section!
Love it. Those are some seriously awesome wood floors in your living room.
Best resource list EVER. Recommendations, backstories, warnings... awesome!
I love the mix of furniture styles and eras. Your home rises far above the cookie cutter mid-century modern look that everyone seems to have these days. Also, it's nice to see big art that is nicely showcased.
The wood floors are amazing! Your entire home is very nice - a great mix of furnishings/finds from all over/different times. Coolio.
You have a wonderful, warm, eclectic space. Looks like your workman was actually a craftsman.
Love your "T"s! I collect them also!
I love your home... fabulous! Can you please tell me who makes the brown and blue that you used.
Ooops.. paint colors
You have such a REAL home! It's so nice to see this in between all the MC stuff all the time.
I really like every bit of it- the furniture is all wonderful and the mirror table is really neat!
BEAUTIFUL
Loverly.
Thank goodness for not filling your house with every MC piece of furniture available to mankind.
Study this house very close you MC freaks.
The relationship between the varying shades of putty is uninteresting. The Le Corbusier chairs and the gorgeous Lissoni are an uncomfortable match, but everything is nicely arranged.
I give it a B. Get rid of that horrible vase of sticks and I will raise you to a B plus! It's win-win!
You have done well, grasshoppers.
makes me want you to invite me to dinner
enjoyed reading the descriptions as much as i enjoyed browsing the photos. very informative, funny, and well-written!
nice house too!
Appears as a very comfortable house to live in with a nice selection of art hanging on walls. Thanks for sharing.
What a great house.
And, beautifully photographed.
Thanks for sharing!
Love it.
This is very much in the vein of the sort of design popular during the seventies -- it speaks to life experiences and interests, education and urbanity.
Wonderful to see it back -- I sure have missed it!
I'm ambivalent about this and that in this house, but it's all so well put together I have to say: kudos!
Beautiful house. I love, love, love the mix of styles and the eclectic art collection.
I love it! I really like the mix. That's exactly what I am trying to do my house. The Hairy Hide Sling Chairs and the antique chair in the living... genius! Thanks for sharing. You've given me a ton of inspiration :-)
You have created a really beautiful home. And those floors are extraordinary. Getting inspired by excellent places like your's are one of the principal reasons I visit this site. Thanks.
They did a really lovely job decorating this home. Instead of fighting the odd angles, they embraced them and just let them be. The small spaces still have a lot of character. It's modern, warm, and traditional all at the same time.
What a great example!
This home is truly beautiful. I love the mix of pieces - I would have never thought to put them together and they work fantastically - just the right amount. Thanks for sharing and inspiring us.
Tabitha
http://www.fromsingletomarried.com
I particularly like the open flow of the rooms, accented with the bold art and plenty of light. Sleek and comfortable,
Nice, very nice. What an understatement! Every one before me has done the job of expressing the obvious.
Beautiful and sublime!! Kinda silly that they felt like they had to point out that they had the chairs "before it was cool." It doesn't matter!
Jean: The top of the barrister contains a small collection of Joan Walsh Anglund items. I'm a huge fan of hers.
Sunrise: I'm faithful to BEHR paint colors, they are top notch. Good luck!
Standupstapler: Thank you, I've always known I wanted those chairs - and its always been cool to have them (in my opinion, there never was a "before it was cool".) Why I felt I needed to preface as such in my bio, is the fact that back before the mid-century craze hit, you couldn't pick knockoffs up at your corner furniture store on your way home from work, and have your room looking just like the 2008 McMass Market Catalog.
Thanks to everyone for your posts.
Well done! That wood floor, as everyone has noted, is a treasure. And I might not have thought about modern decor in a bungalow/cottage, but it works because you have a good eye. Excellent choice of paint colors in the kitchen and bathroom, btw.
I could be blissfully happy in this place, the dream home I didn't know I wanted. Everything is fabulous, but I particularly liked the T&T display in the stairwell. Question...for T&T, for AT?...why are there never exteriors of these inspired (and, let's face it, sometimes not so inspired) homes?
What is it with so many people having photos of guitars in their houses?
Ack. I meant - having guitars in photos, not photos of guitars. I need my morning coffee.
You have done a great job of putting everything together and a nice mix. Also, it does not feel like a condo.
But am I the only one that thinks all of the art is hung too high. I have to say I loved looking at the tour but I was distracted on the height of the art. Also, I wonder what that piece hung over your sofa would look like shifted over to the dining table and hung lower?
I love this. It is one of the very best tours. The combination of old and new works beautifully. I want to hole up in your bedroom and never leave.
Very nice place!
Could you tell me the paint color you used in the living room / dining room? I have much darker wood than yours, but that soft taupe-ish color might look cozy in my living room. Thanks a million!