Name: Meg and Brad
Location: Lakeview — Chicago, Illinois
Our apartment is in the heart of one of Chicago's most thriving neighborhoods for twenty-something urbanites. However, it is tucked in a bed of trees with more privacy than I could ever ask for.
The exposed brick and wood planked walls date back many decades. We wanted to find an affordable way to complement our vintage apartment. Scouring thrift stores and begging the grandparents for donations, we slowly pieced together some great finds. Being a young couple, we had limited resources and were forced to buy IKEA as well. Pairing new, IKEA furniture with vintage or antique pieces is a great way to make a space more unique.
-Meg Lewis
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Love it. That is all.
It's very nice, and a place that feels like I could live there. I know what you mean about IKEA being the only choice. I'm somewhere in between loving that store and wishing we had one nearby, and disliking that everything is just barely better than Wal-Mart or Target furniture. It's like the next step ...
No worries, though. IKEA may be the next step, but it is a decent choice when haunting Craigslist and thrift shops as I do fails to produce that one item you desperately need!
CB2 is a bit higher priced than IKEA but I think their stuff is better made. Since you've got one there, why not?
Nice job decorating on a budget! My boyfriend and I are in the same boat. It's expensive living in chicago (especially lakeview) as a young person, but soooooo worth it!
Love your sofa...
Love it! It looks Euro to me... I want that look so badly. I love that Jurassic Park mug!!
is that awesome bed from ikea too??
The sofa is really great! Where is it from?
amaazing! such great taste!
can you source some of the items?? thanks :)
Wow this is an amazing apartment. I love that it is both color and eclectic. I really like the flags in the living room and the bookshelf.
Am curious to know (since I cannot tell from pictures) how you set up the TV etc.
http://articles.ivillage.com/2003-02-10/Home/21648487_1_entertainment-center-furniture-sofa
The sofa looks like mine, but slightly different fabric. I got mine at Urban Outfiltters:
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=80&startValue=81&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=13511332&parentid=A_FURN_FURNITURE&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority&navCount=154&navAction=poppushpush&color=&pushId=A_FURN_FURNITURE&popId=A_DECORATE&prepushId=&selectedProductSize=
I guess that link was too long! he he. Go to urbanoutfitters.com and scroll through the furniture.
You have two walls with exposed brick, and it's affordable? Oh, you're breaking my heart :)
Love what you've done with the place.
That sofa is from UO, right? A friend of mine has the same one. It looks really cool, but didn't hold up well :(
I think it's great! We've definitely resorted to Ikea for bookcases.
This is adorable!
I'd love to see more pictures of your desk or have some more information on how you put it together. I really want to do something similar. Do you have a blog?
Really lovely!
nice kitchen
Really like what you've done in the kitchen with the shelves. Where did you find that breadbox? It really makes for a great pop of color (and so useful too)!
@eopower
The bed is a Mandal, but I think the black-on-birch is "last year's color" and now you can probably only get it in white-on-birch (unless you craigslist it).
Ugh, my (rental) kitchen's cabinets are so terrible, I wish they could be torn down and replaced with grundtal or something. Then they'd have some utility, at least.
Yay for Domo-kun!
Never thought I'd see an Eames chair and "affordable" together, but I guess there is a first time for everything?
Really really love your bedroom and kitchen! Adorable.
Great color in the living room, kitchen and the office area. Lovely use of the space available. The vintage bike is really cool.
Ah! Bed twins! Love the apartment :)
internal monologue:
"ooh, if you'd take the flags down I could totally life there! that brick is gorgeous... love the couch! Even the bike is gorgeous! Would love to know the story behind that Eames chair... looks like it's had an interesting life"
"OMFG another Expedit! Nuke it from orbit! it's the only way to be sure!!"
"That's a sexy little kitchen... you've done a great job with your place!"
Quite inspiring. Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful kitchen! I love the black cabinets, and every time I am in Ikea, I always love the hanging racks for kitchen supplies. It works well in your place.
Ohhh, I can't believe how modern black cabinets look in your kitchen. If I wasn't renting, I'd run right out and ....But the bike would have to live somewhere else!
Ps: why not paint the door same color as wall for continuity sake?
I admire your ability to color-coordinate your books. I don't have the time or the patience to do that. And I second kozy11-it is expensive to live here, but truly worth it.
i adore the bedding/linens, so much so that i had to register to ask:
where are they from? thanks!
i am looking for a chair like the one in the corner. What would it be called?