Name: Sally Schwartz
Location: Hyde Park — Chicago
Size: 2000 square feet
Years lived in: 9 — owned
As the driving force behind one of the city's best antique markets, I suspected that Sally Schwartz would have a beautiful and unique home. I was not disappointed! Sally's Hyde Park condo is an absolute reflection of her varied interests. While the floor plan is definitely classic Chicago, the décor has a stylish global touch.
I love a dramatic entryway and Sally's, with its striped walls and heavy dose of mirrors, is breathtaking. This entryway sets the tone for the entire condo – it lets you know that you've entered a home that is stylish and unique.
Of course the first thing I noticed was Sally's lighter collection hanging on the living room wall. Lined up on old pipe organ pipes, Sally's collection contains every kind of old lighter imaginable. I admit, I'm not always a fan of displayed collections but when they are presented in such a unique manner I can't help but love it!
The long dark hallway may have been one of Sally's biggest challenges but she has made great use of it. Putting her desk in a little alcove in the middle of the hallway is not only great use of otherwise wasted space, it's downright practical! As Sally points out, having the living room and kitchen separated by a long hallway can be frustrating. With the desk in the hallway, its positioned right in the middle of the action.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: New Orleans, French glam, out of Africa, broke ass Versailles, eclectic
Inspiration: Old wood, high ceilings, contemporary & provincial art, gold gilt, mirrors
Favorite Element: My cigarette lighter collection
Biggest Challenge: The dark, long tunnel of a hallway with all rooms off of it – living room at one end and kitchen at the other
What Friends Say: Oh that Sally!
Proudest DIY: Adam Tihany chairs from Pace Gallery – new silver and black rose design velvet fabric covering all the seat backs. And it was a DIY in the sense that I asked someone would they please "Do It, Yes?" As in, I screw up every DIY except patching my daughter's blue jeans.
Biggest Indulgence: I always swing for the bleachers. Chagall hand signed litho, bought at Art Expo in 1990 from an Art Gallery in Beverly Hills. Impulsive, overpriced, lost value the moment I bought it. But I love it. Also salvaged the doors from my 120 yr old house in DePaul (that was being torn down) and had two mucho huge cabinets made to keep everything that had once been in that dining room hutch.
Best Advice: Art is EVERYWHERE and can be had for next to nothing! You can buy an old book with pages and pages of gorgeous color or wood block prints, pull them out of the book and have them mounted and framed -- instant collection for any room or hallway. Good art can alter your mood for the better and make you calm, happy, amused. Surround yourself with things that make you happy to look at, know what colors elevate your mood. Clutter can ALWAYS be pared down and you won't miss it. Someone will want something you have if you don't want it so rearrange things and swap out your stuff to keep your collections fresh.
Dream Sources: Any amazing market anywhere in the world where you don't know what you'll find. Fabulous dead people's estates, where I'd get to be the first one to cherry pick. I myself would die and go to heaven just to get a crack at Elsie de Wolfe's superlative stuff!
Resources of Note:
• Of course, Randolph Street Market/Chicago Antique Market dealers.
• Broadway Antique Market
• Jim Rose Ironworks
• Thomas McCormick Works of Art
• Hyde Park Art Center art sales
• Salvage One
• Designer Howard Stolar/Carol Wolk Interiors, who rearranged my living room and had better ideas in 2 hours than I could believe possible
Thanks, Sally!
Images: Jason Loper
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LOVE. the moment i saw the black and white strips i was like "wha". =)
Love the drama of it all.
Pipe organ pipes? Those are fantastic! Where did you ever get them from? Just fantastic.
Although I'm curious- there's a thing on the couch in #6 of the tour- is that a pillow, or some sort of pet? Either way I want to pet it.
Beautiful!
I love your official greeter too.
"Oh that Sally!" - What a striking apartment. I love that entryway and all of the art. Also, having never met Sally, I can already tell that I like her - love her funny answers. Thanks for sharing! --Tara :)
weird, witty, and glamorous - for me, one of the more inspiring house tours in a while! you have some absolutely wicked pieces. this house makes me want to block out several days on my calendar to just scour flea markets and estate sales. thanks for sharing.
Who is the artist in pic #13? Love that & your house tour!
that entry is fantastic
Woah I have that same mirror
LOL @ the unopened cardboard box underneath the Christmas tree! Nobody wanted to wrap the contents? Hehe.
Beautiful kitty btw!
@ toastercat - is that a pottery barn mirror?
I really like the apartment! Especially the kitty ;) But in the first pic, the floor on one side has no molding... Is there a reason for that?
I LOVE your cat!!!
Yay for Hyde Park! What a wonderful place.
Hi all, thanks for these positive comments, you validate my insanity!!! Jason did a beautiful job with this piece. To answer some of the questions, you've seen 2 of the 4 pets that live with me, the other 2 being another cat, black and white cat named Booze. The other animal is my 14 year old (today) daughter Kasey. The raggy mop on the couch is our shih tzu Puddin' and the super fluffy cat in the first shot is our grey persian named Purrcee. I'm not sure which piece of artwork one of you was referring to in the entrance but a couple pieces in the entrance on the wall were box tops my daughter doodled in and signed so voila, art. Also pieces by Tony Fitzpatrick. My, you are all so observant, I will be sure to have a full face of makeup the next time I run into you!! Okay, no molding on the floor, probably an oversight but I will get right on it. As for Pottery Barn, there is nothing in my home that is pottery barn though I do have Restoration Hardware knobs on my kitchen cabinets. And the box under the Christmukah tree? That's a boxful of dreidels and end of year Wiki Leaks docs to shred. And yes, Hyde Park is a WONDERFUL place to live, the coolest people and such interesting things happening all the time, come and visit!!!
Thanks for visiting -- make sure to check out the newest blogging channel, coming Valentine's Day with Danny Alias of Broadway Antique Market-- "When Danny Met Sally - vintage with a vengeance!" We'll name names and give up trade secrets http://whendannymetsally.com
Love your kitty, your collection, your taste... love everything!
LOVE the Fair Trade sign. Your hallway is beautiful!!
so much drama - i love it!
That looks exactly like my own cat! I wonder how s/he jumped that high? Mine has really short legs, I doubt if he can jump further than a coach height :)
@ashk - I don't think it's Pottery Barn. I acquired it from my aunt; it was just sitting in her basement unused and she offered it to me. Maybe Sally knows where it's from.
I wouldn't want so many antiques in my house, but what a refreshing tour. I'm getting a little tired of mid-century modern. She had me at "broke ass Versailles" and "Do it, yes?" I can't imagine this home existing outside of Hyde Park and Chicago, in terms of both architecture and decor, which makes it even better for this ex-Chicagoan.
This house is so incredibly unique- I absolutely LOVE the striped wallpaper!
I don't know how to answer indiidual queries about sources but for toastercat -- which item were you wondering if it came from pottery barn? not sure what you're referring to. also to raken123 where did you flee to? you're not an ex Chicagoan, we can just pretend you're a snow bird! As for hollywoodgoody, contact the Linda Warren Gallery in Chicago, I'm embarrassed to say the artist's last name is Taylor but can't remember his first name. This image came to him in a dream though, pretty bizarre I think!!!
I was wondering if the mirror in the first image was pottery barn...which is the only place I have seen one like this (toastercat said they had the same one). Thanks!
what are those shelves on the wall above tethe couch made of---are they drawers? and if so, what did they used to hold? they're amazing!!
i lived in hyde park myself for a couple of years (east view park) and this post made me so nostalgic for those long hallways. *sigh*
I love how rich and lavish the space and pieces look while still feeling so liveable and inviting- major envy from a fellow Chicagoan!
Wow. Now I have to have stripes. I NEVER would have thought I'd have to have stripes!
Who would of thought that Libbys, Libbys on the label, label, label.....americana kitsch! Love it.
cute
Just beautiful, love the colours, textures and wonderful objects - I want some of those organ pipe shelves!
Your home is awesome and I am in love with your cat!!! Great job...so very creative!
Sally- gorgeous home!! By chance is your coffee table by Terry Karpowicz?
Thnks for the wonderful comments everyone! To answer some questions: mirror in entry hall is antique 40's from Randolph Street Market, the Libby's lighter actually winds on the bottom & plays the Libby's Libby's Libby's on the Label Label Label song, and YES - I have several coffee tables by Terry Karpowicz as well as a piece of his sculpture & the ink & water color study he did from the late 1980's. Great eyes you have!!