A 100-Year-Old Chicago Rental Is a “Homage to the Idea That to Be Trans Is to Be Holy, and Also Hot”
Katherine Gwynn, is a playwright, screenwriter, and just finished their first novel, and that’s along with their day job working in reproductive healthcare research, specifically with trans youth. Katherine’s fiancée, Jess, is an educator, a piano accompanist, and a local volunteer organizer. And what does the home of such a creative couple look like? What kind of words or phrases might describe it? Katherine’s writing skills outdo anything I could say:
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“Thrifted, queer, and curated. The apartment of your favorite lesbian aunts who always give you books for your birthday. Museum bookstore mixed with antique salon with a touch of pop arcade (to lift from language from an interior designer I really like, Cristina Cleveland),” Katherine describes of their home, which the couple shares with Arty (short for Artemis) the gray cat, and Fury (short for Furiosa).
“A Toulouse-Lautrec painting come to life scored by Chappell Roan and Mitski. Eclectic. A living gallery in homage to the idea that to be trans is to be holy, and also hot. Tasteful, playful, and lived-in. The home of high school theater kids who grew up to realize they still mortifyingly love theater. 50% Jewish leftism, 50% Catholic trauma, 100% gay. You get the drift,” they brilliantly continue.
The couple have been in the home for four years now, but the search to get in here wasn’t without trial. “We found this place after an extremely stressful apartment search in the summer of 2021,” Katherine shares. “We were actually being shown a different apartment — perfectly fine but not great. Then the person showing us the apartment said ‘here let me show you something else. It hasn’t been listed yet.'”
“As she led about a block down, she said hi to a number of people she passed walking by. It turned out she lived in the building she was about to show us,” Katherine continues. “Then she walked us into our current apartment, dark wood beams and all, the French doors, the south-facing windows letting light flood in. We loved it immediately. We asked her what the catch was. She said no catch. Just that she lived in this building, too, and people in the building like to know their neighbors and we seemed like we’d be nice neighbors.”
“This apartment has really grounded us deeper into our values,” Katherine confides. “Whether it’s the plethora of art made by friends, a flag from the Free Palestine contingent my partner helped organize in last year’s Chicago Pride parade, or the many books we’ve bought at Women and Children’s First scattered throughout — our home reflects the life we’ve built, a life centered on art, liberation, and community.”
Resources
PAINT & COLORS
- Kitchen — Valspar “Fields of Provence”
- Bathroom —Backdrop “36 Hours in Marrakesh”
- Office/studio — Backdrop “Lawn Party”
ENTRY
- Small Dresser — Found on the Curb!
- Nodmast Lamp — IKEA
- Free Palestine Animal and Land Print — Little Gaze
LIVING ROOM
- Kova Couch — Albany Park
- Rug — Old West Elm
- Cowhide Rug — Curb Find!
- Everybody Pillow — Dusen Dusen
- Boob Pillow — Old Cold Picnic
- Donut Lamp — IKEA
- “Love with our Bare Selves” Painting — by our dear friend Persephone
- Queer Wave Print — by the artist Mayticks on Etsy. We have a lotttttt of her art throughout the apartment–we’re big fans
- Spacewoman Print — Done by my Friend from College (and incredible artist) Kayla Dubois
- ‘Transphobia has no place in this world’ Print — Transfigure Print Co
- Bookshelves, Armchairs, Coffee Table, Fold-up Dining Table, Chrome Arc Lamp, Globe Lamp, Wooden Side Table, Record Player — Facebook Marketplace
OFFICE/STUDIO
- Small Executive Desk — Vintage Restored and Refinished by my Dad
- Big Blue Mirror — Hand me down from a friend moving out of state
- “Something has to make you run” Print — by Jess’ older sister who is an art teacher
- Patchwork Blue Quilt — Made by Jess’s Mom
- Futon, Writing Desk, Rug, and Leather Office Chairs — Facebook Marketplace
KITCHEN
- Kitchen Table, Bistro Chairs, Bench and Kitchen Cart — Facebook Marketplace
- Kitchen Gallery Wall — Either Thrifted Art or Collages made by me and Jess, plus a photo of me and Jess given to us by a friend
BEDROOM
- Check Coverlet Set — Dusen Dusen
- Berry Silk Throw Pillow — Velvet and Linen Home on etsy
- Turkish Rug — Vintage from Etsy
- Green Lamp — Vintage IKEA found on Ebay
- Both Dressers, both Mirrors, Bedframe, and Headboard — Facebook Marketplace
- Bamboo Vanity — Bought from a Garage Sale for 50 bucks
- ‘A moment! print’ by Holly Warburton — Society6
- Hades and Persephone Print by Mayticks — Marylu E. Herrera
- Two Piece Sappho Print — this was actually a collaboration between me and the artist Marylu E. Herrera for a COVID gallery project where I wrote a poem and she made a piece in response, and this was the result! I’m obsessed with her work.
BATHROOM
- Sleeping Giant Bathmat — Cold Picnic
- Sun Shower Orient Arm Curtain — Quiet Town
- Print on the Wall — Collage Me and Jess made Together
Thanks, Katherine and Jess!
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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