Alexis Buryk

Alexis is a writer and photographer of weddings, events, portraits and interiors. She adores floor plans, functional aesthetics, and homes ranging from cozy to colossal.
Jillian’s Snug and Serene Studio
Name: Jillian Schiavi, artist and founder of jilly ink, lettering and paper design Location: Lincoln Park; Chicago, Illinois Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented Moving into your first solo apartment is a challenge best met with enthusiasm, flexibility, and vision.
Feb 20, 2019
Johanna & Derek’s Airy Live/Work Studio
Name: Johanna Lowe, food and prop stylist, and Derek Richmond, food photographer; together, they are the co-founders of Richmond Lowe Studio. Location: Logan Square; Chicago, Illinois Size: 3,000 square feet, with an additional 2,000 square feet of outdoor space Years lived in: 7 months; Rented Could there be a more perfect pairing than a food and prop stylist and a food photographer?
Feb 20, 2019
Ellenkate & Tim’s Clever DIY Loft
Name: Tim Speicher, Director of Marketing and Communications at Victory Gardens Theater in Lincoln Park, and Ellenkate Finley Location: Lincoln Square — Chicago, Illinois Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: almost 9 months; Rented You know a tour is going to be different when you’re warmly invited to check out a cozy crawlspace/adult fort underneath a completely DIY lofted bed!
Feb 20, 2019
Micah’s Small & Stellar Bed-Stuy Studio
Name: Micah Clasper-Torch, designer and artist Location: Bed-Stuy — Brooklyn, New York Size: 260 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Tours photographed on rainy days always have a way of making me extra aware of the true coziness of a place. Micah’s space contains within in it such a wonderful sense of who she is and the things that make her happy and productive.
Feb 20, 2019
A Photographer’s Creatively Luxe Brooklyn Rental
Name: Alea Lovely Location: Greenpoint — New York, NY Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, renting The apartment of Alea Lovely more than lives up to her name. A creative whose expressions vary from photography to painting and beyond, Alea infuses her space with a sense of what motivates and inspires her. This includes plenty of art, lush colors and textures, and details influenced by places, people, and things she adores.
Apr 3, 2018
A Costume Designer and Quilter Share a Colorfully Minimal New York Rental
Name: Jack Schmitz, Christopher Thompson, and their Frenchie, Edie. Location: Hell’s Kitchen — New York, NY Size: 675 square feet, plus terrace Years lived in: Almost a year, renting For creative couple Jack Schmitz and Christopher Thompson, the search for their first apartment together ended up working out far beyond their expectations.
Apr 2, 2018
Cole Escola’s Candy-Colored, Granny-Chic Brooklyn Apartment
Doilies, murals, fake cake and Victorian vibes...Cole Escola (Matthew on Hulu's Difficult People) lives in a 425-square-foot candy-colored Brooklyn apartment.
Oct 16, 2017
A Playful Brooklyn Apartment Streamlined for a Small Family
Name: Jenny, Konstantin & Simone Peysin (plus their dog Murray) Location: Windsor Terrace — Brooklyn, NY Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Jenny and Konstantin were married in 2015, moved into their beautiful Brooklyn apartment in 2016, and recently welcomed baby Simone into their lives and the home they share with their quirky pup, Murray.
Sep 29, 2017
A Vintage Hunter’s 420-Square-Foot West Village Studio
Name: Alex Fitzgerald Location: West Village — New York, NY Size: 420 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, owned The trick to studios is how to make the most of the space you’re given. For Alex, a studio apartment previously owned by an architect obsessed with built-ins has proved both a boon and a challenge.
Sep 14, 2017
An Organic, Eccentric Plant-Filled Home in Long Island City
Name: Deborah J Stein, painter, designer and owner of Bonbon Oiseau Workshop and James Knudsen, lighting director, production lighting designer and owner of Quazar Productions. (With Maxine and Icky the cats and Pablo the pup) Location: Long Island City, New York Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: Rented 4.5 years Like us, our homes have moods. On a sunny day, they’re cheerful and bright; at night, they can be quiet and contemplative.
Jun 23, 2016
Before & After: A Dark Studio Gets a Smart New Layout & A lot More Light
Felicity’s Brooklyn Heights home went through a complete shift in identity: from a dark, 1960s-style apartment with a sleeping loft to a modern-yet-historically-respectful and bright two-level studio. Felicity was particularly inspired by the work of Carlo Scarpa, an Italian architect. Just prior to closing on the apartment, a trip to Italy with her aunt provided many in-person experiences of Scarpa’s projects, including Castelvecchio and the Brion Sanctuary.
May 12, 2016
This Bright Brooklyn Heights Studio Feels Way Bigger Than It Actually Is
Name: Felicity Graham Sargent; educator and interior designer/owner’s representative at Felicity Sargent Design Location: Brooklyn Heights; Brooklyn, NY Size: 800 square feet (studio with mezzanine) Years lived in: 2.5 years; Owned A visit to Felicity’s magnificent two-story studio in Brooklyn Heights is a study in the wonders of architecture and design, past and present.
May 5, 2016
Ashley’s Memory-Filled West Village Studio
Name: Ashley Clauss, of CLAUSS & CO., a communications consultancy specializing in brand strategy, public relations and event production. Location: West Village; New York, New York Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented Diligent editing and an honest desire to be surrounded in her apartment only by things she loves has served Ashley Clauss very well.
Jun 14, 2015
Jessica & Matt’s Vivacious Home
Today’s tour is the newest in a collaborative series curated by Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason of Aphrochic for Apartment Therapy. They handpicked homes from around the world to share that capture the culture and style that they celebrate in their book, Remix: Decorating with Culture, Objects, and Soul.
Oct 30, 2014
Carl Hansen & Son Collaborate with Paul Smith and Maharam
I had the pleasure of checking in recently with Carl Hansen & Son, a beautiful example of a contemporary heirloom furniture maker that celebrates its well-made history while crafting innovative and fresh moments for the modern day. Truly timeless furniture calls attention to itself while maintaining a decidedly supporting role. These are the pieces that can look at home anywhere, the pieces that make a space into a home, a place lived in and loved, no matter the trends that come and go.
May 20, 2014
Rachel & Brian’s Spacious Place in Chicago
Name: Rachel Yacapraro, blogger at Taffeta and Cedar, and Brian Willard, Visual Effects Artist at Radar Studios Location: West Town; Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 9 years; Owned Warmly considered and lovingly maintained, Rachel and Brian’s flat has the broad, open feel of a loft, while retaining the flow and privacy of a traditional apartment. Luckily for this couple, Rachel and Brian share a similar clean, modern aesthetic with a vintage twist.
Mar 24, 2014
Jaclyn’s Down-to-Earth Live/Work Apartment
Name: Jaclyn Simpson, of Jaclyn Simpson Photography Location: Lincoln Square; Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Jaclyn is exactly the kind of wedding photographer you want with you all day during your big celebration: warm, generous, funny, and absolutely genuine. Her live/work space is filled with personal pieces and DIY projects galore, creating an earthy/quirky combination that is distinctly her own.
Mar 17, 2014
Knoed Creative’s Sunny & Cool Workspace
Name: Knoed Creative, a branding and graphic design studio co-owned and operated by Kim Knoll & Kyle Eertmoed Location: Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,000 square feet Years occupied: 1 year; Rented When I first walked into Kim and Kyle’s Graceful Home during our recent tour, I was completely smitten with their sleek style.
Feb 14, 2014
Jessie & Jon’s Colorfully Collected Home
Name: Jessie and Jon Location: Brooklyn Heights; New York, New York Size: 710 square feet Years lived in: 7 months; rented Within every couple-cohabited space there is a love story: the how, when, and why a house adapts to contain the spirit of the two people who have worked together to share it and create for themselves a home.
Feb 10, 2014
Kim & Kyle’s Graceful Home
Name: Kim Knoll and Kyle Eertmoed, graphic designers at Knoed Creative Location: Ravenswood Manor; Chicago, Illinois Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Owned Kim and Kyle know a thing or two about space. As graphic designers who started their own company, Knoed Creative, they spend endless hours thinking about how forms and language communicate across visual dimension.
Dec 13, 2013
CB’s Quirky & Personal Duplex
Name: CB Owens, NYU grad student in Food Studies, and Catering Sales Manager at ’wichcraft Location: West Village; New York, New York Size: 450 square feet, plus rooftop terrace Years lived in: 4+ years; Rented I first met CB way back in our days as undergraduates at NYU, where “home style” had everything to do with outfoxing the limitations set upon you by countless questionable roommates, inadequate wall space, awkward 80″ bed frames (what the heck were those all about?
Nov 19, 2013
Elizabeth’s Color-Filled Apartment
Name: Elizabeth Tulipana, founder of Anticipation Events + Bad Loo Loo Location: Bucktown; Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Putting together a space that functions as both a home and base for her event planning business and Etsy shop came naturally to Elizabeth. A lover of all things vibrant and patterned, her spacious one bedroom apartment reflects her dynamic spirit and boundless creativity.
Oct 25, 2013
Charlie and Tommy’s Haven of Curated Classics
Name: Charlie and Tommy, working toward their certifications in interior design and architecture, respectively Location: Edgewater; Cleveland, Ohio Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 months; Rented Walking into Charlie and Tommy’s polished-yet-oh-so-cozy Cleveland home, you would never know that this was their first place together, let alone the first “adult” apartment for them both.
Oct 18, 2013
Jonathan’s Calm and Considered Nest
Name: Jonathan Rubinstein, Founder/Owner of Joe, a coffee roastery and group of retail shops in New York City and Philadelphia; and Sally, age 4 Location: Brooklyn Heights; Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Clean lines define the neat, loft-like space that is Jonathan’s Brooklyn home, a well-edited contemporary apartment.
Oct 4, 2013
A “Martha Stewart Redesigns Pee Wee’s Playhouse” Style Home in New York
Name: Jocelyn Mackenzie, Musician with the band Pearl and the Beard, and Jim Altieri, Programmer/Musician Location: Purdy’s, New York Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented When Jocelyn and Jim decided to leave Brooklyn living behind, they looked northward for their next home.
Sep 9, 2013
Sara & Becky’s Collaborative Abode
Name: Sara Tunstall, Digital Producer, and Becky Kastelic, Art Director Location: Wicker Park; Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Longtime roommates Sara and Becky make cohesive cohabitation seem effortless. Friends since college, these ladies combine carefully selected additions from estate sales and big box stores together with favorite pieces from their childhood homes to give this historical space a sense of depth and timelessness.
Sep 5, 2013
Hillary & Michael’s Refined Roost
Name: Hillary Schuster, graphic designer and aspiring wedding stylist, and Michael Kiser, freelance writer, photographer, brand strategist, and founder of Good Beer Hunting Location: Ravenswood; Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented Curios collected and lovingly composed unify the style of Hillary and Michael, a Chicago couple who balance home space with work space, and ephemera with plenty of classic, quality pieces.
Jun 18, 2013
Kate & Chad’s Art-Filled Dwelling
Name: Kate Korroch, adjunct faculty at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and art and culture critic, and Chad Jewsbury, front end web developer at GrouponLocation: Ravenswood; Chicago, IllinoisSize: 800 square feetYears lived in: 9 months; Rented Art leads the way in Kate and Chad’s colorful and curated Chicago home. Working with a simple, open layout, with white walls as their canvas, the couple bases their apartment design on what matters to them most.
May 27, 2013
Eunice’s Clean and Well-Lit Place
Name: Eunice Chang, Senior Principal User Researcher at Autodesk, a 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software company Location: Eureka Valley, border of Castro and Mission; San Francisco, California Size: 1,073 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned The soothing coast meets San Fran city living inside Eunice’s sophisticated-yet-laidback urban hideaway.
May 3, 2013