A “Golden Girls” Meets “Mary Tyler Moore” Chicago Apartment

Can't-Miss House Tours Straight to Your Inbox
Keep up with our latest house tours each weekday with our House Tour of the Day newsletter
Name: Bridget McCullagh
Location: Lakeview — Chicago, Illinois
Size: 750 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year, renting
If Mary Tyler Moore moved in with the Golden Girls, their home might look something like Bridget’s vintage-inspired Chicago apartment. “I love the natural wood and plant-heavy look of the 1970s,” she says. Luckily, Bridget inherited a lot of decor and furniture from her mother and grandmother. These elements play right into her retro style and make her apartment feel a bit like a time capsule!
Bridget’s apartment didn’t always look this nice, though. When she first moved in, she noticed that the old tenants had literally painted around their couch, leaving a huge portion of the wall unpainted. But instead of being forced to put her couch there, she took the opportunity to try a bold new paint color: Flamingo Peach! I think it paid off.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: If Mary Tyler Moore moved in with the Golden Girls.
Inspiration: Classic Chicago bungalows and curated second-hand shops around the city
Favorite Element: It’s hard to pick one! It’s a tie between my built-in shelves in the kitchen and the arched doorways. They’re beautiful and make decorating easy.
Biggest Challenge: Finding a cohesive design style with mostly hand-me-down furniture and Craigslist finds. A lot of my pieces were from my grandma and her house was a 1970s time capsule. I love the natural wood and plant-heavy look of the 1970s, but I didn’t want to have only one type of design in my apartment so I added some feminine florals and colors.
What Friends Say: “You painted your walls pink?!” “It looks so different than it used to.” “Your personality really shows through.”
Biggest Embarrassment: The bathroom. The yellow tiles are actually made of plastic and they are so old and discolored at this point. No matter how much I clean, it always looks grimy.
Proudest DIY: Fixing my grandma’s record console. I pulled out the old non-working speakers and replaced the turntable. The new smaller speakers also left room to store all my dad’s records.
Biggest Indulgence: Plants!! I’m running out of room and yet I can’t help myself when I see plants for sale.
Best Advice: Accept hand-me downs while you are still trying to find your own personal style and buy only what you absolutely love (thanks mom!)
Dream Sources: Randolph Street Market, Bloomingdale’s Home Store, Pinterest
Resources:
PAINT & COLORS
Living Room — Pittsburgh Paints “Flamingo Peach”
Dining Room — Pittsburgh Paints “Maggie’s Magic”
Bedroom — Pittsburgh Paints “Delicate White”
Built-in cabinet accent — Sherwin-Williams “Cape Verde”
ENTRY
Posters — Bridget’s own collection
LIVING ROOM
Sofa — hand-me down, Walter E. Smithe?
Wood side table — vintage
Coffee Table — IKEA VITTSJÖ Nesting tables
Rug — gifted
Pillows — Homegoods
Desk — Craigslist, painted Sherwin Williams “In the Navy”
Desk chair — IKEA IVAR Chair, pine
Wicker chair — vintage from my Aunt
TV Stand — vintage, DIY legs from Menards
Desk lamp — Target
Record Console — Vintage, Zenith
Floor lamp — Left from last tenant, painted with Rust-o-leum gold
Art on shelf — DIY
Throw Blanket — Amazon
Parrot pictures — Art.com
KITCHEN/ DINING ROOM
Table and chairs — Vintage, reupholstered in Heni Rojo indoor/outdoor fabric
Rattan liquor shelf — Craigslist
Café Sign — Homegoods
Rug — World Market
Towels — Homegoods
Recipe box — Paper Source
Pictures — Art.com
BEDROOM
Wood side table — vintage
Navy side table — gift, painted Sherwin Williams “In the Navy”
Dresser — gift, knobs from H&M
Rug — IKEA
Frame on shelf — vintage
Full-length mirror — Kirkland
Lamp — hand-me down
Thanks, Bridget!
Share Your Style:
See More:
⇒ Recent House Tours
⇒ House Tours on Pinterest