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. Since Rachel moved into the space a few years ago, they have made a few updates, but they generally stay true to the bones of the apartment and add only things that are significant to them or that they truly love.

I appreciate that even with quite a bit of space and a very organized style, they maintain a sense of warmth by adding texture (like the great textile piece hanging in their main entryway), greenery, artwork, and important personal items. A beautiful way to keep clutter at bay and promote a sense of calm and creativity!

My Style: An eclectic assortment of mid-century, clean lines, and antiques.

Inspiration: We love traveling, history, and simplicity.

Favorite Element: The natural light and open space. It’s not a loft, but more open than your standard two bedroom apartment.

Biggest Challenge: Storage and closet space. We’ve had to maximize available closet space and creatively hide storage in plain sight. Striving to edit down what we have helps to keep things fresh and minimizes clutter.

Proudest DIY: The floating credenza. The cabinets are IKEA kitchen cabinets mounted to the wall, and the top is a custom piece of butcher block ordered from John Boos & Co.

Biggest Indulgence: Hands down, the Francis Knoll credenza in the bedroom. It’s such a beauty piece of furniture and has a high sentimental value to us, having belonged to our friends now living abroad.

Best Advice: Remember to pay attention to space, function, and necessity. Allow your interior to be a reflection of you, not just a collection of items.

Dream Sources: Antique stores, traveling, artists, and great design.

Thanks, Rachel and Brian!

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