House Apartment

while I was in KY, I visited my favorite secret auction...



those chairs are exactly what I want in my dining room and one can never have too many gorgeous rugs. uh, can I just win the lottery already?

okay, I'm thinking about this bed...


is it wrong to like an IKEA headboard so much? also, it's perfect that the simple frame will cover a boxspring, but doesn't add much to the overall width of the bed. I am baaaarely squeezing a queen into my bedroom and there's no extra room for a bulky frame.

the REDALEN could obviously be styled a million times better than in this photo...I'm thinking a down comforter, the new organic sheets I just purchased from Target, a gold-striped John Robshaw bedskirt, and a few hide pillows. or perhaps I'll keep one room of my apartment dead animal-free and go with a cheery ikat or something of that nature. oooh, I still have the Chaing Mai Dragon fabric I ordered on eBay...

I think this bed is one of those IKEA pieces that can be made to not look like it's from IKEA, ya know? it's growing on me more and more. but I wanna hear what you guys think...

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"honey, I just need to go lay across the bed."

it's one of my favorite things that my mother says. she'll use this phrase when something is just too much to take, good or bad. I'll often hear it around holidays, when she's always going going going, or when someone does something exceptionally nice for her. I've found myself thinking about saying it a few times recently and it makes me giggle.

this verges on shabby chic so there are obviously things that I'd promptly do away with (the end tables, the puny lamps, and that horrid accent pillow), but this bed is beckoning me to come lay across it. I think it's mostly the bench/chandelier/brick wall (with that arch!)/white linens combo...or maybe it's that I've been feeling a little heavy.

I've been without a job for a while now and it's starting to make me nervous. I'm up every morning with hopes that my inbox will be filled with offers and responses, but lately it's just Daily Candy and some personal correspondence.

I'm sharing this with you because I'm trying to figure out how I feel about this situation. I've never really been "unemployed". I've always had some sort of job, something to do, something that brings in an income. being in a brand new city makes networking a bit harder, and while I'd move all over again in a heartbeat, it's tough not being able to turn to my familiar web of people in the know. I'm feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and a little lost. this blog is one of the things that grounds me, and I'm very thankful for the platform.

but you guys know that I'm a positive person and I know that things are going to work out eventually. this move happened for a reason and my life is like a secret plan that unfolds a little more every day...

now if you'll excuse me, I need to go lay across the bed.

as I've said before, this blog serves as many things-- one of them being a virtual bulletin board for all of the rad ideas that I come across while wading through the deep, deep ocean that is the internet. if I spot a great idea and don't post it, I'll totally forget about it.
take for example, this amazing IKEA-hacked bedside table that I found on my new favorite blog, Little Green Notebook...
first, pick up a pair of IKEA Rast dressers at just 40 bucks a pop...

then head to Home Depot to pick out an accent color. the final product in the photo below features a dreamy shade of barely-pink, but I think it'd be fun to play around with a light seafoam or even rich navy...



hunt around online to find new pulls for the drawers. LGN featured these beauties from Bellacor (for $3 each!) and Anthropologie is also a good source for pulls, as is eBay, of course.

put all that together and what do you get? oh, just a perfectly glam bedside dresser, that's all.

this is something I'll absolutely consider when I start decorating my new apartment this spring. thanks, Little Green Notebook (via Penny People Designs)!

whew, another unexpected little break, hm? sorry about that, kids. busy times, busy times... hopefully I'll have some fun news to share with you very soon!

one thing that I definitely neglected to mention is that I'm now a bi-monthly guest poster over at BackGarage! it's been one of my favorite reads since moving to Chicago and I'm very honored to be a little part of it.

my first post debuted two weeks ago, check it out:

Hi. So, I know we just met and all, but...I have to tell you something. I'm addicted to Craigslist. Oh... you are too? Well then, we're going to get along swimmingly! In my bi-monthly "Furniture Finder" posts, I'm going to put together a room using only Craigslist treasures. I'm gonna try to stick to my personal "under $100" rule, but that's not always possible. Hey, let's not waste anymore time, let's put together a living room!

I knew I had to kick things off with this green couch as soon as I saw it. Sure, the photo isn't the best, but it's that perfect shade of kelly green and it's a budget-friendly piece at $140. It's deep, looks like it'd seat at least 3 people, and the seller even offers to deliver (a huge plus in my book). YES!

Um, you guys... did you notice that it's only $50? What a STEAL! The first thing I'd do is bust out the primer, paint, and wipe-on poly and transform that ugly base into something sleek and simple. High-gloss white sounds just right for this chic space and would look perfect with that gorgeous slab of carrera marble.

Now we need some character and accent pieces...For example, this woven stool would look rad next to an armchair:

It's been on Craigslist for months-- In fact, I was gonna pick it up for something like $30 a while back, but ended up passing on it. It'd look lovely in between a pair of wingbacks and is the perfect place to rest an ashtray or a cocktail glass...

Okay, I kid...kinda. I have an unnatural fascination with taxidermy and my house is full of it. There are two things I always try to incorporate into every room (of my own and clients'!); those being a bar and something that was once living. Anyway, wouldn't this African antelope look fantastic above the sofa? He'd command the whole room and would really lend to the "traveled" vibe at which the kilim hints. There's no price attached (don't you hate that?), but I'd offer a very fair $150 and see what happened.

If you have requests or suggestions, please leave them in comments! Do you have a room that you want to redecorate, but aren't sure where to start? Are you looking for a specific piece for a specific space? Lay it on me. I'll find your furniture.

navy walls, blonde hardwood floors, antique desk/chest with round hardware, black-painted chairs, and woven accents...notice any other similarities?

I'm spending my days combing craigslist and attempting to find gainful employment in Chicago...and just when my brain is about to explode, I take a little break and retreat to my inspiration folders while the invisible sanity bar at the bottom of my screen slowly recharges itself.

just wanted to share some rad, nontraditional ways to decorate a wall...the first one is my favorite-- I love how the posters are all different, but the colors and typefaces are very complimentary. I'm kindof a sucker for anything that looks slightly dilapidated and the torn-away aspect is what appealed to me initially. I'd love to try something similar with a stack of my pal Matt Maust's posters, as what he designs already looks perfectly dated and weathered.


this wall, which has been layered with scraps of wood, could be stunning in a high-ceilinged dining room with huge skylights. generally I'm very anti "accent walls", but if you kept all remaining surfaces white, this little instillation would have just the right effect.


with a pile of old yardsticks and a can of lacquer, you too could create a nifty backsplash (though I'd opt for some less noticable hardware to secure it, wouldn't you?)


and there's always the classic inspiration wall. my bedroom was a collage of my budding personality throughout highschool, and I've always kinda missed it. if I were to do anything like this today it'd be carefully curated and installed, but it'd still be so much fun to put together. making a giant collage is sortof like making a visual mixed tape...

this brass headboard is SO RAD. it's also SO CHEAP.

if I didn't already kinda have an idea of what I wanted in my bedroom, I'd go for it. hell, I'm tempted to go for it anyway, but I think I'm already scaring my boyfriend with how much I craigslist...

in case I neglected to mention it, I'm in Kentucky for 2 months, working for a designer and an art gallery. it's beyond great to be back in the 9-5 world, but whooooooooa buddy, is it weird living at home again. W-E-I-R-D.

I was helping a friend look for a striped rug for her LA apartment and came across this...

hey guess what, it's MLA Buddies Week!
I have so many amazingly talented friends and I decided that it's high time I introduce you to them. since this blog is more interior design-focused, I figured I'd kick things off with some gorgeous photos of Martha Mullholland's stunning Chicago apartment.

these were pulled from her recently-posted AT House Tour, which created quite a stir in the comments (as expected). Martha and I did a good bit of growing up together in Kentucky and it was actually her old apartment into which I moved when I first relocated to Chicago...she is unbelievably talented and I am constantly inspired by her treasures and vignettes.
she was also featured in this month's CS Interiors, as the "Mix Mistress" on page 30...


and if you leaf far enough into the CS social pages, you'll find a little snap of Martha and myself enjoying the free champagne at the BoConcepts one year anniversary party.

this is a familiar post, so I'll keep it short and sweet.

selling my couch. photos below, craigslist link here. serious discount for any MLA readers. someone come take 'er away!

after nearly 2 years of demanding, hoping, searching, and pining for a velvet sofa, I finally got one and then promptly fell in love with a tweed monster. oh my fickle heart...anyway, photos of the new guy to appear shortly-- stay tuned!

I don't think I'd be willing to make an investment in anything pictured above, but looking at these photos of abandoned houses made me really happy.

you guys, I'm going back to Chicago tomorrow (for good!) and I am SO excited. possibly even more excited than I am to go to Costa Rica. okay, hmm...not so sure about that.
in light of my return, I thought I'd post a little tour of my friends' lovely Ukrainian Village two bedroom apartment. it's well-styled, got tons of character, and it's up for grabs!! they're moving out and heading to Logan Square, so if you are in the market for a charming place to call home, this just might be it.

oh and did I mention the perfect porch that sits just above the tree-lined street? this is exactly where I spent my first 4th of July in Chicago...I sat on the edge, drinking champagne out of the bottle, and watching fireworks go off all over the city. it was heaven.


it boasts loads of original charm (leaded glass windows, built-in hutches and dressers, walk-in closets, black and white tiled bathroom, bay window, swinging kitchen door, hardwood floors, stained glass, two stoves, back porch, etc) and the heat is included in the rent!! and all of this for the very reasonable price of $1575! get in touch with Shelby ASAP, this little beauty is gonna go fast!

this is one of my all-time favorite nurseries. it's cute, bright, and fun, but doesn't give up the parents' great sense of style, as you can see by the clean, modern lines in the furniture, the tastefully upholstered chair, and original art. I could do without the butterfly curtains, but let's just ignore those. the walls are that perfect shade of aqua (Olympic Faint Flicker) and the fuschia FLOR tiles provide an unexpected pop of color. I appreciate that this room could easily be for a boy or a girl and would be simple to graduate as the child got older. the obvious star of the space is the giraffe silhouette made from vintage wallpaper. you can pick one up at RompStore, or get creative and make your own!
is anyone expecting and have some fun suggestions for a nursery?