House Tour-Kelly

Name: Kelly Johnson
Location: Chicago, IL
Square Footage: 800 sq. feet
Years Lived in: 1.5
Rent or own: own
Describe your style: scavenged chic; cozy maximalist

What's your favorite free/found item?
My entire bedroom set (bed and two dressers) was my grandmothers. Her parents bought the set in the mid 1930s, and she has kept it in pristine condition since then. My favorite found item is the huge aerial photograph of my hometown in the 1950s. It was in my elementary school library when I was a kid, then they had stuck it in a forgotten hallway with broken desks and chairs. I found it there and persuaded the engineer to let me keep it for posterity sake.

What's your favorite purchased item?
It's hard to decide -- all of my furniture was bought after painstaking months (sometimes even years) of searching and waiting. All in all, I'm rather partial to the oak pedstal dining table and blu dot desk (both from craigslist, both $50), the wallpaper, and my Schoolhouse Electric lights.

What has been your biggest obstacle in decorating/design?
Time/Space/Money. I sought out a condo that retained it's original layout, with several smaller rooms, halls, and doorways. I like having the apartment divided up - it gives each room a distinct space and feel. Because of that, though, each room is small enough to limit possibilities for different layouts, type of furniture, etc.


Is your design style organic or planned?
Very unplanned and organic, but still very specific. I function more on inspiration, waiting for a perfect piece to appear at the thrift store, letting the space "speak" to me, and collecting things that I love. My dining room curtains, for instance, are made of Marimekko fabric that I got on discount from Crate and Barrel Outlet two years before I moved into my condo. I knew that the "right" use would eventually come to me -- and it did! At the same time, I get a very clear vision of a specific piece of furniture/art/fabric that I want and I will search until I find exactly that.

What is your favorite spot in the house?
The living room. The windows look out on a big tree and the front yard of the building. The light filters through the linen curtains just so. It's all very soft and light and cozy. Also, my record player is in there.


How has your style changed in the past 5 years?
My last apartment was all white walls and the biggest brightest decorations I could find. It was even more eclectic and haphazard. My condo now has a lot of the original features from when it was built in 1920, so I've been more interested old fashioned decorating, antiques, and darker colors. I'm much more into layers, patterns, rugs, and fabric. I strive for 'soft' over 'pop.'

What is your favorite resource or store?
The Salvation Army, Craigslist, and my parents' basement. I've gotten a lot of things at Brownstone Antiques on Clark St., too.

What is your biggest decorating/design pet peeve?
When someone pulls everything from the catalog of DWR. There's some killer 20th century design, for sure, but having a house full of Eames is no better than a house full of Pottery Barn or Ikea.

What has been your favorite design trend?
Rustic, cabin-y, woods-y. I love exposed beams, sheepskin rugs, stacks of logs, and a potbellied stove. I dream about living in a cabin in the woods.


What is the biggest influence on your design/decorating style?
I love Neil Young's music from the late 60s and early 70s, as well as the Stan Brackage short, "The Weir-Falcon Saga." Other things, like the French Jura, traditional American handcrafts, and Autumn move me. A lot of my decorating has been an attempt to recreate the feeling that I get from those inspirations. My family has also been a strong influence. My parents have a great eye for decorating; my paternal grandmother also had an amazing home. Considering half of my furniture has been passed down through the family, I have no choice but to be influenced by them.

What in your home dictates how you design/decorate?
The light, the wood. The ghosts and feeling of time. Honoring the age and trying to highlight the original details of the apartment.


What is the simplest thing you have done that has made the biggest impact?
I would say painting, but that's not simple -- it's a horrible, messy pain in the ass. The simplest thing was taking down the dark miniblinds that the previous owner hung and making light-filtering curtains. The white floral Marimekko and beige linen curtains couldn't be any simpler, but they add a huge amount of class and coziness.

all photos courtesy of homeowner.

If you are interested in doing a House Tour please submit photos to the flickr group or email me.