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The fix is in
Local design pros solve five common Chicago apartment problems
1. Tiny bedroom
A small, claustrophobic space, with little room for furniture and décor items
SOLUTIONS:
1. Use space smartly. Melissa Lewis, a junior designer with jamesthomas (www.jtliving.com) and the designer of this project, took this "tall" bedroom and did her best with the verticality and small space. "The shelf acts as a stacking and display area, pairing well with the credenza in terms of look," she says. "By using this area to display multiple pieces of art, you are freeing up more wall space, which can become cluttered by separately hung pieces." Conversely, Suhail (www.suhaildesign.com), a local architect and designer, gives a tip on what to do with the opposite problem—a "squat" bedroom. "Verticality can be implied by taller furniture pieces; also, the use of vertical blocks of color can accent the space." Pavilion credenza, $350, available at CB2. Lack shelf, $15, available at IKEA.
2. Color schemes and lighting matter. A lot. "Keep it low and neutral with some accent colors, patterns and textures," Lewis says. "To combat the feeling of claustrophobia, neutral and soothing colors were paired with textured materials and low floor lamps in order to bring both the level and overall feel of the room closer to the ground, making it feel less vertical."
3. Dress up the walls. "Select a wall to become the accent wall and use a darker color for it to give the room depth," Lewis says. "The addition of something tactile such as wall-covering adds dimension to the space." Ralph Lauren paint in Mombasa Mist (accent wall) and Cymric Silver (other walls), $24 per gallon, available at Home Depot. Until Dawn paper cut-out curtain, $90 per 42 x 96–inch panel, available at CB2.
4. Turn the regular bed into a daybed. "By switching the orientation of the bed, it opened the space up, and the differentiation in bed type adds a visual stimulus to the room," Lewis says.
5. Minimal but significant furniture additions. "Conceptually, chairs are viewed as extras only allowed if space permits," Lewis explains. "Here, it creates another 'area' of the room where one could sit and read." Custom-made W+F=CH felt chair by Gerry Christensen, price upon request.
2. That '70s kitchen
Linoleum and synthetics rule. The color scheme: mustard and brown. Cabinet doors are made of cheap metal.
SOLUTIONS:
1. Cover up the floor. "If replacing the floor isn't an option, the old flooring could be covered in a new vinyl remnant or even a painted floorcloth [a treated canvas rug], done in a funky abstract pattern, one that marries all the earth tones together," Birkentall says. Custom floorcloths, right, available at Design Village.
2. Easy hardware touch-ups. "Upgrade the cabinets economically by replacing only doors or pulls," says Cynthia Vranas, architect and interior designer at Olsen Vranas Architects and instructor at Harrington College of Design. Coral Knobs, above, $12 (set of two) at Anthropologie.
3. Embrace the "outdated" palette. "To make the most of the existing color scheme [i.e., browns and yellows], stay with neutrals to minimize discontinuity and avoid attention to unattractive surfaces," Vranas says. Adds Birkentall: "The good news is, those colors are actually 'in' again!"
4. Direct attention elsewhere. "Strategically place a vintage poster or find an affordable French antique table to provide some form of quality visual distraction," Vranas says. She suggests finding an antique table at Architectural Artifacts.
5. Take advantage of countertop appliances. They can double as functional items that also look good and maintain the color scheme. Suhail suggests appliances from KitchenAid or Wolf. Artisan Series blender in Tangerine, right, $130 at KitchenAid.
3. Garden apartment
Dark and musty. Sloping floors. Little natural light. No nice scenery at eye level. Welcome to the world of garden-apartment living.
SOLUTIONS:
1. Treat windows with light materials that block Peeping Toms and let in light. "As the view is not an issue, mask the windows with something decorative," Birkentall says. She suggests a simple DIY project: "Purchase a black-wood, floating picture frame from an arts & crafts store and place rice paper between the two panes of glass. Inset it in your window frame, using double-sided tape if necessary so it stays in place. This creates a more contemporary feel to the space and allows the light to still penetrate." Rice paper available at Aiko's Art Materials.
2. Lighten up. Paint walls and ceiling in the same light color with latex paint to create a larger-looking space, Vranas says. "A satin finish will help capture and reflect what little natural light there is coming into the space."
3. Let the floor breathe. "Warm sisal or sea-grass rugs could be placed on the floor, which allow for any dampness to evaporate," Birkentall says. Wide-border sisal rug in chino or honey, top right, starting at $200, available at Pottery Barn.
4. Make things look up. "Direct attention toward the ceiling with a torchère, a lighting fixture which sits on the floor and diffuses light upwards," Vranas says. The shade of the Melampo Terra lamp, bottom right, $690 at Artemide, swivels as much as 180 upward.
5. Branch out. "It helps to have plants that are in very little need of light," Lewis says. "Try using tree branches—they add warmth and a natural feel but won't die due to a lack of light." Suhail also suggests "bringing in nature [by placing] plants by the window." Fantail willow, $12.50 a bunch; and ceramic jug, $20, left, both available at A New Leaf at the Monadnock Building.
4. Industrial loft space
Exposed brick walls, piping and support beams. Too-new floors that are cold and uninviting. No individual rooms,meaning a lack of privacy and a feeling of intimacy. Sound travels too much.
SOLUTIONS:
1. Cozy up to carpeting. "Deep, rich patterned rugs will create a warmth that is atmospheric as well as visual," Birkentall says. Rugs available at Anthropologie.
2. Paint over industrial elements. "Painting the structural/mechanical elements with accent color could make an artful element out of ordinarily unsightly ducts," says Vranas. "Otherwise, painting these elements the same color as the ceilings and walls will also helpthem 'disappear.'"
3. Deaden the sound. "Soft treatments, fabric-wrapped panels (on a headboard, for example), and curtains from any of the many home-furnishing stores will divide spaces and help to minimize reverberation and echo," Vranas says. Curtains, top right, available at West Elm.
4. Add partitions to create "walls." "Overscale, whimsical furnishings also can warm the space while softening its edge," says Cynthia Ivie, founder of White Space, an organizational services firm specializing in the small business and residential markets. This curved, backless bookcase acts as a functional separator without being too imposing." Arc bookcases (three shown at left), $130 each, at Crate and Barrel.
5. Let there be light. "[Adding] warm accent lighting to highlight certain details of the space will help considerably," Suhail says. Ysmen table lamp by Ingo Maurer, right, $1,152 at Luminaire.
5. My landlord's a jerk
You can't paint your walls, you can't tack anything up on them, the precious hardwood floors need to be preserved—decorating around a difficult landlord is a bitch.
SOLUTIONS:
1. DIY your walls. "Walls can be 'upholstered' with patterned, polished chintz fabric panels sewn together and installed with liquid starch from a bottle," Birkentall says. "Trim the edges with a matching gimp braid [a braided ribbon trim]. This method will allow most lightweight fabrics to go onto walls without any tacking or harm to the walls, other than to wash them down after you take down the fabric to move. Deep green with painted white trim is quite dramatic. A floral or a plaid will also create different moods." Fabric available at Jo-Ann Fabrics and Urban Source.
2. Use mirror tricks. "Try leaning an oversized mirror that sits on the floor," Vranas says. "Artwork can be displayed on easellike structures, too. Hasn't this landlord ever heard of spackle?" Ramp mirror, far right, $760, available at Design Within Reach.
3. Consider tape. "3M makes a wonderful series of wall hangers that apply like adhesive, but when it's time to move, come off cleanly—no hole, no residue from hook, nothing," Ivie says. "They come in a variety of sizes, styles and load-bearing features." 3M wall-mounting materials, center, available at Target.
4. Paint, or kill your landlord. "A difficult landlord.... Move out or have him taken care of," Suhail says. "Alternatively, white comes in a million shades and finishes. You can do color bands using a flat finish on the lower part and a semigloss on the upper; this at least allows a play of light on the wall surfaces."
5. FLOR it. "Use InterfaceFLOR carpet tiles for the flooring," Suhail says. "[This] will add some color to the floor, too, that you couldn't do on the walls." InterfaceFLOR Carpet Tiles, below, available at CB2 and at www.interfaceflor.com.
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