My Houzz: Meaningful Art Personalizes a Chicago Home
Travel mementos, local artwork and midcentury furnishings adorn an interior designer’s rental apartment
“Bowmanville is this amazing neighborhood that almost no one knows about,” Christensen says. “It is full of quiet tree-lined streets. And our community really comes together to create a place that has a small-town feel. We have ice cream socials,
neighborhood garage sales, community gardens and a bimonthly meet-up at a local bar. I actually know my neighbors. It feels like home. I should also mention that I’m within walking distance of a bunch of fabulous breweries.”
Christensen wants her home to feel inviting, calm and interesting. “I want people to feel like they can come in and help themselves to a beer in the fridge,” she says.
Christensen is renting her duplex, and she added color to many of the spaces with paint. “The apartment was originally this horrid beige with a very yellow undertone, and I painted it light gray,” she says.
Irish Mist wall paint: Behr
neighborhood garage sales, community gardens and a bimonthly meet-up at a local bar. I actually know my neighbors. It feels like home. I should also mention that I’m within walking distance of a bunch of fabulous breweries.”
Christensen wants her home to feel inviting, calm and interesting. “I want people to feel like they can come in and help themselves to a beer in the fridge,” she says.
Christensen is renting her duplex, and she added color to many of the spaces with paint. “The apartment was originally this horrid beige with a very yellow undertone, and I painted it light gray,” she says.
Irish Mist wall paint: Behr
The living room is filled with vintage finds, commissioned artwork and some of Christensen’s own projects. “I always pick up a little something from artisans in the country I’m visiting,” she says. She made the smaller pillow on her sofa with a vintage rug she bought in Bulgaria.
Displayed on top of the mantel is a commissioned photograph by friend Doug Birkenheur. Christensen painted the previously salmon red brick fireplace in Foxhall Green by Sherwin-Williams.
To add texture and warm up the hardwood floors, she layered two coverings: a vintage Turkish rug from Yoruk Rug Gallery atop Flor carpet tiles.
The lamp to the left of the fireplace is vintage. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Christensen says.
Fedora carpet tiles: Flor; Eames plywood molded chair: vintage
Displayed on top of the mantel is a commissioned photograph by friend Doug Birkenheur. Christensen painted the previously salmon red brick fireplace in Foxhall Green by Sherwin-Williams.
To add texture and warm up the hardwood floors, she layered two coverings: a vintage Turkish rug from Yoruk Rug Gallery atop Flor carpet tiles.
The lamp to the left of the fireplace is vintage. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Christensen says.
Fedora carpet tiles: Flor; Eames plywood molded chair: vintage
In the dining room, Christensen painted the wall above the picture rail in Smoke Embers by Benjamin Moore. “Usually you would go lighter at the top to increase the ceiling height, but a darker color worked well in the dining room because the ceilings are so high and it helped define that space above the rail,” she says.
The Bertoia chairs are from the ’80s. “They are covered with gray sheepskins, which makes them comfortable to sit in,” Christensen says. “I should probably spend more time in the office, but I tend to work in the dining room. It gets so much wonderful light. Plus, it is a lovely and peaceful environment.”
The Bertoia chairs are from the ’80s. “They are covered with gray sheepskins, which makes them comfortable to sit in,” Christensen says. “I should probably spend more time in the office, but I tend to work in the dining room. It gets so much wonderful light. Plus, it is a lovely and peaceful environment.”
Christensen bought this French Victorian chair in the dining room at an auction and had it reupholstered.
The watercolor of Chicago and the oil painting below it are by Alexander von Agoston, a German artist who exhibits his work at Cornelia Arts Building.
The watercolor of Chicago and the oil painting below it are by Alexander von Agoston, a German artist who exhibits his work at Cornelia Arts Building.
“I absolutely love Ray and Charles Eames,” Christensen says. “They were artists, designers, makers and innovators. I had wanted one of the leg splints for years. I loved that they designed these for World War II and then took that innovative technology and created the Eames plywood molded chair.” She found the vintage splint at Circa Modern. “It looks like a piece of sculpture hanging on the wall. There’s also one hanging at the Art Institute of Chicago,” she adds.
The gallery wall features works by local artists such as Mary Ann Lea Dorr, one of the few women in Chicago’s Bauhaus movement; Doug Birkenheuer; and Melanie Biehle. Also included are travel photos Christensen took in Lesotho and Belgium. All of the framed pieces hang against a wall covered in removable graphic wallpaper from Target.
Displayed on top of a wooden workbench that Christensen’s late grandfather made is a small vintage blue vase from Denmark, a glass mosaic wine bottle that her great-grandmother made and a midcentury Danish candleholder from South Loop Loft.
Framing: Blackbird Framing
The gallery wall features works by local artists such as Mary Ann Lea Dorr, one of the few women in Chicago’s Bauhaus movement; Doug Birkenheuer; and Melanie Biehle. Also included are travel photos Christensen took in Lesotho and Belgium. All of the framed pieces hang against a wall covered in removable graphic wallpaper from Target.
Displayed on top of a wooden workbench that Christensen’s late grandfather made is a small vintage blue vase from Denmark, a glass mosaic wine bottle that her great-grandmother made and a midcentury Danish candleholder from South Loop Loft.
Framing: Blackbird Framing
“My grandfather was a fixer. You could bring almost anything to him and he would disappear into the garage, search through some bins, and with the things he had on hand, he’d fix it,” Christensen says. “I took the workbench after he passed away because it was something he had made, and it reminded me of him. It acts as a buffet in my dining room, but someday I imagine it will be the counter at my store.”
She loves that her grandfather built the storage piece with scrap wood. “You can still see that he marked the drawers by size to keep track of all his screws and nails,” she says.
Both vintage radios also belonged to Christensen’s grandfather, and the cash register, from the late 1800s, was used in a restaurant that belonged to her grandparents.
She loves that her grandfather built the storage piece with scrap wood. “You can still see that he marked the drawers by size to keep track of all his screws and nails,” she says.
Both vintage radios also belonged to Christensen’s grandfather, and the cash register, from the late 1800s, was used in a restaurant that belonged to her grandparents.
Christensen found the tapestry in Quito, Ecuador. “[My friend and I] visited the Tahuantinsuyo workshop with artist Miguel Andrango. It was an amazing experience. We learned how they mixed the dyes out of natural ingredients and how he gets his inspiration,” she says.
At the top is a piece by Randi Russo. “Below that is a print of a mountain view in South Africa that I took out of a book,” Christensen says. “I loved the artist Stephen Inggs, but I couldn’t afford his work.” The bottom Protea print is from Society6.
At the top is a piece by Randi Russo. “Below that is a print of a mountain view in South Africa that I took out of a book,” Christensen says. “I loved the artist Stephen Inggs, but I couldn’t afford his work.” The bottom Protea print is from Society6.
Just outside the dining room is a vintage chair from the Egyptian Theater in DeKalb, Illinois. “I went to school at Northern Illinois University. I used to go to the theater there all the time for movies and shows,” Christensen says. “When the theater was changing to new chairs, I snagged one of the old ones.”
Off the living room is a spiral staircase that leads down to Christensen’s bedroom.
The large art piece of the woman standing is from a frame shop in nearby Wicker Park. “I bought it because it looks just like my great-grandmother,” Christensen says. The wall hangings are from Bulgaria. “I got to meet the woman who made it — she had some beautiful pieces,” Christensen says. The cow piece made of recycled materials is by a street artist in Cape Town, South Africa.
The large art piece of the woman standing is from a frame shop in nearby Wicker Park. “I bought it because it looks just like my great-grandmother,” Christensen says. The wall hangings are from Bulgaria. “I got to meet the woman who made it — she had some beautiful pieces,” Christensen says. The cow piece made of recycled materials is by a street artist in Cape Town, South Africa.
“I had fun with color when I painted my office,” Christensen says. “The room doesn’t get as much sunshine, so I embraced it and painted it dark.”
She used two contrasting colors on the walls: The bottom is Soot by Benjamin Moore and the top is Monticello Rose, also by Benjamin Moore.
Christensen installed the floating bookshelf using the top of a sewing machine case. The handmade small throw pillow is from Ecuador.
Lubi turquoise sleeper daybed: CB2; browse more modern daybeds
She used two contrasting colors on the walls: The bottom is Soot by Benjamin Moore and the top is Monticello Rose, also by Benjamin Moore.
Christensen installed the floating bookshelf using the top of a sewing machine case. The handmade small throw pillow is from Ecuador.
Lubi turquoise sleeper daybed: CB2; browse more modern daybeds
The desk belonged to Christensen’s grandfather. “Years before he had lent me the desk and chair, my grandfather rescued them from a building that was being demolished in the ’60s in Chicago. They’re probably from the ’20s,” she says.
Christensen painted the formerly orange pendant when she changed her office’s color scheme.
The 2018 Full Moon Calendar poster on the wall is by Christensen’s friend Judy Higgins of Ranch and Rodeo. Christensen’s mother made the small wood piece with postcards clipped to it.
“It is a piece of barn wood from my grandfather’s home farm in Wisconsin,” Christensen says. “She stenciled it with the stencil she found in his trunk from the navy and included some buttons from his uniform. I got a lot of my craftiness from my mom.”
Christensen painted the formerly orange pendant when she changed her office’s color scheme.
The 2018 Full Moon Calendar poster on the wall is by Christensen’s friend Judy Higgins of Ranch and Rodeo. Christensen’s mother made the small wood piece with postcards clipped to it.
“It is a piece of barn wood from my grandfather’s home farm in Wisconsin,” Christensen says. “She stenciled it with the stencil she found in his trunk from the navy and included some buttons from his uniform. I got a lot of my craftiness from my mom.”
The framed artwork between the two doors in the dining room includes a piece by Randi Russo, top left; Doug Birkenheuer, right; and Cora Malinak, bottom. The reflective Golden Kid, by Stephanie Graham, is made from a mirror and is a tribute to childhood.
Christensen loves to cook and entertain. “I love how the kitchen is set up,” she says. “You can get some strange kitchens in old apartment buildings. My first apartment in Chicago didn’t have any counters.”
The runner is a vintage Kurdish rug.
The runner is a vintage Kurdish rug.
“One of the challenges in Chicago is the fact that summer is brilliant but winter and spring can be a little rough. This has definitely influenced how I’ve designed my home,” Christensen says. “I’ve made sure to make it a cozy retreat and a place I want to be to get through the winter and the gray spring.” She covered a wall in the small nook outside the dining room with a removable floral wallpaper. “My home is a bit of a playground or lab for me to test out ideas,” she says. “I love clean, spare white spaces, but every time I head down that path, it just doesn’t feel quite like me.”
Canary Floral removable wallpaper: Target
Canary Floral removable wallpaper: Target
On the walls surrounding the staircase, Christensen showcases more treasured artwork.
“I like that my bedroom feels like a separate space,” Christensen says. “It’s super quiet, cool and cozy. It helps me to flip the switch and decompress at night to go downstairs.” She reupholstered a basic headboard with colorful fabric from Chicago’s Textile Discount Outlet as a DIY project.
The small colorful throw pillow is a vintage Kurdish pillow that was given to Christensen when she worked in Iraq.
The hanging light to the left of the bed is from Istanbul; the small piece on the wall is a vintage Maxfield Parrish print titled Daybreak.
Yellow Desert Rose quilt: Target
The small colorful throw pillow is a vintage Kurdish pillow that was given to Christensen when she worked in Iraq.
The hanging light to the left of the bed is from Istanbul; the small piece on the wall is a vintage Maxfield Parrish print titled Daybreak.
Yellow Desert Rose quilt: Target
Flanking the bed are vintage side tables, candelabras and a dreamcatcher from a French shop called Boudoir du Chaman.
Christensen wanted to add color to her bedroom walls and used three canvases painted with Polished Leather flat paint by Behr. She also used a stencil to overlay a damask pattern using Divine Wine glossy paint by Behr.
Nadya damask wall stencil: Cutting Edge Stencils
Christensen wanted to add color to her bedroom walls and used three canvases painted with Polished Leather flat paint by Behr. She also used a stencil to overlay a damask pattern using Divine Wine glossy paint by Behr.
Nadya damask wall stencil: Cutting Edge Stencils
A travel-themed gallery wall above Christensen’s dresser features pictures from Chicago, Egypt and Buenos Aires.
The bottom right piece is a picture of Place des Vosges, in Paris. “I spent a week right around the corner from Place des Vosges and I took a ton of pictures in Paris with my vintage camera. But unfortunately my luggage was lost, including that film,” Christensen says. She found the work of Marc Loret online and bought a print.
The bottom right piece is a picture of Place des Vosges, in Paris. “I spent a week right around the corner from Place des Vosges and I took a ton of pictures in Paris with my vintage camera. But unfortunately my luggage was lost, including that film,” Christensen says. She found the work of Marc Loret online and bought a print.
This vintage dresser belonged to Christensen’s great-great-grandparents.
The small rug on top is a vintage camel wool rug from Istanbul.
The small rug on top is a vintage camel wool rug from Istanbul.
A vintage sewing machine has been repurposed as a dressing table. Above it is a moon-phases print by 1thirteen.
“My home is my sanctuary,” Christensen says. “Having a place that is all my own and feels safe, welcoming and secure means the world to me.”
See more of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
“My home is my sanctuary,” Christensen says. “Having a place that is all my own and feels safe, welcoming and secure means the world to me.”
See more of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Who lives here: Kandy Christensen
Location: Bowmanville neighborhood of Chicago
Size: 1,200 square feet (111 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
“As much as I love making homes beautiful, I believe that our home can support what we want to be doing in our lives,” interior designer Kandy Christensen of Meandering Design says. “My home doubles as my workspace and also where I teach classes. It has given me the space to do what I love to do.”
Christensen believes her home needs to align with her values. “I have worked in human rights, I am an environmentalist, a feminist and I believe in supporting makers and artists,” she says. “I try to buy local and to support local makers and shop owners. I buy art because I love it, but also because I want to support and showcase my favorite artists. I often buy secondhand and vintage because it is a much more sustainable practice.”
Christensen bought the handmade white, black and orange sofa pillow from a female artisan who is part of the Lesotho Mountain Crafts cooperative in Teyateyaneng, Lesotho, in southern Africa. In the corner of the room is an 1880s dress form from the Randolph Street Market, and the three framed black-and-white prints of Cirque du Soleil performers are from the ’90s.
Mongolian lamb pillow covers: West Elm