My Houzz: Inviting Whites and Pastels in a Chicago Condo
A collection of meaningful art, travel souvenirs and functional furniture adds warmth to this airy home
Rachel Loewen
August 23, 2018
Rachel is a Houzz Contributor, lifestyle photographer, and storyteller. She captures interiors, people, travels, food, and stylings. She's the co-creator of #OurChicagoStories, a graphic and floral designer, and recently moved from Chicago to Kansas City, Missouri.
Rachel is a Houzz Contributor, lifestyle photographer, and storyteller. She captures... More
Condo at a Glance
Who lives here: Lisa Spagnolo and her pug, Eleanor
Location: West Town neighborhood of Chicago
Size: 600 square feet (56 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
Year built: 1910
Who lives here: Lisa Spagnolo and her pug, Eleanor
Location: West Town neighborhood of Chicago
Size: 600 square feet (56 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
Year built: 1910
“When I first walked into my place, it was tiny,” says Lisa Spagnolo, a sales representative for Interior Define and an interior decorator and stylist. “But I loved the layout and the tall ceilings. I knew that it was something I could work with to make into a home I loved.”
Spagnolo bought the 600-square-foot condo in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago in 2015. “The walls were beige, the floors were an orangey-oak color, there was carpet in the bedroom, and it lacked any sort of personality,” she says. “Before I moved in, I had the walls painted white, pulled up the carpet, had new wood floors installed and had the existing wood floors bleached and stained white.”
Wall paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore; dining table: discontinued, Ikea; browse dining tables
Spagnolo bought the 600-square-foot condo in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago in 2015. “The walls were beige, the floors were an orangey-oak color, there was carpet in the bedroom, and it lacked any sort of personality,” she says. “Before I moved in, I had the walls painted white, pulled up the carpet, had new wood floors installed and had the existing wood floors bleached and stained white.”
Wall paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore; dining table: discontinued, Ikea; browse dining tables
“When designing a space, my starting point is always going to be function,” Spagnolo says. To emphasize the tall ceilings and add storage, she installed wall-to-wall open shelving in the living area. The shelves hold various travel souvenirs, such as blankets from a trip to South America. “I have a few blankets that I bought in Peru that I love,” Spagnolo says. “I came home with a new suitcase full of Peruvian textiles but still felt like it wasn’t enough.
“I love spaces that are functional and classic, with meaningful keepsakes and artwork layered in there,” she adds. One of her favorite pieces is this vintage blue chair, one of a pair, that she found at the Midland antiques market in Indianapolis.
Cowhide rug: The Cowhide Store
“I love spaces that are functional and classic, with meaningful keepsakes and artwork layered in there,” she adds. One of her favorite pieces is this vintage blue chair, one of a pair, that she found at the Midland antiques market in Indianapolis.
Cowhide rug: The Cowhide Store
When Spagnolo was in her early 20s, she lived in Italy and southern France. “Those cultures influenced me a lot in the way I live and especially in my aesthetic choices,” she says. “I’ve been fortunate enough to do a good amount of traveling in my life, and most places have influenced me in some way.
“I love the femininity and classicism of French style, but I also love the masculinity and ruggedness of an Argentine estancia,” she says. “The key is to figure out how to make those contradictory elements work together.”
In general, she says, she’s drawn to “clean, classic architecture and decor with some warmth injected in there.”
“I love the femininity and classicism of French style, but I also love the masculinity and ruggedness of an Argentine estancia,” she says. “The key is to figure out how to make those contradictory elements work together.”
In general, she says, she’s drawn to “clean, classic architecture and decor with some warmth injected in there.”
Above the couch is a replica of Vermeer’s Young Woman With a Water Pitcher, painted by Spagnolo when she was in college.
“I love those slow, quiet mornings,” she says. She loves to take advantage of the natural light in the living and dining rooms year round. “I love sitting at my dining table flipping through my books for inspiration or curling up on the couch and watching a good movie,” she says.
The coffee table is vintage, and the throw pillows are from Interior Define and Blue Pear Mercantile.
Club sofa: CB2
“I love those slow, quiet mornings,” she says. She loves to take advantage of the natural light in the living and dining rooms year round. “I love sitting at my dining table flipping through my books for inspiration or curling up on the couch and watching a good movie,” she says.
The coffee table is vintage, and the throw pillows are from Interior Define and Blue Pear Mercantile.
Club sofa: CB2
“I wanted to create a designated living and dining area, so I installed pendant lights above the dining table,” Spagnolo says.
Sculptural glass globe pendant: West Elm
Sculptural glass globe pendant: West Elm
Spagnolo transformed a closet off the kitchen into a cozy nook using pale pink paint (Rose Petal by Benjamin Moore).
“The blanket is from a market in Mexico City, and the artwork is from an unknown artist,” she says. “He tossed out a huge sketchbook of all these beautiful figure drawings he did and now they are hanging throughout my home.”
“The blanket is from a market in Mexico City, and the artwork is from an unknown artist,” she says. “He tossed out a huge sketchbook of all these beautiful figure drawings he did and now they are hanging throughout my home.”
A vintage credenza doubles as a bar.
Spagnolo found the dark bust at Midland. “In the entryway, I have a collection of artwork, sketches — from another artist as well as some of my own pieces — that I’ve been collecting over the years,” she says. “I hope to just keep adding to that throughout my life. It just so happens to be a lot of black-and-white drawings and photos now, but I’m anxious to start injecting some color in there.”
Spagnolo found the dark bust at Midland. “In the entryway, I have a collection of artwork, sketches — from another artist as well as some of my own pieces — that I’ve been collecting over the years,” she says. “I hope to just keep adding to that throughout my life. It just so happens to be a lot of black-and-white drawings and photos now, but I’m anxious to start injecting some color in there.”
Spagnolo recently updated her compact kitchen with new pure white quartz countertops, a backsplash in square white tile and new cabinet pulls.
Skylight 3-inch-center bar pull: Wayfair; Bright White Ice 4-by-4-inch ceramic wall tile: Floor & Decor
Why a homeowner chose quartz countertops in her kitchen remodel
Skylight 3-inch-center bar pull: Wayfair; Bright White Ice 4-by-4-inch ceramic wall tile: Floor & Decor
Why a homeowner chose quartz countertops in her kitchen remodel
“It’s important for me to have a place to come home to that’s calm, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, where I can recharge,” Spagnolo says. The photo above the bed was taken by her friend Amy Jo.
Swing-arm brass wall sconces: CB2; Novak bed: One King’s Lane; channeled navy velvet bedding: CB2; jacquard-weave cushion cover: H&M
Swing-arm brass wall sconces: CB2; Novak bed: One King’s Lane; channeled navy velvet bedding: CB2; jacquard-weave cushion cover: H&M
The bedroom rug, dresser and side table are all vintage finds.
Spagnolo did the framed drawing above the dresser. “I made the original after taking a trip to Portugal,” she says. “Living in a functional, aesthetically pleasing, uncluttered space, surrounded by pieces that bring you joy and comfort, is a form of self-care,” she says. “It can bring a sense of peace when everything else feels stressful or chaotic.”
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Spagnolo did the framed drawing above the dresser. “I made the original after taking a trip to Portugal,” she says. “Living in a functional, aesthetically pleasing, uncluttered space, surrounded by pieces that bring you joy and comfort, is a form of self-care,” she says. “It can bring a sense of peace when everything else feels stressful or chaotic.”
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
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I love all stories that feature small apartments as it’s interesting to see how people use the space available. I agree the nook seems a waste of storage space and can’t imagine it being a space I’d use - limited light and yet not a bed to lie on. But overall it looks like a lovely home.
So often small apartments are too stark or too cluttered for my taste. This one looks perfect to me. Congratulations on achieving a homey feel with style.
Gorgeous! The owner is very talented.