Chicago Spaces

I received one of the best surprises outside my door after work today. A box with some great books I ordered from Amazon.com. Well, I guess it wasn't that much of a surprise since I've been tracking them since the moment they shipped, but none the less, still pretty exciting. So tonight have been gushing over the pages of Chicago Spaces, inspiring interiors.

This book is fabulous. It showcases some gorgeous homes that range from mid-century modern to eclectic transitional to vintage glamor. One of the standout spaces is this Gold Coast condo designed by Nate Berkus.

I adore this sofa. The nail-head detail at the bottom that absolutely makes the piece. WOW! I am just crazy enough to wonder if I could do this to my own sofa--but I'll keep wondering for now. I also love how the slate blue color plays off the warm tones in the rest of the space. I am always a fan of painting the back of bookcases like they have here for an added pop of color. Remember its just paint!

The detail that really draws me into this dining space is the upholstery on the backside of the chairs. This is such a dramatic detail that is easily done with a little director to your upholsterer. This space is adjacent to the den above so the colors really flow nicely from one room to the next.

A few more spaces throughout this condo above. Notice the yellow Jonathan Adler wallpaper used, its dramatic but flows with the color scheme used throughout the space. My only critique is, it looks like its done in two rooms. I would suggest stopping in just one for maximum impact.

The book also breaks out specific areas throughout the home and highlights beautiful examples of these spaces. I was particularly drawn to the chapter on foyers. I think its can be one of the most exciting and also challenging spaces to design in a home. Not to mention its the first space you see when you arrive home and the last space you see as you leave, so needless to say it counts! Many foyers or entries are small or barely exist at all so its a challenge to carve out space to still make the entry special. Others are often very large and easily become just hallways to pass through. So the challenge is there to create a dynamic and welcoming space that draws you in.

This foyer featured in the book provides of a strong example of how to create a grand entry despite not having much floor space to work with. This is a common problem in many condos, apartments and older homes. The door opens right up against a wall and there isn't room for a sizable console or entry table. Here they use a skinny bench, treating it like a table and hang an over-scale painting above to still achieve a prominent sense of entry.

This is another foyer featured in the book that is absolutely stunning. This would be one of those larger spaces that could feel like an empty hallway. Instead they have treated every surface and created a warm space that draws you in through the color palette, use of lighting, and large scale art work.

Foyer by J. Weiss Design via Houzz

This is an entry space I found on HOUZZ that provides ingenious storage despite minimal wall or floor space to work with. I love the functionality here that still looks very chic and modern.

I've put together a few small space solutions to add design and functionality to your entry way. Think about achieving a similar look as the one above in your home with the use of slim shelving or cubbies and maybe even a wall mounted coat rack. I love this sleek piece below that can hide all your clutter.

Hide and Seek Storage Shelf from CB2

Here is another piece shown below that provides a similar option in a neutral colorway.

 

Slice Grey Wall mounted storage shelf from CB2

Look at these fabulous coat racks from Blu Dot

Splash Coat Rack from Blu Dot

What a fun way to store guest coats but also add a colorful design element to a small entry space.

Finally I love these Slim Console tables by Room and Board. They come in a huge range of sizes with depths as slim as 6"!! That is workable in even the tighest spaces. The price is right too, all under $200 bucks!

Slim Console from Room and Board

What do you think of these spaces? I love to hear! Hope you've gotten some great inspiration for your entry space!