Home Tour : A Collected Chicago Bungalow

From time to time, I like to toss a home tour into the blog mix… it’s even more exciting when the home belongs to one of my real life friends! I know you guys are going to love Claire’s collected Chicago bungalow as much as I do. Similar to Emmett and myself, she and her husband are also renovating their home room by room. Click through for a gorgeous, eclectic home tour that’s sure to brighten your Thursday.

I’m starting in the living room because it’s my favorite space in the house. I can’t even begin to tell you how obsessed I am with the blue pair of chairs. They work so well with the traditional millwork and architecture of Claire’s home.

Speaking of architecture, how beautiful are those windows? I’m so glad she decided to leave the windows and frame the pretty stained glass with custom drapery.

There are so many perfectly styled vignettes throughout her home, it’s difficult to choose a favorite. I think I’m probably partial to the steamer trunk paired with the traditional console table. She’s also speaking my language with the geode and mineral display.

Moving into the dining room, I’m admiring the symmetry in this space. First of all, that dramatic arched entry is to die for. That’s exactly the type of transition we’ll be creating between our living room and kitchen. I love that it’s flanked by opposing apothecary cabinets. Take note of this styling trick as well: even though the cabinets are identical, that doesn’t mean the objects within or on top have to match. Just make sure the scale and colors work well together and feel balanced / cohesive. I’m glad Claire styled each of them uniquely- it makes that wall more interesting!

Other things to note? The subtle area rug with the greek key border, the marbled custom drapery, and those lacquered dining chairs. So many good textures!

Next, let’s admire the kitchen. This space is about as timeless as it gets- but then again you know I’m a fan of all things black, white, brass, and wood.

From the hardware to the richly stained butcher block countertops, Claire really paid attention to detail when designing the kitchen. Seeing her Solna faucet in front of those beautiful double windows makes me miss our old kitchen. Lastly, I’ll sing the praises of that backsplash. It is SO refreshing to see something other than subway tile from time to time. This is a great, modern alternative that still feels classic.

From the kitchen, let’s pop into the mudroom. I love this whitewashed space that showcases textural brick and patterned tile floors.

I feel like this space totally transports you from Chicago to a countryside across the pond. It’s easy to imagine, right?

The last room on the tour is a bedroom… I’m guessing this unexpected blue hued space is enough to brighten any snowy or windy Chicago day. My favorite thing in the room? That hanging wall mirror!

All of the images from this tour are located in the main level of the home, however, Claire and her husband are currently tackling the upstairs portion of their house. For a peek at that, click here.

For more about Claire and her home tour, you can click here! Claire and I actually first met on a trip to MN to tour Fairbault Textile Mill, where we stayed at the insanely stylish Hewing Hotel. We became fast friends, and I’m excited to see her next week. We’ll be reunited in Indianapolis for a designer event. We’ll both be posting on Instagram, so follow along (Claire’s & my personal account).

Giant thank you to Claire for letting me feature her bungalow! I’ll also share a shameless plug because I really enjoyed it… if you want more of her content, listens to her talk on “A Well-Designed Business” podcast.