Home in under 600 sqft
When I first moved to Chicago from Kansas City back in 2017, I had little idea of what was in store for me. For starters, I was extremely lucky when it came to my apartment. I signed a lease without actually taking a step inside the space. I was in close correspondence with the realtor for the space and asked for updated photos than what I had seen on the listing. I had talked with friends that lived in chicago about the area that the apartment was in and they reassured me this was something that I should jump on. With my time quickly dwindling before I needed to be in Chicago for the new job, I pulled the trigger and signed the lease. Turns out, I have fallen in love with this 565 sqft apartment and slowly been working on making it a home.
Over the past four years, so much has changed within these apartment walls, from furniture to artwork and all the way to even myself changing jobs. That being said though, there have been two constants, Quigley and plants. I moved my collection of plants from KC and only grew the collection to 75 plants…at last count. Now there are some people that will say plants help with air quality of a space or they will do this or that, but really for myself, I just like to be surrounded by them as they bring me peace and joy. From getting to explore the city through different plant shops to discovering new species, being a plant dad has so many perks.
One of the gallery walls in the living room.
Kitchen shelving for knick knacks and plants.
The other guy that made me a dad in the first place, Quigley, my spoiled pup. He’s grown older in the space too and has seen his own share of upgrades: lush new dog beds and walks galore. He has his own bed in the living room and the bedroom, but the couch and my bed also seem to be his too. In Kansas City, we had a HUGE yard that he got to run around in with our old roommate, Emily’s pup, Stella. I was worried about the transition from suburban-ish life to city life for him but ultimately it went okay. I just needed to add plenty of walks for him to get out his energy now.
The style and feel of the apartment after moving in was, to be quite honest, college bachelor. There was no cohesive style as it was just a mix match of what I was able to bring up from KC. That also meant I was missing a lot of furniture. Since I was just starting a new job, there wasn’t much to spend on any furniture that I needed so I only bought inexpensive pieces to tie me over until I could properly invest in pieces that I loved. It has taken nearly four years to get to the spot I’m at now but the patience was worth it. During this time I was able to test out what I truly did like and where it fit best. I can’t tell you how many times I have rearranged this place, tweaking small things here and there until it all just felt right.
The pandemic brought on its own problems, such as where will I fit a home office in here. At first I had it in the kitchen but after a few months, I transferred that out into the living room where I had made a nook for a mini office.
The biggest thing that I have always loved in any space that I live in is the natural light. I LOVE when the light floods the rooms and warms the space, regardless of the season. This also helps with my plant obsession. While south facing windows are the most ideal for plant lovers, I am lucky enough to have a full set of west facing windows in the living room and kitchen. The natural light doesn’t stop there though, the bedroom and bathroom are equipped with a north and east facing windows. Being on the top floor has its perks as my windows are not blocked by neighboring buildings, so I get to enjoy the rising sun. Some might say that could infringe on sleeping in but I am more of a morning person so it suits me well.
My apartment is located within a pretty decent aged building. My neighbors and I have tried to pinpoint when exactly it was built but we have not been successful but when know the building itself is at least 100 years old. Some of the units still have their original features while others have been updated over time. Mine has features of the original building like the bathroom tile while the kitchen has been updated. The former built-ins locations can be seen on the hardwood floor. One of my neighbors still has his built-ins and they add a cozy feel to the kitchen area. While sad that something original got torn out at some point, I do appreciate the openness that my kitchen and eating area have.
Original bathroom tile.
The former built-ins location can be seen on the hardwood.
The living room probably gets the most traction as my office is in it but its also the area that I tend to relax in if I am not cooking in the kitchen. Even though I have an eating area in my kitchen, which I sometimes do eat at, I more often than not, eat at my coffee table while watching some TV. It’s just easier if I’m being honest. This is also the room with the most plants, coming in at 47. With all the plants and the numerous pieces of artwork on the walls, the living room just feels cozy. The yellow armchair is the perfect statement piece. The mid-century modern style of the chair fits in perfectly with my aesthetic while the yellow gives it the pop of color for the space against the other neutral colors. Quigley sometimes makes this his bed as well.
All of this did not happen over night and took time to get right. Even today, I still change small aspects as I collect more pieces of art and plants. The most most important thing to remember when building a space is that spaces and in a sense living. They change with the person they are for and you have to try numerous iterations to find that sweet spot of balance that works for you because at the end of the day YOU are the one that has to be comfortable living in it.
Plant haven corner and peek of the KC gallery.
A new coffee table is the most recent addition.
