At Home With: Missy and Kirk in Ukrainian Village

You may have seen this guest post on Fine Diving in Chicago a few months ago where a young Chicago couple scored a $25 dresser from Craigslist and turned it into something you might drop a few bens on at White Attic.  I recently had the pleasure of visiting Missy and Kirk in their Ukrainian Village three bedroom apartment, where they showed me some of their other fantastic makeover projects, upcycled lamps and general good taste in frugal furnishings.

When they’re not at their day jobs, Missy is a visual and Kirk is a photographer.  (Check out Kirk’s photo log here.)  Kirk’s mom runs an animal shelter in Michigan that holds an annual fundraiser auction, and that event’s unwanted leftovers are where much of their furnishings have come from.  Pick any piece of furniture in their apartment and you’re likely to get one of a few answers about where it came from: a leftover from the annual animal shelter auction, a Craigslist find, or a thrift store score.  (Or a garage sale find with an interesting story — like a vintage wooden mail file purchased off a disappearing Michigan religious cult.)  Add it all together to equal one sweet apartment.

Names: Missy Ruminski & Kirk Bravender

Occupations: Executive Assistant & Operations Process Manager

Ages: 28 & 36

Rent or Own?: Rent

Size of dwelling (square foot): 1200 (we think)

Number of bedrooms: 3

Number of occupants in the dwelling: 2 peeps, 4 cats, 4 catfish and a guppy

What do you like BEST about your living space?
Good light, tons of space, hardwood, built-in china cabinet, super landlord, DISHWASHER, garden and free laundry!

What do you like LEAST?
The giant old radiators that take up all of the good furniture space.

What are your future plans for the space?
More of the same, maybe one day if we are feeling ambitious enough, we could possibly paint the walls.

What improvements have you made thus far?
Kirk put up corner guards, does that count?

Most prized piece of furniture?
Kirk’s Knoll Pollack half-back leather office chair (purchased here).

Most prized piece of decor?
Voice of Music record console.

Do you collect anything?
Cameras, photos of strangers, banks, things with owls on them, disabled cats, lamps.

Does your lifestyle or work impose any requirements on your living space?
Need for studio space. We have a three bedroom so that we can both have our separate spaces so that I can paint and Kirk can be an awesome photographer. Would like to have more space (a garage) for larger projects (more furniture).

See the entire photo set from Missy and Kirk’s apartment on Flickr here.

Like the At Home posts?  Check out more posts from the At Home series on BackGarage.

Want to see your home profiled on BG?  Read this post!