At Home With: Tami and Morgan in Riverside
Tami and Morgan were BackGarage readers who contacted me about their fabulous one-bedroom apartment in Riverside. So a couple weekends ago I took a trek out to the ‘burbs to check out the digs. And wow! Do these folks have a talent for cramming a massive amount of incredible vintage finds — plus two kids (and one on the way) — and two Etsy shops into one moderate-sized one bedroom. My favorite part: Morgan’s office in a closet! (Or as the folks at the Pick Me Up Cafe call it: cloffice!)
Tami and Morgan really inspired me not only to paint my apartment walls, but to make the most use of space. And they’ve given us all hope that not everyone with toddlers in tow does their bargain shopping at Walmart. This is an entire family of estate sale ninjas.
They both have Etsy shops (links below), and check out Morgan’s blog, Manly Vintage, here.
Names: Morgan and Tami
Occupations: Morgan — UPS management and Etsy seller. Tami — domestic engineer, part-time art teacher at the Riverside Arts Center and Etsy seller.
Ages: Morgan, 24. Tami, 29.
Rent or Own?: Rent
Size of dwelling (square foot): 900ish
Number of bedrooms: 1
Number of occupants in the dwelling: 2 adults, 2 little ones.
What do you like BEST about your living space?
Closet space. Being able to squeeze untold amounts of stuff into these closets has been more fun than you think. Next would be the massive living room area, which has postponed needing to look for a larger apartment.
What do you like LEAST?
Poor natural light in half of the apartment, scummy bathtub, but the embarrassing kitchen floor takes the crown. Oh and horrible, horrible cell phone reception.
What are your future plans for the space?
None. With another kiddo on the way, apartment life is (hopefully) ending soon.
What improvements have you made thus far?
We painted, which is about the most you can do as a renter. We have argued many times about replacing the kitchen floor ourselves, changed a ton of light bulbs.
Most prized piece of furniture?
Morgan: Late 1940s Admiral TV/Record Cabinet.
Tami: I love our dining room chairs, comfy and great design.
Most prized piece of decor?
Morgan: Dazor lamps.
Tami: Elgin Sputnik clock
Do you collect anything?
Morgan: Vintage Chicago and Illinois goods, Dazor lamps, pipes, books and more books.
Tami: Sewing books, Japanese Lotus bowls, any retro dishware.
Does your lifestyle or work impose any requirements on your living space?
We need all the above space and have none. Tami has a small sewing and crafting area, and I’ve refinished a couple pieces of furniture in the basement.
What are your favorite thrift stores in Chicago?
We like Unique Thrift Stores, Goodwill, New to You in Broadview, and a few other small ones scattered around our residential area.
What’s the best Craigslist score you’ve ever gotten?
It’s hard to say. Most of our furniture is from Craigslist. I think our dining set is probably the best deal since we didn’t see any original 1950s sets under $250 but we got ours in Pilsen for $70 for 5 chairs and the table.
What’s your advice for Chicago thrifters?
A lot of Salvation Army Thrift stores are usually a waste – junky items and unreasonably high prices, but you may find a few good scores once in a while – if it’s not destroyed. Goodwill gets some great furniture – mid-century, antique and modern, and their prices are very reasonable. VERY! I saw an awesome mid-century couch for $35 – I saw pretty much the same one on Craigslist for $400.
What do you look for at estate sales?
Morgan looks for anything manly; drink sets, travel bars, books, pipes, lamps, clocks, ashtrays, shaving supplies, etc – all vintage, of course. Tami looks for vintage kitchen items and appliances, mid-mod furniture, odd knick knacks, Pyrex stuff, purses, jewelry, etc.
See all the photos from Tami and Morgan’s apartment in the BackGarage Flickr set, here.
