A few weeks ago I journeyed up to my old ‘hood, Rogers Park, to check out Kelly and Jeremy’s one-bedroom condo.  Kelly is a regular thrifter (she admits to me she hits up the Markham Unique a few times a week) and a pro at shopping Craigslist.  She’s even done sketchy Craigslist furniture buys under highway overpasses at night, and refers to “adventures” she’s had with certain Craigslist finds in efforts to bring them home — like strapping a table to the roof of her car outside a barn in a blizzard.

The thing I like about Kelly and Jeremy’s condo: it’s not your (now becoming) typical run-of-the-mill, mid-century modern inspired vacant looking apartment.  The furniture is big, the knick-knacks are all inspired by the classical civilizations (and phalluses), and, despite it looking super put-together, not a piece of furniture in the entire place was purchased new — except for maybe the stuff Kelly bought in junior high and high school.  Kelly tells me she started decorating at a young age; while other kids saved up their allowance to buy video games and sports equipment, she was purchasing end tables.

I had to laugh when Kelly told me she went through an Americana decor phase in middle school.  I went through a similar stage with Southwestern decor, complete with teal and purple howling coyotes, around the age of 9.  I think those of us with an interest in furniture gravitate toward easily identifiable styles of decor at young ages in an effort to establish an identity, however cringe-worthy it becomes in the future.

The one thing Kelly hasn’t done, despite her uber-thriftiness, is shop estate sales.  She admits to being slightly intimidated and/or creeped out by the process.  I told her I would try and break her of that feeling.

Name: Kelly (and Jeremy) Loris

Occupation: High School Latin teacher (Jeremy waits tables at a restaurant downtown)

Age: 32 (Jeremy’s 35)

Rent or Own?: own for 5 1/2 years

Size of dwelling (square foot): around 700, if we’re lucky

Number of bedrooms: 1

Number of occupants in the dwelling: 2 plus a magnificent peke named Olympia

What do you like BEST about your living space?

The exposed brick. The open layout, which makes it feel bigger than it is. The amount of counter space we have, even though our kitchen is pretty small.

What do you like LEAST?

There’s no in-house washer/dryer. I wish I had an actual patio. I wish we had one more bedroom.

What are your future plans for the space?

We need to paint the bathroom and the kitchen. I’d really like a tile backsplash in the kitchen. I’m currently shopping for a new desk for the living room. I’m sick of the one that we have. I don’t want shelves on top anymore. Now I want drawers on the bottom. Wood. Old. I’m also tossing around the idea of (somewhere in the future) taking out those big bookshelves in the living room and adding floating shelves that attach right into the brick. Oh, and I need to do something with the wall in the bedroom that houses the bookshelves. I’m considering a collage-ish. Your recent post about your decor as a kid got me thinking about what I liked about my space growing up. And even up through collage I always had a space on a wall reserved for photos and show stubs, stickers and postcards and what-not. I’m trying to figure out how to make that happen but still have it look tasteful and not just like a big mess. Did I say headboard? We need one of those as well.

What improvements have you made thus far?

This summer we completely ripped out our old wooden floors and laid new oak floors. (with a lot of help from a lot of very good friends) It. Was. Hard. But worth it. The old floors were broken and wretched. Because the walls were dirtied in the process we went ahead and painted the living room, dining room, and bedroom (including the ceiling!). I sold our old bedroom furniture and bought most of the furniture you see in there on craigslist. We’re always tinkering with the furniture and knick-knacks, the arrangements, etc. But the floor (and painting) was our major renovation.

Most prized piece of furniture?

I’m emotionally attached to the dining room table because it was such a pain in the ass to bring home. I bought it on eBay for $1 but I had to go pick it up from a farm in Indiana. In a snowstorm. By myself. Then drag it home on the top of my car (again, in a snowstorm). Then carry it up our back steps (again, alone, again, in a snowstorm). So we’ve been through a lot together. I’m also really fond of my old steamer trunk (eBay, $20) and my latest Craigslist acquisition ($100) the big pine wardrobe for the bedroom. It replaced two big pieces of furniture in there and has made my life better.

Most prized piece of decor?

Almost every piece of decor in my house is special to me in a different way, so this one is hard to answer. I think I value most the souvenirs I’ve brought back from my travels overseas: rugs from tunisia, my houka from Jordan, pottery from Greece and Italy. They weren’t bought with thrift, but they mean a lot to me.

Do you collect anything?

What do I NOT collect? We eat off of Pfaltzgraff brown dripwear that I’ve collected over the years. I have more pottery (a lot of that drip-glazed as well) than anyone ever needs. We have too many books. I can’t get rid of them. Each of them is a little memory. I have a basket filled with programs from every theater show I’ve ever been to. I have a million photo albums and photos. I have a tray full of Greek green glassware. I actually have a lot of ‘classically’ themed decor: pictures and statues and the such. I have a wall of silly cakepans in my kitchen. When we repaint I’m going to pare that collection down to silver pans only. It’s too messy and big as it is. My friend Julie says that my degrees in archaeology and anthropology have made me an archivist. I keep everything. I document everything. I think I just have a wicked bad memory, so I have to keep evidence of everything near me, so I don’t forget.

Does your lifestyle or work impose any requirements on your living space?

We have a “special needs” dog. So she goes on a potty pad in the kitchen, which creeps some people out. We always have to worry about protecting our kitchen floor. Husband works from home, a bit, so we do need a pretty comfortable work space for him to write out his schedules. I think a new desk will help with that.

What are your favorite thrift stores?

I deeply believe in Unique. The one in Markham is amazing. I think the Uptown Unique has the best ’stuff.’ Brown Elephant is good for furniture, especially in Andersonville.

Any Craigslist search tips you can impart?

Mostly I’ve learned a lot from BackGarage. I recently downloaded the Craigslist Toolbox, primarily for the picture preview. It makes a huge difference. I also check it often, because I’ve lost opportunities in the past being too slow to notice and respond to posts.

See more photos from Kelly and Jeremy’s Rogers Park home here.

Check out sets from all the At Home posts on Flickr here.

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.

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!

Libby and I had been corresponding about Chicago junk shops and estate sales via email for a while and when I saw this post on her blog I knew she possessed some serious secondhand savvy.  (Not to mention she recently picked up 3 Eames fiberglass chairs at an estate sale for $10.)  When I visited her apartment last weekend it was clear: Libby knows how to take an ounce of thrift and turn it into a boatload of style.

She describes her style as, “Mid-century modern with a splash of Hollywood Regency and LOLs.”

And dude — not only does she love Malort and greyhounds, she totally used to read my zine.  LOL?  Try BFF!

Name: Libby and Ryan

Occupation: Libby: Part-time at a Non-profit, Etsy Seller (www.blogbloglog.etsy.com), and freelance copywriter. Ryan: Bartender and Grad Student.

Age: Libby: 30, Ryan: 27

Rent or Own?: Rent

Size of dwelling (square foot): Approximately 1,000

Number of bedrooms: 3

Number of occupants in the dwelling: 2 humans, 1 dog

What do you like BEST about your living space?
We get great indirect light, which is fantastic. I also really love the white painted brick fireplace. The backyard is the terrific, too. Free laundry on-site… We’re very lucky.

What do you like LEAST?
I would say the age and wear of certain elements, like the kitchen floors and the bathtub, which makes it feel like you can never get them clean enough.

What are your future plans for the space?
I am constantly rearranging, adding, and subtracting. I’m sure if you come back in a month the apartment will look a little different. But, nothing major is planned.

Most prized piece of furniture?
It changes for me all the time, but currently, it’s the reproduction Arco lamp. It adds a sleek modern feel to the otherwise bold and humorous vibe. I also really love the salvaged wood table because it clashes nicely with the Herman Miller shell chairs. Plus, it’s big enough to accommodate several people. I know Ryan’s favorite is the green stereo cabinet. Green is his favorite color and it houses his PS3 stuff.

Most prized piece of decor?
I really love my collection of animal statuary and tchotchkes. But, the houseplants are a close second. They all have names and I talk to them.

Do you collect anything?
Owl décor and, lately, chairs.

Does your lifestyle or work impose any requirements on your living space (i.e. need for studio space, spare bedroom, lighting requirements)?
Ryan is a student and I work on my Etsy shop and freelance projects at home. It is imperative that we both have space to work. The whole house is functional enough to support that purpose, what with the desk and computer out in the front room and the wood table giving me space to work on my jewelry. But, we set up the office space well enough to store all of Ryan’s books and things along with my Etsy inventory, so you can close the door and remove yourself from the visuals of work.

Visit Libby’s Etsy store here.
Or read her blog here.

You can see more photos from Libby and Ryan’s Ravenswood apartment on the BackGarage Flickr photostream.

Nate and Del are crammed into a pretty small space.  Nate had just started dating Del when he moved into his Lincoln Square studio — right above the square — almost two years ago.  The two pretty much moved in with each other, sharing the 350-square-foot space, from the moment they met.  Del eventually officially moved in, and since then the couple has been outfitting the studio with ingenius small space solutions and well-placed modern furniture.

The apartment consists of an entryway, a bathroom, a kitchen/living room and a small bedroom — just big enough for a bed and two end tables.  But Nate and Del succeeded in making the place feel bigger by choosing furniture that didn’t overpower the space (like this Noguchi knock-off coffee table) and by painting the walls in a way that created the illusion of more square footage.

Names: Nathan & Del

Occupations: Artistic Director, The House Theatre of Chicago, Research Supervisor, Rush Neurobehavioral Center

Ages: 31 and 28

Rent or Own?: Rent

Size of dwelling: 350 square feet

Bedrooms: 1

What do you like BEST about your living space?
We love the efficiency a small space encourages.  It helps you stay clean and really makes you think about what’s essential in the character of your home.

What do you like LEAST?
One small closet and no storage space.  Again, the efiiciency is good but where do I put my window unit AC for the winter?  The full size fridge!  Considering the space is so small it becomes the biggest piece of furniture.

What are your future plans for the space?
Moving to a bigger space.

What improvements have you made thus far?
The paint is the best.  We did it so that no matter where you are  you are looking through a lighter colored wall to a darker colored wall.  It gives the place a bit of depth.  Also closet organizers and a coat rack.

Most prized piece of furniture?
The Theatre sofa from DWR.  It lives up to the hype as far as comfort in a clean modern sofa goes.

Most prized piece of decor?
The reciept from Nate’s tuxedo rental on the night we met.  We have it stuck in a clipboard above our coathooks.  He was wearing a white dinner jacket. I was in a black dress. It may as well have been a scene from a movie.

Check out the full set of photos from Nate and Del’s apartment — and add your own comments — on Flickr.