HomeOpen House: Maria and Krys
22. Jan, 2010 
9 Comments
Some words or phrases prompt an instant physical response. For example, I once made the mistake of reading a New Yorker article about nausea on an airline flight across the country, and I felt green around the gills for much of the flight. Similarly, just the term ‘public speaking’ or ‘Toastmasters’ makes my heart go thump-ity, thump, thump. Great! Now I’m jumpy and queasy. So I was more than a little nervous when the Merchandise Mart asked me to speak about incorporating vintage goods and antiques into more contemporary homes.
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But I think it’s important to confront our fears, so I said yes and last November, I presented a slide show using my Open House tours as examples. As it turned out, I was silly to worry; it was more like having a conversation than giving a presentation. Two people did leave about a quarter of the way through, but on the other hand, I met Maria, who introduced herself at my talk’s cathartic conclusion. Maria and I started chatting about design, and a couple months later I was photographing the three bedroom, two bath town home she shares with her fiance Krys.
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The first thing that struck me about their place was the seamless way they’ve combined their eclectic mix of things. The second thing I noticed were the vast number of coffee table decorating books, which line most of the bookshelves and are piled into short stacks throughout the house. And they’re not just a part of the decor; Maria’s read every single one of them cover to cover. Interiors fans are a pretty small group, but for some reason, we divide ourselves up into different categories anyway; some people like mission and arts and crafts (I’ll call you later Mom), and some insist on mid-century impurity. But Maria likes practically everything, and her books cover a wide range of designers and styles. She seems to like learning about every style. Cynics rule the roost, so it’s rare to meet unabashed and knowledgeable enthusiasts like Maria, and her perspective’s quite refreshing.
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Krys moved in recently, so they’re in the process of merging their possessions. Maria says she almost nixed the deal, not because of Krys, but because she didn’t want anything to disturb the environment, the decor. But Krys says he enjoys tagging along as she goes antiquing all over Chicago. (She cited Stop-Look as a favorite, which FYI, I’ve been hearing a lot about lately). And they’re both happy with the resulting space. Krys, a musician, compared the process of merging their things to a group of musicians improvising; their home is the music, and their things are the notes. I’ve never heard decorating described in that way before, but it makes perfect sense. Krys and Maria’s warm, eclectic, beautiful home will no doubt be included should I ever give another Powerpoint presentation.
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Click here for past Open House tours.
A great place to look for decorating books at a steal of a price is Half Price Books. I’ve scored some really nice ones there including an older Terrance Conran book.
Beautiful home!
I love this place? Where did they get the chairs in the living room? Fantastic. I also love the stairway. Thanks for posting.
Thank you for your comments. I really appreciate it.
Paula, thanks for the tip. I’ll definitely be checking out half price books since these types of books could sometimes be a bit pricey.
Sergio, I got the chairs from a junk shop in Ravenswood eons ago for $25 and had them refinished and reupholstered.
Congrats Lourdes and Krys! Your home is has such cool style and elegance to the decor.
Stylish without cliche; exotic without excess! Thanks for sharing.
Each room is simply INSPIRING. Your home is bathed in color, warmth and artistic flare. You have a unique eye for combining style and comfort. You absolutley deserve the recognition for fusing your love of art, music and color into a beautiful home.
Hi, a great job on the photography, as usual. Where did you find the bedroom lamp, Maria? It is exquisite.
Carol, I got the lamp at the same place I got the living room chairs – the junk shop in Ravenswood (a no-name storefront – he posts on Craigslist) for only $20. The shade is not stable and some of the gold leaf is missing, but I loved it when I saw it.