Birch Lane Chesterfield Sofa (Ours is slightly older!)
We’ve been getting glimpses of fall here and there in Lincoln Park, and like nearly everyone else, I feel like a new person in my cozy old cable knit sweaters and loafers I’ve pulled out of the back of my closet. I love the excuse to spend a little more time in our home, putzing around and rearranging little things to make spaces feel new.
We live in a narrow city house that goes up instead of out or back like most. A Chicago ski house, if you will. (Those don’t actually exist, haha.) We absolutely have enough space for our family, and we have no unused rooms in our home, which I love. Every single room is used every single day, and it makes for such a lived-in feel. The other morning, the light was streaming into our first floor—quite the rarity!—and I was able to catch a few small details that I love about it… in natural light. :)
The ones I’m sharing today are from Wayfair, a longtime partner for everything home. Btw: Did you catch my feature on the retailer’s new store outside Chicago?! It’s incredible. But even if you don’t live near Chicago, you can still shop online and get the same great deals and free shipping.
Shall we?
Scalloped Baskets (Set of 3)
I believe these scalloped baskets are new, because I only recently spotted them and was so excited about them. They actually come in a set of three, and I put the one you see above next to our front door so we can kick our shoes off into it when entering.
(We usually go in and out through the mudroom, which has a drawer for shoes, but the front door really doesn’t have anywhere to put ’em… so they’re otherwise just floppin’ around and I don’t love that!)
And then we have one in the playroom being used as a catchall, and another in Lucy’s room also being used as a catchall because she’s the cutest little packrat I ever did see.
Scalloped Baskets (Set of 3) / Polyester Erin Gates Rug / Annie Selke Grasscloth Wallpaper in Cream
Here’s what the front entryway looks like. We recently bought this fabulous polyester Erin Gates rug for the front entrance to replace one that the previous owners left behind. (Yes, it took us five years to do that; what can we say? Ha!)
So happy with it. As Chicago gets a lot of crummy weather—especially in the winter—a tough entrance rug is so important unless we want the wood floors to get wrecked. This rug rarely shows dirt, and is super easy to clean. It’s not supposed to be thrown in the washing machine, but I feel like it could totally withstand that on delicate if absolutely necessary?! It’s a great rug, and I can’t recommend it more for high-traffic areas.
Oh, and I should note that our walls are actually wallpapered, not painted! (It’s kind of hard to tell in photos.) We used Annie Selke’s classic grasscloth wallpaper in cream, though since that color is out of stock right now, I’m linking some other very similar options.
Chest of Drawers (Very similar here!)
I am obsessed with pine furniture. Obsessed. I cannot get enough of it, and I actually think that later in life, I would love to source, refinish and sell antique pine pieces! I’ve done it a few times (minus the selling part, ha) and it’s so cathartic and relaxing.
Okay, that was a tangent. But how great is this one?! No, not an antique, but it’s definitely “giving” (as the younger generation says) 1800s French country. I love the warmth that it brings to our living room. And the storage! We actually keep some hats and gloves in there for when we’re running out the front door.
Glass pumpkin (Newer)
Wayfair carries a ton of glass pumpkins, which is a great way to bring fall into the home without the bugs, smells and potential floor/furniture damage. They’re also beautiful in the evening if you put twinkle lights inside them! I’ve linked a bunch in case you’re looking. :)
Brass Sconces (You can get a set of two here for a great deal!)
This is a little corner of our powder room, off the living and dining rooms. It’s another warm and cozy spot, though I’m dying to tell you that I’m thinking of painting the picture frame molding in “Skimming Stone” by Farrow and Ball, and then papering the walls in this wallpaper for a fresh feel!
(I finally taught myself to wallpaper because I admittedly like switching it out, while I can always find affordable wallpaper, affordable installation isn’t really a thing, ha. I don’t charge myself, though. Wink.)
Anyway, these sconces look like they cost so much more than they do! We’ve had them for several years now and they’ve held up so well.
Stoneware Vase / Newer Candlestick Holders
I’ll be honest and say I just want my home to look like a Nancy Meyers home. Who doesn’t?! ;) But I do really love mixing other designs with my otherwise traditional aesthetic. For example, while this vase definitely has some modern flair to it, I think it balances out everything else.
And can I tell you the sweetest story? My very, very Irish grandfather had A Day in the Life of Ireland on his coffee table throughout my entire childhood. It’s out of print, but I recently found a vintage copy. I couldn’t have been more excited!
And while Mitch and I were teachers in New York City, Banksy visited the South Bronx where we taught and painted a wall. People were freaking out. The whole neighborhood came together, and people staked out overnight to protect it.
I love ducks (and collecting brass animals), so my friend Bradley got me those brass ducks one Christmas… and I have a shot of my grandmother with the girls when they were younger in Ocean City, New Jersey—our special place for many decades.
Cane Boxes / Wooden Pumpkins / Mango Wood Kiwi Birds / Marble Arch / Brass Clock / Framed Print / Ruffled Vase / Glass Vases
Our shelves our definitely full, but I love it’s an organized fullness, if that makes sense. And for me, they make our living room feel full, not cluttered.
I went to middle and high school for four years in Princeton, New Jersey—and from time to time I’d go over friends’ houses in town. Everything felt so colonial with creamy white wood everywhere, and bookshelves packed to the brim with old books and trinkets. I always loved the feeling I got from those houses, and I think Princeton has definitely inspired my own bookshelves!
Thanks so much for coming along for today’s mini house tour. Hoping to do more of these soon! <3
This post is sponsored by Wayfair; all opinions are my own. As always, thank you so much for supporting the partnerships that keep Kelly in the City up and running!