Emmerson and Fifteenth
My House

Industrial Living Room Design Progress, Chicago

Industrial Living Room Design Progress, Chicago

I used to live in a converted meat-packing factory in Chicago’s University Village area. The building was packed with incredible industrial features, and although I wasn’t able to complete the living room from an interior design perspective, it’s worth a look. When we moved in, a bold red wall with patches of mismatched paint dominated the room. It’s a long wall, and I didn’t want a big expanse of solid colour. Wallpaper wasn’t in the budget, so I chose to…

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My House

DIY | How To Create A Polka Dot Wall …

DIY | How To Create A Polka Dot Wall with Stickers (Quickly)

The polka dot wall was the most visually impactful features of Eleanor’s old nursery, and it was also an easy and affordable DIY project. Using polka dot wall stickers and a homemade stencil, installation took less than two hours, and it made a huge difference to the room. How To Install Polka Dot Wall Decals I used gold dot decals from Land of Nod, but you can find similar ones on Etsy. They’d also be easy to make yourself with…

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My House

Industrial Loft Nursery Design, Chicago

Industrial Loft Nursery Design, Chicago

The nursery I designed for my daughter in our Chicago loft was small but sweet. The space felt fun and bright, pairing modern furniture with industrial architectural features. Loft Nursery Floor Plan This 8′ x 9′ room fit a lot in, but careful space planning made sure there was as much open floor space as possible and nothing felt cramped. Loft Nursery Reveal Industrial Features Two of the nursery walls were partial – eight feet tall with a two foot…

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My House

DIY | Upholstered Bed {Update}

DIY | Upholstered Bed {Update}

Remember the DIY bed I upholstered back last year? Well, when we moved, I had to take bits of it apart so we could get it through the doorways. It was an easy process – I just pulled out the staples and peeled the fabric back around the corners so that I could get to the screws (and around the middle of the foot board, because that’s where the support beam is attached).   It had been working out really…

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My House

Industrial Toddler Bedroom Design, Chicago

Industrial Toddler Bedroom Design, Chicago

We live in a loft, and two of the three bedrooms – including my son’s toddler bedroom – don’t have exterior windows. My goal for this space was to make it as bright and happy as possible given the lack of natural light. I was on a very tight budget, so there are a few DIYs and a lot of big box furniture. Toddler Bedroom Reveal Toddler-Friendly Art & Accessories Looking towards the bedroom door, I framed and hung a…

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DIY

DIY | Ikea Fjellse Hack: How to Upholster A …

DIY | Ikea Fjellse Hack: How to Upholster A Bed

I recently upholstered a basic wooden bed frame from Ikea. It’s going to live in my little boy’s new bedroom – his first “big boy bed.” It’s a very budget-friendly and straightforward DIY – perfectly doable if you love the look of upholstered beds but not the price tag. UPDATE: Having lived with the upholstered Fjellse bed for over a year, there are a couple of minor things I would have done differently – read more about that here if…

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My House

Mood Board | A Colourful Toddler Bedroom

Mood Board | A Colourful Toddler Bedroom

For my son’s new “big boy” toddler bedroom, I’m embracing bright colours, pattern and kid-friendly design with a focus on lots of the little man’s favorite things (mostly trucks). The budget is tight, so I’m using furniture that we already own, then I’ll bring it all together with fun accessories and a few little DIYs. Kids rooms – nurseries and toddler bedrooms in particular – don’t need to be designed for longevity. So if there’s ever a good space to…

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