To get Danielle Moss, decorating her 1920s Chicago apartment is about editing. “I prefer to keep things simple and uncluttered,” says Moss, a cofounder and editor of this blog The Everygirl.
Using its neutral palette and careful layering of grays and blacks with a bit of gold to get glimmer, her leasing is a perfectly tailored fit. “Painting was the very first measure, and after I just moved my things in and took over,” she recalls. It took around seven weeks for her to finish the apartment, she states, then it began to feel like home.
in a Glance
Who resides: Danielle Moss along with her puppy, Buddy
Location: Lincoln Park area of Chicago
Size: 800 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bath
Cynthia Lynn Photography
First Moss painted the ceilings and walls a creamy gray to highlight the first wall trim. She began furnishing, adding her white sofa and then vibrant color with an abstract-style painting by New York artist Jen Ramos.
She’d new cushions made and then carefully started decorating the space one component at a time. “Don’t attempt to finish everything at once,” Moss says. “It takes some time but will slowly come together. There are always little things you’ll want to change. Pace yourself and also have fun decorating.”
Wall paint: Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball; sofa: Comfort Square Slipcovered, Pottery Barn; lamp: Sonneman Palo Brass Modern, Euro Style Lighting; painting: “Cocoa and Hearts,” by Jen Ramos; cushions: Aurelia, Etsy; candle: Bubblegum Pop, Jonathan Adler; elephant: Shiny Gold Elephant, Furbish
Cynthia Lynn Photography
Moss’ biggest challenge was making a living room that also served as a workplace but did not seem and feel like you.
A fiddle leaf fig brings a outdoor life to the fourth-floor unit.
Coffee table: Vittsjö, Ikea; side table: Durham Bunching, Ballard Designs; rug: Jute Chenille Herringbone, West Elm; TV stand: Chill Media Console, CB2
Cynthia Lynn Photography
Parson’s desk: West Elm; seat: Swivel Desk Chair, West Elm; pllow: Gold Hong Kong, Catlin Wilson Textiles; footrest: Hourglass Pouf, Lulu & Georgia; phone: Native Union Retro POP, Amazon
Cynthia Lynn Photography
To free up floor space, Moss took her office storage perpendicular. She uses this little shelving unit to house a camera she purchased from her very first trip to Chicago’s Randolph Street Market, a photograph of her great-aunt Rose, a few classic books and more.
Shelving: Sift Raw, CB2; urchin: Gold Urchin, Furbish; jars: Chalkboard Spice Jar, Anthropologie and Horse Jar, Imm-Living
Cynthia Lynn Photography
The first brick mantel came painted, and Moss added her own decorating signature to the fireplace. “I purchased the logs in a lumber yard and had each 1 cut 6 inches,” she states. “It is quite probable that after hand selecting logs for 30 minutes and using them cut, the bad man there wished to kill me. I didn’t leave a wonderful tip.”
The framed print above a styled set of candles reads, “Non Je Ne Regrette Rien,” French for “I have no regrets.”
Seat: Miramar Charcoal Upholstered, Serena & Lilly; pillow: Aurelia, Etsy; deicture: Non Je Ne Regrette Rien, Etsy; gnome: Small Helpers Contatiner, Imm-Living; candleholder: London Large Clear Hurricane, Crate & Barrel
Cynthia Lynn Photography
In Moss’ compact bathroom, the window ledge is used to help with morning makeup routines. The styled vignette away from the door is just one of many from the apartment.
Table: X Marks the Spot, Lulu & Georgia, lamp: Sydney, Lulu & Georgia; rug: Safavieh Shag, RugsUSA.com; paint: Black Horizon, Benjamin Moore
Cynthia Lynn Photography
One of Moss’ proudest moments was time she carried this tufted headboard up the four flights of stairs. The bedroom color palette adheres to her devotion to whites, grays and blacks. “I love lying in bed on a Sunday morning,” she states. “My bedroom is quite relaxing, and is the 1 area where I never do the job”
Headboard: Camden Tufted, Ballard Designs; paint: Cabbage White, Farrow & Ball; cushions: Aurelia custom, Etsy; lamp: Ryder Swing, Euro Style Lighting; duvet and shams, Aqua Boarder, Serena & Lily
Cynthia Lynn Photography
Moss says she’s not an expert in hanging art and doing so in her bedroom was a bit of trial and error. “I just started hammering holes in the wall and hanging frames before it arrived together. I can’t tell you how many holes I ended up patching — using a kitchen spatula — since I had made such a mess of this wall,” she states. “Probably not the best way to put a gallery wall but it worked for me”
One of the precious pieces on the wall is a framed shoebox top signed by Christian Louboutin (seen to the left of this table lamp). “My sister met him and had him sign it for me — I love it,” she states.
Dresser: classic, The White Attic; mirror, Antiqued Moroccan, Wisteria
Cynthia Lynn Photography
An Ikea Malm dresser in the bedroom holds another vignette. “It’s my very own little urban garden — kind of,” Moss says. “The tiny gnome ring dish Imm Living is among my favourite things.”
Mirror: Sunburst Mirror, Ballard Designs; terrarium, Geo, Jayson Home; gnome dish: The Small Helpers Trinket Dish, Imm Living; dresser: Malm, Ikea
Cynthia Lynn Photography
Moss worked with the apartment’s original wall cut to frame another playful gallery of artwork along with gold accents.
Wall paint: Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball; dining table: Parsons Teak Top, Crate & Barrel; candleholder: Bronn, CB2; table: Bold Ikat, Willams-Sonoma; animal print: Baby Giraffe, The Animal Printing Shop
Cynthia Lynn Photography
An additional shelf in the kitchen holds extra serving dishes and essentials.
Shelving: Safavieh; pepper mill: Copper, Crate & Barrel; pitcher: Tackety Narrow, BHLDN
Cynthia Lynn Photography
Moss personalized her kitchen by painting the walls and adding a tiny white floating shelf above the sink. She can’t wait to become a homeowner and renovate her own kitchen, saying, “Can a kitchen count as a dream-home product?”
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