Thanks to a recommendation from Decorno, I checked out the wonderful blog Brown Turtleneck Sweater who recently profiled the assistants to Nate Berkus. The duo were featured in the new issue of Chicago Home + Garden which led me to the website where that story wasn't up yet but where I did find the super chic Chicago condo of architect David Ries.
David reconfigured the walls as any architect would be want to do and opened the space up to give it a more expansive feel and a view of the lake and Wrigley Field.
The article touts the condo as a small space but compared to New York standards, it's practically a McMansion. I think the best part is the "white space" that gives your eye a place to rest. Judicious editing is the hardest thing to get right in interior design and it's something I'm struggling with right now in my shoebox sized apartment since I have a penchant for collecting.
Lying in bed at night, Ries’s view is of a painting in the living room, “Three Seeds,” by Chicago artist Jenny Miller, a friend. I wish more people took the time to think things through like Reis and how sight lines should be integrated into their design.
"A lover of flea markets, Ries found this painting at the Chicago Antique Market on Randolph Street. Because the canvas is a standard size, he was able to find a perfect frame on the cheap in Artists’ Frame Service’s clearance department." His tablescape reminds me of those of Ron Marvin and are just as perfectly composed. 
David reconfigured the apartment so that the living room opens onto the bedroom with French doors, he made two small spaces feel like one big one.
The antique scooter on the kitchen wall can serve as a shelf and adds a bit of whimsy. When extra seating isn’t needed a chair becomes a plant stand and the grasscloth looking wallpaper creates another focal point and defines the kitchen/dining area.
Inexpensively framed mirrors make real impact when hung in a grid pattern above a rustic dining table the folds down to conserve space and out to accommodate a large dinner party.
I love this condo because it's not too cluttered and looks like it would appeal to men and women. I hope Small Spaces, Big Style finds David Reis soon because he certainly has created great style in a so-called small space. And he definitely makes me want to find a bigger apartment soon! Oh, and kudos to Chicago Home + Garden for their great website. I will definitely be adding them to my list of chic websites and you should too!
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