Cozy interior of the Staszak couple's apartment,photo by Julia Brenner A cozy apartment interior is definitely something worth spending your time and money on. Luke and Claire share their extremely successful experience in creating their own design. Their small rental apartment with 2 bedrooms and an office in Logan Square in Chicago attracts with its hospitality and warmth.
Simple and soulful interior of the apartment,photo by Julia Brenner Luke and Claire are two incredibly warm and inspiring individuals. Reporter Julia Brenner, who visited the couple, shared her impressions of her stay in their warm, beautiful home: “Gorgeous interiors, stories about life in New Zealand, details of their impressive DIY projects, discussions of music playing on the record player, and lots of laughter!! If home is where the heart is, then Claire and Luke’s home will always be heartfelt.”
Luke and Claire Staszak, photograph by Julia Brenner
Cozy interior of the Staszak couple's apartment,Photo by Julia Brenner One of the most inspiring features of Luke and Claire's interior is the many beautiful handcrafted objects. Luke - a carpenter, history teacher, musician - designed and made a magnificent dining table himself.
The cozy interior of the Staszak couple's apartment, photo by Julia Brenner
Luke made this gorgeous dining set himself.table, photo by Joe Tighe Claire transformed a long, narrow porch off the back door into a lovely, sunny living room using mostly second-hand items. She's a master at taking rough diamonds and making them into something even more special.
Sunny veranda
Jar lamp, handcrafted by Claire, photos by Julia Brenner
When Life Gives You Challenges, Make Them the Center Stage, Design by Claire Staszak
Another rescued sofa with new upholstery and cushions, photos by Julia Brenner
Window with curtains
Stepladder in the corner
The Special Charm of Design Claire's Passion for Designand decor is what led her to leave the world of event marketing and open her own interior design studio, Centered by Design. Claire’s approach to interior design is heavily influenced by her work as a yoga instructor. Her yoga practice deepened her understanding of the connection between body, mind, and personal space. Claire’s idea is to bring these three elements together in her work, helping people transform their home into a beautiful sanctuary rather than a pretty showroom. It’s great to see her philosophy in action in her and Luke’s home. Below, the couple shares their style and how they execute it.
House plan, photo by Claire Staszak
Style
“We love the mid-century style andScandinavian modern design aesthetic, but we also lean towards something more bohemian and love a lot of textiles. We combined these elements to give the interior this eclectic look."
Inspiration
“We are inspired by our travels, our love forantiques and DIY, and a desire to create things ourselves. Luke is a carpenter and he made our dining table and my desk. I am learning to sew and have made some curtains and pillows for our apartment."
Claire's Sweet Office
Cozy apartment interior, bedroom
Window curtains made by Claire
Design by Claire
Favorite place
“The fireplace and its trim look very beautiful.The tiled walls and the wood details on the wall around the fireplace influenced several stylistic moments. We searched for a long time and were worried because we wanted to rent a place with a working fireplace"
Gorgeous dining table and built-in fireplace, photo by Joe Tighe
The biggest test
"I would say it was the owners with their overly strict attitude towards redevelopment. We were unable to implement several new ideas and changes because we had to respect the owner's wishes."
What friends say
"They love our style! Everything looks so clean."
Photo by Julia Brenner
Guest bedroom
Bathroom in black and white
Greatest difficulties
"Kitchen.We love that we have updated appliances in our kitchen, but the rest of it is a nightmare. It was poorly designed to begin with, it is awkwardly placed, and there is little natural light. We love vintage, but vintage in the kitchen is bad vintage. Our first home project will someday be a beautiful new kitchen project."
Cozy kitchen
Kitchen interior
Cozy kitchen
Family heirloom - Luke's grandmother's suitcase
The greatest pride with their own hands
"For Luke, it's going to be his dining room table, firstfurniture he made (except for the cat tower). For me, it's the denim scrap chair in my office. I found it at a garage sale for $15. This was my first time reupholstering, so I had to use a pair of Luke's old jeans for the fabric and sample. It was a lot of work, but I love the results."
Claire designed and upholstered the denim chair herself
Claire's Office
Shelves in the office
Author's design of watches by Claire Staszak
DIY Scarf Hanger
Biggest expenses
"The chandelier over the dining table. I looked at a lot of chandeliers, choosing one that would more or less tie together the living room with its mid-century style and the more traditional style of the dining room."
Best advice
"Create your own note board or boardmood to decide and confirm the style you will be trying to achieve. Make sure your friend or partner agrees with your choice. I have many friends and clients I work with who want to remodel something but don’t even know what they like. Some of my favorite sites for fresh ideas are Apartment Therapy, Remodelista, Houzz, Pinterest, Domino, and Rue Magazine.”
