Peek show

The cohost of HGTV’s Design on a Dime Chicago proves she walks the walk when it comes to thrifty furniture.

If you’ve watched Kelly Edwards on Design on a Dime Chicago, you might have a few assumptions about her Bucktown apartment: The thing that looks least likely to have come from the alley probably did; there will be plenty of white (Edwards often wears and works with white fabrics); and the space will mix old and new. You’d be right.

“Although I used to tend towards modern, eclectic tastes, I slowly came to realize that my taste is generally very classical,” Edwards says. “I love white, but [I also] love shape and texture and movement.”

The mostly black-and-white (with splashes of brown) space Edwards shares with boyfriend and photographer Brian Lahiere serves as a stage for design ideas stemming from Edwards’s interest in astrology and preference for balanced decor. Edwards talks excitedly about the stars, explaining why her Libra tendencies hold her back from making too many permanent design decisions. For instance, rather than drill holes in walls, she propped Lahiere’s landscape and portrait photographs against them, placed a small painting by her niece atop the thermostat and leaned an Art Deco mirror against a brick wall.

The designer’s biggest passion is rescuing discarded items from curbs, alleys and thrift shops and either using them as is or exercising her DIY skills to transform them. Her most beloved found treasure is a glossy wood coffee table that required no transformation, just a new home. Pulled from the curb ten years ago, it’s been dubbed “the steak” because of its T-bone shape and deep mahogany color. Lahiere wasn’t a fan initially, but Edwards insisted her two loves learn to coexist: “I told Brian he just needed to live with the steak for a while, and now he appreciates it. This piece is definitely going wherever we go.”

The white lamp (detailed with carved plants and flowers) on the kitchen counter came from the Brown Elephant in Boystown and offers warmth in an unexpected spot.

The built-in wrap-around bookcase separates the stairs from the living room, adding organization and architectural interest.

Edwards scored this Art Deco mirror from a local hotel liquidator.

Rather than sand or refinish “the steak” coffee table, Edwards decided it was perfect in its imperfection.

Edwards and Lahiere use suzani (decorative textiles from Central Asia) knockoffs for living-room lounging.

Edwards lugged these dining chairs from the trash, then sanded, painted and reupholstered them for a revived, classic look.

NEXT>>