Reader OMG! – Brittany’s Family-Friendly Home


Reader OMG! is a series showcasing home tours from my favorite people…The DIY Playbook readers! Every month or so, I highlight the home of someone with some serious design style. I hope that these swoon-worthy spaces will make you say “OMG”…hence the name! It also gives me a chance to feature home styles outside of my own, so you can take away some fresh ideas for your space.Reader OMG blog series

So far we’ve featured four amazing homes in the series…

Brittany’s Family-Friendly Home

Britt's family-friendly home
  • Homeowner: Brittany & Rob (plus, their 4-month old son, Luke, and dog, Barley). 
  • Location: Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago
  • Home Type: Condo
  • Year Built: 2008
  • Describe your Home Style: Transitional, Pet & Child-Friendly
  • Favorite Spot in your House:  I love it all, but I would have to say the dining room for what it represents. We love to cook and have family and friends over for meals. Not many condos have a space for a dining table and it was very important to me to find one with enough room for a large table. Fun fact: I put my dining table on an angle and added a folding table and fit 25 for sit down Christmas dinner!
Family-friendly home and large dining room

Brittany and I actually went to the same high school, although she is a couple of years younger so we never really knew one another. We’ve chatted via social media and she has always been so supportive of the blog. She actually lives super close to our old condo and I’ve loved following along on her social media as she has DIY’ed every inch of her builder-basic condo.

When I went over there to take these pictures, Britt was the absolute sweetest with mimosas and a full breakfast spread! You can tell the girl likes to entertain, and she is so good at it! Immediately upon entering her home, you feel welcomed and relaxed. Even though they’re a family living in the city, they make it look easy with their big pup and sweet baby boy. City family goals right there!

Let’s take a look at each room in their family-friendly home and I’ll be sure to point out all of the DIY projects they’ve tackled in each space…

Master Bedroom

Family-friendly home master bedroom
Master bedroom in a city condo

Paint Color: Sherwin Williams “City Loft”

Brittany put together her master bedroom look on a budget. The headboard is from Walmart and since she didn’t love the fabric, she ended up reupholstering it herself with fabric from JOANN. The nightstands are actually thrift store finds that were originally brown. With a little white paint, they now fit this coastal bedroom perfectly!

All of the accessories really give off relaxing and beachy vibes! The frames are pictures from a trip to Greece and Britt added clear lamps, blue vases, art, and the upholstered storage bench (this is similar) to carry those colors throughout the entire space. The large jute rug is as family-friendly as it gets. You can’t beat a natural fiber rug for durability (Barley seems to love it back here!). This rug adds texture and warmth to this light-filled master bedroom.

Home OfficeHome office in a city condo

Home office in a family-friendly home

Paint Color: Sherwin Williams “City Loft”

When you live in a small space, you’ve gotta maximize every square inch. Those IKEA bookshelves add so much to their home office. On the bottom, they’ve got secret storage to hide the not-so-pretty stuff. Then on top, they display books, mementos, and even some Chicago sports items.

Brittany’s husband often gets his work done from this big desk (that was a hand-me-down from his parents). I love the chunky wood paired with the brown leather chair (also a hand-me-down), and it all looks great on top of the cowhide rug. Throughout their entire home, you’ll notice lots of music references, like the guitars on these wall hooks. I love that they’re using their passion for music as art for their walls. Absolutely genius!

NurseryA family-friendly nursery

A baby boy's nursery with a music theme
A nursery with sage green walls
Nursery changing table

Paint Color: Behr “Dusty Olive”

We’ve made it to my favorite room in the house…the nursery! Guys, this is how you decorate a nursery. It has a subtle music theme without being over the top. It’s full of color and texture, yet not a rainbow of colors. And it has so many personal details that share Britt and Rob’s story as a couple and now as a family of three.

Let’s start with the walls. I’m obsessed with that sage green color. It then allows the other staples of the room to be neutral (like that gorgeous glider). The music theme is done so well in here with more guitars on the wall and records over the crib. Next to the crib, you’ll find a whiskey barrel from Brittany & Rob’s wedding (which was at a distillery)! It’s signed by all of their guests and now acts as the perfect side table for a record player.

The faux fiddle adds some nice height to the corner near the changing table and Britt put it in an oversized planter she found at Lowe’s. She wanted to do wallpaper in the closet, but to save on costs she instead painted dots on the wall for an added touch of whimsy! I love that she can now paint over it easily if she ever wants to change things up.It’s a sweet nursery that their son, Luke can grow into.

Guest Bathroom

White guest bathroom space
pretty hand soap dispensers


Brittany and Rob gutted their guest bathroom around the same time Finn and I tackled ours. Renovating in a city, in a small condo, is no joke. They live on the top floor and Britt said lugging all of the demo materials and new tile up and down the stairs was a serious workout! But wow, in the end, this DIY bathroom turned out amazing.

I love how bright and fresh it feels in here with the white tile (all from Floor & Decor) and XL shower curtain. Then, the wood vanity really warms things up! Brittany said she had a tough time finding a 24-inch wood vanity, but ended up finding this one on Houzz. It adds so much warmth and dimension to this space.

Dining RoomFamily-friendly home and large dining room

Paint Color: Sherwin Williams “City Loft”

As Brittany mentioned, they love to entertain so a large dining room table was a must for them! The table is actually a vintage desk from Brown Elephant here in Chicago. For the chairs, they opted for slipcovered ones from IKEA so they’re easily washable (gotta love being able to throw them in the wash when you have a baby, dog, and friends over!).

One of their next DIY projects is to revamp the fireplace area. It actually really reminds me of our old fireplace that we gave some TLC earlier this year. I’m eager to see what they do with it…

Family RoomBarley cozied up on the couch

Leather chairs in a family room
Large sectional in a family room

Cozy living room in this family-friendly home

Paint Color: Sherwin Williams “City Loft”

Barley clearly steals the show in these photos. He was napping away when I was there and I didn’t have the heart to move him…he was just so cozy! Cleary, this living room space shows you just how family-friendly their home is. Brittany got the couch from Room and Board and specifically went with a durable fabric (the covers can even come off and be washed!). Leather is already super durable, so the two leather chairs work perfectly in here.

Using this tutorial, Brittany hemmed curtains and hung them high and wide on the windows in here. It adds some height and warmth to the window area. The wood TV console was another hand-me-down and it holds so much. They store their workout items, extra wine, books, and baby toys in there. Gotta love secret storage!

A television is a part of any family-friendly home and they did such a good job making it look less like a “big black box” by adding the gold frames around it. Brittany actually painted the art (so amazing!) and it looks perfect with the gold frames and creamy mats. You can tell that this is a living room that is cozy, comfortable, and incredibly inviting! I want to hop on that couch and take a nap with Barley!

KitchenCity kitchen

City kitchen space

Cutting boards

Le creuset white pot

Paint Color: Sherwin Williams “City Loft”; Cabinet Color: Sherwin Williams “Tricorn Black”

Onto the last room in this gorgeous home…the kitchen! When they moved in, this kitchen was brown on brown on brown. They had the cabinets painted Tricorn Black and white for a crisp look and then added subway tile themselves (using this tutorial). On the island, they added black shiplap which I think is such a fantastic idea. She said they used our tutorial but just customized it for their space. It looks so good and adds some cool texture to the island.

The shelves add storage and a spot for cute kitchen accessories. I love how this black and white space has a bit of color with the cookbooks, fruit basket, and accessories. A fun and lively kitchen!

Shop Brittany’s Family-Friendly Home

shop the look family-friendly home

Leather Chair // Shag Rug // Stools // Art // Bench // Fiddle Leaf // Lamps // Crib // Faux Succulent // Basket

Brittany's family-friendly home

A huge thanks to Brittany (plus, Rob, Luke, & Barley) for sharing their inspiring home. It’s so awesome to see some of the Playbook tutorials in action in a space and I left their gorgeous home feeling so inspired. I’m excited to see how they continue to transform their condo as their family grows.

family-friendly home tour in Chicago

Submit Your Home for Reader OMG!Reader OMG blog series

Want to see your home featured on The DIY Playbook? Send an email to [email protected] with the subject line โ€œReader OMG!โ€ including lots of photos of your gorgeous home. I would love to feature homes outside of the Chicagoland area, so submit no matter where you live! I’ll be able to hire a local photographer to come capture pictures of your space.

Casey


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.