Humboldt Park’s diverse neighborhood seemed a perfect place to call home for Luan Barros and Kelly Parcell. “It’s a comfortable neighborhood to live in, especially being from a different country,” says Barros, a Brazilian photographer who first came to the US in 2008. Soon after his arrival, he met LaGrange, IL native Kelly Parcell, owner of greeting card company Nerd Press and an interdisciplinary artist who has assisted fiber artist Nick Cave. The couple spent some time travelling internationally, and after a six-month sojourn in Barros’s homeland, they took up permanent residence in Chicago in 2010.
Together they’ve created a culturally rich interior in their Humboldt pad. Most of their décor comes from their travels—a woven rug from Istanbul accents the living room, textiles from Chiapas cover pillows, and painted figurines from Oaxaca decorate surfaces. The hammock swaying on their enclosed back porch was a purchase that taught Parcell how to bargain in Brazil. They also like to acquire things from special people in their life, and most of their artwork is made by friends. Barros says that like the neighborhood they live in, “we made our choices about the things we love and the things we want to be close to.”
Parcell also brings her textile expertise into the space with hand-sewn curtains. “Instead of buying curtains, I find fabrics that I love, patterns that I love, and make them fit,” she says. She’s had good luck finding unexpected patterns at IKEA, and she’s fashioned some curtains from vintage sheets. (She also creates wallpaper from colored pencil drawings, which will be part of her art exhibit at Paperish Mess TK INFO.)
Barros can’t help but notice some distinct differences between South American and US living aesthetics. “The arrangement and color palette is totally different,” Barros explains. “[Brazil’s] color palette is more vibrant. And we are more open to the lack of order—Brazilians are more about being comfortable than being tidy.” Immersion in Latin American culture has influenced Parcell as well: “I, myself, have relaxed, and I think my space reflects that.”
