celebrate the 2006 season

i like to decorate - take after my mom. so i thought it would be fun to capture some of the holiday pieces and decorations we put togther over the years. so here is for 2006 in our new home.

Thanksgiving:

Winter Holiday:

the beautiful tray is from my Aunt Heidi and the plates that we set on our built in plate trim in the dinning room are from my grandma. They are hand painted and perfect for the plate trim.

the crappers

both bathrooms had sponge paint all over them. we are not really into sponge paint and it doesn't really seem to go with the urban or the arts and crafts feel of our condo. unfortunately we didn't capture the whole sponge paint look of the bath rooms (you can see little corner sections) but now the bathrooms are pleasing to the eye, well at least the wall colors. again, grand plans for both of these rooms, including making the half bath a full bath and in the master bath separating the shower and tub. but down the road...

The Painters:

The Finished Bathrooms:

first up - eating with style

it was how both of us grew up. eating family dinners around the formal table. the dinners and family size differ between our two families, but having a dinning room was something we hoped for but didn't think possible in the city. so it was no surprise that we both agreed quickly that it was the first room we wanted to focus on.

with all the wood, trim, and plaster walls it made sense to have our friend and fantastic professional painter, Stacy Karonis (Broad Spectrum Interior Painting - 773.895.3838) and her all women crew do the work. all we had to do was pick the colors.

we wanted the formal dinning room to be classy, warm, and feel a bit more on the victorian style than the earthy arts and crafts. think chandelier with hanging glass prisms (michele is not sold on the chandelier yet).

so we went with pittsburgh paint - chilled wine (base) and heavy cream (trim) and purchased a new rug on ebay. we were very happy with the end result and our continually keeping our eye out at flee markets for that perfect finishing piece, the chandelier. what the pictures don't show is all of the cracks and dripping dried paint that was cleaned up.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

move in condition (sellers decor)

Living Room (sunroom door on right)

Formal Dining Room (built in hutch/pantry)

Bedroom 1

Updated Kitchen

4828 - the beginning

oct 27 - closing time. we purchased a vintaged condo that was built in 1909. the building has 6 condos total. 3 on each side. the building faces the east with a front yard and a back parking lot. we look forward to large and small renovation projects along the way. this site will allow us to share with friends, family, and others the pain and results of restoring rooms in the arts and crafts period while modernizing for today.

condo basics - around 1700 sq ft. 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bath, front sunroom, formal dining room, back utility room. built in pantry, hutches, bookcases, picture molding, etc from 1909. red brick fireplace, victorian style steam radiators. kitchen updated with granite counter tops and new black appliances.

see other post for the previous owner's for sale pictures. we will be posting details with each project we undertake. we hope you will enjoy our mistakes, mishaps, and finished projects as much as we do.

First Recommendation is our awesome realtor and mortgage broker:
BERNADETTE LA ROCCO
Broker Associate
COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE
Direct:(312) 543-3838
Fax:(708) 867-5596
goerie606@aol.com

-and-

Kathleen "Kiki" Calumet
Sr. Vice President
Millennium Financial
1122 N. LaSalle
Chicago, IL 60610
Direct: 312-377-9903
Cell: 312-909-9372
Fax: 312-377-9953
kcalumet@mfcchicago.com