Name: Jacob, Laurie and Matilda
Profession: Architect; Librarian; Baby
Location: West Ridge neighborhood of Chicago
Type: 2 BR condo owned in 1930’s bow front brick 6 flat; about 1200 sq. ft.
Years lived in: 2
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Jacob and Laurie have been working tirelessly for the last two years. With a desire to try their hands at never-before tackled projects, the pair set out on a clear mission: refinishing floors, installing a new kitchen, and creating a nursery for their daughter-to-be, Matilda. Daunting, yes, but they say it was well worth the effort, learning curve, and adventure.
Using budget-saving (in exchange for time-saving) efforts, Jacob and Laurie took on much of the labor themselves, which now helps them feel all the more connected to their home. With innovation (using a CD rack for Matilda’s shoes), the talent of friends and family (pottery by Jacob’s mom, dining table by friend, Josh), and personal creativity (Laurie’s black and white photos, Jacob’s silkscreens and felt ottomans), this West Ridge home accomplishes a seemingly effortless combination of calm and style.
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Our style: Simple, functional, clean, nothing fussy or uncomfortable
Inspiration: books, buildings, and whitespace
Favorite Element: the cove ceilings in the living room, entry and dining room
Biggest Challenge: Re-doing every floor surface in the apartment: We took up acres of filthy white carpet to reveal the badly damaged oak floors beneath. The bathroom floor was covered in two layers of vinyl, with the original, busted up tile beneath that (sadly, there was a large hole in the middle of the room necessitating a new tile job). Jacob filed in the hole and re-tiled in white, hexagonal tiles. The kitchen floor was in poor shape, so again, Jacob tore up the layers and put down a floating cork floor. Lastly, we refinished the oak floors in a matte, water-based finish. The pet/pantry/mud room was fitted with Flor carpet tiles.
What Friends Say: “Your cookie jar scares me a little.” “You did all this yourself?”
Biggest Embarrassment: It’s a toss up between the huge refrigerator (we can’t afford to replace it, but it works just fine) and the oodles of small projects that remain undone (ceilings to paint, doorknobs and the hideous back door to replace).
Proudest DIY: The floors. Plus the kitchen that Jacob put in is a dream.
Biggest Indulgence: Either the countertops or the bathroom sink and faucet.
Best advice: Try to do the work yourself. You’ll feel more connected to your home, flaws and all. Try to consider the life of your house, it will be around a lot longer than you will; consider your decisions carefully, the cheap fix isn’t always the way to go. Don’t invest in trends.
Dream source: Thos. Moser (Laurie), Wright 20 Auction House (Jacob)
Resources:
Living room: sofas from Room and Board, felt ottomans by Jacob, floating TV cabinet is kitchen cabinets from IKEA, credenza bought on eBay, Chicago Map by Jacob, and pottery by Pots by Andrea (Jacob’s mother)
Master bedroom: bed by Blu Dot, dressing table by Jacob, one dresser from Room and Board and one from eBay, and clay wall hanging by Pots by Andrea
Bathroom: fixtures from Community Home Supply on Lincoln Avenue, and the bamboo and aluminum wall panel is by Jacob
Matilda’s bedroom: crib from IKEA, Flor carpet tiles, child’s chair from eBay, toy cubbies from Topdeq (actually a CD rack hung horizontally), bunny silkscreen by Jacob, large poster by J. Otto and Chicago poster by Ork Inc.
Hallway: mirror by Commonwealth Glass and Mirror in Watertown MA (it has survived three moves so far), bookshelves by Jacob, and B/W photo by Laurie
Dining room: chairs from Topdeq, B/W photos by Laurie, Monoprint by Jacob, table custom-made by Joshua Cooper, Flor carpet tiles, storage cart by Jacob, light from lightinguniverse.com, and dishes by Pots by Andrea
Kitchen: IKEA cabinets, cork floor from iFloors, Bosch appliances (floor models), backsplash tile from Maestro Mosaics’ discount bin, marble countertops by folks that we wouldn’t recommend, Boston poster by Ork Inc., wall lamp by Jacob, and the cookie jar is by Momoyo Torimitsu.
Dog and cat: rescues from PAWS and Animal Adoption Assoc.
See more of Jacob and Laurie's before photos and work-in-progress images here in their Picasa album.
DAMN CUTE! Great job on that GOD AWFUL KITCHEN!
Congrats :)
view parttimedesign's profile
So cute! Great job with the kitchen.
view sprgrl007's profile
Love it! It looks so comfortable.
view modernguy's profile
Wow! Lovely!!!!
I dig the bedroom side table. It looks like a drum throne with a table top instead of a seat.
view katie's profile
I love all of it. I've been coveting that bathroom sink for a while too (happy d, right?). You guys did a really fantastic job.
view als1's profile
The bedrooms are very cute.
OT: How does one see the large pictures in the slideshow? I use the pull down menu and choose the higher resolution but the picture remains the same size. It's been a problem since the redisgn... anyone?
view x5150's profile
O holy god!
That kitchen with the white marble and deep brown cabinets is BEAUTIFUL!
Well done. The whole house isn't exactly my taste but there are definitely some incredible moments in there.
view shlacking's profile
Nice! I love all the wall-mounted storage pieces. And I have almost the exact same Broyhill Brasilia credenza. Kinda junky construction-wise but you can't beat the look!
view madsarah's profile
I really love your house. the selection of the pieces in the dinning room is inspiring. I would really love to live in this comfortable place.
view souk1501's profile
The cake in the kitchen is so great!
And the house is lovely.
view breesf's profile
So cute! I love the vanity you created. What a big beautiful place.
Emily
view Emily Sneds's profile
this is a lovely place!
and i love how matilda's occupation is listed as "baby." haha.
view lemonpie's profile
Where is the lovely green day bed from?
view werlemmings's profile
Too funny. The cookie/bunny jar gives me a little bit of the heebie jeebies also. At least it's in a beautiful home ;)
view oakland's profile
You have a great space. I love the bedside table in the master bedroom (very cool). Where did you get it?
view tintin's profile
Very nice, clean and simple.. nothing wrong here.
view LoriSF's profile
BEDSIDE TABLE INFO PLEAZZZZZZZZZZZZZZE !!!!
view parrishnut's profile
Just gorgeous!
view scotty214's profile
The plastic chairs and the basic frame table in the dining room reminds me of a cheap Pizza restaurant or school cafeteria. May just not my thing.
The floors look GREAT especially considering how how they were abused before.
Mafan
Laser Modules For Raves!!!
view mafan's profile
I would also love to have info on that bedside table.
Gorgeous house!
view Ana's profile
Hi this isn't a question about this house but I'm not sure where else to post it. I'm looking for the house tour or story that was done a while ago with a really cute attic make over. I think the woman was a designer. She turned this very small attic into a cute guest bedroom and used a lovely marimeko fabric for the curtains. There were leaves space cupboards on either end. I think it had a pink feel to it. Wish I could be clearer. Can anyone help? Ring any bells? I'm sure there was also a story about their house and the main photo was of the living room. I've searched the house tours archives but can't seem to find it. Thanks everyone.
view handbaggirl's profile
handbaggirl,
are you thinking of the Making It Lovely tour? Here's her blog:
http://makingitlovely.com/2008/03/28/the-guest-room/
Jacob and Laurie,
Your space is amazing! My mom lives in Albany Park, bordering West Ridge, and her place is architecturally very similar, so your tour made me nostalgic :) (Though I just live 15 minutes away in Avondale...) Fantastic elements throughout your home.
Quick q: I've been wanting to get a Chicago Ork poster. How did you frame it in the nursery? Small detail I know, but I've been trying to figure this out for a while!
view selena's profile
handbaggirl - I think you're talking about this?:
http://makingitlovely.com/2008/03/28/the-guest-room/
and if not, it's so cute that it's worth another look anyway!
view rockalita's profile
Great job... love the kitchen and the bedside table. Thank God you put some color in the nursery . House could use a little punch of color besides the pale green. Also, the lamps over the living room chairs must be incredibly unflattering and annoying to sit under. Reminds me of the machines women put their heads in when they get perms. But otherwise, beautiful house! Well done!
view Jmack1's profile
Fantastic! It has a calm, earthiness to it. You've done a wonderful job combining the old with the new. GOOD JOB!
view ncantine's profile
Owner here:
Thank you everyone for your supportive comments.
There seems to be a lot if interest in the bedside table that I made. The base is from a drum stool, and the top is 3 layers of 3/4" plywood glued together and cut at an angle, dyed green with an aniline dye, and clearcoated.
Selena asked about the poster hanger for the Ork Chicago; check out posterhanger.com.
Jacob
view jchart13's profile
I love love love this place. Great job on the kitchen.
view Otherkate's profile
Very nice indeed.
view art's profile
Wow. What a difference in the kitchen!
view Lisa (Montreal)'s profile
Nice renovation of typical vintage Chicago place, very clean, modern design without looking cold and lifeless.
view beddybee's profile
perfect renovation of a vintage chicago flat. modern and welcoming.
view beddybee's profile
Lovely place, calm and inviting and to think that you did most of the work yourself. The way you changed things really brings out the lovely bones of the apartment.
the cookie char IS scary...
view Nina79's profile
Where did you find the long red shelving unit?? I love it, but can't find anything around that's that long!
view rachelrachel's profile
i like the place a lot! some of the rooms seem a little too neutral or like they're missing something. but i love the arches and moulding, the vanities, and the nursery! reminds me that i need to do something with my flor samples & tiles. i'm also a fan of that dwell bedding in the crib (have to admit- i actually got the fleece blanket for my puppy). overall i think you did an awesome job!
view rstrtz's profile
What a great, great place! Inspiring in so many ways. Jacob, how did you make those felt ottomans? They look almost like you sandwiched together felt floor pads from polishing machines--but I must be wrong?
view brynhild's profile
rachelrachel - the long red shelving unit is actually a CD rack turned horizontal (available from topdeq.com, but no longer in red).
brynhild - the felt ottomans are sandwiched 1/2" layers of industrial felt that I got from Booth Felt (before they moved to NH) for free from their discard pile; they were waste from a die cut job. I fastened them together with a tagging gun and heavy duty fabric barbs.
view jchart13's profile
Thanks so much Selena and Rockalita. That was it exactly. A great help.
view handbaggirl's profile
Wow, i love this space!
Two questions:
1) Where is that floating wall mounted dressing table/shelf from? It looks great!
2) Where is the green hallway console table from? I've been looking for something like that (skinny, with only the front table legs) forever...
view ten_eighteen's profile
Really nice space. I feel relaxed just viewing it. Great job!
view d-love's profile
Great looking place. Can you tell me where you got the very cool alarm clock on the nightstand?
view mattk's profile
ten_eighteen,
I made the floating dressing table out of some walnut plywood, and brackets from rakks.com.
The console table is actually our old dining table from Ikea that we cut in half and painted.
Thanks for the questions.
Jacob
view jchart13's profile
hi mattk--the alarm clock is a big ben moon beam from l.l. Bean.
view crockedteeth's profile
Adoring the products the owners made and customized. So inspiring. !!!
And moved beyond words to see that little child's shell chair, remembering I had the same chair when I was little girl. It served as a drum, doll bus, a cave, and may other things. How sweet to recall those times, and to think there's a little girl who may invent totally new ways to play with it.
view Splomo's profile
Very nice! I wish you had a photo of the exterior...
view Patrick F. aka PsychoPat's profile
That vanity you made is just what we are looking for for our bathroom.
view leely16's profile
Are you still answering questions? Hope so! I swoon for your kitchen. What Ikea cabinet line did you use in kitchen? And did you use carrera marble? Thanks!
view Sarah in Nola's profile
Sarah in Nola,
We used the Nexus Brown Black cabinet line from Ikea. Carrera Marble was what we wanted, but it was out of our reach; we went with a less expensive white marble. Unfortunately I don't remember the name.
Jacob
view jchart13's profile
Hello,
I am looking for a big white table lamp like the one you have on the dresser in the hallway. Where is it from?
Many thanks
view manue's profile
Your dining room light fixture is exactly what I'm looking for but I can't tell which model it is on lightinguniverse.com.
Thanks!
view TracyK's profile
Just beautiful and very much in keeping w/my own style; I do wonder about this trend of soaring kitchen cabinets tho...how do people reach them without always climbing?
view muirwoods08's profile
manue--the white lamp was a CB2 floor model on clearance about 3 years ago. I wish they still made it.
TracyK--the hanging fixture in the dining room is the 26" Fleurino by Hampstead Lighting.
muirwoods08--In rental after rental we were constantly stacking items on top of the cabinets, so when we got the chance to design our space we thought, why not put cabinets all the way to the ceiling? Now the vases, wine glasses and seasonal items are tidy and dust free. A kick stool is always close at foot.
Thanks for all the interest!
Laurie
view crockedteeth's profile
Your floors are beautiful. Great Job! Also love the nursery and it's simple clean look. The rocking chair is especially great. And the cd rack mounted sideways is such a great idea for any room.
view Ann vB's profile
Love the tour - so much inspiration here.
I was wondering about the light in the kitchen, above the cookie jar. How did you handle attaching it to the wall? We've made a similar light fixture, and ended up making our bracket with wood. I love the fixture, and will probably recreate it elsewhere. Thanks in advance!
view ace's profile
Ace,
I did a sketch to answer your question. Follow the link to see it.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lIHZz-2qN-XI35uXe46qeA
I hope it helps. Good Luck.
Jacob
view jchart13's profile
Jacob, you are a doll! Thanks so much, that's very clever.
view ace's profile
Hi I love the home! where is that kitchen light from, above the bunny? Been looking for something similar but price was really steep.
view pbeya's profile
pbeya--
Jacob made the light. Not to brag, but isn't that cool! See the posts from ace and jchart13, just above yours, as he explains how he did it.
Laurie
view crockedteeth's profile
What is the color of the wall in the 1st picture of slideshow. I love this color, you've done a fabulous job!
view tlcuningkin331's profile
tlcuningkim331--
the paint color is benjamin moore's dorset gold.
glad you like it!
Laurie
view crockedteeth's profile
A late, late comment here.
Add me to the list of people who love the drum-stool avec plywood bedside table.
And the cookie jar? Is SUBLIME.
view rosenatti's profile
Jacob & Laurie,
I have been looking for a vanity for sometime and just love yours. I saw your comment @ ten_eighteen:
I made the floating dressing table out of some walnut plywood, and brackets from rakks.com.
Can you tell me what the material is that edges the vanity and acts as a shelf up top? I am enlisting my woodworking father for some help in reproducing it.
Thanks so much!
PS the bedside table is gorgeous!
view Solarstarfruit's profile
I am hoping you are still responding to comment.
I was wondering what paint you used in your master bedroom. I love it!
view loveplus's profile
loveplus
the paint in the master bedroom is butte rock by benjamin moore. we used about 4 coats to get it to the desired color. thanks!
Laurie
view crockedteeth's profile
What color paint did you use in Matilda's room?
view bunny23's profile
Wish I would have seen your place before I asked my question about redoing floors. Try to make a long story short here, I'm not sure if we have oak floors or not, but our house dates back to the 1920s so I'm thinking that in the rooms original to the house, we probably do. I read about a triple bleaching process to lighten up oak floors, but its not a DIY and I've been told that it could also hurt the duribility of the floors. I love your light floors (and many other things about your house) and was hoping you could explain to me in a bit more detail what you did to your floors since you did it yourself. Thanks.
view Susaniskowich1's profile
bunny23
Matilda's room is painted with Benjamin Moore Catalina Blue. Sorry for the late response!
Laurie
view crockedteeth's profile
As others have said, I find your home calming and comfortable. I was wondering where your living room coffee table is from? It is absolutely beautiful. Thank you!
view katopotato's profile
hi katopotato,
the coffee table is a cheapo IKEA find!
thanks v. much for your kind comments.
laurie
p.s. our home is on the market! baird&warner is anyone is interested ;)
view crockedteeth's profile