Name: Kevin Location: Lakeview Size: 650 sq/ft
Kevin's first place living alone has posed numerous challenges. A first-time owner, Kevin's long to-do list is well on its way to completion. He's been living in this historic building (an enormous, elite individual home from 1915, split into smaller units in the 1950s, then turned into condos in 1995) for just over two years--his longest stint in any apartment.
His first big project was to remove the vinyl flooring in the kitchen and sun room. The disastrous layers included vinyl glued to sheets of plywood, which was staped to linoleum, which was glued to the original wood. He worked on his own for many weeks to restore the wood and live vinyl-free.
Kevin also replaced all the knobs and handles in the kitchen, reminding us that the small touches go so far. Experimenting with various bright, fun paint colors was important to Kevin, who had never had the luxury of painting in his rentals. He also chose to decorate his home with personal work including metal sculptures, a glass/steel table, paintings, and photography. Oh, Kevin made those pillows on his futon, too.
The layout of Kevin's place is interesting: no hallways, and every room has a door that leads to the next. There is access to the bathroom from both the living room and bedroom, and access to the sunroom from both the bedroom and living room. A great final touch from the apartment's original era: the amazing peek hole on the front door.
(Thanks and Happy Birthday, Kevin!)
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Nice job Kevin! Those floors look worth all that work, they're beautiful. I love the bathroom cabinet and sink, nice design.
Did you have a show at Pause Cafe earlier this year? The work looks familiar.
Very nice--looks much larger than 650 ft. Cut-out shelves in sunroom wall are great--wonder if we can do that with ours?
Also thanks for the before and after pics. It really highlights the work you've done. You didn't do a major rehab, but the things you did have made a big difference.
The colours are really nice. The transition from blue to yellow to green seems somewhat tropical and very peaceful. Redoing that floor must have been a nightmare, but it's time well spent for the resell. It can't be easy making an older apartment look hip and contemporary, but I think he's done an amazing job.
Great job Kevin! It's obvious that a lot of hard work went into making those floors --and everything else -- look so nice. You've really done a lot with the space that you have.
Great design on the vanity and sink. It makes a huge improvement in the look of the bathroom.
What we won't do for our hardwood! Your outcome was well worth the struggle though. And I want to dive right into that lemony wall color! It's like a new kitten: all warm and alive.
speaking of kittens, im smitten like a kitten...in a mitten?
adoreable! Love the bathroom, and the rest. Strong, but minimalist. Very nice Kevin!
Wow! An amazing transformation - I love the color scheme. It's so bright and inviting. I suddenly am feeling quite inferior as I look around my place... :)
Nice job!
I can't believe the difference that redoing the floors has made------what a lot of work, but what an improvement. Nice fun wall colors to live with.
What beautiful craftsmanship! I love the colors you chose the cheerful color palette accents the original molding and the displayed artwork. You seem to have created a warm and inviting environment. Great Job!
i'm really impressed that kevin remodeled the floors himself. good work! the whole place looks terrific. i especially like the ultra mod bathroom vanity and the original peek hole. thanks for the tour.
I love the sunroom!
Great job with those hardwoods, and that yellow looks fantastic!
Snappy.
Nice to see an urban apartment renovation from somewhere outside of New York, especially Chicago. I love Chicago. Great city. Great architecture.
Were those once windows between the living room and sun room? how was that originally done? Putting in the glass shelves was a great idea, and executed well too.
Someone wrote something about it being difficult to make an older place look hip. Small quibble, but I'm inclined to think it's usually more difficult to make new construction look hip. The comment was clearly intended as a compliment, so I won't harp on it.
Congrats, it looks like your place is a real hit.
Very Nice.
I love that green paint color in the living room & how it goes with the sunroom. I just painted my kitchen a similar yellow & have been thinking about a pale green for the living room - who makes that paint & what is it's name/number?
Kevin you did a fine job, HIGH FIVE on your project!!
Holly
wow... thanks everyone. i appreciate the feedback. and thanks to heather for asking me in the first place.
to answer the questions:
katie... must have been someone else... no art shows as of yet. hopefully someday...
nyc chris... the original building (before the 1950's subdivide) featured a formal dining room that opened onto a screened-in porch. the dining room became the living room and the porch a sunroom. so yes, the wall with windows/shelves/door was originally exterior.
janice... the green is "corn husk green" by behr (400D-4). it may be a little more vibrant in person, so be warned. hopefully it'll work for you.
again, thanks everyone for the feedback. and thanks heather & janel for the chance.
Great job. The colors are great and the floors look incredible. It looks like you had a tough job, but the result is obviously worth it. The entry way with your open shelving is a hit.
wow. i really like this. the colors are beautiful and the floors are a huge change.
funny, i almost always adore the Chicago site house tours, whereas the NYC ones really bring out the bitch in me. so much less pretentious and more good honest work that brings out the beautiful bones of the space and shows off the personality of the inhabitants.
Beautiful place, Kevin. Your great use of color brings warmth and depth to the rooms, and I like your original artwork which personalizes your space. The hardwood floors, your labor of love, definately paid off. Great job!
Great apartment - fantastic use of space - beautiful floors - great sink in the bathroom -love the sunroom - peephole is a treasure
You did such a wonderful job with the floors, paint, bathroom, etc. Your artwork add the perfect finishing touch!
Great job! Love the color scheme. My livingroom walls are green also. What is the color you used in your livingroom - I think I like yours a bit better. I used Benjamin Moore Nantucket Breeze.
Again, excellent job!