This tour is amazing... I love the before and after... extremely helpful, but what I also really appreciated, aside from lovely transformation and details throughout... the fact that it starts with "a DECADE ago.." This puts it all into perspective and instill hope in those of us just starting out and feeling frustrated over our own DIY. Thank you!

Beautiful. I LOVE the inset refrigerator!

A fine and handsome home. Agree totally with comment above. Really like the mix of old and modern, and the lovely lemon tree wallpaper. Thanks for sharing.

Chris,

Beautiful home and fantastic remodel. I really love the kitchen as well as the window you chose for one of the bedrooms.

And, of course, that's a mighty cute dog you have!

Best,
Jeanne
http://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyPenguinVintage

This is a beautiful makeover and house. Love the backyard and love the wood floors. I would love to be a guest in this house

Wow! Chris has awesome taste. Love the William Morris wallpaper, the blue/brown/white master bed combo, the art deco furniture, the gorgeous garden, the window treatments, the dog...... It all blends together beautifully. Kudos! I'd love to know the name of Chris's building business. This is one great advertisement.

Really beautiful remodel. Just goes to show that you can turn almost any ugly old house into something worth looking at.

Wow, Chris... you should be very proud.

So many wonderful subtle choices:
The plants on the porch - so welcoming.
Square tile installed in a subway pattern. Nice.
That chubby little toaster!
... and the master suite is treehouse heaven

I love the desk in your office (the black one with the trestle-like legs), where did you get it?

Beautiful house...

great work. I, too, love the before & after pics, and that it's a whole house tour - front yard, back yard, and inside.

i like the decision to leave the wooden railing unpainted, looks great with the clean white painted wood everywhere else.

This is stupendous, especially the transformation of the attic space and the addition of windows up there. And the exterior job is just perfect. I've seen so many of those ugly, tar-papered Chicago houses. Every one of them should be so lucky as to meet with an owner like Chris.

You have a wonderful home. Love your Russell Wright collection.

wow--great home. esp. love the kitchen (that set in fridge is great!) & the eat-in space. love your bathroom tiles as well that are edged in black and the sink. wonderful restoration! last but not least, your dog is a real cutie!

Those attic windows make the facade! Love the grasscloth wallpaper and the painted porch floor.

Wonderful mix of old and new components. I love it because it appears so homey and live-able.

Bravo to you for painting the woodwork white, Chris. Here in the Midwest, where a sludgy brown interior is a badge of authenticity, there's a lot of pressure to leave woodwork stained and I'm willing to bet that at least one visitor expressed horror that it wasn't left in its "natural" state. But the advantages are obvious in the foyer before and after--the crisp line of the bannister was completely invisible until you painted it.

Chris--Did you build the front porch railings yourself, or did you order them from somewhere? We have old iron railings that I'd love to replace with something contemporary like yours...they really add to your curb appeal!

Wow wow wow, esp at the backyard. What happened to the window above the sink in the before pic of the kitchen? Looks like you may have filled it in and now it's just a regular wall. Also, the toilet was moved in the master bath. I wonder where the shower is now- wish we had more pics of that.

P.S. I also noticed 2 mailboxes. One is in the front yard (in a bucket of cement?), and the other is a pretty one attached on the outside of the house next to the front door. Just something curious I noticed. :P

Beautiful, my dream home. One of the best homes featured on AT in a very long time. Love it all.

So, I flipped through this tour quickly before starting work and...loved it immediately. Now that I've had time to look through it again, I'm so, so impressed. The attention to detail and restraint are gonna help this house (inside and out) stand the test of time. Lovely. I'm gonna check out the backyard again.

(Major crush on Chris and his fabulous taste right now...)

Beautiful remodel, amazing taste, just perfect all around. I also REALLY appreciate the before/after shots and the many captions!

WHAT!!!! oh my god, this house is down the street from me.
(and exactly the same floor plan)
I always walk my dog by and I love it, my husband and I were also thinking of finishing our attic so this is amazing inspiration.

beautiful house. my only question is why the black toilet seats? LOVE the kitchen. that's my dream

Breathtaking..........

Absolutely beautiful. I especially love the kitchen. One question...(not renovation related) where did you get the owl print hanging in the bedroom?

nicole

Gorgeous... dreamy. Love the updated flooring choices. The kitchen and breakfast nook are FABULOUS and are exactly what I would love to do to mine :)

The porch railings are stupendous! Is there a resource for those? hope so!!

It's hard to believe someone had covered up those diamond-pane windows. Great job. Love the back yard.

Not sure why the window and door trim was replaced though. I think the little peak above each door and window in the before shots was a nice touch. Couldn't they have just been painted?

I was hoping you could share your paint colors and brands?

Splendid! I love this and the fresh look you have woven into the original parts of the home to create something really rad! The front porch railing is over the top awesome!!
Great job!

I guess you've earned the right to an "embarrassment"-free House Tour, as your home is incredible: tasteful, serene, ideal. Still, isn't sharing part of the fun? More than a few mere mortals may feel ... Well, who cares?

i definitely agree about your best advice.
house is amazing, especially kitchen. there are tiles all over, but still looks warm. i think that's hard to get.