tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61424193326060794002023-11-16T00:06:08.876-06:00Reno-ventionReno-vention is a chronicle of the renovation and restoration of a “Greystone” home in Chicago and the many lessons learned along the way. Posts include design inspirations, spotlights of favorite stores and vendors, explanations of the renovation process, advice on hiring contractors, and all things home reno.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142419332606079400.post-79564743732559989572012-04-30T21:19:00.002-05:002012-04-30T21:21:06.606-05:00Great Finds - Etsy ChandeliersI love Etsy. I could spend hours browsing through all of the wonderful handmade and vintage items and my daily "etsy finds" is always a treasure trove. It's wonderful that home businesses and small scale independent designers can use the site to market their goods around the world. You could literally furnish an entire apartment only with Etsy items if you so desired. <br />
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Today's Etsy Finds email had a "shop chandeliers" link and I couldn't help myself. Take a look at some of these wonderful finds. The name of the item and seller (exactly as their store name is written on Etsy) for each are noted in the caption of the image. Enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aaVLSw_SwtpgdUVyoG6M8mLQ05GpvaMABHjS36dL4svwOtRtA6OMu40GwRBtv-kp7PD70LrBeKT0DQfJtfQDnMk12f1uy32IE3PZcXp4L4AKYlpyULbs7iZnzADLFhy4AY7mkDzhquU/s1600/Ella+Plastic+Bottle+Chandelier+-+SarahTurnerEcoDesign+via+Etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aaVLSw_SwtpgdUVyoG6M8mLQ05GpvaMABHjS36dL4svwOtRtA6OMu40GwRBtv-kp7PD70LrBeKT0DQfJtfQDnMk12f1uy32IE3PZcXp4L4AKYlpyULbs7iZnzADLFhy4AY7mkDzhquU/s640/Ella+Plastic+Bottle+Chandelier+-+SarahTurnerEcoDesign+via+Etsy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Ella Plastic Bottle Chandelier - SarahTurnerEcoDesign</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_Yf_gxzWQ1DjgkXfVYN3L4np_zVp7ZvyyQJUNJpwkW1EmcsV7yKTtYeit-gU80QdCEBhbo4nxCxheFwYQPAkNLE6Ix_EKNkmHQtT5SHYbU14I76wTM5UeWoh6LXrRgdLU56_NES4mFg/s1600/Wood+Pallet+Chandelier+12+Bulb+by+typewriterboneyard+via+etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_Yf_gxzWQ1DjgkXfVYN3L4np_zVp7ZvyyQJUNJpwkW1EmcsV7yKTtYeit-gU80QdCEBhbo4nxCxheFwYQPAkNLE6Ix_EKNkmHQtT5SHYbU14I76wTM5UeWoh6LXrRgdLU56_NES4mFg/s640/Wood+Pallet+Chandelier+12+Bulb+by+typewriterboneyard+via+etsy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Wood Pallet Chandelier 12 Bulb by typewriterboneyard </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJNMREJHNzRufzgtO3BEtBbf3Mi-8UNWZHE48THm6gIc-AumU9ZrCRsFHKLBad4q_d961d56rJU6xz6IkizuuiVTV134fCopBLmO6CQR8t9RFBxJLuM_h1ZLg3p9dUM8lLnVRUXNCjF4/s1600/Brass+Chandelier+by+moolights+via+etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJNMREJHNzRufzgtO3BEtBbf3Mi-8UNWZHE48THm6gIc-AumU9ZrCRsFHKLBad4q_d961d56rJU6xz6IkizuuiVTV134fCopBLmO6CQR8t9RFBxJLuM_h1ZLg3p9dUM8lLnVRUXNCjF4/s640/Brass+Chandelier+by+moolights+via+etsy.jpg" width="638" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Brass Chandelier by moolights </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoScHN_oCh9-0O4XYNQggy9ExMU4NPBCLWD9gyjYFBnNDSd2ajD6feyNmtidtKhV5PYMgC-F-lfvRq69DCpwyZ6ec76Y3dfuJFZ6hqTO9crt6XOr6L4K1Ms5iE0mvHgtiuzHRWI8pQkI/s1600/Aluminum+Leafed+Pendant+Bubble+Chandelier+by+PELLEshop+via+etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoScHN_oCh9-0O4XYNQggy9ExMU4NPBCLWD9gyjYFBnNDSd2ajD6feyNmtidtKhV5PYMgC-F-lfvRq69DCpwyZ6ec76Y3dfuJFZ6hqTO9crt6XOr6L4K1Ms5iE0mvHgtiuzHRWI8pQkI/s640/Aluminum+Leafed+Pendant+Bubble+Chandelier+by+PELLEshop+via+etsy.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Aluminum Leafed Pendant Bubble Chandelier by PELLEshop</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15yTLqaN84GImv6t5zKnmBmtD2NequqfR9C9OZ8ADBQ2dpnZlo9WCdbke953h_WYUG_x4gF8L0Q0W0snVoLGigkxqwivD-2sUZghW9xVvXc3mxZ5oybnVg4feO6L8LnboETIpwYGGG9k/s1600/24k+Gold+X-Large+Bubble+Chandelier+by+PELLEshop+via+etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15yTLqaN84GImv6t5zKnmBmtD2NequqfR9C9OZ8ADBQ2dpnZlo9WCdbke953h_WYUG_x4gF8L0Q0W0snVoLGigkxqwivD-2sUZghW9xVvXc3mxZ5oybnVg4feO6L8LnboETIpwYGGG9k/s640/24k+Gold+X-Large+Bubble+Chandelier+by+PELLEshop+via+etsy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">24k Gold X-Large Bubble Chandelier by PELLEshop </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmv2-9PBjYknT7fGX_De9h5eZaMd5kkVNkpxLsGgO37ODKfzD1onWOljNRVvRIWticDFEO0E07ltQ4HK-v8ro4pmEwNCmqouXPv9phuV6udC7z-L4tR3jxSQSFS0ba9jUFPl2BsI9dh-Q/s1600/Continued+Small+Chandelier+by+ReMainDesigns+via+etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmv2-9PBjYknT7fGX_De9h5eZaMd5kkVNkpxLsGgO37ODKfzD1onWOljNRVvRIWticDFEO0E07ltQ4HK-v8ro4pmEwNCmqouXPv9phuV6udC7z-L4tR3jxSQSFS0ba9jUFPl2BsI9dh-Q/s640/Continued+Small+Chandelier+by+ReMainDesigns+via+etsy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Continued Small Chandelier by ReMainDesigns </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBA6bCEZsnf09Mm1o8-0-NDzYhrAfzRMVDwVG0z9yix8i72wbo9ZSO-P1V3xtGBa7S2G6Mazvs153WvgoTGczj-hIkhpc5dIJ_rP64No11mKKyVXKC9bsOvkUXZDXH8n4Rdgn5XyWJbf4/s1600/Claylight+Cluster+by+lightexture+via+etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBA6bCEZsnf09Mm1o8-0-NDzYhrAfzRMVDwVG0z9yix8i72wbo9ZSO-P1V3xtGBa7S2G6Mazvs153WvgoTGczj-hIkhpc5dIJ_rP64No11mKKyVXKC9bsOvkUXZDXH8n4Rdgn5XyWJbf4/s640/Claylight+Cluster+by+lightexture+via+etsy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Claylight Cluster by lightexture </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtWiAIqSPBvO948WiiFZEeVVFL2SglKBoYGkP9Ax6rMiyQKNdzWvJYQ25oLUSb4WaIYEUYI5LszFNfgm095AWmR8_VB7RH_aAreUNyqQOXSL3FEYn1pv7JJHWVwKUJcabV5pvSE1tsa8/s1600/5+Chunk+Modern+Pendant+Chandelier+by+dylangrey+via+Etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtWiAIqSPBvO948WiiFZEeVVFL2SglKBoYGkP9Ax6rMiyQKNdzWvJYQ25oLUSb4WaIYEUYI5LszFNfgm095AWmR8_VB7RH_aAreUNyqQOXSL3FEYn1pv7JJHWVwKUJcabV5pvSE1tsa8/s640/5+Chunk+Modern+Pendant+Chandelier+by+dylangrey+via+Etsy.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">5 Chunk Modern Pendant Chandelier by dylangrey</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUh8VdE554sY7JJ9FsbY2YD11ZzUDOJc06x1ak6FE4Nx9jTaCRFf4wXJDp_K7UO44aUb1Anivf1_Fqk3ydSSWm2q7weDope2efhPU1GYoyu51dzaJZLnNcYtvnKxLMXxCc0spDydq0s0/s1600/Custom+Upcycled+industrial+pipe+chandelier+-+hammersheels+via+Etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUh8VdE554sY7JJ9FsbY2YD11ZzUDOJc06x1ak6FE4Nx9jTaCRFf4wXJDp_K7UO44aUb1Anivf1_Fqk3ydSSWm2q7weDope2efhPU1GYoyu51dzaJZLnNcYtvnKxLMXxCc0spDydq0s0/s640/Custom+Upcycled+industrial+pipe+chandelier+-+hammersheels+via+Etsy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Custom Upcycled industrial pipe chandelier by hammersheels </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcKbsVfzHeflWXalfkDCD29pS1bdcsl0Onfbbm2ZVJBRuu7z8zIT4Cnn00RKySNSejdhmXc7Z-_Y_U_Uda8cwwR5fe6e6NBT_HY4sdtfXJWGx0TMmeSmJH1tGlVURLu4XXacGbtazeTI/s1600/Vinyl+Record+Chandelier+by+TheLightStore+via+etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcKbsVfzHeflWXalfkDCD29pS1bdcsl0Onfbbm2ZVJBRuu7z8zIT4Cnn00RKySNSejdhmXc7Z-_Y_U_Uda8cwwR5fe6e6NBT_HY4sdtfXJWGx0TMmeSmJH1tGlVURLu4XXacGbtazeTI/s640/Vinyl+Record+Chandelier+by+TheLightStore+via+etsy.jpg" width="480" /></a></b></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Vinyl Record Chandelier by TheLightStore </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZenoVYUyJsIOYZJqH4_E2jUdAyjmBaGCwr53CDHMz5hhDxtna4kmld700gqRdjMO_VFfpNB7na5N_jXAUCuNuntQTkaGUxrfpt2wphpauKxbrpY8WVvK7MQoL7chQv7wFwZyHLzt5J8/s1600/Steamlight+Quartet+by+lightexture+via+etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZenoVYUyJsIOYZJqH4_E2jUdAyjmBaGCwr53CDHMz5hhDxtna4kmld700gqRdjMO_VFfpNB7na5N_jXAUCuNuntQTkaGUxrfpt2wphpauKxbrpY8WVvK7MQoL7chQv7wFwZyHLzt5J8/s640/Steamlight+Quartet+by+lightexture+via+etsy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Steamlight Quartet by lightexture </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisa6rR8yBgjtTI-z-whPx1jOrezMYcCQPC5PRzFTc4LG-6RJEdosamQ927VAlGrH9tFZ378EhSXXXOAwnit9UsqhgBFEgSUYNSzg0-a3Szo7PSUp6RA-KVTN3NM9vXGTcNDMPFfv8iJzg/s1600/Industrial+Chic+Chandelier+by+urbanchandy+via+etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisa6rR8yBgjtTI-z-whPx1jOrezMYcCQPC5PRzFTc4LG-6RJEdosamQ927VAlGrH9tFZ378EhSXXXOAwnit9UsqhgBFEgSUYNSzg0-a3Szo7PSUp6RA-KVTN3NM9vXGTcNDMPFfv8iJzg/s640/Industrial+Chic+Chandelier+by+urbanchandy+via+etsy.jpg" width="586" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Industrial Chic Chandelier by urbanchandy </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyC2FLID-GrMQfnD0q_gVjrS2dqMMbjyqinuestpWSKtkVUHjz0c_90rb8Uh12gKnZ9GVvp8DvZ5VL6hVTZdm3hdfJmKncEEYz1kUWYhQ4v0g23H0wo6P559DFNjNLLrWDVsDDVZMeUzE/s1600/Cervantes+wine+barrel+Chandelier+by+StilNovoDesign+via+Etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyC2FLID-GrMQfnD0q_gVjrS2dqMMbjyqinuestpWSKtkVUHjz0c_90rb8Uh12gKnZ9GVvp8DvZ5VL6hVTZdm3hdfJmKncEEYz1kUWYhQ4v0g23H0wo6P559DFNjNLLrWDVsDDVZMeUzE/s640/Cervantes+wine+barrel+Chandelier+by+StilNovoDesign+via+Etsy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Cervantes wine barrel Chandelier by StilNovoDesign </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTeTmN0gWl9roSajW8mFxWMkJESh3smkPEHiPURR6MMPo0UibB-V6myNsYPGPcfWvFoVCKY3n-MF2FMXI4MsWXPZtdB3fl84dA0YjoY7Akmx_J83JKbkpgxTwkpmJQoZ7e4WHv5tfWtj4/s1600/Orbits+Urban+Chandelier+by+StilNovoDesign+via+etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTeTmN0gWl9roSajW8mFxWMkJESh3smkPEHiPURR6MMPo0UibB-V6myNsYPGPcfWvFoVCKY3n-MF2FMXI4MsWXPZtdB3fl84dA0YjoY7Akmx_J83JKbkpgxTwkpmJQoZ7e4WHv5tfWtj4/s640/Orbits+Urban+Chandelier+by+StilNovoDesign+via+etsy.jpg" width="550" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Orbits Urban Chandelier by StilNovoDesign </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJGjC9crRTn7SETBAE7UwfMvbYb3ZCjUI7_t0wq4uA7-GMbV6wpwIf_qU8hhuoUrm7ULPFv0ZwnrDyo6oI5r-bdLpSwYSm9ljPQTnKxs68HHUHh2-HoIrdvER1_BXLAOSoCsiXhyz_tM/s1600/Summer's+Glow+by+BootsNGus+via+Etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJGjC9crRTn7SETBAE7UwfMvbYb3ZCjUI7_t0wq4uA7-GMbV6wpwIf_qU8hhuoUrm7ULPFv0ZwnrDyo6oI5r-bdLpSwYSm9ljPQTnKxs68HHUHh2-HoIrdvER1_BXLAOSoCsiXhyz_tM/s640/Summer's+Glow+by+BootsNGus+via+Etsy.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Summer's Glow by BootsNGus </span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142419332606079400.post-31746720103593239312012-04-28T19:10:00.002-05:002012-04-30T20:19:23.258-05:00A Space for Mish - Design Crew response for Desire to InspireOne of my absolute favorite blogs <a href="http://www.desiretoinspire.net/">Desire to Inspire</a> has a reoccurring feature they call "Design Crew" where a reader will write in asking for design advice. They will post photos and a description of the problem the reader is having and then ask everyone to take a crack at fixing it up.<br />
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<a href="http://www.desiretoinspire.net/blog/2012/4/28/design-crew.html">This week Mish wrote in</a> asking for an update for her home. She is bored of her space and says she loves modern, hates try hard and suburban. Her home already has great bones, an amazing view, high ceilings and beautiful architectural beams. Now it just needs a style update.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-PLDsrlu9Ye9kYgiLRMkqGgSgOHbuKTb2mG0cMHfUgH6XXpw0XRFR9ilKY5MNondl5f4KqTEYm0hTiIIYFNw_HJflf_J1mofIHVo3fQlCdJZW_s6U_y8BKp0nY1hgl8s0pZFsubRePo/s1600/mish+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-PLDsrlu9Ye9kYgiLRMkqGgSgOHbuKTb2mG0cMHfUgH6XXpw0XRFR9ilKY5MNondl5f4KqTEYm0hTiIIYFNw_HJflf_J1mofIHVo3fQlCdJZW_s6U_y8BKp0nY1hgl8s0pZFsubRePo/s640/mish+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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The biggest problem I see in this space is that the cabinets and floor blend together. I think Mish would lose value by painting those cabinets so rather than changing them, I would change the flooring and wall color. I would flip that great charcoal color currently on her walls (or even a darker grey or black) onto the floor either by painting or tiling it. Kim from Desire to Inspire did a great post on black floors so if your having reservations check it out here:<a href="http://www.desiretoinspire.net/blog/2011/6/10/reader-request-black-floors.html"> Desire to Inspire - Black Floors Post</a><br />
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Here are some additional examples of kitchens with dark floors and light wood cabinets.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwIX0K1RmrBwr_oiwScWJSn-n-1AxMhLFxxNSPOO1w5dv9fv8DXN6-6e9V6CmthVGrIEc8OaAKwLXkW8cKjKUgfkJtx6UMsq39C2gQFKUIoi5Z10RHwwkx1_TbK0KM7DZhmrf-4kCg1o/s1600/15+Union+Square+West+Kitchen+via+decor+fellow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwIX0K1RmrBwr_oiwScWJSn-n-1AxMhLFxxNSPOO1w5dv9fv8DXN6-6e9V6CmthVGrIEc8OaAKwLXkW8cKjKUgfkJtx6UMsq39C2gQFKUIoi5Z10RHwwkx1_TbK0KM7DZhmrf-4kCg1o/s640/15+Union+Square+West+Kitchen+via+decor+fellow.jpg" width="518" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Union Square West Kitchen via Decor Fellow</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreQCo929dC_CgLWmyoMDwrtfwQ_p9a2OcT3gS6Hz4cEVgv_x6EfFwhTCY5lvBbgXEgfKM8s4jj0DAJhlOpqwtEw9IyNuVvTGLfVYz7wVodN0S0sYzLcU1YwRbDUKDE-QleTf8vXdHDg4/s1600/Kitchen+Distributors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreQCo929dC_CgLWmyoMDwrtfwQ_p9a2OcT3gS6Hz4cEVgv_x6EfFwhTCY5lvBbgXEgfKM8s4jj0DAJhlOpqwtEw9IyNuVvTGLfVYz7wVodN0S0sYzLcU1YwRbDUKDE-QleTf8vXdHDg4/s640/Kitchen+Distributors.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">By Kitchen Distributors</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9V0AEh-KKH5PB2e1NANLo2Cv5yAnohKy3bQqpQKLUGSieb3f07Ep1-2LX9vsHYlFSLyawObVue9mtnW3ktBKtaFCKlghEZbBeKI8soVyW90G-YHSnnp4E-yhyphenhyphenTQs90ydLEp3HYTHu23M/s1600/Kitchen+Distributors+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9V0AEh-KKH5PB2e1NANLo2Cv5yAnohKy3bQqpQKLUGSieb3f07Ep1-2LX9vsHYlFSLyawObVue9mtnW3ktBKtaFCKlghEZbBeKI8soVyW90G-YHSnnp4E-yhyphenhyphenTQs90ydLEp3HYTHu23M/s640/Kitchen+Distributors+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Additional shot of previous kitchen - by Kitchen Distributors</span></td></tr>
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Similar to the above photo, I would paint either a very light grey or white on the walls. That will help the architectural beams and cabinetry to stand out. I would also consider tiling the little wall area behind the espresso maker - that small amount of tile would be inexpensive and it would create a nice focal point to draw your eye on that back wall. Here are a few options that would look nice with either white or grey walls.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPx07djJ_sSJAPV8vacDQqVBlH9HGFYMoLgegyUOf44bqF0PW2H7erCawSuLOGKFqQ7MVdJT0-iz0-l9_beLIDMwykk0i2wsotveK-micGjaYRgUhdQpKnbOcCag9_eUx7hoDfE3FkXSQ/s1600/Daltile+-+Wedge+Polished+Contempo+White.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPx07djJ_sSJAPV8vacDQqVBlH9HGFYMoLgegyUOf44bqF0PW2H7erCawSuLOGKFqQ7MVdJT0-iz0-l9_beLIDMwykk0i2wsotveK-micGjaYRgUhdQpKnbOcCag9_eUx7hoDfE3FkXSQ/s400/Daltile+-+Wedge+Polished+Contempo+White.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Daltile - Wedge Polished Contempo White </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYCm7hk2YHfFeyShdfvV1t-XLv7pFWWjVCTiHEk4wfmEKzl_llUxS3ffnFjj1a92DDEIkqhKXyRx2X5mbvW_BMHzqlt5KVOyqtrinrTltgcLHk3bQU6svtU3tffCCBqL36HRxO_TASqk/s1600/Daltile+-+Oval+Polished+Contempo+White.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYCm7hk2YHfFeyShdfvV1t-XLv7pFWWjVCTiHEk4wfmEKzl_llUxS3ffnFjj1a92DDEIkqhKXyRx2X5mbvW_BMHzqlt5KVOyqtrinrTltgcLHk3bQU6svtU3tffCCBqL36HRxO_TASqk/s400/Daltile+-+Oval+Polished+Contempo+White.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Daltile - Oval Polished Contempo White</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6n2YUGWHZpwRYHLvZYHDwR_5T0nukZM_1AzB9XOJIgoopgxrVJhLzfuo6ZN9VyvO9Vza9n1gHbbH-Vp_Rs-wkiJeJlGiDr5nzmTgC1Xiibx4Vmq8uu-Y4CvBQUF8sZfELyf8e685mlOE/s1600/Daltile+-+Basketweave+Honed+Contempo+White.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6n2YUGWHZpwRYHLvZYHDwR_5T0nukZM_1AzB9XOJIgoopgxrVJhLzfuo6ZN9VyvO9Vza9n1gHbbH-Vp_Rs-wkiJeJlGiDr5nzmTgC1Xiibx4Vmq8uu-Y4CvBQUF8sZfELyf8e685mlOE/s400/Daltile+-+Basketweave+Honed+Contempo+White.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Daltile - Basketweave Honed Contempo White</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB79dmlwX5Wpf2HJDYlJnMUggJryfsPvTDEmCdIyKWj78P_J9xGp9mSs9Ox2jJlCdquDhtRQpup5ukWqWMhwmeHfhtQnHNqaBQbxlTvrwtQcFX9N4rNyl8tCoREwt2fdni52tdD4k-TAo/s1600/Tileshop+-+Hampton+Carrara+1+x+1+in+Hex.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB79dmlwX5Wpf2HJDYlJnMUggJryfsPvTDEmCdIyKWj78P_J9xGp9mSs9Ox2jJlCdquDhtRQpup5ukWqWMhwmeHfhtQnHNqaBQbxlTvrwtQcFX9N4rNyl8tCoREwt2fdni52tdD4k-TAo/s400/Tileshop+-+Hampton+Carrara+1+x+1+in+Hex.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tileshop - Hampton Carrara 1 x 1 in Hex</span></td></tr>
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The dining table and chairs are great but I would change the pendant lights in that area. I like the modern style of the current light but the shape and scale make it very heavy. I would do something a little more fun or funky with some negative space in it's design to add some movement and pop to that area. Depending on Mish's personal taste something like the Ten Tales, Asparagus, or Opuim pendant lights would add huge impact. I look at lighting as the jewelry of a house so I tend to go for statement lighting that has some pizazz. If these are too much for Mish, she can stick to finding something that is more simple but still has an open design.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRNvrTuaMQ-bOH3rOfVS1AmVEhxfCdjDVjDiYYS1eDphVBxI9sL8lmmvV_y-bgdmivncBRssewDPW-bPuVuqrjRKBS2Jv3Ig9xweSYLyFmQd-wwmmjejnepUtXlpISrqs5btuNl516jY/s1600/1419SU-TENTALE-020I1-BKXX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRNvrTuaMQ-bOH3rOfVS1AmVEhxfCdjDVjDiYYS1eDphVBxI9sL8lmmvV_y-bgdmivncBRssewDPW-bPuVuqrjRKBS2Jv3Ig9xweSYLyFmQd-wwmmjejnepUtXlpISrqs5btuNl516jY/s400/1419SU-TENTALE-020I1-BKXX.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ten Tales Suspension Lamp via Lightology.com </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNd8I0ZaLxsIJc84tVSWpdXXpyrDMH3HEZzIKXZtkbNZ7ADqJbRZHKpFwA4MVK142dOZnA-C8-dNCVmzhDqhnTgf4ciYNwxFvuW2Wc8X2E6dvrvsgDkB5zJy7dEVsmP6Tv-Trr9rGVl80/s1600/1419SU-ASPARAG-018I1-WHAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNd8I0ZaLxsIJc84tVSWpdXXpyrDMH3HEZzIKXZtkbNZ7ADqJbRZHKpFwA4MVK142dOZnA-C8-dNCVmzhDqhnTgf4ciYNwxFvuW2Wc8X2E6dvrvsgDkB5zJy7dEVsmP6Tv-Trr9rGVl80/s400/1419SU-ASPARAG-018I1-WHAL.jpg" width="370" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Asparagus Pendant via Lightology.com</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzeGiWP3PwzqvRc_IeaNKk9IwFlfSqBMZ4jRXSRoEx4MUbgtGypiVbp9fwWkYWJPNY-_oY7ASAbH8T69VfOPAmhshOMqYeNnqT2cTFrhOJvWtlmjaayp71PmyxWsju1XYL4j2YUcN6Ul4/s1600/1945SU-OPIUM-015I1-BKBK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzeGiWP3PwzqvRc_IeaNKk9IwFlfSqBMZ4jRXSRoEx4MUbgtGypiVbp9fwWkYWJPNY-_oY7ASAbH8T69VfOPAmhshOMqYeNnqT2cTFrhOJvWtlmjaayp71PmyxWsju1XYL4j2YUcN6Ul4/s640/1945SU-OPIUM-015I1-BKBK.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Opium Pendant via Lightology.com</span></td></tr>
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In the living area Mish has some nice accent pieces but most of the larger elements in the space are very boxy. Since she said she wants to throw some money at this project I would suggest a new couch and two non-matching side chairs for the seating area. The chairs she has now look super comfortable but they are traditional in style and I think she would be happier with something that has clean lines. Here are some options for seating:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQIJTCfcXPxLwDMhlcjpnsBCbxxpxITWmsOdeJLwVQChKnaKV6_vQR_TaWw7qB9SQB0V46pPpcCrdYa0Uz2HwSIALGByJWOCrai7XhuoHnCrGJE5PEa3kmsKOLASbaElQOO1mek0WOn8/s1600/Gus+carmichael_sofa+2modern+dot+com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQIJTCfcXPxLwDMhlcjpnsBCbxxpxITWmsOdeJLwVQChKnaKV6_vQR_TaWw7qB9SQB0V46pPpcCrdYa0Uz2HwSIALGByJWOCrai7XhuoHnCrGJE5PEa3kmsKOLASbaElQOO1mek0WOn8/s640/Gus+carmichael_sofa+2modern+dot+com.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carmichael Sofa by Gus via 2Modern.com</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEWALdvENkdz2u_4amTwxXPHLnpC8AZWK_BkINYru4bw04Me3-u9H7wjphStAYHDR9Wubm9xe_0yDcN_NlTwqvFWDDv8sL8DWHLVW4MhUcZiTmt06EGDhwhBJR4mA58nO33qOQs74Zqs/s1600/Sabine+Sofa+-+Room+and+Board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEWALdvENkdz2u_4amTwxXPHLnpC8AZWK_BkINYru4bw04Me3-u9H7wjphStAYHDR9Wubm9xe_0yDcN_NlTwqvFWDDv8sL8DWHLVW4MhUcZiTmt06EGDhwhBJR4mA58nO33qOQs74Zqs/s640/Sabine+Sofa+-+Room+and+Board.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sabine Sofa by Room and Board</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLS8806wsL13hNDD2KN36V47ao0df_q1OZZbmX92ECmi_zJ-75fZ7y6mFs8GdyxST1KxK22eRq3XaQ8L69kf4__E9NBGn4hkXolJ-ShbDCT7PmTLk7ohJIxaIBLc9WEwuQzaJYvirXb-c/s1600/TrueModern+-+Luna+Sofa+via+2modern+dot+com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLS8806wsL13hNDD2KN36V47ao0df_q1OZZbmX92ECmi_zJ-75fZ7y6mFs8GdyxST1KxK22eRq3XaQ8L69kf4__E9NBGn4hkXolJ-ShbDCT7PmTLk7ohJIxaIBLc9WEwuQzaJYvirXb-c/s640/TrueModern+-+Luna+Sofa+via+2modern+dot+com.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Luna Sofa by </span><span style="font-size: small;">TrueModern </span><span style="font-size: small;">via 2Modern.com</span></td></tr>
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Below are some chair options. I would get two different chairs (non-matching) for each side of the sofa. When there is a lot of clean lined furniture I think this adds a more homey feel, like the pieces have been collected or salvaged over the years. A non-symmetrical/non-matching grouping will also add visual interest and draw more attention to the seating area. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfSbtQQxq0DkWeSNEJuP1JLqBVZ_5SnwLOXBLMfucYs1Eycujk9Y22Dro02PVNN0dnwcHnJVwlVOWtKyaNMiaGdUhmP1P-YTFaTGY4zYbiivRVHeBg11DFVIr0l-qfGKCgC_RckuWsLg/s1600/Room+and+Board+-+Larsen+Chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfSbtQQxq0DkWeSNEJuP1JLqBVZ_5SnwLOXBLMfucYs1Eycujk9Y22Dro02PVNN0dnwcHnJVwlVOWtKyaNMiaGdUhmP1P-YTFaTGY4zYbiivRVHeBg11DFVIr0l-qfGKCgC_RckuWsLg/s400/Room+and+Board+-+Larsen+Chair.jpg" width="361" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Larsen Chair by Room and Board</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kMLDNKtriYwgcXCIVcAeEl7t_tK0kMR32FopO6NZAaw9b4Re9mzrW1UXMMuS80PzuSsUVVh91oE-Qj3mOKeciEeu8JWv__5HJBQhBpKjzp12KAtsJimHhzmg2HZWC9U1hEAaKBBsGBA/s1600/Ryder+Rocking+Chair+-+West+Elm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kMLDNKtriYwgcXCIVcAeEl7t_tK0kMR32FopO6NZAaw9b4Re9mzrW1UXMMuS80PzuSsUVVh91oE-Qj3mOKeciEeu8JWv__5HJBQhBpKjzp12KAtsJimHhzmg2HZWC9U1hEAaKBBsGBA/s400/Ryder+Rocking+Chair+-+West+Elm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ryder Rocking Chair - West Elm</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqWbC1F-G3mntpnbL_-lYKwdEmTo28Q3g7KxB_Nh3nfq8m1TGgWG-x0kAFq7pkrRt8BNQDYrR8v7DGMQm8vbOuiI_W3x01lkegiAn95HG5rzEedk9QflagmZiC2urEeawzKH4d2HQBIk/s1600/Gus+Modern+-+GT+Rocker+2modern+dot+com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqWbC1F-G3mntpnbL_-lYKwdEmTo28Q3g7KxB_Nh3nfq8m1TGgWG-x0kAFq7pkrRt8BNQDYrR8v7DGMQm8vbOuiI_W3x01lkegiAn95HG5rzEedk9QflagmZiC2urEeawzKH4d2HQBIk/s400/Gus+Modern+-+GT+Rocker+2modern+dot+com.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">GT Rocker - Gus via 2Modern</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JjzJBnUw50Y1a7fKCi_MG31WB7nbRsbkapoT2Qy7cZYGJOOidzHIBdV8zR0BENw6OX93x8NSk_PZ6soLW9XNcrDp_bREe6eERAtlDBCXzJLs0rVMZHeD-6JD5wtsynZELfTxh9vz_f4/s1600/Bliss+Chair-and-a-Half+by+West+Elm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JjzJBnUw50Y1a7fKCi_MG31WB7nbRsbkapoT2Qy7cZYGJOOidzHIBdV8zR0BENw6OX93x8NSk_PZ6soLW9XNcrDp_bREe6eERAtlDBCXzJLs0rVMZHeD-6JD5wtsynZELfTxh9vz_f4/s400/Bliss+Chair-and-a-Half+by+West+Elm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bliss Chair-and-a-Half by West Elm</span></td></tr>
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<br />
Then I would add a new rug, colorful pillows, and a throw for the couch. In my experience rug selection can be polarizing and depends a lot on personal taste. So here are some modern options to mix and match with. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQYJgaNJUCFO0fh0Otr41hPBEHG6zp39QIWItP95XvN7tdrL9IPenS8IsZ_JsJGVXwzORFWVaz6-8Qjpim8dq2iNV_vyvfpJkapecLsljSxIL6-_8tbOXsK_-hrhFsO46Johlt7yjwIE/s1600/Istanbul+Rug+-+West+Elm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQYJgaNJUCFO0fh0Otr41hPBEHG6zp39QIWItP95XvN7tdrL9IPenS8IsZ_JsJGVXwzORFWVaz6-8Qjpim8dq2iNV_vyvfpJkapecLsljSxIL6-_8tbOXsK_-hrhFsO46Johlt7yjwIE/s400/Istanbul+Rug+-+West+Elm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Istanbul Rug by West Elm</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmu1kjEmISK0P7TXQlJxPXir-I2mOyu9Gxvo48O1wO0smJjAJWLInLnwyy6XiM-ylZXs_Ab8OZCkwd6v8Or7E1vZUCia1LCTCw_Z3_gmkxTMgUzTJaYcgddJmqTAhM4DEez57hG0-PCUI/s1600/Thom+Filicia+-+Griffith+Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmu1kjEmISK0P7TXQlJxPXir-I2mOyu9Gxvo48O1wO0smJjAJWLInLnwyy6XiM-ylZXs_Ab8OZCkwd6v8Or7E1vZUCia1LCTCw_Z3_gmkxTMgUzTJaYcgddJmqTAhM4DEez57hG0-PCUI/s400/Thom+Filicia+-+Griffith+Park.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Griffith Park by </span><span style="font-size: small;">Thom Filicia </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9H3PakLoEsnF_ngghxAQnMwFG46POrjhM15vKzQEnIuZCLvOPcKYXhw5SIJNvd0Q8I0P8Oq18L1qE5AYK1PAmv3VQzIn6otXSiI9dyvxxIiULZNQcE1q_YuH9ZYDZxg90gfnuVKpHA1g/s1600/Lauren+RL+-+Beckett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9H3PakLoEsnF_ngghxAQnMwFG46POrjhM15vKzQEnIuZCLvOPcKYXhw5SIJNvd0Q8I0P8Oq18L1qE5AYK1PAmv3VQzIn6otXSiI9dyvxxIiULZNQcE1q_YuH9ZYDZxg90gfnuVKpHA1g/s400/Lauren+RL+-+Beckett.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Beckett Rug by </span><span style="font-size: small;">Lauren RL </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib__9eYwYj79Vu_SkqJ-NfK0AjVEyn1lmusvG_xMumGkqY4tTJ7PE6a5VWcG-PJZZNBKrupxO2lBM7unhDKzIM50D1ygPonow83kQG2ziGTC-ZV-ySkPazSjVVXTYNflj9SQh9iNW3gVo/s1600/Horchow+-+Ikat+Blue+Oushak+Rug.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib__9eYwYj79Vu_SkqJ-NfK0AjVEyn1lmusvG_xMumGkqY4tTJ7PE6a5VWcG-PJZZNBKrupxO2lBM7unhDKzIM50D1ygPonow83kQG2ziGTC-ZV-ySkPazSjVVXTYNflj9SQh9iNW3gVo/s640/Horchow+-+Ikat+Blue+Oushak+Rug.JPG" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I almost didn't include this one. Ikat is really in right now but Mish said she doesn't like anything trying too hard so trendy might not be her thing. I decided to add it because the colors are wonderful (especially for her space) and I like the movement in the pattern. The rug is called Ikat Blue Oushak via Horchow</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Here are some pillow ideas for the couch and chairs. Bold, graphic, and geometric.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUBjiHvClnVzf2hsQCPgFdzMoxkdCEMyELCYBcAWBnpZjB8CeQcGiiEpo2XP-u0k50FJvs6N00wZ5Gjwn1M1gGaCc3dTAMUW7tvd1sdy44YLkCb3SxvR4EnXN1-IEsxBXGYpP5aa3o3s/s1600/Horchow+-+Square+Feathers+Geometric+Pillows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUBjiHvClnVzf2hsQCPgFdzMoxkdCEMyELCYBcAWBnpZjB8CeQcGiiEpo2XP-u0k50FJvs6N00wZ5Gjwn1M1gGaCc3dTAMUW7tvd1sdy44YLkCb3SxvR4EnXN1-IEsxBXGYpP5aa3o3s/s400/Horchow+-+Square+Feathers+Geometric+Pillows.JPG" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pillows via the Square Feathers Geometric collection from Horchow</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VQPaEQi-vZsMsC10hJYodVFIafKiWTZ8GrFgucaF-kmFPR1AMKdKs6LN5GL9YvAKzxGUdJJGxjTx7kGNu59m9upsFZ1qqoSurkP1wJwF_uYUd7jbBG50EYuSgIygs6evdR34fRw64QY/s1600/Inhabit+-+Since+When+Pillow+via+2modern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VQPaEQi-vZsMsC10hJYodVFIafKiWTZ8GrFgucaF-kmFPR1AMKdKs6LN5GL9YvAKzxGUdJJGxjTx7kGNu59m9upsFZ1qqoSurkP1wJwF_uYUd7jbBG50EYuSgIygs6evdR34fRw64QY/s400/Inhabit+-+Since+When+Pillow+via+2modern.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since When Pillow by </span><span style="font-size: small;">Inhabit </span><span style="font-size: small;">via 2Modern</span></td></tr>
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</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6h1B-ufC6QXRobGjzVguld2eMLh_EnX46wLRjpNM5iezAnLm9e61bgWzELw89MZMgKSYtBkCEJwMLhpt3RfVfS9-nGZvxof9JuV1PQ-AFfdYscnyRGup_tpDWCAvMZ1u3CmQ-FVdJgUc/s1600/emma+at+home+-+Whole+Baby+Fish+Pillow+via+2modern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6h1B-ufC6QXRobGjzVguld2eMLh_EnX46wLRjpNM5iezAnLm9e61bgWzELw89MZMgKSYtBkCEJwMLhpt3RfVfS9-nGZvxof9JuV1PQ-AFfdYscnyRGup_tpDWCAvMZ1u3CmQ-FVdJgUc/s400/emma+at+home+-+Whole+Baby+Fish+Pillow+via+2modern.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whole Baby Fish Pillow by Emma at Home via 2Modern</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdGWN8RLofK-XEZJP_Jyr-sZFLc3dAvQJ9qSfszoqI0aiTfwheYmJBc59qRYczQCR5h_rHYNkrI6q9ASAz_ne5DHDOc276rFrCttbjkjiROW-ppjj-b1unpTGt5D67hixofxMpt2IcsU/s1600/Aimee+Wilder+-+Analog+Nights+Pillow+via+2+modern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdGWN8RLofK-XEZJP_Jyr-sZFLc3dAvQJ9qSfszoqI0aiTfwheYmJBc59qRYczQCR5h_rHYNkrI6q9ASAz_ne5DHDOc276rFrCttbjkjiROW-ppjj-b1unpTGt5D67hixofxMpt2IcsU/s400/Aimee+Wilder+-+Analog+Nights+Pillow+via+2+modern.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Analog Nights Pillow by </span><span style="font-size: small;">Aimee Wilder </span></td></tr>
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</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nAQfuKLf85hXJSKjhATsQnU6OVIdzu5Q0XK6JU3Mmpe0BlzB4FqSkK532nxVLCiDaVT-IHlTu0HxUj5WvEjnckYx3Eosm-ntVYMasO02Cf8hflmHOq_cF-n16lMIU0RCPird182SCbQ/s1600/Horchow+-+Yellow+&+Gray+Pillows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nAQfuKLf85hXJSKjhATsQnU6OVIdzu5Q0XK6JU3Mmpe0BlzB4FqSkK532nxVLCiDaVT-IHlTu0HxUj5WvEjnckYx3Eosm-ntVYMasO02Cf8hflmHOq_cF-n16lMIU0RCPird182SCbQ/s400/Horchow+-+Yellow+&+Gray+Pillows.JPG" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yellow and Gray pillow collection via Horchow</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
She might also want to get some felt baskets or similar storage solution to put in the open spaces of the entertainment/shelving unit. For a modern space it's especially important to keep clutter to a minimum and there are some great options for storage bins.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvy_rvakk0iRKNJVMnewu_2DIzL1B6BFhRJqqhvcHPfWVosOSx_zqJTutbFgX2-dRxPNDGT0LV-IHhHwA-5LBvFMgp3f3qS9lVWcFsn361rj2oRfDZD1J1nR6WWTnJoK-UZUhabyarps/s1600/CB2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvy_rvakk0iRKNJVMnewu_2DIzL1B6BFhRJqqhvcHPfWVosOSx_zqJTutbFgX2-dRxPNDGT0LV-IHhHwA-5LBvFMgp3f3qS9lVWcFsn361rj2oRfDZD1J1nR6WWTnJoK-UZUhabyarps/s640/CB2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Example of boxes used as a storage solution from CB2</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08HP8cb4LNkMdtMWP_-dHX5Rza3LdaL2MEp5PzegJx7517a2gjyKK6Xc7a6BmXyQpRjpDhxXd-_PNjfldzMDF2JQ5bCONIXGednF39VMtNNiDthB3Hxqb-jnco5r5htZsGUYSmHEaaKg/s1600/FormatStorageBoxSmoke+-+CB2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08HP8cb4LNkMdtMWP_-dHX5Rza3LdaL2MEp5PzegJx7517a2gjyKK6Xc7a6BmXyQpRjpDhxXd-_PNjfldzMDF2JQ5bCONIXGednF39VMtNNiDthB3Hxqb-jnco5r5htZsGUYSmHEaaKg/s320/FormatStorageBoxSmoke+-+CB2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Format Storage Box in Smoke by CB2 (seen in previous photo also in red)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdPe96BeoCAFbqbiJcMOiiXTFB9R0jE5SVZ5UxXSJvyu6AfDomQlnPL8uOE_SBY4PVJsuO762VZJ1mI4cxAZyB7ypVR2D-XhnXwI2Ec_WASSrjqaYD0hAqEF2aZRtdm9wf4_mkNrY_aw/s1600/FeltFileBox+-+CB2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdPe96BeoCAFbqbiJcMOiiXTFB9R0jE5SVZ5UxXSJvyu6AfDomQlnPL8uOE_SBY4PVJsuO762VZJ1mI4cxAZyB7ypVR2D-XhnXwI2Ec_WASSrjqaYD0hAqEF2aZRtdm9wf4_mkNrY_aw/s320/FeltFileBox+-+CB2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Felt File Box by CB2</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Lastly, for the bedroom I would recommend updating her linens. There are a lot of great options available. Below is one collection by West Elm that I think integrates well with the rest of the apartment. Its simple, clean, and relaxing.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7dZsV8cSKScFqCMuFvs7yKzIA58DNSWDP3-jY1EacNX8H9AVR99SBAWa2hb8R0McAOPvW27UfJsLB5niCSM5zoV8PA6N5MX6ypYTLYRys6Eo2-8mKzGpMljBLCDxrgRMZhn5b4r6qCQ/s1600/West+Elm+Dark+Luxe+Linen+Look.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7dZsV8cSKScFqCMuFvs7yKzIA58DNSWDP3-jY1EacNX8H9AVR99SBAWa2hb8R0McAOPvW27UfJsLB5niCSM5zoV8PA6N5MX6ypYTLYRys6Eo2-8mKzGpMljBLCDxrgRMZhn5b4r6qCQ/s400/West+Elm+Dark+Luxe+Linen+Look.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dark Luxe Linen collection by West Elm</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142419332606079400.post-79788142408191996902012-04-25T20:04:00.000-05:002012-04-28T20:04:58.089-05:00Finding Inspiration - Secret SpacesAfter the broken pipe debacle my husband quickly lost his enthusiasm for renovating. The water damage significantly expanded the scope of our job and we both felt overwhelmed. While I was seeing new possibilities, he was envisioning a slippery slope of cost and hassle. <br />
<br />
Fortunately, while channel surfing one day he found a special on HGTV called Secret Spaces. It featured the designs of "Creative Home Engineering" a company that specializes in secret passages and hidden doors. Below is a sampling of their work.<br />
You can find their website at http://hiddenpassageway.com/ <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganvKePtbnWJ2B_-G4ZAhPtW_7VOTVHRHrEE9qnIrJQs52lK6_icbJcnw8jqyAY0pqft-86UNqgNTXvea_X8JeyXz3cogGzoqVQROFBNP58Fa80a-iV19vk_hFUkFgSdE780ZOCt3DYF4/s1600/creative+home+engineering+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganvKePtbnWJ2B_-G4ZAhPtW_7VOTVHRHrEE9qnIrJQs52lK6_icbJcnw8jqyAY0pqft-86UNqgNTXvea_X8JeyXz3cogGzoqVQROFBNP58Fa80a-iV19vk_hFUkFgSdE780ZOCt3DYF4/s640/creative+home+engineering+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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There were a lot of "oohs and ahhs" over the hidden doors and their various means of entry. One was opened via radio frequency transmission when certain chess pieces were aligned on a chess board. Others had a simple hidden latch or like the staircase above a simple key fob. My favorite has always been the bookcase that opens when you pull down a certain book.<br />
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Suddenly my husband was excited about the project again. The brainstorming began on where we could add a room that would be concealed enough to be a "secret". It was important to him that a stranger walking through the house would not be able to tell where the hidden door and room were. After all, that's what makes the whole thing so intriguing right? Eventually we did work out the details to make his inspiration a reality in our home. You'll have to wait to see it until it's fully executed - no use ruining the surprise before then! <br />
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So I guess the moral of this story is that inspiration can come unexpectedly. It's easy to lose perspective on any problem by focusing in on it too closely. If your feeling burned out or are stuck with your project just take some mental time away from it. When you have had a chance to put your own concerns aside you may just find the solution you were lacking. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142419332606079400.post-30278062253801556972012-04-23T20:43:00.000-05:002012-04-23T20:43:54.281-05:00Where's an Ark when you need one?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our first catastrophe happened about three months after we purchased the house. That winter was particularly cold in Chicago, a bad sign for a vacant building. We were out of state visiting family for Christmas when the temperature dropped into the negative digits. Our poor dilapidated old furnace couldn't keep up and burned itself out. Of course, the pipes froze and broke. When the city started to thaw out a few days later the water started to run. Maybe run isn't the best word. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We first knew something was wrong when we walked up to the back door and heard a whooshing noise through the wall. Once we opened the door the whoosh became more of a roar. I remember cringing when I stepped through the door and holding my breath waiting for the worst. Sure enough, peaking around the corner revealed a river of water flowing into our sewer grate (lucky we had that huh?). It was one of those "oh <span class="st"><em>expletive</em></span>" moments. If you have never seen a house flooded because of a broken pipe then let me tell you that it leaves you absolutely stunned. There was somewhere between a twelve and eighteen inches of water moving from the front of the basement to the back and it was originating from what in another setting would have been a truly magnificent waterfall. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Now at the time I was too upset and panicked to think of taking any photos. As first time home owners, this wasn't exactly something we were prepared for. So for documentary purposes, I have photoshopped together my best approximation of what our little flood looked like. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM85dNZP-vnAG7lSxQSBG5EBczpOQJ8YpSTSjDNU5Y72ZYGeFvlo74SOT6NVi5V3O4sbHlwX8fZ9g4kUYn01SsCpqlVaMffy-L8JvxVuKXeiE-TXIpFSzlxEdrTUzwMopndtMDwkLiKUI/s1600/Flooded_Basement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM85dNZP-vnAG7lSxQSBG5EBczpOQJ8YpSTSjDNU5Y72ZYGeFvlo74SOT6NVi5V3O4sbHlwX8fZ9g4kUYn01SsCpqlVaMffy-L8JvxVuKXeiE-TXIpFSzlxEdrTUzwMopndtMDwkLiKUI/s640/Flooded_Basement.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Impressive right?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>After finally getting the water shut off again we let the house drain as much as possible. It was a disaster zone. All of the asbestos had been soaked and come loose from the pipes, ceiling and floor so there were some major health hazards. The plaster walls were also destroyed. Below is a photo taken by our cleanup crew during their inspection that shows the condition of the wood flooring after the flood. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio362sjdd84OEjnbqF0YozlOBO7QLYi7HQwzm9n7pxQxU8Jn9mDqbB1a79vN0rhikBUjuUrYo8cq5Lwq1N3gJLvOSeF7G2xid0hM6-TRz-SchkTo_ohhn4Av4wtTnt_5Yln7h5nTNzuis/s1600/Cairo+Floor+after+flood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio362sjdd84OEjnbqF0YozlOBO7QLYi7HQwzm9n7pxQxU8Jn9mDqbB1a79vN0rhikBUjuUrYo8cq5Lwq1N3gJLvOSeF7G2xid0hM6-TRz-SchkTo_ohhn4Av4wtTnt_5Yln7h5nTNzuis/s640/Cairo+Floor+after+flood.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, after all of our initial good intentions at saving the original floors, walls, and as much character as possible - it turned out we couldn't save any of it. Our renovation project just became a gut job. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142419332606079400.post-17591779234447999772012-04-20T09:36:00.000-05:002012-04-20T00:51:36.303-05:00Inspiration - Rooms for SunningIn my previous post I talked about how one of my must haves for the home renovation was adding a sunroom looking out into the back yard. Here are some of the rooms that inspired me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjLVHrgWSbYiVFd5VGXqr_8vbKNruKLhz_3rgY-YCgMGgHPMhVU7Gal4g_DAS_hoosL8BMB3RRdasjG1p4pfF8G3zbCJkg1zoWiKeVbhGFVsCQBuREfNGgNCBoUiAQvJYToxQ0VgwUeU/s1600/25+beautiful+homes+mag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjLVHrgWSbYiVFd5VGXqr_8vbKNruKLhz_3rgY-YCgMGgHPMhVU7Gal4g_DAS_hoosL8BMB3RRdasjG1p4pfF8G3zbCJkg1zoWiKeVbhGFVsCQBuREfNGgNCBoUiAQvJYToxQ0VgwUeU/s640/25+beautiful+homes+mag.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: 25 Beautiful Homes Magazine</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2NrsYx5DlfrY3TAhta73t6VbvXPVZ95zrUluhirxKJB1-Jg5HlQ8Qnig31ruJvZagG3-JLJxr6Z8nRAJjS4lkyG12kMnWrKh0XmSUxlpr3vmWOJ8I5luwYIs9F4ZtMRUkNT9S76XcLI/s1600/unknown+via+decorpad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2NrsYx5DlfrY3TAhta73t6VbvXPVZ95zrUluhirxKJB1-Jg5HlQ8Qnig31ruJvZagG3-JLJxr6Z8nRAJjS4lkyG12kMnWrKh0XmSUxlpr3vmWOJ8I5luwYIs9F4ZtMRUkNT9S76XcLI/s640/unknown+via+decorpad.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: unknown via Decorpad</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLwPWzHN_0YQW9kDSG1Acv0LoQ2955OFaXhrTZ-AXMBQrjgA-PyRN_9CtDkZqoS9o2f2YUioZvsi5QHJHFiyrhRc4TjxB9KTVSnWIlH4iUL2tSGzyKLiTJPNfLOnbbiZydRthWgH5lTw/s1600/Massucco+Warner+Miller+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLwPWzHN_0YQW9kDSG1Acv0LoQ2955OFaXhrTZ-AXMBQrjgA-PyRN_9CtDkZqoS9o2f2YUioZvsi5QHJHFiyrhRc4TjxB9KTVSnWIlH4iUL2tSGzyKLiTJPNfLOnbbiZydRthWgH5lTw/s640/Massucco+Warner+Miller+4.jpg" width="538" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Massucco Warner Miller</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dtlrHy0SSeEIz1k-mTVvTTpdwngmm9UhHgjssz3P2s96jocNYgGdpZOSvgxzObLzS0p926T8z147wqRhLNOC1j1L5YU3a7cNc_QYSyFxbf07FpPTgjbyqBfmnh9GBQNSOS_JdVto8gQ/s1600/Turner+Davis+Interiors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dtlrHy0SSeEIz1k-mTVvTTpdwngmm9UhHgjssz3P2s96jocNYgGdpZOSvgxzObLzS0p926T8z147wqRhLNOC1j1L5YU3a7cNc_QYSyFxbf07FpPTgjbyqBfmnh9GBQNSOS_JdVto8gQ/s640/Turner+Davis+Interiors.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Turner Davis Interiors</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXb20neVmULHDLvrdXe5QJJuVGSqzsVwgltBeoV5E_a2akXsvsgp1noODg7J92sa5Qs98FL_hJzjtIvB4z9w-CemlJORkAdncks0yrQrG4heEZ6YpbafYhG8EEgFqFw3VRqJ_dyslhmg/s1600/timothy-whealon-monte-carlo-house-08-conservatory-h670-wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXb20neVmULHDLvrdXe5QJJuVGSqzsVwgltBeoV5E_a2akXsvsgp1noODg7J92sa5Qs98FL_hJzjtIvB4z9w-CemlJORkAdncks0yrQrG4heEZ6YpbafYhG8EEgFqFw3VRqJ_dyslhmg/s640/timothy-whealon-monte-carlo-house-08-conservatory-h670-wm.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Timothy Whealon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0NST9L_q5eObwbyqX9s8LYi6ZnY3sMQcdBeIhyMcjoUMUMBSF72FDALKTzlqJIVfJBMMhxdfQP8ZRlO5Yo0MRAciRVsA6dyS81nQGTzKQeRcLOGVs_4qvQjv5fjI1bToItqFPDgvQ0Y/s1600/country+homes+and+interiors+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0NST9L_q5eObwbyqX9s8LYi6ZnY3sMQcdBeIhyMcjoUMUMBSF72FDALKTzlqJIVfJBMMhxdfQP8ZRlO5Yo0MRAciRVsA6dyS81nQGTzKQeRcLOGVs_4qvQjv5fjI1bToItqFPDgvQ0Y/s640/country+homes+and+interiors+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Country Homes and Interiors Magazine</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVmy8AqMqPyUtrmvw2d_oTWDM8z9jKGzvXLbhFUzbSRjMtXPsZQQlkMqjxS9CZR-Zq_LHkTsgqnL0Z8wT2180YrIHjJJz1-olB6o7TjWgllMzFHaR3fHNnXG6ysDj67DDCz2wTmadZRAA/s1600/meridith+baer+spanish+style+house+living+room+beamed+ceiling+white+sofas+garden+view+fireplace+orchids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVmy8AqMqPyUtrmvw2d_oTWDM8z9jKGzvXLbhFUzbSRjMtXPsZQQlkMqjxS9CZR-Zq_LHkTsgqnL0Z8wT2180YrIHjJJz1-olB6o7TjWgllMzFHaR3fHNnXG6ysDj67DDCz2wTmadZRAA/s640/meridith+baer+spanish+style+house+living+room+beamed+ceiling+white+sofas+garden+view+fireplace+orchids.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Meridith Baer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bEf5TaXY90ZhJ-Ru1I9jhysAMS3Vul_5hpj7RcvCNc-Z4VKtEb7XCeJvEkuIMMxASrGToiLzApsq-ZlGzmhFnfa0m_38LrZs6IRyBIfjbfSkW-Sd31N94WEYIWbqWAuWnF77tIhdeR4/s1600/tumblr_l572zah8Wr1qb83abo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bEf5TaXY90ZhJ-Ru1I9jhysAMS3Vul_5hpj7RcvCNc-Z4VKtEb7XCeJvEkuIMMxASrGToiLzApsq-ZlGzmhFnfa0m_38LrZs6IRyBIfjbfSkW-Sd31N94WEYIWbqWAuWnF77tIhdeR4/s640/tumblr_l572zah8Wr1qb83abo1_500.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: unknown source via tumblr</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVI2XWvURvD2-bfw6EQMThKBQg9oGe9G9v1Z_uoZH_HTs_cNWb53jh1FO20dO-nJyDBotGvs33ZHMyS6tmfbDdqEZByFAkqIUhWhEbnpBT0zJMBQ5YVXDqinfusFPn8hlyusPtdXJsoc/s1600/Shelton+Mindel+&+Associates+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVI2XWvURvD2-bfw6EQMThKBQg9oGe9G9v1Z_uoZH_HTs_cNWb53jh1FO20dO-nJyDBotGvs33ZHMyS6tmfbDdqEZByFAkqIUhWhEbnpBT0zJMBQ5YVXDqinfusFPn8hlyusPtdXJsoc/s640/Shelton+Mindel+&+Associates+4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Shelton Mindel & Associates</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiRk56PX_PYBmgRqhiyuFf2kDx_EQe-sJs0FvDLZK6VxEfFgn9Xmadd2jyDYZcpPwI6UHV0DKYmmmuw-QTavUjjv7I5xY1T2m0c8xAe4wuN8lu9V-PEBrdYHVJUWWqG8ygqcy4TAQKpg/s1600/Drake+Design+Associates+-+Fairfield+Residence.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiRk56PX_PYBmgRqhiyuFf2kDx_EQe-sJs0FvDLZK6VxEfFgn9Xmadd2jyDYZcpPwI6UHV0DKYmmmuw-QTavUjjv7I5xY1T2m0c8xAe4wuN8lu9V-PEBrdYHVJUWWqG8ygqcy4TAQKpg/s640/Drake+Design+Associates+-+Fairfield+Residence.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Drake Design Associates</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexUYOt1d_x1RnCLjuXb38I7r3-JoQLHsNHpZl3IB5QV0z1Psl2seg4EPgENSv_Sat7QI5onDF5lkEK9daSjHQ1yTl8DQ-8RCvWCtolUuvrSqCIiut59Zc_Qa4qgjvoBO5bvYrUZOJNyM/s1600/Tim+Street-Porter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexUYOt1d_x1RnCLjuXb38I7r3-JoQLHsNHpZl3IB5QV0z1Psl2seg4EPgENSv_Sat7QI5onDF5lkEK9daSjHQ1yTl8DQ-8RCvWCtolUuvrSqCIiut59Zc_Qa4qgjvoBO5bvYrUZOJNyM/s640/Tim+Street-Porter.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Tim Street-Porter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi424JdZW7KQgdfZ7uRIiXMtUui1XZpfXlcvujap11ta-57tZj-FnWK5GiewKDt9eXEn9HpUfoIa_ZTycyoteyFndVKXZef4NLOlJrQjEewjtQ_Plm8UuEDeYn9AB9Xqxaba1ID2Sfm_d4/s1600/003298_HPG_Greeves_smg_034714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi424JdZW7KQgdfZ7uRIiXMtUui1XZpfXlcvujap11ta-57tZj-FnWK5GiewKDt9eXEn9HpUfoIa_ZTycyoteyFndVKXZef4NLOlJrQjEewjtQ_Plm8UuEDeYn9AB9Xqxaba1ID2Sfm_d4/s640/003298_HPG_Greeves_smg_034714.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: unknown source</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Oz1VN9pDesJQNQDiDj68HW2EvMMazyK0Ujq6R4BDMiTfuPDEiMmoNexd0fKpWktkNYNuuzQcnxZuGc6-ghCDFJ57_D7xs5w9HSwLRzMkKuukz4lC0r64iw5k6CDh8BBxeUQ1FdZ4XiE/s1600/ar1009019_1500x1500_Portfolio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Oz1VN9pDesJQNQDiDj68HW2EvMMazyK0Ujq6R4BDMiTfuPDEiMmoNexd0fKpWktkNYNuuzQcnxZuGc6-ghCDFJ57_D7xs5w9HSwLRzMkKuukz4lC0r64iw5k6CDh8BBxeUQ1FdZ4XiE/s640/ar1009019_1500x1500_Portfolio.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: unknown source</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58RCgRL1VhGxhttxz2RGlQu286_wGSgydNuCPNflX4UMicCPcFMCn8uEMMPQzctg57Ql2IHaXsffmzAgph7VKNCBd5MOLYI1DyC3N49QaM_2zHgZknIRTfkTtxTs5UiRObUrLOiikFbg/s1600/5452736261_afbff977cf_b%5B1%5D%5B3%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58RCgRL1VhGxhttxz2RGlQu286_wGSgydNuCPNflX4UMicCPcFMCn8uEMMPQzctg57Ql2IHaXsffmzAgph7VKNCBd5MOLYI1DyC3N49QaM_2zHgZknIRTfkTtxTs5UiRObUrLOiikFbg/s640/5452736261_afbff977cf_b%5B1%5D%5B3%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: unknown source</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH199SKxuYEuUhdVc8V3SKhVs8j2KJlVqdY04PEjQGIzzFzAO-p5eN1YSOAhnXHQkg4BpQFAvCDPQy4hc1vvt4nr3B9ZV-EcdvlF5HBVnqGNVZt3vPdfCO0gJt698pC8STM2Clj_6Jp_Q/s1600/Kara+Mann+Website.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH199SKxuYEuUhdVc8V3SKhVs8j2KJlVqdY04PEjQGIzzFzAO-p5eN1YSOAhnXHQkg4BpQFAvCDPQy4hc1vvt4nr3B9ZV-EcdvlF5HBVnqGNVZt3vPdfCO0gJt698pC8STM2Clj_6Jp_Q/s640/Kara+Mann+Website.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Kara Mann</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142419332606079400.post-66885303268214141102012-04-19T15:25:00.000-05:002012-04-20T00:52:53.734-05:00Space Planning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first order of business when planning a renovation is space planning. I love this phase because it's the time to toss all those crazy ridiculous sounding dreams into a pot, stir it around and see what you've got. At this point your house could be anything. If you have a good imagination and a vision for your home this becomes a very exciting time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First you have to decide how much of a change you want or need to make. Do you plan on just refinishing your floors and knocking out the wall between your kitchen and dining room? Or do you want a full gut of the home and a brand new floor plan? Depending on the answers, your space planning may turn out to be very simple or very complex. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>A quick side note. Many people don't really understand what the term "gut rehab" means. I see real estate listings and advertising all the time that says "Gut Rehab - all new kitchen" but in fact the only new things are the cabinets and appliances. That isn't a gut, that's an update. I know update doesn't sound as impressive but using the wrong term is misleading. A gut rehab means that you take out the guts of the house; the plumbing, heating, AC, electrical wiring, and the old walls all get replaced or updated. Makes sense right? Ok now back to the fun stuff.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In our case, we knew that we wanted to change this building from two apartments into a single family home. That meant moving the stairs, changing the entry, getting rid of the second kitchen, and changing around the general layout. We weren't planning on a full gut, but with all of the problems in the home we knew our project would be on rather large. We also knew we wanted to add a third floor and finish the basement. We had talked a little with our architect about how we like to spend our time at home and what types of spaces we would like to have in the house. Below are the sketches from his preliminary space planning attempts. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRTeP7YT-qTS39JeKe4IxRB5PG-_5OIP9pLjHgmdJC1DRVmnmzWFs7Sk5qCuEz9rVcwuUn5y_HYOBYeqfwzNbvBVlExqNaDkM1oyGUT_rs9D-1wlyysa10pqhnpcZp9BmCAezP15_pQE/s1600/Space+Plan+10001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRTeP7YT-qTS39JeKe4IxRB5PG-_5OIP9pLjHgmdJC1DRVmnmzWFs7Sk5qCuEz9rVcwuUn5y_HYOBYeqfwzNbvBVlExqNaDkM1oyGUT_rs9D-1wlyysa10pqhnpcZp9BmCAezP15_pQE/s640/Space+Plan+10001.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOYrI_kNy5vcr3u4Ngq4OxpfcjK32dh4xgt5Ky8SjMS56dbH46L5vBd2-GibfRmZFeWBHydYQ7uSD3lSF_y682HBBu5Iu7tkzWeYfeTFRYkHv3eSwmVfQVFIeV5XLeMCtjTqJNkEaVr0/s1600/Space+Plan+10002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOYrI_kNy5vcr3u4Ngq4OxpfcjK32dh4xgt5Ky8SjMS56dbH46L5vBd2-GibfRmZFeWBHydYQ7uSD3lSF_y682HBBu5Iu7tkzWeYfeTFRYkHv3eSwmVfQVFIeV5XLeMCtjTqJNkEaVr0/s640/Space+Plan+10002.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is the first option. In this case the stairways are located going across the width of the house. It kind of chops up the floor plan and separates the back of the house from the front. Below you can see option two.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLbK63MSyNTddsFTUZkFV7yxr_y9cqloja0iYPFDPviJSkQaDe-H-ldoLUX0dpGNls3SKrZ4GL5I8qpEXSKydCAqBf__-jCiSoLLqSbay3aehQ0X3BWx5XtGj3awUD7g6_oXuDsKpXXM/s1600/Space+Plan+10003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLbK63MSyNTddsFTUZkFV7yxr_y9cqloja0iYPFDPviJSkQaDe-H-ldoLUX0dpGNls3SKrZ4GL5I8qpEXSKydCAqBf__-jCiSoLLqSbay3aehQ0X3BWx5XtGj3awUD7g6_oXuDsKpXXM/s640/Space+Plan+10003.jpg" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Cllb5jpsOPYUCWPOoVv2wahqIsYrHp6mzepopY5G_bl_9IRVeEEl0AVNkVlddVCACOANNf615Q6IoYWZF6UtI-OCRkd1Do_rY2TOqjWnecNwcwqpBBYgLhpchW1HHREFad5IgrX61rs/s1600/Space+Plan+10004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Cllb5jpsOPYUCWPOoVv2wahqIsYrHp6mzepopY5G_bl_9IRVeEEl0AVNkVlddVCACOANNf615Q6IoYWZF6UtI-OCRkd1Do_rY2TOqjWnecNwcwqpBBYgLhpchW1HHREFad5IgrX61rs/s640/Space+Plan+10004.jpg" width="540" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In option two, the staircases are moved off to the west side of the building. We decided to use this stair location because it really opens up the space and allows for greater flexibility with the floorplan. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Interestingly, of the above plans, the only floor where the room sizes and locations stayed relatively the same was the second floor. The basement, first floor, and third floor all changed dramatically due to our predictions of how our lifestyle would translate to the space. For example, my husband does not see the point of having a formal living room. So as a compromise we decided to shrink down the living room space and to make it more of a library/sitting room. One of my wishes was for a sunroom with lots of windows looking out into the back yard. Since the existing back porch (used in the above plans) was in bad condition we decided to tear it down and expand the footprint of the sunroom which would serve as an informal living room on the first floor. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some spaces needed to be changed for practical reasons. For example, having the laundry room in the basement did not seem utilitarian to me. I don't want to lug all of my clothes down three flights of stair in order to wash them (as an apartment dweller I have already had this experience and it's not fun). So in my case, the second floor becomes the best place for a laundry room. Another example of practical planning was the expansion of the kitchen area. I come from a family of serious cooks and one look at the little kitchen in the above plans convinced me that we needed to allocate more space for cooking. We decided to annex the dining room space shown above as a kitchen expansion and relocated the dining room into the extra space left over from shrinking the living room. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My space planning advice for other renovators is this: think creatively and make the choices that will work best for your lifestyle. Make a list of must haves and prioritize your other wants and needs. When in doubt, think about whether your decision will add value to your home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142419332606079400.post-11039718454464525172012-04-18T19:08:00.003-05:002012-04-20T01:14:58.424-05:00Inspiration - Pops of YellowI have a HUGE library of images I have collected during this project so my hope is to share at least one "Inspiration" post a week with you.<br />
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I spent this morning and afternoon at the house talking with our contractor and one of my subs. When I stepped outside to take a break I was shocked at the bright sunshower on my porch. Trogdor (the little corgi guy in my "about this blog" photo) and I sat on the steps, soaked it up and took a few minutes to enjoy the day. So here is a great little grouping of rooms with vibrant pops of sunny yellow. Enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPbbpHqyqXkyifsEK1HdvfaYowGEmQ0zA_93p-_1u7jaRE4gRjIKcZNkl3hTkufeg3ULNbslCbfuHfm9LHqFZrwmdAhIR3y4m0kgi3wu1TKoGF7XdsY2c2bYTSKTTj1p9Dk5_DsB_EmA/s1600/Traditional+Home+Maureen+Footer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPbbpHqyqXkyifsEK1HdvfaYowGEmQ0zA_93p-_1u7jaRE4gRjIKcZNkl3hTkufeg3ULNbslCbfuHfm9LHqFZrwmdAhIR3y4m0kgi3wu1TKoGF7XdsY2c2bYTSKTTj1p9Dk5_DsB_EmA/s640/Traditional+Home+Maureen+Footer.jpg" width="446" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Maureen Footer via Traditional Home</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaw65MrKM0JPrw8lP6NF8ShZDJ08XYN48jszx_NfLroXUc9S9QvaCVaw0977BmKrl5sSg2jmOg0JuWRLQxVgK9LpRE5xanvS2jbNi3VaKz4tVG36MvKCzW10KGkByMFu4ymPnWRo_kWXc/s1600/Seldom+Scene+Interiors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaw65MrKM0JPrw8lP6NF8ShZDJ08XYN48jszx_NfLroXUc9S9QvaCVaw0977BmKrl5sSg2jmOg0JuWRLQxVgK9LpRE5xanvS2jbNi3VaKz4tVG36MvKCzW10KGkByMFu4ymPnWRo_kWXc/s640/Seldom+Scene+Interiors.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Seldom Scene Interiors</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KEosr_xRmy4rIKO8IkQZww3g5sYUUDoCIjIidxIGN0PRtbZIDEGCKrTVWFLTNE1P-5T_6OkMn_CPcjBrQ0Uz_2UGOZhTjPumxznZP_dkiMGta6m7tm1Cn9tmcgGgBmUu8XZVimxLUAo/s1600/Echo+design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KEosr_xRmy4rIKO8IkQZww3g5sYUUDoCIjIidxIGN0PRtbZIDEGCKrTVWFLTNE1P-5T_6OkMn_CPcjBrQ0Uz_2UGOZhTjPumxznZP_dkiMGta6m7tm1Cn9tmcgGgBmUu8XZVimxLUAo/s640/Echo+design.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Echo Design</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqCtBT-Z1Iy-ThR9YgC7u5Sz4t7yYKWtVGpU9Y6RBnZEQLZdx6a5U8TJ6cCJokQ5y3ImTuG5GtZ2n4-GTE0AnKRMN8j9bFaJdFJ6FhxrKXTxwDsoRq5rCQut-jkj4Qvo4La0MW3tWEmA/s1600/Living+Etc+Mag+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqCtBT-Z1Iy-ThR9YgC7u5Sz4t7yYKWtVGpU9Y6RBnZEQLZdx6a5U8TJ6cCJokQ5y3ImTuG5GtZ2n4-GTE0AnKRMN8j9bFaJdFJ6FhxrKXTxwDsoRq5rCQut-jkj4Qvo4La0MW3tWEmA/s640/Living+Etc+Mag+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via Living Etc.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilADDVbnOovN2bI7wl5KTij7hA3oECHX_da3zX6WOkm3QB_XSa24Bkc0q3-LTKbD5mm7aZziPQZbaxQU8rPqPpt87cuO8wH2e95KO4Z9-Ze7A7FgpiNP39kIL0BjMrYQQQaRyjqnrWhbw/s1600/Pulp+Design+Studios+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilADDVbnOovN2bI7wl5KTij7hA3oECHX_da3zX6WOkm3QB_XSa24Bkc0q3-LTKbD5mm7aZziPQZbaxQU8rPqPpt87cuO8wH2e95KO4Z9-Ze7A7FgpiNP39kIL0BjMrYQQQaRyjqnrWhbw/s640/Pulp+Design+Studios+2.jpg" width="530" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Pulp Design Studios</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_80WmODm5P_Ic2je9J-VxgmP9ep0qzTJQ1j1Q8iIUPb_VXI-Qnjghl58QyeNXDsnrSlWRBDD0nyf-m6IVbY7H33jg2WsCHKkH5CgM8t0Ov7HcZb6x6LXvudqPY_wpGaNuN3BxVAaIVM/s1600/sarahs-house-+sarah+richardspm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_80WmODm5P_Ic2je9J-VxgmP9ep0qzTJQ1j1Q8iIUPb_VXI-Qnjghl58QyeNXDsnrSlWRBDD0nyf-m6IVbY7H33jg2WsCHKkH5CgM8t0Ov7HcZb6x6LXvudqPY_wpGaNuN3BxVAaIVM/s640/sarahs-house-+sarah+richardspm.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Sarah Richardson</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxz1J_PxsrwNDnPr4kX-rEhC0SxG-YE1p79D0mcLQS2YrQwajfKG_-cPK__QQCLboUZxkjV0rKFvciyaB057I9av2Hsbrqoiw5kegeWykcAWvCtSQplj1Vibm9yrStp5dUucYbk1PU50/s1600/sc00052411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxz1J_PxsrwNDnPr4kX-rEhC0SxG-YE1p79D0mcLQS2YrQwajfKG_-cPK__QQCLboUZxkjV0rKFvciyaB057I9av2Hsbrqoiw5kegeWykcAWvCtSQplj1Vibm9yrStp5dUucYbk1PU50/s640/sc00052411.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source Unknown</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkd5mHwiPeOsVkv6jEfhoY8c3IiIN_h9T1rqZpP0LZpKEwHwz2mvGrZCdnFSoNxQ0jBKQGWtqyb_5iOFI8tnI-KABKoZJ4LY3qqcYlYI_h4W_8pE-C_xbKcCnQfkF0Yb6ijmVdZMYoa4/s1600/Sally+Wheat+Interiors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkd5mHwiPeOsVkv6jEfhoY8c3IiIN_h9T1rqZpP0LZpKEwHwz2mvGrZCdnFSoNxQ0jBKQGWtqyb_5iOFI8tnI-KABKoZJ4LY3qqcYlYI_h4W_8pE-C_xbKcCnQfkF0Yb6ijmVdZMYoa4/s640/Sally+Wheat+Interiors.png" width="620" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Sally Wheat Interiors</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7dLs75PqIGLedAMX6qWVR6FHrAh3slUESDbo4B97CIOYC-h0Y0H09cQeQjOWgffoUCsxgJEeM_VIawSwZatFUg8evDBTJrhyphenhyphenKueocHBzMuh8JRU-zwfP9i9-J6BTp4_JEMHwci5lq-U/s1600/IH-wall-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7dLs75PqIGLedAMX6qWVR6FHrAh3slUESDbo4B97CIOYC-h0Y0H09cQeQjOWgffoUCsxgJEeM_VIawSwZatFUg8evDBTJrhyphenhyphenKueocHBzMuh8JRU-zwfP9i9-J6BTp4_JEMHwci5lq-U/s640/IH-wall-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">unknown source</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcsTFTb7i5ZzK5mZFIwp4ecbArfjL_G4M2yWnC6Psv-q9E3tKeid9-1gFNfpx22m8DYum5nH6oJJrbbbA2jtRrS-A4Ci4SQheljjqwjZOp_kmpLFbzlazI8dtTVcROYD3Dq2jVbbcwGM/s1600/unknown+source+via+decorpad2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcsTFTb7i5ZzK5mZFIwp4ecbArfjL_G4M2yWnC6Psv-q9E3tKeid9-1gFNfpx22m8DYum5nH6oJJrbbbA2jtRrS-A4Ci4SQheljjqwjZOp_kmpLFbzlazI8dtTVcROYD3Dq2jVbbcwGM/s640/unknown+source+via+decorpad2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">unknown source via decorpad</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNyU7dt4XkBWHfHvRHax5o6L8xWZmi30NpxAc_fIC6DMFuveALxl5cmPOpWyyND1cUHSuD4xUrM_TznWPmNq7v-E2bjBCoMYYjY9e-QDDEppXSZJAD03JNn88mK37D-sLbteBlO5T8Mo/s1600/Style+at+Home+Mag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNyU7dt4XkBWHfHvRHax5o6L8xWZmi30NpxAc_fIC6DMFuveALxl5cmPOpWyyND1cUHSuD4xUrM_TznWPmNq7v-E2bjBCoMYYjY9e-QDDEppXSZJAD03JNn88mK37D-sLbteBlO5T8Mo/s640/Style+at+Home+Mag.jpg" width="538" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Style at Home Magazine</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPQnXLWvwDT818J7J4f0hXZHP41ibDevb3f_slrBYNMSk5hmphkJtk-BVy0WDNn75gEQAsCeoDYYM6CzUjY4RGZGFgRAEEXF1_2kWemN5zAKideJsRKxCbK1buJCdH4FBZAi3H3SI36g/s1600/Rich+Brilliant+Willing+-+Interior+Design+Show+2011+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPQnXLWvwDT818J7J4f0hXZHP41ibDevb3f_slrBYNMSk5hmphkJtk-BVy0WDNn75gEQAsCeoDYYM6CzUjY4RGZGFgRAEEXF1_2kWemN5zAKideJsRKxCbK1buJCdH4FBZAi3H3SI36g/s640/Rich+Brilliant+Willing+-+Interior+Design+Show+2011+2.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Rich, Brilliant, Willing</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy35DI0l1SYOhdRRh6rIYQe5T5Ox1rRYTcszWU4A4C5rLn3wHeti1mSc50BN1AbVUhD_SafS3a7eeyUNoVRKx6gKZzkK92qJydlpHJeOwmTtNjg8uT7vTOeF5gpJJDFEqL7vBQG2RMOUk/s1600/Picture+11b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy35DI0l1SYOhdRRh6rIYQe5T5Ox1rRYTcszWU4A4C5rLn3wHeti1mSc50BN1AbVUhD_SafS3a7eeyUNoVRKx6gKZzkK92qJydlpHJeOwmTtNjg8uT7vTOeF5gpJJDFEqL7vBQG2RMOUk/s640/Picture+11b.png" width="498" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">unknown source</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CKK4UziTxT72t087ClIyIEoqYMJ0nGeu5Rhkz130oYbAxgQfhtBGMJ_t7j0qq3c-SIqj4qkl2lspITi9789N0fp18YF0gJoPpJNcQRPyCzHykBthny_fi-eAS4Ro_NUa1Ar-hVKO2oU/s1600/Caldwell+Flake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CKK4UziTxT72t087ClIyIEoqYMJ0nGeu5Rhkz130oYbAxgQfhtBGMJ_t7j0qq3c-SIqj4qkl2lspITi9789N0fp18YF0gJoPpJNcQRPyCzHykBthny_fi-eAS4Ro_NUa1Ar-hVKO2oU/s640/Caldwell+Flake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Caldwell Flake</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4P5yqQwCGIrhCJQISBHaCQ3UzsfrzH3TqzR5jG1mL88nH5pLMefDO1e2m7NRLAs_IE4mfh6RoZjusN62ZCH2ie0ae4m6aZ3V-DfcO3yK8QDlRrmvVSYAB_BWsAka-cWTa3cqUnBdTlr0/s1600/Kay+Douglass+Atlanta+Homes+and+Lifestyles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4P5yqQwCGIrhCJQISBHaCQ3UzsfrzH3TqzR5jG1mL88nH5pLMefDO1e2m7NRLAs_IE4mfh6RoZjusN62ZCH2ie0ae4m6aZ3V-DfcO3yK8QDlRrmvVSYAB_BWsAka-cWTa3cqUnBdTlr0/s640/Kay+Douglass+Atlanta+Homes+and+Lifestyles.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Kay Douglass</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggggDbCCnbDXLfwELxETKUnpU4gksHAvdMLVvDS6iw809zptGsfWynlw8PXEw63Xhcy_C6q3XvzVKdspI5-ndmeJBOPOMzMMKP0-Iy692AzZHFaehCR3mQ08GHdS0MSd574_KfbpKJgOI/s1600/Greg+Natale.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggggDbCCnbDXLfwELxETKUnpU4gksHAvdMLVvDS6iw809zptGsfWynlw8PXEw63Xhcy_C6q3XvzVKdspI5-ndmeJBOPOMzMMKP0-Iy692AzZHFaehCR3mQ08GHdS0MSd574_KfbpKJgOI/s640/Greg+Natale.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Greg Natale</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTj1ojD1H67L635Rf6j5Xyo551ZqOyIZqHDrOEUn40KXEySoc4or8F6cmMMe2Y8f9jx7hr5Nr_34-V0O-Tk49ZnMkE0nJGuotjX0Ipg9zzFmaZoPhrrD8ufb7esnI1yD01DBsrJNTZZw/s1600/Rethink+Design+Studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTj1ojD1H67L635Rf6j5Xyo551ZqOyIZqHDrOEUn40KXEySoc4or8F6cmMMe2Y8f9jx7hr5Nr_34-V0O-Tk49ZnMkE0nJGuotjX0Ipg9zzFmaZoPhrrD8ufb7esnI1yD01DBsrJNTZZw/s640/Rethink+Design+Studio.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Rethink Design Studio</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosc7ITPAySe3r_shINp80WBObQaTTb8M_F2UYVNM24gI5YQ7JRMQCZ-w5LVUSHsZntlLSAjzeTjZchBWK5Iy3f3nsnK0C86Oaa1ixPv3QyHsBVj4SC46-XK4fnlJ-FyNMfRvZoGuUq-Q/s1600/Storm+Interiors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosc7ITPAySe3r_shINp80WBObQaTTb8M_F2UYVNM24gI5YQ7JRMQCZ-w5LVUSHsZntlLSAjzeTjZchBWK5Iy3f3nsnK0C86Oaa1ixPv3QyHsBVj4SC46-XK4fnlJ-FyNMfRvZoGuUq-Q/s640/Storm+Interiors.jpg" width="442" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Storm Interiors</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_102181172"></span><span id="goog_102181173"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142419332606079400.post-76887636697202784912012-04-17T09:00:00.000-05:002012-04-17T01:30:47.083-05:00Meet the Money Pit - Part 2In part one of Meet the Money Pit, you got to see the first floor of our house at the time we purchased it. Complete with termites, asbestos, mold, rot, and water leaks the place was begging for either a full scale renovation or for a developer to come in and knock it down. In part two we will look at the second floor and the basement.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5ZnfDNwV2FOjM5u4FC8lMjqX_KhW1qM0Nf0Ed3yRcdU7w1TAvsvN8rJiT8IMVx8g3d58BYxnQQfaQmO25aySZiBLD2RbbAJc7TxAes1szbcPg19HKKRHo3DnSnh_Zfe1QS2R5zWSefY/s1600/2nd+floorplan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5ZnfDNwV2FOjM5u4FC8lMjqX_KhW1qM0Nf0Ed3yRcdU7w1TAvsvN8rJiT8IMVx8g3d58BYxnQQfaQmO25aySZiBLD2RbbAJc7TxAes1szbcPg19HKKRHo3DnSnh_Zfe1QS2R5zWSefY/s640/2nd+floorplan.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is the floor plan for the second level apartment. Very similar to the flat below, but with a larger kitchen area and (although it doesn't seem possible) three even smaller bedrooms. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxZ1ovX0PVRFc8YeB6T-RYusOzaBiiVXs6IpA16QxhObb0l6UWJaCILiUSDKsnFXkDrK8kj0X2J1lN2IFX0hjqRaXTjw480GgSOOTw34u_6sFfA3Gwej04i_YUMWMLqaCr_2HNAw6UJ4/s1600/2nd+floor+stair+and+entry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxZ1ovX0PVRFc8YeB6T-RYusOzaBiiVXs6IpA16QxhObb0l6UWJaCILiUSDKsnFXkDrK8kj0X2J1lN2IFX0hjqRaXTjw480GgSOOTw34u_6sFfA3Gwej04i_YUMWMLqaCr_2HNAw6UJ4/s640/2nd+floor+stair+and+entry.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is the stair and entry to the second floor apartment. The skylight in this area did let in a lot of light, unfortunately it also let in a lot of water.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjPFmZmL_BK6FOpjI4YhERmVmVGV3V0QqSkQC3-j9dnRkq421_Ww-3_cY9awft0vEZ_idacGcCCW4X2dZS-QPA18FSTUpz1wwsdJN_Y7VMuINnhpeOe44ga-AH7ruyFBNZuCvlF29UtE/s1600/2nd+floor+front.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjPFmZmL_BK6FOpjI4YhERmVmVGV3V0QqSkQC3-j9dnRkq421_Ww-3_cY9awft0vEZ_idacGcCCW4X2dZS-QPA18FSTUpz1wwsdJN_Y7VMuINnhpeOe44ga-AH7ruyFBNZuCvlF29UtE/s640/2nd+floor+front.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The front room on the second floor. During one of our walkthroughs, I found out that this fireplace was built by the previous owner and tenant when they first moved in. Unfortunately, during the inspection it became clear that it was not a particularly safe fireplace. The flue lining was pulled away from the chimney, there was no chimney cap to keep rain and or animals out, and the way it was constructed could lead to serious carbon monoxide issues. Really it's amazing that these two gentlemen managed so well in this place for so long considering all the hazards.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPYy4eR19Ig1qqyxs_V_gd4b3xl_WfEc2GQjqzHq8MF6so9YdZQEN0fFkTt973B6VxdIAFayp0YAwIIX20LP7W-p1mfprTsuvleZpquKVmAyMAO6BkzpzTxx9mlCr6jnrnvqaWLrESmM/s1600/2nd+floor+main.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPYy4eR19Ig1qqyxs_V_gd4b3xl_WfEc2GQjqzHq8MF6so9YdZQEN0fFkTt973B6VxdIAFayp0YAwIIX20LP7W-p1mfprTsuvleZpquKVmAyMAO6BkzpzTxx9mlCr6jnrnvqaWLrESmM/s640/2nd+floor+main.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The living/dining room area. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjE6jf4ZtjpAHnS_eJOfatnnKQVw2y8NVWi8WyqLUZCSyxvsgqducl-VmiFdDRHnxT9vhIJjj51_Js7UTI9ZDbkrrCZEbsN2n_IaJtVWu_9b7lVvxqgK-jTG7-2D06DJs1KGEttqV7OnM/s1600/2nd+floor+bath.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjE6jf4ZtjpAHnS_eJOfatnnKQVw2y8NVWi8WyqLUZCSyxvsgqducl-VmiFdDRHnxT9vhIJjj51_Js7UTI9ZDbkrrCZEbsN2n_IaJtVWu_9b7lVvxqgK-jTG7-2D06DJs1KGEttqV7OnM/s640/2nd+floor+bath.JPG" width="416" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Although the electrical was not to code, the floor was wildly uneven, and the mirror gone, this bathroom is still a huge upgrade from the first floor.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1syEcqv3vQf5Kkhqy9A42cj1q44o_ObKOwP4D1OprmPyPCdSQzqFt_Kf2zqCg5resw_0Lxrs3aUAcwCIVwMkRICMs2hwLsijjmKcfEkSX5lhwnq_2RRQhrbrIFAF__02CVODjUVFkCU/s1600/2nd+floor+kitchen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1syEcqv3vQf5Kkhqy9A42cj1q44o_ObKOwP4D1OprmPyPCdSQzqFt_Kf2zqCg5resw_0Lxrs3aUAcwCIVwMkRICMs2hwLsijjmKcfEkSX5lhwnq_2RRQhrbrIFAF__02CVODjUVFkCU/s640/2nd+floor+kitchen.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The second floor kitchen area. Another upgrade from the first floor, but still not exactly a dream kitchen. I wonder how long the drawers had been missing? Nice of them to leave us some spices.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeI-Ae6HTRIkboFvp8OgFD3eoev6HyJ670e8JiO7I1sJdauxQCAq3IBUiRKghmAOvX5seWqAkIMho4YRmT-tAMWrDozpEWSMIkNY0ebPz8I9Rmk9CL7fayZtCyHAmpbFFkwQ4T61jDKk/s1600/Inspection.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeI-Ae6HTRIkboFvp8OgFD3eoev6HyJ670e8JiO7I1sJdauxQCAq3IBUiRKghmAOvX5seWqAkIMho4YRmT-tAMWrDozpEWSMIkNY0ebPz8I9Rmk9CL7fayZtCyHAmpbFFkwQ4T61jDKk/s640/Inspection.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">But before you fall in love with this kitchen too quickly, here was a lovely little note in our inspection report. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpBgK-2TCkhHrysMANk_f3Ci7RNyyWQ4j4e7C__Ep5y5DSyclkJb24581fW4kiyiQyynQboZB7XeBRIK8urYScr9C8obI3PL9GrPpJJoUZxPxiPwPxBa2IaHu6QbLaxrH7rmx4mZBCsI/s1600/2nd+floor+back+of+kitchen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpBgK-2TCkhHrysMANk_f3Ci7RNyyWQ4j4e7C__Ep5y5DSyclkJb24581fW4kiyiQyynQboZB7XeBRIK8urYScr9C8obI3PL9GrPpJJoUZxPxiPwPxBa2IaHu6QbLaxrH7rmx4mZBCsI/s640/2nd+floor+back+of+kitchen.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The back of the second floor kitchen looking out onto the back porch. The man living on the second floor had a number of cats, and the back porch was the litter area. There seemed to be more litter on the floor of the porch than in the actual litter boxes so I guess it's not surprising that even after move out the whole porch smelled like cat urine. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMh6kiW1dK6QJkTVhZrzc5qw1qj17FOMeHCnLwuSXjGqXz0h-UQeSgE0u6_XxYDMkwGtwIrKH4hcWnYKNzlcQCoa0hEeKtdYTMTVVB84WgiE-t79s77hUc0GurpksTaVuC7YJEWxY_QO8/s1600/Yard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMh6kiW1dK6QJkTVhZrzc5qw1qj17FOMeHCnLwuSXjGqXz0h-UQeSgE0u6_XxYDMkwGtwIrKH4hcWnYKNzlcQCoa0hEeKtdYTMTVVB84WgiE-t79s77hUc0GurpksTaVuC7YJEWxY_QO8/s640/Yard.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The porch did have a nice view of the backyard. You can see the two car garage, which was relatively new and in great condition. For anyone who isn't familiar with Chicago, almost every house has an alley in back of it that the garage is built adjacent to. It makes the traffic on the residential city streets more manageable and since all of the garbage pickup is done in the alleys, it keeps the streets ad sidewalks clean.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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By traveling down the stairs of the back porch you could either exit the into the back yard or you could continue down into the basement.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIzCWm6F8AbLC3zU-kD6zeg7qonDH_V-b6ypuiViqsnSa3nV5fudPQVIfvhBMdGe4B4y5eVDYpbO8kwWh0ez2cU2OYZPMLHe1rD9zOg_C4ZvJkBHPrS6troU3ey1WFalh7B0i2ZKdkRI/s1600/Outside+back+of+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIzCWm6F8AbLC3zU-kD6zeg7qonDH_V-b6ypuiViqsnSa3nV5fudPQVIfvhBMdGe4B4y5eVDYpbO8kwWh0ez2cU2OYZPMLHe1rD9zOg_C4ZvJkBHPrS6troU3ey1WFalh7B0i2ZKdkRI/s640/Outside+back+of+house.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The back of the house from the yard. Not too bad. But on closer inspection...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigJwTO0cCioFfUz0kx2dw71PoTykiUMIavLJ27J_e8eHlIF7XfynqfyckaPJ_pRzQpqEQqtzcCXuBRL7nY69XezjmEICrxGDZwPs0n7jZThqciXWM3Zz4-Hx0GM_jDja4C9CsQ-A6pZ4/s1600/Wire+housing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigJwTO0cCioFfUz0kx2dw71PoTykiUMIavLJ27J_e8eHlIF7XfynqfyckaPJ_pRzQpqEQqtzcCXuBRL7nY69XezjmEICrxGDZwPs0n7jZThqciXWM3Zz4-Hx0GM_jDja4C9CsQ-A6pZ4/s640/Wire+housing.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Holy hell in a handbasket. This was one of the most disturbing things found during the whole inspection. The deteriorated wire in the photo above is the main electrical line into the house. In some places the protective housing was completely worn out. Talk about a fire and electrocution hazard. The back door was in bad shape too but comparatively that's small potatoes. </span></td></tr>
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Let's finish our tour in the basement.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_sxGoPUCi3pw3m6vFRoVrxSOqsj9jjBWZZxv_A1g_S160b9yWmKEUx7_jLs1qWyLARmAVk4MtMyvjfD9XInPrUJQdYzsPbfayx-BnOOzGzBNiiA4uIzQSuJCMotHbk2kEz2Nz2IAfaQ/s1600/Basement+entrance.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_sxGoPUCi3pw3m6vFRoVrxSOqsj9jjBWZZxv_A1g_S160b9yWmKEUx7_jLs1qWyLARmAVk4MtMyvjfD9XInPrUJQdYzsPbfayx-BnOOzGzBNiiA4uIzQSuJCMotHbk2kEz2Nz2IAfaQ/s640/Basement+entrance.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The entrance into the basement. I wonder if one of the guys that lived here was a plumber? Again there is the makeshift pipe railing. Also notice in the larger photo that there was a sewer drain in the basement, which actually proved to be quite a help later on. The uncoiled tubing in the upper left is the (broken) vent pipe for the dryer.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTYMUN3Oo77XbipSDtTDe13qlbISxVovzEMLM15H6u6TVd8AZKzh2FNN-xGlkG6iDVqTc7YvMpOV-e43_Xxif28vPKB0rXnsOnWgr6YvN984Hex4LIJf4eYebZTX58W4VJ-SGd-6u1p4/s1600/Basement+back.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTYMUN3Oo77XbipSDtTDe13qlbISxVovzEMLM15H6u6TVd8AZKzh2FNN-xGlkG6iDVqTc7YvMpOV-e43_Xxif28vPKB0rXnsOnWgr6YvN984Hex4LIJf4eYebZTX58W4VJ-SGd-6u1p4/s640/Basement+back.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The door you see connects to the room in the previous photo. Your basic unfinished basement. The ceilings in here were about 8ft which was plenty tall for me, but a little tight for my husband. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3gqKwjV3smR7qLJEskpV5bUFhOZxZFQaDnXoiNI06p_6645irXBUf9o1XDq8-FOxGIoQvU3k07HOV2DBAiSw0UEEV1vy4BKQJzDEIpHcB1ImByambvboKlJUBolQI4dOhgYtsz6650A/s1600/Basement+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3gqKwjV3smR7qLJEskpV5bUFhOZxZFQaDnXoiNI06p_6645irXBUf9o1XDq8-FOxGIoQvU3k07HOV2DBAiSw0UEEV1vy4BKQJzDEIpHcB1ImByambvboKlJUBolQI4dOhgYtsz6650A/s640/Basement+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">In this photo you can see the support structure for the whole house. Along the middle of the basement ceiling ran a huge beam. This was supported by five pillar type beams with a concrete footer on top of a huge limestone block (buried under the concrete). This beam system and the outer walls carried the weight of the entire house.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrAv3GfA81kyiatpEIWeP-IDZbNL5hsz7KeDZx_2xZa93YlLT1HLMvI1Bcw_EvYSUXCkkcVExMEjS5mdXsoAoclS67opBkVm6Xd9hXApZByzGPlU3tCBKwebSv7Qe3TPCA1PijFE1cYQ/s1600/Basement+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrAv3GfA81kyiatpEIWeP-IDZbNL5hsz7KeDZx_2xZa93YlLT1HLMvI1Bcw_EvYSUXCkkcVExMEjS5mdXsoAoclS67opBkVm6Xd9hXApZByzGPlU3tCBKwebSv7Qe3TPCA1PijFE1cYQ/s640/Basement+3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another great shot of the structural supports. The large cuts on the horizontal beam are actually not problematic. It's a natural phenomenon called "checking" that occurs as the beam dries out. I also love the fact that the previous owners left us a green paper parasol (leaning against the beam) and </span><span style="font-size: small;">their awesome 70's style exercise bike</span><span style="font-size: small;">. It's a sears exclusive!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrj-XKnpzOiDRIWP3KghntlY5MW__Q8NiBN5vqLNIKroBOflb-REA9p_2jnqoVpVhi8Emf8ldbBO8qJW_54dCoFntaaviPaKxuSacP66XlnoG8IJMo66sbFR3Km62ygSaAYfH7Lj0RQFY/s1600/Basement+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrj-XKnpzOiDRIWP3KghntlY5MW__Q8NiBN5vqLNIKroBOflb-REA9p_2jnqoVpVhi8Emf8ldbBO8qJW_54dCoFntaaviPaKxuSacP66XlnoG8IJMo66sbFR3Km62ygSaAYfH7Lj0RQFY/s640/Basement+4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The front of the basement. You can see the plumbing pipe hanging from the ceiling. That nice white covering? You guessed it - asbestos. Actually, the ceiling itself had asbestos insulation as well. You can also see the gas meters for both units and the accumulated rust on the pipes.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzk3du5VX15D_arNOzrD3tIvK6lMhe5PMPMlbWHO0rX0klt2bLd_EblHmOngD5b8kjdQgcsTHz44g96cCQWJJJxO4VN-zP3sNJZy-RYa_nXnP2cmjgF_HV66Pq41AovTsWQEcaut2S_E/s1600/Basement+Mech.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzk3du5VX15D_arNOzrD3tIvK6lMhe5PMPMlbWHO0rX0klt2bLd_EblHmOngD5b8kjdQgcsTHz44g96cCQWJJJxO4VN-zP3sNJZy-RYa_nXnP2cmjgF_HV66Pq41AovTsWQEcaut2S_E/s640/Basement+Mech.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The furnace and hot water heater for the house. The furnace vent was an obvious problem. Doesn't look like they have too much life left in them. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIb0xjaO-uFHAVkahpE-sxEFNDZpJgRcLuySjDox877aeeQQ9dunpSLjKhaTSbEBUuzyHJAZvorT0BnXZNtMrTu229DIRC17PKAXNm0JDzozRf8rUgUR_OOVl1-rBCAD0BSSXHPqVsVg/s1600/Harry+Potter+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIb0xjaO-uFHAVkahpE-sxEFNDZpJgRcLuySjDox877aeeQQ9dunpSLjKhaTSbEBUuzyHJAZvorT0BnXZNtMrTu229DIRC17PKAXNm0JDzozRf8rUgUR_OOVl1-rBCAD0BSSXHPqVsVg/s640/Harry+Potter+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">One last little surprise from the basement, we call it the Harry Potter room. This is the space under our front steps. </span></td></tr>
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<b>So now you've seen it all. What do you think? Do you see the potential or do you think (like some of our friends and relatives) that we were crazy to buy this place? Either way, leave us some love in the comments section. </b><br />
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</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142419332606079400.post-70816616120909570122012-04-16T19:15:00.000-05:002012-04-16T19:15:00.943-05:00Meet the Money Pit - Part 1So without further ado, here is the story of our own little money pit. The original house was built in 1891. We purchased it in 2008 from an elderly man who had lived in one apartment and rented the other to a close friend. They had lived in the house for over thirty years and I'm not sure they changed anything in that entire time. These photos are a mishmash of the inspection photos, architects photos and my own personal shots taken just after we purchased the house. Remember I said she was a fixer upper?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajq2jS6bH9ceP8iXJstllS2D6LbkZ2Yl8s5YMdpQiXV-75o34ppYcYfsk07vl8I5tgQnMkEeErmcVKb2iwBeA2i8H6sYS8v3XNSgHbn10mVPAk4TEK7KQ1apeSDF7tbI7MqgFRMv1zVg/s1600/House+Front.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajq2jS6bH9ceP8iXJstllS2D6LbkZ2Yl8s5YMdpQiXV-75o34ppYcYfsk07vl8I5tgQnMkEeErmcVKb2iwBeA2i8H6sYS8v3XNSgHbn10mVPAk4TEK7KQ1apeSDF7tbI7MqgFRMv1zVg/s640/House+Front.JPG" width="508" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here she stands. </span><span style="font-size: small;">The original limestone is still in amazingly good shape and some of the details are beautiful. The house was a two flat with an unfinished basement. Like most Chicago lots, the front property line is 25ft across, making for a long narrow building.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrGGGXIeX4_J1BXANnVYoOTXWZqBIOB-XmcfDQvfw-8p2G77kBU7QDp8MPLAmV1M-WT9VcZmbQ2fzM74L76sR5uokJeBa_3fuT7k9-Ngs81xlgFYc3JLZQRZJu4R4X8irVt7cVlDb9w0/s1600/Front+porch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrGGGXIeX4_J1BXANnVYoOTXWZqBIOB-XmcfDQvfw-8p2G77kBU7QDp8MPLAmV1M-WT9VcZmbQ2fzM74L76sR5uokJeBa_3fuT7k9-Ngs81xlgFYc3JLZQRZJu4R4X8irVt7cVlDb9w0/s640/Front+porch.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">You can see some of the stonework details we fell in love with. The imaginative use of old plumbing pipe as the porch railing is something I think we will change.</span> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMwGpr2mZyI1hpaRoVGpQ6tYe6V0dWNbG3KqQPJeT6KLunXD5kv416YX7bcavq5ChwI63OwlPjQSJ7GHXGlKcZm6DQ1-0QkigypKY-vnxmDFYjNkdg-9z-X864Eqe8OCXlZ84pkyH-oM/s1600/First+Floorplan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMwGpr2mZyI1hpaRoVGpQ6tYe6V0dWNbG3KqQPJeT6KLunXD5kv416YX7bcavq5ChwI63OwlPjQSJ7GHXGlKcZm6DQ1-0QkigypKY-vnxmDFYjNkdg-9z-X864Eqe8OCXlZ84pkyH-oM/s640/First+Floorplan.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The floorplan of the first floor apartment at purchase. You can see that the house was divided down the middle for structural reasons, resulting in common areas on the eastern side (top of the plan) and three TINY little bedrooms on the western side (bottom of plan). The back deck area (on the far left) was an addition added to the structure by the previous owners. Besides that change, the room layout is pretty much what you would expect from an old Greystone.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QYls_-HnW_DVDTFNXybht2xCRROgzbr3VPeEtUcz4Khx0IcJ33zFA23Op8DaHnCLok_ppc2p8Td-GAq8c20bZmcjIFtXXo4Q_jjdnxM6qfGYYK0aocG8JOm0-A6DEsPB11I-7kj59XY/s1600/Hallway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QYls_-HnW_DVDTFNXybht2xCRROgzbr3VPeEtUcz4Khx0IcJ33zFA23Op8DaHnCLok_ppc2p8Td-GAq8c20bZmcjIFtXXo4Q_jjdnxM6qfGYYK0aocG8JOm0-A6DEsPB11I-7kj59XY/s640/Hallway.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Front Hallway/Entry. The discoloration in the third photos is a water leak.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNovuhBOJJvXloH-rSNq0rXoYHGcMncUagGuBPnGTe0ZuJ5nY7WU83wPXvzw07w61qCNIODe1fYZ5Nm5PmPifk4acW_DqijhcnHxyw4mTXNeRYh2oONIL8fq-Sp_spoF3LpzPz2OLxew/s1600/First+floor+apartment+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNovuhBOJJvXloH-rSNq0rXoYHGcMncUagGuBPnGTe0ZuJ5nY7WU83wPXvzw07w61qCNIODe1fYZ5Nm5PmPifk4acW_DqijhcnHxyw4mTXNeRYh2oONIL8fq-Sp_spoF3LpzPz2OLxew/s640/First+floor+apartment+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The front room. The wood flooring in this room had a number of areas eaten by termites.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ETdUhce91Q_UrfeqavJwURPKt9PwIjXHsNp-v_DUzMXVU7GlyViK3hG2b09HS9pXrHX3jpKENvvyjymwhlu4G-CpV1DIOqH8mNa1aIq5mEdcmRhghO1MCU_DbEG_0UzihAGFWO4srIw/s1600/First+floor+apartment+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ETdUhce91Q_UrfeqavJwURPKt9PwIjXHsNp-v_DUzMXVU7GlyViK3hG2b09HS9pXrHX3jpKENvvyjymwhlu4G-CpV1DIOqH8mNa1aIq5mEdcmRhghO1MCU_DbEG_0UzihAGFWO4srIw/s640/First+floor+apartment+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Apart from the obvious dirt and grime, the window frames are rotted and the radiator is rusted and pretty questionable. There was also a bit of exposed live wiring going on.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayiyuOnyoXM0uSW1WYwYy9et86QXdq4raln3rjX-56JUdvoyIFGTAl7f3N9eoym7j5vq-T-wMBsEe0gN7KCXAl17_IBbpFebhD1t5MrElgXGgkFUIPAFLGNvatOJMd-7wVsp0Mp0MBT8/s1600/Window+frames.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayiyuOnyoXM0uSW1WYwYy9et86QXdq4raln3rjX-56JUdvoyIFGTAl7f3N9eoym7j5vq-T-wMBsEe0gN7KCXAl17_IBbpFebhD1t5MrElgXGgkFUIPAFLGNvatOJMd-7wVsp0Mp0MBT8/s640/Window+frames.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The exterior of the window frames.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjYIYp-PLkCQuKicskRSCh8D60K5BS_t6x0GNnW6CGNNZ4qZVSvPsTe-r9ZY4izZAjQlAngpBzRYObkze6iPEjFXwJYvZGF1AWaEmh3GebCRlTHJAMKVBLYejNRf36ZaOskjleWDzku0/s1600/First+floor+bath+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjYIYp-PLkCQuKicskRSCh8D60K5BS_t6x0GNnW6CGNNZ4qZVSvPsTe-r9ZY4izZAjQlAngpBzRYObkze6iPEjFXwJYvZGF1AWaEmh3GebCRlTHJAMKVBLYejNRf36ZaOskjleWDzku0/s640/First+floor+bath+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">First floor bathroom. I think it speaks for itself.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWW9n_AZ_SrEcbWRgCBicUzoFS_Z0w5O9ifHV1AkLw5yxiXIYRNjzQzmyApX7iswIpoMAlMosf0PZatffIELcxEYX6CXaynOj_7eqnZJ5PFd_Gx2C6RQUDgTbtqoFxz8_Zad2eB6KbIvw/s1600/Gross.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWW9n_AZ_SrEcbWRgCBicUzoFS_Z0w5O9ifHV1AkLw5yxiXIYRNjzQzmyApX7iswIpoMAlMosf0PZatffIELcxEYX6CXaynOj_7eqnZJ5PFd_Gx2C6RQUDgTbtqoFxz8_Zad2eB6KbIvw/s640/Gross.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I put this under the category "Disgusting".</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzbe0L9r-ZcgzMHKb3q05MvFHJcAS2TlGt7Pjc9g1UKRy7EkoT2UVWRfbd4LVljhNT9-gqvz7fkTIlsGeQiiiKxU_b1BPNQO_zp12K39x_S2xOz1QMdoVxVUP0jlNkNLB16ozjkTeEtE/s1600/First+floor+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzbe0L9r-ZcgzMHKb3q05MvFHJcAS2TlGt7Pjc9g1UKRy7EkoT2UVWRfbd4LVljhNT9-gqvz7fkTIlsGeQiiiKxU_b1BPNQO_zp12K39x_S2xOz1QMdoVxVUP0jlNkNLB16ozjkTeEtE/s640/First+floor+kitchen.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Shots of the first floor kitchen. The flooring and ceiling in this area were both Asbestos. Not that you would want to cook in here, but even if you did where would you put everything?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7SZtziN7MNqzsXVlvSU_5tXpb2Vs3Dsxyy-oIvCJfWfi5PckoawZ2lkXA7OP2rnubp0zC421BCcohpuUiQ9z_tmEN0cJA9KsraCoCxbA8wah41xNJHhwb_9icOjQc7yK4yP8jFEDh9k/s1600/First+floor+back+porch2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7SZtziN7MNqzsXVlvSU_5tXpb2Vs3Dsxyy-oIvCJfWfi5PckoawZ2lkXA7OP2rnubp0zC421BCcohpuUiQ9z_tmEN0cJA9KsraCoCxbA8wah41xNJHhwb_9icOjQc7yK4yP8jFEDh9k/s640/First+floor+back+porch2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The back porch. Extensive water damage and the black stuff in the corner was mold. Also, although you can't tell from the photo, the whole porch was starting to lean away from the house.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Excited yet? Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from. <br />
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</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142419332606079400.post-21890028266617351182012-04-15T19:11:00.000-05:002012-04-16T19:12:36.916-05:00What is a Greystone?<div class="MsoNormal">Greystone buildings are a unique and important feature in Chicago’s architectural landscape. Similar to New York City’s Brownstone buildings, the Chicago Greystone has an iconic front façade constructed of hand hewn Indiana Limestone. The grey color of the stone gives these historic buildings their name. Greystones were built in the city of Chicago from the 1890s until the late 1920s, in a wide variety of sizes and configurations. Some single family mansions still exist, but more frequently Greystones were constructed as flat style apartment buildings. There are an estimated 30,000 left in Chicago with their original limestone façades.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from my apartment window when I first moved to Chicago. Photo by Me.</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I first moved to Chicago in 2005, I fell in love with the Greystone across the street from my apartment. Our neighborhood had a smattering of these statuesque beauties, one or two per block on most residential streets. Gradually, we picked out our favorites and visited them on our weekend walks, filing them away on our dream homes list. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My absolute FAVORITE. It reminds me of a castle in a fairy tale. </span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by Me.</span></td></tr>
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Here is a close up of the amazing front gate. I guess I must have at least some good taste because a couple of years after stumbling upon this beauty, a Chicago designer purchased it and fully renovated it. The renovated house was featured in Traditional Home magazine so if you would like to see inside, check out the link in the caption below.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image via Traditional Home Magazine <a href="http://www.traditionalhome.com/design_decorating/howwelive/friends-first_1.html">Article Here</a></td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">In 2008 we decided to buy a home in Chicago. We looked for months at move-in-ready flats and duplexes but never could find something that we both really liked and thought was a good value. At that point, we decided to change direction and started looking for a home to rehab. We hoped that with the real estate bubble breaking, we could find a fixer upper for a low price and use our connections in the plumbing, lighting, and design industries to save money on the renovation. When we found a Greystone fixer upper in our favorite neighborhood we jumped at the chance. You'll get to meet her in the next post.<br />
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Here are some other fantastic Greystones from around Chicago. I tried to show the wide variety of architectural styles of these buildings. Amazingly, all of these wonderful old homes are within three quarters of a mile of ours.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>All of these photos were taken by me, if you would like to use them on another website, or repost them in any other medium feel free, but please include a credit and link back to this blog. Thanks!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnd2RICy-zlO5w7WCyic0Fjt7I3Ijdhn4Q6UZAZNjpS9p3t0SLQhGjzzjGHh5_HKaKSpHjvMjdum8NjLchd7hwFT4XAKfQPTHx_TRhB3WJPmSPkHeaDEZHNRemRT0FGwxnhuoRboF_6co/s1600/G1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnd2RICy-zlO5w7WCyic0Fjt7I3Ijdhn4Q6UZAZNjpS9p3t0SLQhGjzzjGHh5_HKaKSpHjvMjdum8NjLchd7hwFT4XAKfQPTHx_TRhB3WJPmSPkHeaDEZHNRemRT0FGwxnhuoRboF_6co/s640/G1.JPG" width="570" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Me.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJ1B_2QmkNSK6_DqYJSOCKcKbbK73tbn973tLW99NI-Htqm3Rurq5amiTS0FTwY9uBjTHCBt5RzdehUnrj99B4WUD9qxHTzbf99STqESrO7E0RhvBVFXMg1vpLqqBYtgMEuOZDL0ZxX8/s1600/G3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJ1B_2QmkNSK6_DqYJSOCKcKbbK73tbn973tLW99NI-Htqm3Rurq5amiTS0FTwY9uBjTHCBt5RzdehUnrj99B4WUD9qxHTzbf99STqESrO7E0RhvBVFXMg1vpLqqBYtgMEuOZDL0ZxX8/s640/G3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is a great shot because it shows the side of the building which you can see is brick. <span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by Me.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrZeX-PtNHNLSLS1JsaDQJf4Z7IJYuIL5MbkGGj1Hk4ut6P9i-9n26ZsssRXFtu1PZQYmWDIIMLz8-TMjeFoubtWgi2-p1P84kSD6kClKECqri2Mg5zHRCvwmRH93Q2AhaRMGKoa9Jy8/s1600/G5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrZeX-PtNHNLSLS1JsaDQJf4Z7IJYuIL5MbkGGj1Hk4ut6P9i-9n26ZsssRXFtu1PZQYmWDIIMLz8-TMjeFoubtWgi2-p1P84kSD6kClKECqri2Mg5zHRCvwmRH93Q2AhaRMGKoa9Jy8/s640/G5.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4wjBtgKVVNb-LQEEmG5x16OnIIhsLSJjArn2HkFB-fv_8ito0H8n-yqaqwQAv0BaUIp6yhwvQjh011y0F9t7cYtbZTvFTLv0dVWVOIOoJ-tHocTJ41NvnotW7rFKY07__wSmpWvH-oQ/s1600/G4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4wjBtgKVVNb-LQEEmG5x16OnIIhsLSJjArn2HkFB-fv_8ito0H8n-yqaqwQAv0BaUIp6yhwvQjh011y0F9t7cYtbZTvFTLv0dVWVOIOoJ-tHocTJ41NvnotW7rFKY07__wSmpWvH-oQ/s640/G4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBwY-AV0TgARpdBv91xafYGNkV8mUx7WsDfw7yBjqjAcmpFjKAGUd7UJbv7Tp5g-PuJUpG3ze6MChDP-QVkqf3_a4iGIR5YHOPDNgr0612fZcdTgSwU1o-5p14vOABfUPM6MXAK2q9Gw/s1600/G6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBwY-AV0TgARpdBv91xafYGNkV8mUx7WsDfw7yBjqjAcmpFjKAGUd7UJbv7Tp5g-PuJUpG3ze6MChDP-QVkqf3_a4iGIR5YHOPDNgr0612fZcdTgSwU1o-5p14vOABfUPM6MXAK2q9Gw/s640/G6.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This beautiful old mansion has been re-purposed into office space.</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by Me.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrgDXlxHZZZFRDbVcrrs9r5IxzbZNC1mEf_DpPrfbMZY1VyN4A-w7qRM2RHFz-MiH0eTqeDtHi2GAmSwDr81rROPWGinKX92I5f3PUqLyQ5kE7PYIFVDgwd_BjPPqvwAG7pzbRP0RJX0/s1600/G8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrgDXlxHZZZFRDbVcrrs9r5IxzbZNC1mEf_DpPrfbMZY1VyN4A-w7qRM2RHFz-MiH0eTqeDtHi2GAmSwDr81rROPWGinKX92I5f3PUqLyQ5kE7PYIFVDgwd_BjPPqvwAG7pzbRP0RJX0/s640/G8.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGB0oGE4ITcQ9xtmYtC2sPHAnn9ifMjiS62uOkdM_j_TWfoGYaitxkf8il16V1rTKAZhLnv5O0wu9gGGhv2joURp_rCIL8-zk5hyp6VlamDWhX2mfVsNkQQX_DjP7IBs-4RDOr5iv2qtU/s1600/G9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGB0oGE4ITcQ9xtmYtC2sPHAnn9ifMjiS62uOkdM_j_TWfoGYaitxkf8il16V1rTKAZhLnv5O0wu9gGGhv2joURp_rCIL8-zk5hyp6VlamDWhX2mfVsNkQQX_DjP7IBs-4RDOr5iv2qtU/s640/G9.JPG" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Me.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPwjTeJjVu23MfN8x9NW3t6fQpwbwhs2Ua3LL6IH3THC8laEekLutSh1vDRYrAkQ148YWQNAeo3IAhWPkw6i3NahpxLEkMfTqEUa8EkyZqTtKBiQ6yyePgP0n0AzopcVSNxq3my74AtI/s1600/G7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPwjTeJjVu23MfN8x9NW3t6fQpwbwhs2Ua3LL6IH3THC8laEekLutSh1vDRYrAkQ148YWQNAeo3IAhWPkw6i3NahpxLEkMfTqEUa8EkyZqTtKBiQ6yyePgP0n0AzopcVSNxq3my74AtI/s640/G7.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This Greystone is quite unique. Since it sits on a corner lot, two of the sides are original limestone. I was fortunate enough to meet the owner of this building while walking the neighborhood one day and was amazed to find out that he also owns the Redstone building next door and they have opened the walls between the two buildings to make one large home. Maybe someday I will be lucky enough to get a peek inside. <span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by Me.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8R-IZmQ-UFYL99OLwwLHoQQ0niVb7v6i8eZxegHmceljceYqJEnOp-7Zxrhtaytt8Hx1XtGyKCiJRj9Wqm_yyvRq9jr27_qdUARcwFe55wkj5iFxbxJEM35kOLQAV5bena_OF2B_fpA/s1600/G7+details.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8R-IZmQ-UFYL99OLwwLHoQQ0niVb7v6i8eZxegHmceljceYqJEnOp-7Zxrhtaytt8Hx1XtGyKCiJRj9Wqm_yyvRq9jr27_qdUARcwFe55wkj5iFxbxJEM35kOLQAV5bena_OF2B_fpA/s640/G7+details.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is a great detail shot of the roofline of the previous house. Isn't that ornamental stone carving and the copper egg and dart style trim gorgeous? <span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by Me.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0d-Nc1ZlV3QEzzAN-Q-KiGTDcSPchPI_zZUuZ5vW1DRWf4M1kcJkh0PurDxu9UJSc6DgwDzn_Ddav1MNI1oVWGdtPMzc9vmh0gqUA8cmzzmyXyL-hNmdoZZx5dMqTxZq7fAXC7Mh06h4/s1600/G11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0d-Nc1ZlV3QEzzAN-Q-KiGTDcSPchPI_zZUuZ5vW1DRWf4M1kcJkh0PurDxu9UJSc6DgwDzn_Ddav1MNI1oVWGdtPMzc9vmh0gqUA8cmzzmyXyL-hNmdoZZx5dMqTxZq7fAXC7Mh06h4/s640/G11.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcuZGKVJZ1lNp37VGwBI6Z66ks5ghlM4ObbpzVjXRcSlAFDWlp67y54Y6QgqufjjelB2j1tbyXen8d4y0kwN4y0wGSHC7Pq1cNgQLgInjmEV1gk3S01c9BM3PxQjzmOR1GInJvaEnYhLY/s1600/G12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcuZGKVJZ1lNp37VGwBI6Z66ks5ghlM4ObbpzVjXRcSlAFDWlp67y54Y6QgqufjjelB2j1tbyXen8d4y0kwN4y0wGSHC7Pq1cNgQLgInjmEV1gk3S01c9BM3PxQjzmOR1GInJvaEnYhLY/s640/G12.JPG" width="536" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVYY6P1N-FIT_GTyfcJT9yPsR3GQoK2dptw8gZ4w3RnHgL9LEnpiFp51G3gB-MD96p-EJfQEp1WkAuSf0WYbfLGjxfdfbRsGE1cADQXHqcUtJLEE7VhWP7vKaquJg3QZwbKCyTkXB4mU/s1600/G14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVYY6P1N-FIT_GTyfcJT9yPsR3GQoK2dptw8gZ4w3RnHgL9LEnpiFp51G3gB-MD96p-EJfQEp1WkAuSf0WYbfLGjxfdfbRsGE1cADQXHqcUtJLEE7VhWP7vKaquJg3QZwbKCyTkXB4mU/s640/G14.JPG" width="552" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzuA-ibiQ7NMPnGRtwIpoW_2Z9Iw75qHUKCXs6ZW9vAIw8fUkZbUIZTQBHCNKP6dzYpj69a0nPlzDVCypkq9wVpDCOfiqEn84AwUM5SR7yK0x9Nm3hrVM_6DWVq5lb0W7kCs1rF2yep8/s1600/G16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzuA-ibiQ7NMPnGRtwIpoW_2Z9Iw75qHUKCXs6ZW9vAIw8fUkZbUIZTQBHCNKP6dzYpj69a0nPlzDVCypkq9wVpDCOfiqEn84AwUM5SR7yK0x9Nm3hrVM_6DWVq5lb0W7kCs1rF2yep8/s640/G16.JPG" width="570" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by Me.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1keppx_BM5kjGxQjaboT7DrVrGs1cp4tSjZsfV9KaDhk9xlLY7a84AXuT0v7ssTF6VXzSHyvXJZ2squPhBFYq_qThF5Fyfqtp6MRWeWlkfqr8oyuojx8qVzq5G_6-J5YMN6Zt8wweqs/s1600/G17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1keppx_BM5kjGxQjaboT7DrVrGs1cp4tSjZsfV9KaDhk9xlLY7a84AXuT0v7ssTF6VXzSHyvXJZ2squPhBFYq_qThF5Fyfqtp6MRWeWlkfqr8oyuojx8qVzq5G_6-J5YMN6Zt8wweqs/s640/G17.JPG" width="570" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZC54qvvDt_2OR4AZ8YVqg2lhjF1Kx9E-ny3pOfnF9l5-O-sPwO_8yJFLZxSK8Oj8JQlChB5jbt01UABz9ceBZZcnZZ5aCFaYZeztqD2bHuzXGEwhQey29cL92w6Nwz-xIMzM8thUnMNg/s1600/G13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZC54qvvDt_2OR4AZ8YVqg2lhjF1Kx9E-ny3pOfnF9l5-O-sPwO_8yJFLZxSK8Oj8JQlChB5jbt01UABz9ceBZZcnZZ5aCFaYZeztqD2bHuzXGEwhQey29cL92w6Nwz-xIMzM8thUnMNg/s640/G13.JPG" width="624" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo be Me.</span></span></td></tr>
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Hope you enjoyed them!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142419332606079400.post-54821745016380164592012-04-14T01:29:00.001-05:002012-04-14T01:37:10.171-05:00Welcome - Making New Friends<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYI_3ah_2WJAOSO3Ep9wiPjtGFYA1alxNKAaQBUTbdnM7ZoNp2ftgduvb3EQMdmzfbGahrpMyz4SeexDRVM2EXtwMULY7gISswI8JKIjS80i9n9vEW2c3bjNziiDzgMCn55P50xAECqrI/s1600/Wall+of+inspiration.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYI_3ah_2WJAOSO3Ep9wiPjtGFYA1alxNKAaQBUTbdnM7ZoNp2ftgduvb3EQMdmzfbGahrpMyz4SeexDRVM2EXtwMULY7gISswI8JKIjS80i9n9vEW2c3bjNziiDzgMCn55P50xAECqrI/s640/Wall+of+inspiration.JPG" width="560" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our corgi Trogdor checking out my inspiration wall</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">When meeting new people, one of the first topics of conversation is “What do you do for a living?” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN">I’m not sure I’ve found the right answer to that question. Usually, I say something like “well right now I’m managing our renovation project”. This usually meets with varying degrees of skepticism. “You’re a contractor?” Nope. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN">At some point I have to make the conscious decision to either give the fluffy answer; “Well, we had some trouble with our renovation so I am supervising things” or to try to recreate a little vignette of what I do on a day to day basis. Generally it goes something like this.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN"><b>Me:</b> “Ok, do you have recessed can lights anywhere in your house?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN"><b>New Buddy:</b> “Sure, yeah”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN"><b>Me:</b> “Ok good, so you know what they look like and how they work. We have something like 250 recessed lights in our house in 4 different sizes/types. Since we had to gut our entire house back to the exterior walls, I had to work with the architect and my designer (who also happens to be my mother-in-law) to come up with the lighting plan for every room in the house. Then I had to choose the various products (we supply a lot of the building products ourselves and then deliver them to the contractor), count up how many we needed based on the plans, and send in the order. Then once the cans were delivered, I was onsite at the house to OK the placement and location of all of the lights.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN"><b>Now Confused New Buddy:</b> “Huh? You mean you stop by to OK things once they are all installed?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN"><b>Me: </b>“No, I am there way before that. I go through the house with the electrician and translate the building plan into the 3D space with him. We look at the drawings, and then look at the actual conditions because they tend to vary wildly from what was originally expected. (I can't tell you how often there is an AC duct, or a structural beam right were you thought your light would go.) Then the electrician marks where he will put the can up. Then I leave for the day and the electrician installs those housings. When I come back the next day, I walk the house with him again and I either OK the placement of the housings, or if something doesn’t look right or work with a decorative element we talk about how to change it. Then we go ahead and mark the next floor and the process repeats.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN"><b>Incredulous New Buddy:</b> “Wow, that sounds highly custom. Is all that really necessary?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN">For us the answer is yes, but it is different for every project. In our situation, it definitely is necessary because our contractor is only taking our home to the “white box stage” meaning to drywall (that whole discussion is a topic for another post). They aren’t installing the woodwork, doors, tile, flooring, or any of the decorative finishes. So when they want install a can light in my ceiling cavity, I have to be there to tell them “No, that can’t go there, I have a decorative beam going there” because they have no way of knowing that. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">All of this is a very roundabout way of introducing myself and this project. This blog is the story of how what we expected to be a simple fixer upper turned into a massive gut rehab and custom home. There have been a lot of mistakes along the way, some massive and some manageable. Hopefully, I can help you to avoid the same mistakes. I have learned a lot through this process, and have come to love the work and creativity inherent to a rehab project, and hopefully through this blog I can pass a little of that excitement and enthusiasm on to you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
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