I promised to share pictures of my new place, and I have been waiting until it wasn’t a disaster. But that’s going to take forever! So instead I am going to share little bright spots of pretty.
First, the front windows! Which I am blocking with a lovely screen thing so I don’t have to put up curtains and cover the beautiful wood, but also people walking buy can’t see me eating ice cream in the middle of the night.
Then, my mantel and stained glass windows, pretty much what sold the building to me and my friends. And above the mantel, the enormous framed poster that used to hang in my office. On the mantel, family photos, and my Dad’s 50 year old radio.
Moving right along, my entry way! The row of hooks my Dad made me for my first apartment, and the brilliant dog hook thing I bought from Etsy.
The front hall, mirrored closet door, stick on blackboard, cool wall hanging pockets with chalk and eraser stored in it, and of course the Bahubali swords.
Hallway down to the bathroom, 1930s gangster map of Chicago. Hanging between the bathroom door and the door to the secret staircase straight to the basement.
The bathroom! I love my pink bathroom soooooooooooooo much. New color, new sink, new toilet, new medicine cabinet, everything. And SO WORTH IT!
And yes, Shahrukh is still hanging in the bathroom.
At the end of the hall, the dining room! Which is basically a disaster since it is where I put all the boxes. But at least I have my new/old china cabinet! It’s a super solid strong enormous 1980s media cabinet and I love it! This is what it looks like with all the doors open.
And this is with the doors closed, microwave tidily hidden away.
At the end of the apartment is the little sunroom. I can’t get a good picture of the view, the best I can do is this blurry photo of how it looks after dark with the light from our garage and then over the alley at the other buildings.
And then next to the dining room, my kitchen! Also mostly a disaster. But I did get a clock hung, and put my fancy champagne glasses on the top top shelf, and I hung the cloth bags I bought from Etsy that I am planning to use for fruits and vegetables. So pretty!
Oh, and I didn’t forget Albie Dog! I found a little corner to tuck his dishes, next to the enormous china cabinet, and I put up a pretty picture for him to look at while he eats. Like at those fancy restaurants that have original art on the wall.
dontcallitbollywood 
Thanks for this update! Seems to be a veritable charming place. So you got somebody to help you with the “old” china cabinet you wrote about. Fine!
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Yes! I hired people! Thank goodness, because it weighs a thousand pounds.
On Fri, Sep 3, 2021 at 1:10 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I love it! Thanks for the update and sharing the pictures! The windows and the screen are beautiful and the bathroom just makes me so happy!
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The bathroom is PERFECTION. I let the painter talk me into what she called a “mature” pink for my bedroom, but I held firm on bright pink-pink for the bathroom.
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I love the colours of the walls. Good choice in all rooms.
Have you thought about putting roller blinds in your front windows? Is it possible or it won’t look good?
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I have! If I were to do blinds, I think I would do wooden roller blinds. But right now I’m really happy with my screen.
On Fri, Sep 3, 2021 at 10:21 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yes, the screen is beautiful. I love everything with peacocks.
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My husband was a finish carpenter before becoming a teacher and your trim is beautiful, as are your gorgeous wood doors. I have a pink sink in my garage. Some friends were re-doing their bathroom and I love colored porcelain and told them they should re-use it. They disagreed and now the sink is in my garage. It is too heavy to ship to you, but if you ever drive to California and make it near the Eastern Sierra you can drive home with a pink sink. Though it is a darker pink.
Your screen is also beautiful. My parents have had these paper shades in their house for years, and you can’t even tell they are paper until you touch them. But theirs are not held up with clips, theirs hang down all the way to the bottom. https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/redi-shade-light-filtering-cordless-paper-window-shade/3295552?skuId=10849217&enginename=google&mcid=PS_googlepla_nonbrand_windowtreatments_online&product_id=10849217&adtype=pla&product_channel=online&adpos=&creative=224484706062&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&utm_campaignid=71700000037121815&utm_adgroupid=58700004139989133&targetid=92700034447671712&gclid=CjwKCAjwj8eJBhA5EiwAg3z0m23H2G0ayFUm2HLj8a7hEyn2jOMinzD3PBt3xrl8M4Vg0bw2-flJqRoCTTAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
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Ooooooo, I want your pink sink!!!!! Now I have to find someone I know who is driving from California to Chicago. Coincidentally, I do actually have a really good friend who lives in the Bay Area. But I don’t know if she is a “haul a pink sink thousands of miles for me” friend.
Yes, the wood is GORGEOUS!!! This place is so funky, there are all these areas the last owners did weird updates on or trashed up (the bathroom was a disaster, and my friends upstairs are even worse, they have a JET TUB! So STUPID! It’s tiny and ugly and cheap and will probably start leaking). And then there’s the wood that seems to be untouched since it was first put in. Or else touched, and then carefully stripped down to natural again.
On Fri, Sep 3, 2021 at 11:57 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I love jet tubs. I had one in a rental in college. But mold would form in the jets so you had to run it with some bleach in the tub water every now and then. Maybe when I grow up I’ll get a jet tub… I love telling my kids what I’m going to do when I grow up. I have to pick up the first miniature human in 10 minutes, otherwise I would be joining your watch-a-long. Hope you are having fun!
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Pretty!!
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Everything is lovely, and so YOU, as I picture you. Funky, savvy, comfortable and welcoming. And beautiful. I am so happy for you.
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Awwww, thank you!
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It’s looking lovely. The Craftsman touches are beautiful, and I love the combo of old Chicago and Indian and other handmade decorations/useful doodads. I was rooting for you to end up with the old china cabinet, they tend to be prettier and better made. That one looks perfect.
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I’m so happy I got the old china cabinet too! It’s got PERSONALITY. Even if it’s kind of impractical and ridiculous.
And yes, the house is GORGEOUS. finally. After a lot of money and elbow grease. Well, not a LOT of money, but more than you would expect to have to pay for something simple like installing a new toilet because you are dealing with weird old pipes. It was a long two months from my first post to this one.
On Fri, Sep 3, 2021 at 9:34 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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This is super nice. What year is the house built? We have similar stain glass and our house was built in 1920s. I really like the wood doors and everything. Previous owners painted everything white and we are considering stripping the paint and then redoing the stain. Can you post a link of where to get that chalk board. I definitely need one.
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Thank you! The building was built in 1918. And the wood is sooooooooo gorgeous, it would be a pain to strip the trim, but might be worth it?
I bought the chalk board from Etsy, here is the link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SimpleShapes?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=253686318
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