Maison Moi

My home renovation blog

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I think my house says that I value simplicity, serenity, and a bit luxury. 

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Look at my variegated nasturtium seedlings! Aren’t they cuuuute!!!

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These Satirical Posters Flawlessly Mock The Idea Of The "Perfect" Indian Woman

Mumbai artist Kanika Kaul's project takes on traditional Indian notions and attitudes towards a woman's role in society.

Mumbai artist Kanika Kaul’s project takes on traditional Indian notions and attitudes towards a woman’s role in society.

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Could this be true? I’ve lived in this house just shy of 3 years. I don’t want to get my hopes up, but perhaps it’s time for a reappraisal!

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Update

Well a lot has happened since my last posting - some good, some bad. Here are some more improvements to add to the list (pics forthcoming):

curb appeal - hanging baskets put in under bay window, flowerbed and planters added to front entrance

guest room - furnished and hosted first guests!

dining room - hardwood floors exposed, but still need refinishing

office - light fixture finally fixed! I have a (very messy) office!

basement - white carpet removed, toilet replaced, needs a total renovation

main bathroom - toilet and sprayer replaced, showerhead fixed

main kitchen - transformed, only one finishing touch left...

Unfortunately, I had to slow down in my grand designs due to my dad’s health taking a turn. I still have dreams for this space, and in some ways, bringing dad home only hastens my desire to transform Maison Moi. He hasn’t seen all the progress I’ve made and I know it will make him proud. So here’s hoping for good things in 2016...

[maison-moi]

The Indian Bungalow

I was always curious about this, so I'm happy to find this link from the trusty HCBA: http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1104907686461-604/The+Indian+Bungalow.pdf

Furthermore, turns out the HCBA is in the same (historic) building as my new office! More updates to come!

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We tasked the Movoto team to create a nifty calculator to figure out how many Legos it would take to build a median-sized American home.

It would take 10,912,220 LEGOsTM

at a cost of

$1,091,222

to build your 2200 sqft, 2-story house.

So there you go.

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It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge this epic winter, currently ranked the 13th worst in Chicago's history. As usual, I started out pretty on top of things:  shoveling before the snow froze, getting salt down and concentrating on safety hazards. However, after the holidays, things just got ridiculous down here. I mean, it is literally trench warfare with this snow. A true battle against the elements. I even had to get medieval on a salt bucket that was frozen shut. Still, shoveling doesn't take too long and I work up a good sweat. On some level, I also like being outside in the fluffy, silent snowfall...I'm hoping my purchase of a snowblower will mark the end of heavy snow for the season, knowing my luck...

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The house - an overview

Here's what made me buy the house and some of the areas I've managed to improve over the last 9 months (i.e. subjects of future posts):

selling points

it's cute and yellow

it's 100% brick and in good condition

it gets tons of natural sunlight through new windows

it has a full 'in-law suite'  (including a second kitchen) in the basement for my dad

the location is very convenient for my family on the North side to visit

it has lots of architectural details in the main living spaces, including a bay window, crown molding, and a lovely chandelier (my icon)

it has vintage hardware and doors, including a mail slot that comically spews forth everyday

it has a big kitchen with new appliances, including exactly the fridge i wanted (with a water dispenser)

it has a garage and a nice back patio for my dad to sit in

improvements

curb appeal - front plantings edited, dilapidated house number plate replaced

drainage - rain barrels installed under open downspouts

entryway - custom stained glass installed and ugly laminate floor covered with Flor tile

living room - window treatments and shelving installed

dining room - painted, ugly ceiling fan replaced

guest room - pepto bismol pink closet repainted, window treatments installed

office - painted two-tone color scheme

main kitchen - ugly trim removed, layout improved with addition of butler's pantry and kitchen cart

The plan is to complete DIY projects as time allows while saving up for bigger ticket upgrades (electrical, appliances) and larger renovation projects (main bathroom, my bedroom, dad's space). 

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My neighborhood tumblr

Although for real estate purposes I live in the historically registered district of North Mayfair, I tell most people I live in Albany Park, which is just east of my house and is, according to Wikipedia, the second most ethnically diverse neighborhood in the country after Queens, NYC. In addition to Indians like myself, I count among my neighbors Koreans, Arabs, Mexicans, Chinese, Eastern Europeans, and old school Polish/Irish/Italians. 

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A watercolor rendering of roughly the 3600-5600 North blocks of Chicago's North side from maps.stamen.com

My house has easy access to two major bus lines, three train lines, two commuter trains, two highways, and some sweet bike lanes. 

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The seed for wanting a vintage Chicago-style bungalow was planted more than 10 years ago, when as an intern for a PR firm with ties to City government. I worked on booklets for the recently-established HCBA and noted how charming the houses were with all their windows and fancy brick work. Why live in a boring box of a condo when you can find a place with character and history? They are also affordable and quintessentially 'Chicago' which naturally appeals to me. 

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The first time I saw my house, it was right around New Year's 2013. My favorite uncle/real estate agent was driving me through a Chicago snowstorm to show me the first listing I sent him. Our expectations were low, but as soon as we turned on to a quiet, tree-lined street bathed in light, with snow falling softly, I immediately got that 'home-y' feeling. 

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WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST HUMAN MEMORY?

The puke green patterned felt carpet in our Oak Lawn condo circa '83. I must have been crawling on the floor when I remember feeling my mom pick me up and seeing a pot of boiling rice on the stove.