When Mollie Green, owner of stationery line La Familia Green, and Pete Zimmerman, radio producer for the show The Download on WGN Radio, decided to buy their first home together, they didn’t go into it lightly. After looking for houses for a year, Mollie looked up every “for sale” sign she came across. The couple knew that they wanted a home in the Edgewater neighborhood on the north side of Chicago, near Lake Michigan. They were drawn to the tree-filled block that was so inviting, and landed in a 1908 classic Chicago Four Square. “All the houses on our little block have the same basic design; 1908 is significant in Chicago — it’s the last time (before last year) that the Cubs won the World Series,” Mollie shares. One item of their wish list was a house with lots of natural light, which they were able to find, with big windows and high ceilings. “Because it’s on a small lot, with no alley or garage, the price was in our budget,” Mollie says. “We didn’t think we would be able to afford a single-family house in this neighborhood. The previous owners had done a lot of work to this old house — new stucco, decks, furnace, windows, etc. — the un-fun things. But they hadn’t done much to the interior. So we weren’t paying for someone else’s high-end design decisions that we might not like. It was a move-in-ready blank canvas. And this house just felt good. Even though it’s a very Chicago house, it reminded me of New Mexico, where I spent a lot of time as a child.”
When Mollie and Pete started to seriously begin fixing up their new home, the first thing they did was build a Pinterest board called “Dream House” — a collection of ideas and inspirations. With help from Mollie’s dad, they were able to paint the living and dining rooms before moving in and since April, Fridays have been Mollie’s house day. “I also work on the house on the evenings when Pete is at work — I’m a Weeknight Warrior. I can paint, patch, nail, screw, drill and staple anything. I have finished painting every ceiling, wall and bit of trim in the house. I carpeted the stairs and wallpapered a bathroom. I have had help with electrical and carpentry work. It’s great to have a patient, chill, yet thorough, electrician when you live in a 109-year-old house.” When it comes to her design aesthetics, Mollie pulls inspiration from her grandmother, who passed away in 2011. “Her house was a beautiful collection of French dishes, art, vintage textiles and rotating furniture from our family’s store,” Mollie shares. “Her home reflected her warmth, generosity, style, enthusiasm and mischievous sense of humor. I want to keep that spirit alive in our house, too. I wanted our house to feel comfortable and uncluttered.”
Old homes certainly provide challenges; nothing is easy. Modern light fixtures don’t like old electrical wiring. No door is even or standard. But old homes are also so easy to love. I find Mollie to be my kindred spirit, as I too was inspired by my grandmother’s design style and am still surrounded by items I inherited from her. I also live in an old home, built in 1890, that has had its own set of challenges, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s home. I hope you enjoy this classic home tour with a modern twist. —Erin
Photography by Frank Ishman / @frank.ishman
Image above: “I really wanted a dark teal room. So I chose the dark, little guest bedroom! This room features some of my favorite textiles, art and collections. And it houses Pete’s massive CD library. I want guests to be comfortable and have lots of fun things to look at.”
from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2017/11/a-1908-classic-chicago-four-square-gets-updated-in-modern-way.html
from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/167945223849
No comments:
Post a Comment