decorator dave's Profile

Slightly off topic but I did the same thing to the EXTERIOR of an ugly ranch house. It was blessed with an enormous brick chimmney (like 5' across) made out of bright ornage brick. We stained it a dark gray green and it looked great. We stained the morter the same color as the brick, and it turned it into a super slick modern looking element. You could do this treatment in a cost effective way to the exterior of an entire house that is done in a dated color of brick (or concrete block).

I will never live in another landlord lived in building. I lived in a 4 flat a few years ago and the two owners (gay men, architects) were....interesting. Always a little bit crazy about things and always 'suspicious' of me. I got pulled out of bed one morning at 2 AM by the landlord, who was drunk, to get screamed at that someone had left the front door to the halls unlocked. It degraded into him screaming profanities at me, telling me that I thought I was better than him and thought my s*** did not smell, and shoving me across the landing. I did actually think (at that moment) that I was better....not hard when you are having an alchoholic ex mormon screaming at you in a hall in the wee hours. Then verbally evicting me; which he decided did not happen after I had signed a lease for a new space. I never did get an apology from him and still have to fight the urge to do evil things to him. The worst part...I had invested lots of time and energy into making the apartment special and really was intending on living there for years. Perhaps not an ideal tenant, but the rent was always paid on time and the place was kept in pristine condition. This was the place:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/house-tours/house-tour-davids-andersonville-apartment-014122

Why did people put multuiiple doors into closets? I have the exact same issue, though mine is in the middle of a wall in my living room! Literally, hiding behind the huge purple painting is a door. Look closely.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/house-tours/daves-lakeview-redux-house-tour-127834

I could move right in. the trippy little room up the hidden stair = fantastic way to end a first date. I always wanted to have a 'real love' doll simply for the creepy factor; now, looking at her vitrine of mice, I know exactly what to do with it when I make the purchase. I want to see like 60 images of this place please!

Methinks nothing about that image makes me think DIY. And those stuffed holiday things are sort of scary. I know my limits, anything that involves fabric and a lounge chair goes above and beyond!

The 'original' wood stuff was ghastly. It looked like a Home Depot leftover. I don't understand the fascination that people have with wood; ugly is ugly.

Exposed brick in vintage places gives me 1970s era hives.

Is it fabulous...or dreadful? Actually, I think it is both at the same time. The cracked out Lee Godie lady is awesome! This place is a 180 turn from what other people are doing in the building, and I love that. With all of those living things in the place...does it have an 'odeur' at times?

Evite makes me insane. If you are going to spend the hours it takes to put together a really special event, why not take a little more time to send out an actual invitation? Beer, football, and hotdogs; evite away...but for other things a bit of effort is appreciated. The tasteless evite I got to a wedding went right into my junk mail. If they can't take the time to peoperly invite me why should I take the time to attend or send a gift?

In general, 1970s 'exposed brick in a classic Chicago apartment' makes me sad and the fireplace here is no exception. I get the groovy fern laden loft aethetic that pushed and still pushes) landlords to do such things as exposed common brick and bad euro style kitchens to old school flats. My apartment has such a wall (why, god, why) and the first thing I did was learn how to plaster. Maybe it was the fact that Lakeview really got a lot nicer in the late 70s and early 80s is why so many places around here have that look going on...I turned down a great apartment on a quirky little street called Elaine Place simply because the brick made my teeth hurt to look at it. I felt like they had exposed a naughty part of the building that was not supposed to be seen...like looking at grandma in her dainties. But as far as exposed brick goes this is pretty neat and a better example of it....and the entire interior is absolutely stunning. Spare, modern, but tidy and unique. You can tell that it was made up of objects that had been curated and assembled in lieu of an afternoon spree at west elm. Bravo to that. Someday I aspire to have a significant other that shares my aesthetic that I can decorate with...that would be so much fun. It would be fun to have heated discussion about just where to hang the perfect piece of taxidermy.