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I enjoy any household (or property decor product) that will come with a one of a kind backstory, and my rental is no exception: It was once two neighboring motel rooms on the north facet of Chicago.
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The quirky rental has its benefits (a big master bed room, wander-in closet, and two wood-burning fireplaces), but like most hidden gems, it necessary severe cosmetic upgrades, and the two at the leading of my listing were the dwelling room’s hearth and the uncovered brick — the latter is controversial, I know.
I made a decision to kick off my condo’s facelift with the fireplace. It is the to start with factor you see when you walk in the door, so I was keen to swap the dated black sq. tiles for a modern day statement. I identified a gorgeous substantial-format porcelain marble-seem slab to use on the fireside but was frustrated trying to discover a coordinating tile for the wall.
Which is when a style-savvy pal challenged me to get the tile all the way from flooring to ceiling, the ideal option for creating the fire the statement my living home wanted.
I liked the notion but was nervous to dedicate to these types of a daring design. What if I selected the completely wrong tile? What if it tends to make the room seem more compact? Lastly, I bit the bullet, employed specialists for the set up, and held my breath as they very carefully set the 30-pound slabs. The initially large risk paid out off the hearth turned out stunning and appears to be right at residence next to a person of my favourite parts, my white lacquer console.
The future update on my checklist — also a massive layout chance — was changing the exposed brick on the front wall. Brick is absolutely gorgeous in the right setting, but this boring brown backdrop was generating a home previously missing in pure light-weight glimpse even darker, and it clashed terribly with my new fireplace tiles!
I debated portray the brick for over a 12 months and ran the idea previous numerous men and women who warned me it was an irreversible alternative I would eternally regret. At last, I reliable my instincts (and my Photoshop mockup!), made a decision to tackle the job, and headed to the hardware retailer.
Prep do the job is the most important portion of revamping brick. I scrubbed the wall with a TSP combination, allow it dry right away, then sealed it with a thick coat of primer. After creating guaranteed the brick was wholly dry, my father and I rolled on a satin complete brick paint by Behr that comes pre-tinted pure white.
3 several hours later, the home was instantly sunny, inviting, and prepared for a furnishings facelift. I switched my grey sofa for a scarcely-applied Inside Determine couch I sourced on Fb Market, replaced the glass coffee tables with a wooden and rattan 1, and tied the place collectively with a washable rug. My most favourite piece of decor in the area, though, is a relatives heirloom lithograph of Winston Churchill that was passed down by my mother, who handed away in 2019. I like how the white brick generates the best backdrop for the print.
The lesson here? It can be daunting to make drastic design and style modifications, primarily when good friends and spouse and children attempt to encourage you to enjoy it safe. In the end, no a person is familiar with your home much better than you — so trust your intestine, get your resources, and know that the following time they phase by means of the doorway, they’ll certainly confess you ended up proper!