Chicagoans Kim and Scott bought a very old house, ripped it to the studs, and after months of remodeling are on their way to their dream home. We were first introduced to the couple before they were homeowners and have been following their progress at Yellow Brick Home ever since.
Diving in Head First
This 200+ year old house came to Kim and Scott in a crumbly, closed off, and very orange state. A lot of changes were in store.
Who doesn't love a brown glass chandelier?
The couple took saved a lot by doing a good portion of the demolition themselves. Once everything was stripped down, they handed the reigns over to their trusty contractor. He took on larger projects like jacking up beams to fix a sagging ceiling and they finished up as many and smaller projects as possible on their own.
During the DIY demolition they discovered an original arched doorway that had been hidden for decades.
Tearing down a dividing wall revealed an original brick chimney that's now a rustic accent in their open plan office/sitting room.
The Big Cover Up
With 6 months of remodeling behind them, Kim and Scott had bigger things to think about that window coverings. However, with 2 large street facing windows, that mean that their lives had been on display to the neighbors for months.
It was time to stop subjecting the neighbors to scenes of lounging in their jammies with large glasses of wine night after night.
A year ago they outfitted their condo with double cell shades from Blinds.com and wanted to bring the same bright, fresh look to their new home. They loved the crazy insulation the shades offered against blustery Chicago Winters.
With two very wide windows, they used three separate shades that aligned with the window's sliding panes. A top-down/bottom-up lift allows them to let in natural light, while sparing the neighbors at eye level.
With no decorative molding, Scott and Kim's windows have a very minimal look. They painted the walls a soft grey, but left the inside of the frame white. This gives the windows extra sharpness that's a perfect fit for the crisp pleats of the cellular shades.
Get The Look:
Kim and Scott chose the 3/8 Inch Double Cell Light Filtering Shades in Glacier, a cool clean white. Cellular shades are the perfect fit for a minimalist space like this, but they also layer beautifully under draperies for a more traditional look.
All photos courtesy of Yellow Brick Home.
