When Debbie asked me if I’d like to be part of her Home Tour series naturally I was flattered. 

And excited.

And said yes …

… and then panic attack #1 hit.  Debbie wanted a picture of the front of my house.   Let’s just say she was nowhere near ready for a close-up (the house that is, not Debbie).

WELCOME

Linda from it all started with Paint

Sure I spruced up my porch last fall with a rug I painted directly on the landing …

And numbered the steps just for fun …

But my postage-stamp-sized front yard?  That required some major weeding and pruning and planting and mulching this week …

Then Debbie asked me to describe the style of our Chicago house.

Panic attack #2.

It’s a basic wood frame.  Not a cool historic bungalow.  Or Prairie style.  Or even a converted two-flat.  It’s wood frame house with a railroad style floor plan built in the late 1880’s.  A wood frame house whose only original architectural feature when we took ownership 17 years ago was the staircase.  The very same 100+ year old staircase whose newel posts and balusters I dared to paint when I remodeled the entryway …

We added the faux board and batten ourselves – using hammers and nails —  to infuse some architectural interest … as well as function.

And then Debbie wanted to know what’s my decorating style.

Can you say panic attack #3?

Does “eradicate all traces of hunter green” count as a style?  Or is it more of a mission?  Because my hunter-green-laden-circa-2000-Pottery-Barn-influenced living and dining rooms are in the queue for major overhauls …

What I’m hoping to bring into these spaces is more of the feel of the entry.  And our powder room …

… where, once again, we hung our own faux board and batten.  Although, this time we invested in a nail gun.

The exception is my son’s room remodel, which took a completely different direction …

But kid rooms – even if that kid is a teen – are always a great space to experiment with design styles and color.

Panic attack #4 had me wondering what I could share during this home tour considering much of my home is still a “rework” in progress.  But there is the kitchen …

… with the chalkboard door I made out of foam core, chalkboard paint, and moulding.

And I can’t forget my most recent project:  the screen porch …

Panic attack #5 took hold when I looked again through the past Home Tours on Debbie’s blog.

Seriously, I am so out of my league.  Mostly because much of my house is still under redesign construction …

And now I’m wondering if Debbie will let me update this home tour when I finally and successfully eradicate all traces of hunter green from our Chicago city house …

Linda…..

I LOVE,LOVE, LOVE your Chicago home!

Sorry I gave you so many panic attacks!

And TWO, you ARE SOOOO Not out of the league.

You have some serious decorating talents and they sure shine through!
If you do not know Linda, go on over and check out her

FABULOUS blog!

thank you.