Chicago Bungalow House Tour

There were lots of things in Chicago I am more than glad to leave behind.... but I still occasionally miss the house I lived in for 5 out of 10 years. Located in the Portage Park neighborhood in Chicago (a heavily populated Polish neighborhood!) it was quiet, tree-lined and had rows of bungalow houses. Bonus: I had an international market just blocks away that I shopped for all my groceries. I was super-spoiled.

Ok, so I stole this photo from the internet. This is what my neighborhood looked like though! My neighborhood was even named one of the top 12 neighborhoods to live in Chicago last year.

So here we are - step into my little retro bungalow, just for old time's sake.

Everyone knows I love orange.

These photos aren't 100% spectacular but they are all I have that are this comprehensive and recent of the house. Taken in February 2014.

Living room looking to the road. 

That couch got so destroyed by the cats! 

Archway to both bedrooms and bathroom. 

My friend liked to call this bathroom the "pink Polish bathroom" - her grandparents who had owned this house before we were there were from Poland. In all actuality, most mid-century modern homes have a pink bathroom, inspired by Mamie Eisenhower. See Retro Renovation's Save the Pink Bathrooms.

 The main bedroom.

2nd bedroom which was sort of an office. 

 Turn around and walk down this hallway to the kitchen...

I really loved cooking almost every single night in this kitchen and eating every morning breakfast here.

You can see most of my rainbow mug collection on the wall! 

Just off the kitchen was a 3-season room which we mostly used for storage and the cat's litter box. 

Then head downstairs to one of the coolest laundry rooms!

Head back upstairs and notice the "closet door" in the corner to the right....

Everyone was always surprised to see that it went upstairs! 

The built-in bookshelf where I kept my fashion design books. 

To the left you enter a guest room which was impossibly cold in the winter and deathly hot in the summer. The only air vent for up there was the hallway and it did no good. 

Another guest room view.

Stripes I painted in the guest room. Loved that. 

Walk across the hallway is my modest-sized sewing room which I spent a lot of time in. I think it was eventually my favorite room of the house. 

Cozy and compact! 

So that was the house I lived in when I was in Chicago. I was always hesitant to post these sorts of photos when I lived there because ya know.... people can find anything on the internet and use it for no good. I've had my fair share of less-than-honest people this year and wasn't about to go put myself in danger. 

Having a house to live in Chicago is a HUGE luxury. Although the apartments in Chicago are not as confined as New York apartments, they can be pretty pricey for not a lot of room. I felt really lucky to have so much space. I mean, who has the opportunity to have a sewing room while living in Chicago?! 

This house was sincerely my retreat away from the world at many points as I need a lot of quiet and stability in life (hence my choice to go live in the woods) and I am really glad to have spent so much time here. I made it my own little pseudo-retro world. At a few points in time, I was really close to buying it but life got in the way. Looking back, I'm ridiculously glad I don't live in Chicago but the people who owned it sure were super-nice to me. I can't thank them enough!

This house is currently on the market. Contact me for info if you want about purchasing!