Names: Ellyn & Augie Annoreno, three adopted Dachshunds (well, one is part German Shepherd/part Dachsund Frankenweenie), and a 30+ year old Monk Parrot, just like the
Location: Bartlett, IL
Type of vintage home: frame bungalow
Time lived in: 20 years
Tell us a little about yourself and others in your home: I’m a Physical Therapist Assistant and Augie is a Logistics Coordinator/former bricklayer. We enjoy rehabbing our old bungalow. We both grew up in good old brick bungalows in Chicago - I’m from Edison Park and Augie grew up in Jefferson Park. We may live in Bartlett, but our hearts belong to Chicago.
How did you come to live in your home? It reminded both of us of the bungalows we grew up in. It needed work to make it look good and it was the perfect project for us. Every room in this old house has been rehabbed.
Describe your home's style in 5 words or less: Bungalow, Craftsman style, vintage, cozy, cute!
Where do you source inspiration from? Pinterest, This Old House magazine.
What are your favorite original elements and vintage details in the home? The wide baseboards, crown moulding, maple wood floors, built-in linen closet with drawers and the large walk-in pantry. Original plaster walls in most rooms.
What areas of the home will we be looking at in this Home Tour? We just remodeled the kitchen and it is fabulous. I call it “vintage bungalow with modern touches.”
Tell us about the kitchen: The kitchen was dated and not laid out well, with a single wall oven and glass cooktop. The sink was small and not centered with the window above it. The Merillat cabinets were lovely, but impossible to repurpose.
We did almost all the work ourselves: new laminate flooring (better choice with three dogs), new cabinets, all new stainless appliances, new trim, tiled backsplash (up to the ceiling), open shelving, a wine/coffee beverage center and a fresh coat of paint.
We also stripped layers of paint and restained the lovely oak basement and pantry doors. Augie, a former bricklayer, took down the drywall that covered the chimney, which added 6” of space to the kitchen on two walls. He installed reclaimed Chicago brick to give the chimney an exposed brick look - it’s a great focal point in the kitchen.
The pros installed new windows in classic bungalow style, and granite countertops. We reconfigured the old butcher block island into a pub table with a cool tile top. The kitchen is fresh and beautiful, not to mention much more user friendly with a better flow.
Care to share the cost of this project? About $20k - saved a ton by doing most of it ourselves.
List any professionals you hired (if you recommend them):
They were all great!
List sources for furniture, décor or materials (if you recommend them):
Tile Outlet in Chicago for the tabletop
Floor & Decor for the backsplash tile
Home Depot for Thomasville cabinets
Bartlett Sherwin Williams for great customer service and help making paint color choices
Any budget-friendly considerations you want to highlight? We mostly saved money doing it ourselves. We looked for sales, shopped around for the best deals and took advantage of free shipping.
Any eco-friendly considerations you want to highlight? Energy efficient appliances. Reverse osmosis filtration system for water.
Any proud DIY moments? The whole kitchen!!! It is gorgeous.
What are you planning to do next? The back deck needs some refreshing. We will install low maintenance decking and new rails, maybe reconfigure the stairs. Still looking around for a perfect vintage bungalow back door for the kitchen.
Any advice for other vintage home owners? Maintain that vintage bungalow charm! New homes just don't have that cool personality of an old bungalow.
We invite our members to share photos and narratives about the renovations, restorations, and redecorating they've completed on their vintage homes (not just bungalows!). Submit your Home Tour here, and we will reach out to you about a potential blog post. Not yet a member? Join today!