Our Chicago Bungalow Home Renovation (Before & After)
It’s been nearly six years since we purchased our Chicago bungalow. Today, I’m sharing all the before-and-afters of our home—plus what’s still on our to-do list
This May marks six years of living here, which truly boggles my mind! Time flies when you’re welcoming a new baby, surviving a pandemic, welcoming a second surprise baby, building your business, and renovating every inch of your home.
We bought this home when it was just the two of us, and within two years, we’d grown into a family of four. Initially, we thought we’d fix it up and stay for about three to five years, but here we are – six years later – with no immediate plans to leave. You can read more about our decision to stay right here.
A big reason we’ve stayed is our amazing community (which I wrote about here), and the second is that I’ve spent years upgrading, renovating, and curating every inch of this home to fit our family. Every single space has been touched and transformed, and it’s really hard to leave that behind!
Today, I thought it’d be fun to showcase all the before-and-afters of our home. I’ll also share what improvements are still on our list as our family’s needs evolve. But first, a little history about our 104-year-old bungalow!
What’s a Bungalow?
Built in 1921, our home is a classic red brick bungalow—an iconic part of Chicago’s architectural landscape. Thousands were built between 1910 and 1940 for our city’s growing middle class, known for their red brick exteriors, low-pitched roofs, and distinctive front-facing dormers.
Over the past century, many original details of our home were removed. In the 1990s, a second floor was added by simply “popping the top” off the first-floor brick. While we love the layout and tall ceilings upstairs, it lacks the architectural charm of a traditional bungalow.
Other renovations over the years stripped away the craftsmanship that makes historic bungalows so special. We’ve preserved the front red brick (and will keep it forever!) and worked to reintroduce Craftsman-inspired elements—like millwork, doors, wallpaper, and thoughtful color choices.
But oh, how I wish I could see what it looked like in 1921!
Our Phase One Renovation
When we purchased the house in 2019, it hadn’t been updated in at least 30 years. Everything was beige—the floors, the walls, the trim. Before moving in, we tackled our phase one renovation:
- Removed a wall and added a support beam
- Removed carpet and redid the floors
- Replaced all doors and millwork
- Painted everything
We moved in three months later and slowly started to DIY the entire house room-by-room.
You can read more about the budget breakdown for the phase one renovation project right here.
Before we dive into the transformations, here’s a blog post listing all of our paint colors and you can shop everything you find in our home here.
Finn Fixer Upper Stats
- Built: 1921
- Style: 2-story Red Brick Bungalow
- Location: Chicago, IL
- Bedrooms: 4
- Bathrooms: 3.5
- Paint Colors: Listed here
The Living Room
Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore “Ballet White” (walls) & “Simply White” (doors & millwork) // Reveal & Sources
We made big changes in this space right away, tearing down a wall and replacing it with a ginormous steel beam. It was quite the saga (with plenty of permitting headaches), but in the end, we gained a much larger and more functional living room! In 2025, we added a mudroom in the entryway for additional storage and style.
The Kitchen
Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore “Ballet White” & custom color from this blog post // Kitchen Reveal // Budget Breakdown // Dining Room Reveal
This kitchen sold me on this home! I loved how bright and open it was, even with all the orange oak. Finn, however, needed some convincing. We lived with the old kitchen for over a year before renovating—a decision I highly recommend!
We tackled the renovation in the fall of 2020—during COVID and with a newborn. Not ideal, but somehow, we survived! I still adore every choice we made.
Check out our kitchen renovation budget here.
Potential Project
On Christmas morning, a drill accidentally bumped into our Frame TV while assembling a car for Ellis. Fail. The TV technically still works, but now has hideous lines across the screen.
Honestly, we rarely turn it on, and I feel like it’s just a big eyesore now. I’m open to ideas for this space between our cabinets! Maybe a lamp and shelves? Or a large piece of art with a picture light? We’ll see!
The First Floor Bathroom
Paint Color: Sherwin Williams HGTV Home “Clary Sage” // Bathroom Reveal
At first, I thought it was odd to have a full bathroom on the main level with no bedrooms nearby. Now? We use it all the time! Finn showers here regularly, and it’s nice to have another bathtub for the kids.
This room received lots of attention over the years with new flooring, shower tile, and a DIY wood wall treatment. The vanity and toilet remain the same and they’ve been fine for us over the years. I don’t anticipate changing this bathroom much.
The Staircase
Paint Color: Benjamin Moore “Ballet White” (walls) & “Simply White” (trim) // Chandelier // Hardwoods // DIY Stair Runner // Railings // Stairwell Accent Wall
The staircase was an unexpected favorite. Initially, I debated whether we should redo the railing and expand the laundry room wall right away. I thought we could wait a few years, but wow, I’m glad we did it upfront.
With the wood railing removed, we had a metal one custom built for the space and added a new chandelier. It’s one of my favorite spots in our house, especially with our antique hutch which was a family heirloom.
Oh, and after Finn fell down the stairs (true story!) we decided to DIY a stair runner. Most recently, I added this DIY accent wall to elevate the entire hallway.
The Laundry Room
Paint Color: Benjamin Moore “Ballet White” (walls) & “Simply White” (trim) // Laundry Room Reveal
Our laundry room gained a ton of space when we moved a wall during our hallway renovation. In Fall 2019, we gave it a full DIY makeover, and it’s been a game-changer! Can I just say how much I love having laundry on the second floor with our bedrooms? It makes life so much easier!
The Main Bedroom
Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore “Boothbay Gray” (walls) & Simply White (trim) // DIY Closet // Room Reveal
Goodbye, carpet! Goodbye, green ceiling! Goodbye, dated everything!
During phase one of this renovation, we replaced the carpet with hardwood and DIY’ed a custom IKEA closet.
After living in the space for about a year, we decided to take things to the next level. We wallpapered the ceiling, I painted the walls a pretty blue-gray color, and we added lots of personality with furniture and our new Frame TV. It is now a serene oasis at the end of a long day.
The Main Bathroom
Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore “Rockport Gray” (lower wall) & “Ballet White” upper wall
In the spring of 2022, we completely renovated our main bathroom from top to bottom! We removed our outdated jacuzzi bathtub and put our shower in that spot. We then DIY’ed a linen cabinet for extra storage and you can find the full tutorial right here!
Check out the full renovation budget here.
Ellis’ Room
Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore “Tarrytown Green” (wall color) & “Simply White” (trim) // Room Reveal
We went bold with a deep green for Ellis’ room, making it the coziest space in the house. I installed picture frame molding while pregnant and still adore this subtle addition to the walls. When Ellis turned three, we gave it a fun big-boy update!
The Kids’ Bathroom
Paint Color: Benjamin Moore “Boothbay Gray” // Room Reveal
We renovated the kids’ bathroom in winter 2022, adding whimsical floral tiles, gold hardware, and cute shelves. It’s the sweetest little space for our two kiddos!
The Home Office
Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore “Ballet White” (walls); Valspar “Chimney Smoke” (built-ins) // DIY Built-Ins // Home Office Reveal // DIY Office Closet
This room sat empty until winter 2020 when we tackled our biggest DIY project yet—custom built-ins! I also added a wall mural and new furniture, turning it into a stylish and functional workspace that I use every single day!
Rory’s Room
Paint Colors: Valspar ” Wall Color: Valspar “Warm Fog” // Chair Rail Color: Custom (formula in this blog post)
Our daughter’s room is my favorite room in the house. We took it from a blank space and added so much personality with DIY chair rail, custom built-ins, and the prettiest blush color on the walls. When she turned four, I turned the space into a big girl bedroom.
The Basement
Paint Color: Clare “Greige” // Basement Reveal
After sitting untouched for three years, our basement flooded with sewage in fall 2022—forcing us into an unplanned renovation. Now, it serves as a playroom, family lounge, and Finn’s office.
Basement Bathroom
Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore “Hunger Green” & Valspar’s “Clay Angel” (upper walls and ceiling) // Reveal & Sources
In spring 2023, I spent a couple of months fully renovating this space from top to bottom. I gutted it myself, installed penny tile floors, added beadboard to the walls, and painted the space a rich, moody green.
Shop our basement bathroom here.
The Backyard
Garage Door Color, Benjamin Moore “Blue Note” // Pavers (color “Greyed Nickel”) // Composite Decking (color “Pecan”) // Backyard Reveal // Kitchen Reveal
During the summer of 2021, we did a full backyard renovation to take advantage of this space. We added a new deck, added stone pavers, and created a dining and lounging zone out here. We kept the grass in the side yard (good for the kiddos to play), but then took advantage of that backyard space.
In 2024, we added a pergola to the corner, transforming how we use the entire yard. It adds so much shade and installing the pergola was very easy. I even added some hanging lights to really create an outdoor room.
Finally, we added an outdoor kitchen. Wow, this thing is amazing and our backyard is now the best spot for parties and entertaining!
You can find the budget breakdown for the outdoor kitchen here.
Do We Plan To Move?
Ah, the million-dollar question! Every time I do a Q&A, someone asks if we’re moving, why we’re not moving, or if we’re buying another property.
About two years ago, I thought we’d move. I even had real estate photos taken! But after a lot of reflection, I realized it just didn’t make sense for us right now.
Here’s the truth:
- Our home is done. While that’s not ideal for someone who runs a home improvement business, constantly churning out “before and after” content was not sustainable for me long-term.
- Pivoting to focus on home maintenance has been one of the best decisions for both my business and my mental health.
But the biggest reason? This community.
If I needed a cup of sugar, an hour of babysitting, or just someone to sip wine with and vent, I’d have a handful of women ready to show up in minutes. That’s rare, and I don’t want to lose it.
Plus, we love our neighborhood school. Rory is thriving there, and Ellis will follow soon. With the school serving pre-K through 8th grade, we could easily stay put for years.
Do I want another big project someday? Absolutely. I love transforming spaces, and I know we’ll buy another property down the line. But for now, I’m content right here.
Home Sweet Home
Our bungalow remains home—and I love that it’s a space that has truly evolved with our family.
From a blank slate to a warm, functional, and personality-filled home, it’s been an incredible journey. Whether we stay another few years or another decade, I know one thing for sure: I’ll never stop tweaking, improving, and making this house work for our family’s ever-changing needs. Because to me, that’s what home is all about.
Casey
