Hi there! My name is Linda and I’m a Jersey-born-and-bred Midwestern transplant who lives in Chicago with my husband and two children.
We bought our starter home in an up-and-coming near north neighborhood in 1995 with a 5-to-7-year plan in mind — and we never left. We watched from our front porch as the neighborhood exploded with growth. Houses left and right and right next door were torn down and rebuilt into 5,000-square-feet, multi-level, million dollar homes. Our neighborhood school went from “I’m never, ever sending my child there” to one of the best and most desirable elementary schools in the city.
After the birth of our first child, our house felt exponentially smaller – what with the ugly plastic baby paraphernalia overwhelming our modest home. So when child number two was still incubating, I conspired with our friend and contractor neighbor to custom build a first floor family room that made our cozy (read: small) home much more livable for the long haul.
The style of our home has evolved over the years, landing on a warm-toned Pottery Barn circa early 2000 vibe about seven years ago. But now I’m ready for a change. Not too crazy or drastic; we are working on a very tight budget. I’m hoping to lighten and brighten things up one room at a time for $500 or less.
I hope you’ll join me in my journey, share your own experiences and advice – and, perhaps, pick up some new ideas and DIY tips along the way ….
And feel free to contact me at …
linda@zbraden.com
or
itallstartedwithpaint@gmail.com
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Hi there! My name is Linda and I’m a Jersey-born-and-bred Midwestern transplant who lives in Chicago with my husband and two children. We've lived in our home since 1995 and over the years our style has changed and evolved. I wouldn't call my home a work-in-progress -- more like a rework-in-progress as I refresh and remodel things around here ... one room at a time.
