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House Tours

• Tour our current home, an 1891 Victorian in Oak Park, IL.
House Tour: Making it Lovely's Oak Park Victorian Home
 

 
• Tour our first home, a 1910 bungalow in Oak Park, IL.
House Tour: Making it Lovely's Oak Park Bungalow

Hello! I’m Nicole Balch.

Hello! I’m Nicole Balch.

Designer with a handyman background, renovating our Victorian home in historic Oak Park, IL (just outside of Chicago). Mom of three, fan of pink, keeping busy all around.

More about Nicole…

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@makingitlovely on Instagram

  • Back at it today. Will I have a functioning sink by day’s end? #thelovelyvictorian
  • This bathroom has stretched my DIY skills and I’m feeling pretty pleased about the whole thing. I did this! From the demo to the subfloor to the tile to today’s toilet installation. 🚽🎉 This pup is going to have to find a new favorite spot once the clawfoot tub gets put back into place. #thelovelyvictorian 🛁
  • I’m not sure when I took this photo, but I know it’s at least a couple of years old because I sold that coffee table long ago. Everything else looks almost the same, down to the fireplace mantel styling. . Lately I’ve been feeling an urge to change things up, but at the same time, I really like where it’s at now. 🖤 Nothing major needed. Maybe a pair of lamps? Or sconces that plug in (because I have enough going on without messing with more electrical changes right now)? Or even just candles. . I used to change the styling far more regularly, rotating things in and out of storage for a different look. Now it’s just for Christmas and then back to the usual look. Maybe I need to bring that sense of play back in to #thelovelyvictorian. . Do you ‘set it and forget it’ or are you shaking things up fairly frequently?
  • I have extra bones in my feet. 👋 Did you know that up to 20% of the population does? Because I didn’t! It’s called an accessory navicular bone, I have flat feet (fallen arches) because of mine and I wore orthotics as a kid. And now you know something super cool about me. 💫
  • I’m not usually a fan of accent walls (do the whole room!), and I didn’t see myself ever doing one. This inset portion of the wall though, by the back door and above the stone foundation, was the perfect spot for a little wallpaper. There’s a natural starting and stopping point, and that made all the difference. #thelovelyvictorian
  • I went more olive than brown and I love it. 🖤 #thelovelyvictorian
  • I’m solely in work mode until the bathroom is done now, but it’s been a good balance of work and rest this summer! There’s a new Honor Roll up today with bugs to see, bugs I missed, blighted trees coming back from the brink, and the cutest rainbow sneakers. 🐜🌈 makingitlovely.com - Link in profile!
  • I ripped out the old wooden floor. Repaired the damaged subfloor. Put in a cement backer board. Designed this border with stock 1” square tiles. I did a dry fit today and finalized the pattern. Tomorrow, I can finally lay the tile! 🎉 #thelovelyvictorian
  • I’m working on a million projects for myself and for clients, and none of them include this wallpaper and that’s a real shame. 🤔

Our 1891 Victorian

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Sources & Paint Colors

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Latest Posts

Miles Redd Bedroom with Canopy Bed

Canopy Beds

August 20, 2019
Lily Labradoodle on Mosaic Bathroom Floor Tile

Honor Roll

August 16, 2019

Sketchy

July 19, 2019
Oscar and Nicole at Rivendell

Honor Roll

July 12, 2019
Bathroom (Second Floor) Design Plan

The Bathroom Design Plan

June 26, 2019
Making it Lovely

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Follow @makingitlovely on Instagram

  • Back at it today. Will I have a functioning sink by day’s end? #thelovelyvictorian
  • This bathroom has stretched my DIY skills and I’m feeling pretty pleased about the whole thing. I did this! From the demo to the subfloor to the tile to today’s toilet installation. 🚽🎉 This pup is going to have to find a new favorite spot once the clawfoot tub gets put back into place. #thelovelyvictorian 🛁
  • I’m not sure when I took this photo, but I know it’s at least a couple of years old because I sold that coffee table long ago. Everything else looks almost the same, down to the fireplace mantel styling. . Lately I’ve been feeling an urge to change things up, but at the same time, I really like where it’s at now. 🖤 Nothing major needed. Maybe a pair of lamps? Or sconces that plug in (because I have enough going on without messing with more electrical changes right now)? Or even just candles. . I used to change the styling far more regularly, rotating things in and out of storage for a different look. Now it’s just for Christmas and then back to the usual look. Maybe I need to bring that sense of play back in to #thelovelyvictorian. . Do you ‘set it and forget it’ or are you shaking things up fairly frequently?
  • I have extra bones in my feet. 👋 Did you know that up to 20% of the population does? Because I didn’t! It’s called an accessory navicular bone, I have flat feet (fallen arches) because of mine and I wore orthotics as a kid. And now you know something super cool about me. 💫
  • I’m not usually a fan of accent walls (do the whole room!), and I didn’t see myself ever doing one. This inset portion of the wall though, by the back door and above the stone foundation, was the perfect spot for a little wallpaper. There’s a natural starting and stopping point, and that made all the difference. #thelovelyvictorian
  • I went more olive than brown and I love it. 🖤 #thelovelyvictorian

Follow @makingitlovely on Instagram

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