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Making it Lovely

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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Instagram post 17849054585272575 There she is, my whole house palette in one shot. Well, 87% of it, at least. #thelovelyvictorian
Instagram post 17889402532621278 The dining room now, vs. where it’s heading. Maybe? I’ve already painted the ceiling and am pretty sure I’ve got the wall color picked out. What do we think of the black and white rug? It’s indoor/outdoor and definitely nods to my moth (apantesis incorrupta) inspiration, but I haven’t bought it yet in case I come across the perfect vintage rug. . #thelovelyvictorian
Instagram post 18157833550030336 I wanted to love it. A hand-me-down rug with perfect colors and a fun pattern, just the right size for our dining room. So cute! But the scale was all wrong. And I don’t have another room in need of a rug, so back it went. 💔
Instagram post 18117448429187402 I finished painting the dining room ceiling red! ❤️ I have a hole to repair by the light switch, and I should get that done this weekend. Then what do we think: paint the walls a slightly deeper, more orchid pink? Or continue looking at possible rugs and let that guide the wall color? I’m doing this completely differently than I do for my clients (spontaneous vs. planned for them). All inspired by a moth, apantesis incorrupta! #thelovelyvictorian
Instagram post 17843349320326455 I opened up Instagram to see that I hadn’t posted in a couple of weeks. I’ve been on Stories, a little, but oops unintentional break. My last photo was of me on the stairs, and this felt like an appropriate follow-up. . The kids will all be doing e-learning when school starts, and with Calvin starting kindergarten this year, we’ll be managing schooling for all three. I’m glad it’s remote. It should be. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. . I have been keeping busy with client work. Some local, more online. I’ve been thinking of adding more long distance options too. . I’ve been fantasizing about moving. Charming old house with some land around it? Cheap enough to be mortgage-free with cash to renovate and decorate it to my heart’s content. “But the schoooolls...” We live where we live for a lot of reasons, but that’s a big one and I don’t intend to fully switch over to homeschooling. . I painted the dining room ceiling red. I hurt my shoulder a year ago when I fell down some stairs and that made painting a ceiling far more difficult, but it also felt good to just want to do something sort of on a whim, and then do it. What should I do next? . 📷: @tinaharle (This was from the porch portrait session she did for us, and she can do the same for you.)
Instagram post 17889957274587690 Who could have guessed that my 6’ long insect cutouts with all the dangly leg and antenna bits would prove irresistible to a curious kitten? One of the foster cats has been doing an absolute number on these and I’m sad about it. I think I can sort of fix them back up (toothpicks as stints on the back)?
Instagram post 17958892816335882 I love my house. I also want to repaint and rearrange everything. I’m bored. 🙃
Instagram post 17875035415741389 Our first pair of foster kittens were adopted quickly, but we’ve gone on to take in two additional pairs of sisters, bringing us to four foster cats currently in the house (in two separate rooms). 🐈🐈🐈🐈 The new kittens were sick when we took them in and they’ve been here for a few weeks. They’re so much better now! They’re scheduled to be spayed next month and then they’ll need some recovery time before they can be adopted; I’ll let you know when they’re available. (That’s one of them in the photo.) But the two we just got are older, a pair of 10-year-old sisters and they are absolute sweethearts! 💕 They are affectionate as heck and have been good with the kids, but they’re afraid of dogs so not a good match for us long-term. If you’re in Chicagoland and looking for a couple of lap-cats to keep you company, consider Shortcake and Biscotti through the @animalcareleague!
Instagram post 17867200246867829 Today, I’ve been sharing Stories from Erin of @liveprettyonapenny as I #sharethemicnow. Let’s let her introduce herself, if you don’t know and follow her already. . My name is Erin and I live in a suburb in Atlanta by way of Chicago. I am a self proclaimed DIY expert and extreme busy body. I share my home with my 6 year old son, husband, and 2 dogs. Our home was built in 1996 and we bought it as a foreclosure in 2011. I want my home to feel lived in and loved and hope each project that we do accomplishes both. My motto is you should love where you live and live what you love. I hope you follow my journey! . #sharethemicnowhomeedition
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Design Services

Our 1891 Victorian

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Sources & Paint Colors

Latest Posts

Planning a Moth-Inspired Dining Room

August 12, 2020
Summer Dressing July 2020

I Love This $28 Dress

July 23, 2020
Vintage Rug with Paint and Fabric Swatches

Updating the Dining Room

June 23, 2020
Style: Spring/Summer 2020

Style: For Leaving the House, or Not

June 11, 2020
Brooklyn Windows Series by Adrian Brandon

Honor Roll

June 9, 2020
Making it Lovely
Instagram post 17849054585272575 There she is, my whole house palette in one shot. Well, 87% of it, at least. #thelovelyvictorian
Instagram post 17889402532621278 The dining room now, vs. where it’s heading. Maybe? I’ve already painted the ceiling and am pretty sure I’ve got the wall color picked out. What do we think of the black and white rug? It’s indoor/outdoor and definitely nods to my moth (apantesis incorrupta) inspiration, but I haven’t bought it yet in case I come across the perfect vintage rug. . #thelovelyvictorian
Instagram post 18157833550030336 I wanted to love it. A hand-me-down rug with perfect colors and a fun pattern, just the right size for our dining room. So cute! But the scale was all wrong. And I don’t have another room in need of a rug, so back it went. 💔
Instagram post 18117448429187402 I finished painting the dining room ceiling red! ❤️ I have a hole to repair by the light switch, and I should get that done this weekend. Then what do we think: paint the walls a slightly deeper, more orchid pink? Or continue looking at possible rugs and let that guide the wall color? I’m doing this completely differently than I do for my clients (spontaneous vs. planned for them). All inspired by a moth, apantesis incorrupta! #thelovelyvictorian
Instagram post 17843349320326455 I opened up Instagram to see that I hadn’t posted in a couple of weeks. I’ve been on Stories, a little, but oops unintentional break. My last photo was of me on the stairs, and this felt like an appropriate follow-up. . The kids will all be doing e-learning when school starts, and with Calvin starting kindergarten this year, we’ll be managing schooling for all three. I’m glad it’s remote. It should be. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. . I have been keeping busy with client work. Some local, more online. I’ve been thinking of adding more long distance options too. . I’ve been fantasizing about moving. Charming old house with some land around it? Cheap enough to be mortgage-free with cash to renovate and decorate it to my heart’s content. “But the schoooolls...” We live where we live for a lot of reasons, but that’s a big one and I don’t intend to fully switch over to homeschooling. . I painted the dining room ceiling red. I hurt my shoulder a year ago when I fell down some stairs and that made painting a ceiling far more difficult, but it also felt good to just want to do something sort of on a whim, and then do it. What should I do next? . 📷: @tinaharle (This was from the porch portrait session she did for us, and she can do the same for you.)
Instagram post 17889957274587690 Who could have guessed that my 6’ long insect cutouts with all the dangly leg and antenna bits would prove irresistible to a curious kitten? One of the foster cats has been doing an absolute number on these and I’m sad about it. I think I can sort of fix them back up (toothpicks as stints on the back)?
Instagram post 17958892816335882 I love my house. I also want to repaint and rearrange everything. I’m bored. 🙃
Instagram post 17875035415741389 Our first pair of foster kittens were adopted quickly, but we’ve gone on to take in two additional pairs of sisters, bringing us to four foster cats currently in the house (in two separate rooms). 🐈🐈🐈🐈 The new kittens were sick when we took them in and they’ve been here for a few weeks. They’re so much better now! They’re scheduled to be spayed next month and then they’ll need some recovery time before they can be adopted; I’ll let you know when they’re available. (That’s one of them in the photo.) But the two we just got are older, a pair of 10-year-old sisters and they are absolute sweethearts! 💕 They are affectionate as heck and have been good with the kids, but they’re afraid of dogs so not a good match for us long-term. If you’re in Chicagoland and looking for a couple of lap-cats to keep you company, consider Shortcake and Biscotti through the @animalcareleague!
Instagram post 17867200246867829 Today, I’ve been sharing Stories from Erin of @liveprettyonapenny as I #sharethemicnow. Let’s let her introduce herself, if you don’t know and follow her already. . My name is Erin and I live in a suburb in Atlanta by way of Chicago. I am a self proclaimed DIY expert and extreme busy body. I share my home with my 6 year old son, husband, and 2 dogs. Our home was built in 1996 and we bought it as a foreclosure in 2011. I want my home to feel lived in and loved and hope each project that we do accomplishes both. My motto is you should love where you live and live what you love. I hope you follow my journey! . #sharethemicnowhomeedition
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