Nicole Balch Design
House Tour
- Our Current Home (The Victorian)
- Our First Home (The Bungalow)
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House Tours

• Tour our current home, an 1891 Victorian in Oak Park, IL.

• Tour our first home, a 1910 bungalow in Oak Park, IL.

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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I’m hoping to have the bathroom walls all fixed

I’m hoping to have the bathroom walls all fixed up by the end of the day tomorrow. There are spots like this corner that I put together so long ago and still love, and then spots like the bathroom that have been untouched until now. A slow renovation and slow decorating doesn’t make for quick paced reveals, but it makes for a home that continues to make me happy. 🖤 #thelovelyvictorian #makingitlovely

Down to two wallpaper contenders, and two tile col

Down to two wallpaper contenders, and two tile colors too! This is so much fun.
#thelovelyvictorian #makingitlovely

I’ve been trying to find the right green/brown f

I’ve been trying to find the right green/brown for the kitchen cabinets. I’m between the two wallpapers you see here, and I may have stumbled across the color I’ve been searching for! While watching the @farrowandball Colour Trends stories, they showed Pantalon from their archives. No samples or swatches are available though - I might just need to order a quart and see?

(More about this color in today’s Stories, and I’ll add them to my kitchen highlight.)

#thelovelyvictorian #makingitlovely

I now own a scaffold! Really, I should have gotten

I now own a scaffold! Really, I should have gotten it sooner, but hey it’s here now.

I probably have one more day’s worth of scraping at the most, if I’m not done by the end of today. FINALLY! I want to get to the fun part of painting and wallpapering, but there’s a lot to do still. I have to scrub any glue residue off, seal with Gardz, patch, sand, clean, prime with Shieldz, and then it will be ready for new paper! Ah, but first I also need to sand the woodwork, fill holes, caulk and prime, put a fresh coat on the beadboard, paint all the rest of the woodwork, and prime and paint the ceiling too. THEN I can wallpaper! A few light fixtures to install too, and I’ll be just about done and ready to move on to the kitchen.

#thelovelyvictorian #makingitlovely #diyrenovation

I’m probably about half done with stripping the

I’m probably about half done with stripping the wallpaper in here. It’s slow-going but I’ll get there! (My arms wear out before my resolve.) People: prep your walls before you wallpaper! Future homeowners will thank you instead of uttering curses under their breath in awful 12-hour wallpaper stripping sessions with little progress.

#sponsoredpost I'm updating the kitchen! I submitt

#sponsoredpost I'm updating the kitchen! I submitted my kitchen concept and was chosen as a finalist in Brizo and Delta Chicago’s design contest! I have been planning this in my head, in 3D renderings, and in many a mockup for ages. I’m always inspired by following @brizoanddeltachicago on Instagram, so this is pretty exciting!

I'll be keeping the charm we already have, but bringing in some modern elements in both form and function. New paint and wallpaper, keeping the existing cabinetry, and adding an apron-front sink contrasted with the latest Odin faucet from Brizo. I’m still finalizing finishes and materials, but I’m drawn to the polished gold faucet with a wooden handle detail. It will help to see it in person! The @brizoanddeltachicago showroom at the Merchandise Mart is currently open by virtual appointment only. I’ve brought clients there before for inspiration and to show off the different options Brizo offers, and it’s fun to be choosing something for myself this time!
#designwithbrizodeltachicago

We made our own little Thanksgiving dinner to keep

We made our own little Thanksgiving dinner to keep some sense of normalcy for the kids (they’re feeling the isolation). We normally host Christmas here and it’s not looking likely. We miss friends and family and I’m feeling a little sad, so hey... our pink Christmas tree is back! Why not. 🤷🏻‍♀️
#makingitlovely #thelovelyvictorian #pinkchristmastree #pinkchristmas

I realized the other day that I’m not seeing as

I realized the other day that I’m not seeing as many white walls (or gray tones) on my feed lately. Is it a result of me having trained the algorithm to my liking, or is everyone finally coming on board with more color and warmer tones? What’s it looking like for you on Instagram these days?
•
#thelovelyvictorian #makingitlovely

This photo is from four years ago. I do not have f

This photo is from four years ago. I do not have fresh flowers at all times and so have replaced the vase with a brass snake, but it all looks the same otherwise, down to the tassels on the doorknob.
•
The wall color is the palest blush. The lamp was expensive but the antique dresser and portrait were cheap. I’ve had to repair a drawer, and when the painting arrived, I painted the wooden parts of that frame gold to match the rest of its gilding. I also painted the doors and wooden trim across the entire second and third floors and I don’t miss the old wild-grained fir and pine at all.
•
Sometimes I think it would be fun to wallpaper in here, or make some other random change. If I’m feeling particularly inspired, I will, but there’s a lot to be said for enjoying things that are good as they are.
•
•
•
🏷#thelovelyvictorian #makingitlovely #victorianhome #instahome #instadecor #sodomino #oldhouselove #oldhouse #modernvictorian #avantrevivalists #ckstyleaccordingly #showemyourstyled

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Our 1891 Victorian

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Sources & Paint Colors

Latest Posts

Stripping Wallpaper in the Bathroom

January 11, 2021

My Pink Dining Room with the Red Ceiling

December 16, 2020

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December 8, 2020

70s Chic TV Hideaway

September 15, 2020

A Birthday Wish List Disguised as a Style Post!

September 8, 2020

I’m hoping to have the bathroom walls all fixed

I’m hoping to have the bathroom walls all fixed up by the end of the day tomorrow. There are spots like this corner that I put together so long ago and still love, and then spots like the bathroom that have been untouched until now. A slow renovation and slow decorating doesn’t make for quick paced reveals, but it makes for a home that continues to make me happy. 🖤 #thelovelyvictorian #makingitlovely

Down to two wallpaper contenders, and two tile col

Down to two wallpaper contenders, and two tile colors too! This is so much fun.
#thelovelyvictorian #makingitlovely

I’ve been trying to find the right green/brown f

I’ve been trying to find the right green/brown for the kitchen cabinets. I’m between the two wallpapers you see here, and I may have stumbled across the color I’ve been searching for! While watching the @farrowandball Colour Trends stories, they showed Pantalon from their archives. No samples or swatches are available though - I might just need to order a quart and see?

(More about this color in today’s Stories, and I’ll add them to my kitchen highlight.)

#thelovelyvictorian #makingitlovely

I now own a scaffold! Really, I should have gotten

I now own a scaffold! Really, I should have gotten it sooner, but hey it’s here now.

I probably have one more day’s worth of scraping at the most, if I’m not done by the end of today. FINALLY! I want to get to the fun part of painting and wallpapering, but there’s a lot to do still. I have to scrub any glue residue off, seal with Gardz, patch, sand, clean, prime with Shieldz, and then it will be ready for new paper! Ah, but first I also need to sand the woodwork, fill holes, caulk and prime, put a fresh coat on the beadboard, paint all the rest of the woodwork, and prime and paint the ceiling too. THEN I can wallpaper! A few light fixtures to install too, and I’ll be just about done and ready to move on to the kitchen.

#thelovelyvictorian #makingitlovely #diyrenovation

I’m probably about half done with stripping the

I’m probably about half done with stripping the wallpaper in here. It’s slow-going but I’ll get there! (My arms wear out before my resolve.) People: prep your walls before you wallpaper! Future homeowners will thank you instead of uttering curses under their breath in awful 12-hour wallpaper stripping sessions with little progress.

#sponsoredpost I'm updating the kitchen! I submitt

#sponsoredpost I'm updating the kitchen! I submitted my kitchen concept and was chosen as a finalist in Brizo and Delta Chicago’s design contest! I have been planning this in my head, in 3D renderings, and in many a mockup for ages. I’m always inspired by following @brizoanddeltachicago on Instagram, so this is pretty exciting!

I'll be keeping the charm we already have, but bringing in some modern elements in both form and function. New paint and wallpaper, keeping the existing cabinetry, and adding an apron-front sink contrasted with the latest Odin faucet from Brizo. I’m still finalizing finishes and materials, but I’m drawn to the polished gold faucet with a wooden handle detail. It will help to see it in person! The @brizoanddeltachicago showroom at the Merchandise Mart is currently open by virtual appointment only. I’ve brought clients there before for inspiration and to show off the different options Brizo offers, and it’s fun to be choosing something for myself this time!
#designwithbrizodeltachicago

We made our own little Thanksgiving dinner to keep

We made our own little Thanksgiving dinner to keep some sense of normalcy for the kids (they’re feeling the isolation). We normally host Christmas here and it’s not looking likely. We miss friends and family and I’m feeling a little sad, so hey... our pink Christmas tree is back! Why not. 🤷🏻‍♀️
#makingitlovely #thelovelyvictorian #pinkchristmastree #pinkchristmas

I realized the other day that I’m not seeing as

I realized the other day that I’m not seeing as many white walls (or gray tones) on my feed lately. Is it a result of me having trained the algorithm to my liking, or is everyone finally coming on board with more color and warmer tones? What’s it looking like for you on Instagram these days?
•
#thelovelyvictorian #makingitlovely

This photo is from four years ago. I do not have f

This photo is from four years ago. I do not have fresh flowers at all times and so have replaced the vase with a brass snake, but it all looks the same otherwise, down to the tassels on the doorknob.
•
The wall color is the palest blush. The lamp was expensive but the antique dresser and portrait were cheap. I’ve had to repair a drawer, and when the painting arrived, I painted the wooden parts of that frame gold to match the rest of its gilding. I also painted the doors and wooden trim across the entire second and third floors and I don’t miss the old wild-grained fir and pine at all.
•
Sometimes I think it would be fun to wallpaper in here, or make some other random change. If I’m feeling particularly inspired, I will, but there’s a lot to be said for enjoying things that are good as they are.
•
•
•
🏷#thelovelyvictorian #makingitlovely #victorianhome #instahome #instadecor #sodomino #oldhouselove #oldhouse #modernvictorian #avantrevivalists #ckstyleaccordingly #showemyourstyled

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