"Every inch of the unit was covered in furniture and clutter. It smelled bad," Joyce continues of her first-ever apartment she rented her own as an adult. "But at 23 it was the only apartment I could afford to rent in the city that was in my price range. And let me tell you, everything was outdated, the walls were an ugly brownish yellow color, the wood floors were heavily damaged, the bathroom faucets didn't work, and there was no AC. But it was in the most amazing location in Chicago, one block away from the lake and nestled in the cutest neighborhood.""
""She gave me my first toolbox when I was 3 years old. I still have it in the apartment today. She has taught me everything - from replacing sink faucets and fixtures, refinishing furniture that's been in my family for generations, swapping out dated ceiling fans, re-grouting the bathroom, painting and tiling, hot-wiring a car, fixing appliances that have broken - anything. YOU NAME IT - I've done it in this apartment.""
Joyce Caldwell rented a 100-year-old, 800-square-foot one-bedroom apartment in Chicago's Lakeview East that arrived heavily hoarded, damaged, and outdated but offered an exceptional location near the lake. She repaired and renovated the unit through hands-on DIY work taught by her single mother, who gave her a toolbox at age three. Renovations included replacing faucets, refinishing inherited furniture, swapping ceiling fans, re-grouting the bathroom, painting and tiling, and fixing appliances. She refinished found and salvaged pieces such as a curbside coffee table and combined store-bought items to create distinct rooms with individual energy and style.
Read at Apartment Therapy
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