(#WowDistrict write-up in the Trib)

606 Trail Wow District |
Chicago Tribune’s “Developers riding 606 trail deeper into Northwest Side”

This Sunday’s Chicago Tribune had a huge feature on the 606 Trail and the effects it is having on the neighborhoods it will be running through.  For those of you not familiar with the “606“, this is a city project much like the famed High Line in New York City’s meatpacking district.  Chicago will be repurposing a former elevated train track stretching for 3 miles between Ridgeway and Ashland Avenue, along Bloomington Avenue and transforming it into an elevated park with walking/jogging paths, lush greenery, and access points throughout the route.  It will be called the 606 because all of Chicago’s zip codes begin with those three numbers.

Why do we care?  Well, our new house will be just five houses down from the 606 and extremely close to the access point at Western Avenue.  This was a major selling point to us because it was a powerful indicator of the change and growth it would bring to the Wow (West of Western) District neighborhoodand it will be very pretty and fun to use.  The neighborhood was once owner of a stigma that advised pedestrians not to travel “west of western” for safety reasons (often unfound), but this jolt in development will be encouraging Chicagoans to now travel much further west of Western and will surely bring new business and a stimulated economy to the area.

The project was originally scheduled to be completed this Fall, but due to last winter’s Polar Vortex and the inability for any of the plantings to take root, it is looking to next Spring for its completion date – ie it will be ready upon our arrival!

To learn more about the 606 and follow its construction status, check out the 606 Facebook page.

606 trail chicago wow district | www.theartesianproject.wordpress.com
The 606 | from the 606 Facebook page

(happy h&o-ween!)

The Artesian Project | www.theartesianproject.wordpress.com
(no fear, it’s a candy cig)

Happy Halloween to all five of my readers out there (hi mom!).  We are taking a break on the house stuff this weekend to get into the holiday spirit.  Last year my plans to go as Wendy Peffercorn from the Sandlot were crushed by the frigid Chicago temps; as was my plan this year (sorry Wendy, but it’s snowing).  Instead, we went as Chicago’s very own Smokin’ Jay Cutler and the Black Unicorn aka Martellus Bennett.  Don’t know who Smokin’ Jay is?  Check this out, but just know that Smokin’ Jay DON’T CARE if you don’t know who he is.

This year, we are going as only the greatest musical duo of ALL TIME: Hall &

(private eyes, they’re watching you…)

Oates.  {please turn on “you make my dreams come true” whilst reading remainder of the post}. Matt will be taking on the role of Mr. Oates with his thick mustachio and I will the hot blonde that is Daryl Hall.  So far a mullet wig has been purchased and (sadly) the rest of the costume is in my current wardrobe (knew those electric blue acid wash jeans would come in handy!).  I will also be wearing my badass H&O earrings – which coincidentally, I am also wearing right now at work – that I picked up at the Renegade Craft Fair from Leroy’s Place (awesome stuff; they have that Rick Ross keychain you have been looking allll over for).  Matt is going to work on the brooding stare while I will be mastering the mid-air jump and point for the evening.

Hall & Oatmeal Stout | www.theartesianproject.com
(hall & oatmeal stout)

Fun fact: one the beers we brewed for our wedding favor was Hall & Oatmeal Stout because I love to love them so much.  And the label I designed won label of the week on GrogTag.  Big day for the Wagners.

And here is the full wedding brew line-up just in case you were curious.

homebrews | www.theartesianproject.wordpress.com

(get the look for less: counter tops)

Now that construction has actually started, we thought it might be time to get our ducks in a row and start nailing down some finishes.  On our contractor’s recommendation, we ventured out to Stone City in Humboldt Park after a deeelightful breakfast at WHISK (those salty caramel pancakes – omg!).Stone City | www.theartesianproject.wordpress.com

Upon entering the warehouse, I felt like a kid in a candy shop.  Marble! Granite! Quartzite! Galore!  It was so cool to see and touch these giant slabs o rock.  It was a very educational trip and Lizette, of Stone City, was an absolute gem to work with.

Here is what we learned.

If you want Calacutta Gold Marble look, consider:
1.  White Mystery Marble
2.  Eureka Danby Marble

Calacutta Gold is currently the most in-demand marble on the market for its obvious good looks and warm tones, so unfortunately, that also makes this Italian marble the most expensive.  We wanted to use this slab for our kitchen island – which is rather large at 4’x11′, so any type of savings would help.  With that in mind, we discovered Mystery White Marble, which also had the same characteristics as CG, but with a whiter base – and here’s the kicker – half the price tag. Mystery White is also sometimes called Misty White.  Eureka Marble (sometimes called Danby) has a more dramatic, darker veining, but also the same warm tones as Calacatta Gold, at also half the price.  We also learned that the largest slab we could get would be ten feet – so in order to achieve the seamless, one slab look we are going to resize our island to 10′.  These stones are also sourced in the US – Vermont to be specific.

Marble Slabs | www.theartesianproject.wordpress.com

Our kitchen finish design has a darker, contrasting counter on the perimeter.  I wanted something a little rougher to contrast with the smooth marble, so I was thinking a soapstone would do the trick.  Here is what we learned.

If you want the Soapstone look, consider:
1. Honed, Virginia Mist Granite

Soapstone is a very porous material, which means that it would quickly absorb stains into the stone itself and require a lot of maintenance.  I, personally, am a little of tired of the granite look, but the Honed version is so different.  It has a matte finish and really looks more like a soapstone or concrete.  Granite is also one of the most durable materials on the market – with a much smaller price tag than the soapstone.  With the Virginia Mist (also sometimes called Jet Black) we can achieve that same look with more durability and spending less.  Honed granite FTW!

Virginia Mist
(Honed, Virginia Mist Granite)

Here are some real kitchens found on Houzz using these materials for your perusing pleasure.

Mystery White Marble

Eureka Danby Marble

Honed, Virginia Mist Granite

So what have we really learned?  Don’t take some stones for granite.  Sorry, had to.

(It’s going down, I’m yelling TIMBERRR)

Hey youuu guuyysss… We scored some major progress!

Yesterday, the construction crew got to work on the demo of the existing structure on the lot – which is HUGE (as in a life step, not size)!

Demo | www.theartesianproject.wordpress.comHere is the pic our contractor sent during the day.  I’m sure your first thoughts are the same as mine: DANG THAT IS NARROW, but hey, that’s city livin!

As a lover of old things I was concerned about demoing a home, but the existing house was just not salvageable – but, I am going to try and scavenge some of the pieces to recreate into furniture so that a part of the original house lives on.

I was off in lovely Vancouver earlier this week (it really is an awesome city), so Idemo| www.theartesianproject.wordpress.com rushed straight from O’Hare over to the site once I landed, hence the mucky night photo.

This called for a celebration, so Matt & I popped some bubbly and cheers’d to the new digs.  We then continued on – with champagne in hand – to one of favorite neighborhood spots 90 Miles Cuban Cafe (such a fun place: Byob!  Patio! Great food!  FUN!).

We had a chance to meet our future next door neighbor as he was parking in his garage, which was great, but I think we scared the bejeezus out of him, you know, hanging out in the alley at night and bursting out of the car excitedly to say hello.  I, for sure, staked my claim as the neighborhood Kimmy Gibbler with that move – hey there neighborino!

Have a great weekend!

P.S. credit to my mom on this title, who is apparently a Kesha fan?

Demo | www.theartesianproject.wordpress.com

(wood you like to know the recipe for adding instant character?)

Woodshop101I have always had a penchant for vintage things with loads of character, but after taking Woodworking 101 at the ReBuilding Exchange in the Spring, I want salvaged everything. I took the class with my future sis-in-law and we absolutely loved it. We hand selected our own timber and used real badass power tools over the course of the 4 week class. I will eventually be using my tabletop as the basement bar counter top – chyea!  Sidenote: if you live in the Chicago area and have never visited the ReBuilding Exchange – GO! I have found many a pieces there for projects – including the mantel that turned into our headboard and is my favorite project to date.

So naturally, I now feel compelled to sprinkle the magic of reclaimed wood all over the new house: the recipe for instant character.  I have already designed built-ins around the family room fireplace that will be using the wood pieces as counter top and shelving (contrasted against white cabinetry) which I am incredibly stoked for.  Also, as mentioned above, I will be using the tabletop piece I made in class as the counter top for the wet bar in the basement – I also plan on taking a trip to ReBuilding Exchange to select a few thick pieces to turn into open shelving above the cabinets.  I have been hemming and hawing about adding beams in the family room or the master bedroom and I think we are settled on the master (I was worried the dark beams would bring down the ceiling height in the family room).  So without further ado, here are some of my fav uses of salvaged wood that I found on the interwebs that will *hopefully* be incorporated more or less into House Wagner 2.0.

Happy Friday!

(renegade craft fair)

Screen shot 2014-09-05 at 5.07.47 PMThis weekend is the Renegade Craft Fair in Wicker Park and I am super stoked to go.  I am a big fan of finding one-of-a-kind pieces with some spunk made from local artisans.  Plus, being in the events business myself I like to show support to other events and the industry. 

I went to the Handmade Market back in December and came out with a slew of gifts (what up Alapash & White Nest), so now with a new house (**hopefully**) on the way, I will be on the hunt to fill those blank walls.  I think it is important to fill your house with pieces that have a story to tell – a family heirloom, a souvenir from a vacation, or something with some character.  Here are a few of this weekend’s vendors that I am looking forward to scouting out:

  • Cartografika – hoping to go with a map-themed basement (my friends didn’t nickname me Cartesian Kristy for nothin), so these super cool prints would fit in juuuuuust right.
  • CHC –  these bags are so perfect it hurts.
  • Leroy’s Place – omg Hall & Oates earrings?  I could go for that…no?  More about my love for H&O later.
  • Line and Shape Ceramics – I think layering different textures on each other is the key to a unique space and these vases have a LOT of texture – and are very different.
  • Sarah Mimo Clocks – I mean, just look at these.  Want.
  • Studio Chris – vintage-esque posters for each Chicago neighborhood.  I see you Humbolt Park.
  • Territory Design – Beautiful, handcrafted pieces from all over the globe with proceeds going back to the local artisans
  • Yoder’s Wooded Lot – love me some salvaged wood functional pieces
  • speaking of salvaged wood, I also heard that the Rebuilding Exchange’s in-shop line, RX Made will be making an appearance at the fair.