Hi, I’m Tracie!
I got involved with the Chicago bungalow community in 2016 when my husband and I bought our first single-family home in Belmont Cragin. In 2017 I started an Instagram account to document house projects, and began to see the online bungalow community grow and knit themselves together. Through Instagram, I’ve met many Chicago bungalow owners (current and former), as well as old house enthusiasts, in-person!
I’ve won two Driehaus awards through the Chicago Bungalow Association and have taught myself how to refinish floors and woodwork, hang wallpaper, do basic plumbing and electrical, do drywall and plaster repair. I’ve also taken classes on historic masonry and wood window restoration. The list keeps growing.
In 2018 I started this blog as a way to long-form document my projects, conduct research, and build resources and project lists for old house owners. I’m working hard to figure out how to apply my day job as a human-centered designer to my passion for education and helping others build their own home literacy and better understand home maintenance.
my chicago bungalow 