Are White Wood Floors In Now? A 2-Bedroom Loft at 1872 N. Clybourn in Lincoln Park
This 2-bedroom authentic loft at 1872 N. Clybourn in Lincoln Park just came on the market.
It has exposed brick walls and ductwork along with white painted timber ceilings which have skylights.
The kitchen has custom Shaker cabinets, stainless steel appliances and quartz counter tops.
One bedroom is on the main level with the second on the second level.
But what is most unique is what the listing calls “white diagonal hardwood floors.”
The wood flooring of choice has been the dark walnut or espresso floors but recently there has been a smattering of the light floors.
These white wood floors are the first ones I’ve seen referenced as “white”, however.
This loft has central air, washer/dryer in the unit and deeded parking is included.
It looks like it is on the market for the first time in 17 years.
Are white hardwood floors going to be the trend going forward?
Are the dark hardwoods finally passé?
Melanie Giglio at Jameson Sotheby’s has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #604: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, no square footage listed, 2 levels
- Sold in October 1998 for $295,000
- Currently listed for $649,900 (includes the parking spot)
- Assessments of $468 a month (includes heat, a/c, water, exterior maintenance, lawn service, scavenger, and snow removal)
- Taxes of $6001
- Central Air
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- Skylights
- Bedroom #1: 20×11 (second level)
- Bedroom #2: 11×9 (main level)
- Library: 14×4 (second level)
All those sweet finishes, and they still put the microwave above the stove.
Diagonal white floors, god damn that looks fucking terrible!
Blah they white washed the whole unit… looks good in photos but in reality it sucks because you have to clean it ALL THE TIME.
Things we can rely on: I lament micros over the stove, sonies decries diagonal floors and…Jenny…how do you feel about the one-toilet situation?
“Diagonal white floors”
I do suspect that the diagonal part was existing at conversion. Doesn’t excuse the white out, tho.
Great photoshop of the outdoor pics! They look so clean & crisp. How did they remove all that traffic & all the soot from the Larkin scrap yard? I don’t even like commuting on that stretch and let alone hangin’ my hat there.
Those diagonal floors suck. Did them in a small place back in the late 90’s. My guess is that a non wood lover lived here and tried to cover up the wood floors ceilings and cabinets. Looks like the took that a but too far. Ugggh what a disaster.
And no it’s nor the new trend. Can that be sandblasted?
I like them but I understand they are not for everyone! If they are real wood floors that have been whitewashed, you can sand them down and stain them any color you want. If they are some sort of pre-fab, then you are stuck with replacing them
White floors could be quite nice, but it does not go with the feel of this place at all. It is an industrial loft, they are supposed to have warm colored wood floors or something industrial looking like slab. You want to go with light color flooring, go for something like these:
http://www.houzz.com/loft-concrete-floor
are concrete floors the new in thing?
I think they were trying to make it look like an NYC style loft… something about it doesn’t look right in this unit though. With the right decorating and art, it probably won’t look too bad though. The lack of furniture probably makes it hard to visualize.
i really love the white floors! i love washed/stained floors, personally. not loving diagonal, but they look better in white on the diagonal than the 90s oak.
I think that people should go with whatever color flooring they want instead of worrying about being on trend. Everyone has different tastes. I like light wood floors. The trend was dark and now seems to be white. Just go with whatever you like!
People can definitely go with whatever they like as long as they live in the place, but there is a notion of esthatics that once violated, hurts the sales.
“are concrete floors the new in thing?”
I have no idea whats in or out, but concrete agrees with the commonly accepted aesthetics of a loft.
You cannot have exposed ducts/industrial look and then put marble floors.
But hey this is the country of people who wear trainers with suits 🙂
Wood floors aren’t like jeans, where you can just replace them depending on whether dark or light jeans are in style. There are extremes of course… no one wants vinyl flooring or cheap tiles, but hardwood stains shouldn’t have to change by the season.
“There are extremes of course… no one wants vinyl flooring or cheap tiles, but hardwood stains shouldn’t have to change by the season.”
But Jenny- they actually DO change just not by the season. I don’t know the exact time frame (maybe some interior designers can tell us) but it seems to change about every 15 years or so.
The last time the light oak floors were in style was in the early 1990s. That was nearly 30 years ago. Those light floors are now back “in” in New York and LA so it’s only a matter of time before they come to the Midwest.
White floors have been in in Scandinavia for awhile- mostly due to their weather. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see many in the US adopt them. It’s nearly impossible to get wood that light though. You basically have to paint them.
The dark espresso floors that are a “must” right now for any “remodeled” condo or SFH have only been in for about 15 years. Before that, it was cherry or light, middle of the road wood colors. It seems like those are probably on the way out. In 5 years, a property with those dark hardwood floors could look really dated.
You don’t have to replace your floors to get a different stain- as long as they are “real” wood floors. But you would have to have them restained which is expensive. If you have laminates or other fake wood floors, then yes, you would have to change them. But how long do those last anyway?
Light wood floors are much more forgiving of marks and dings, not to mention dust rhinos, than dark wood. Design trends aren’t about how a space actually lives. I am drawn to dark wood like all the other lemmings, but I wouldn’t choose dark for my floors. Then again, I don’t like Redfin either. 😉
“But you would have to have them restained which is expensive.”
*can be* expensive. This being Chicago, if you can’t find someone who will refinish your floors for a surprisingly small amount, you aren’t trying hard enough.
“The last time the light oak floors were in style was in the early 1990s.”
Light oak floors of the past had a honey tone to them with a high gloss. Today’s trend of light oak is a more natural color with satin finish. Big difference.
Oh, a traditional realtor doesn’t like Redfin. Shocking.
“Light oak floors of the past had a honey tone to them with a high gloss.”
Really? Not the ones I can recall but maybe it varied by the location in the country. In the Chicago suburbs they were a super light white color. No honey to be found. White cabinets in the kitchen completed the look. That same “almost white” look seems to be coming back in.
“This being Chicago, if you can’t find someone who will refinish your floors for a surprisingly small amount, you aren’t trying hard enough.”
A space like this loft is thousands of dollars.
“A space like this loft is thousands of dollars.”
I count maybe 1200 sf of wood floor. Are you telling me that the guy I just had refinish a floor for me for about $1.50 psf would charge more because it’s a “space like this loft”?
Yes, two thousand is technically “thousands”, but that’s not what is being implied.
So much fail here. “Built in ladder perfect for office FOR ANTS!”
Hard to see this going for anything that even starts with a 5. One bathroom, ugly (IMO) finishes, suboptimal location.
“Hard to see this going for anything that even starts with a 5.”
#601, also 2/2, closed in Aug-15 for $650k
#603, a 2/2, closed in Jul-14 for $588,500
#606, a 2/1.5, closed in Mar-13 for $635k
#602, a 3/2.5, closed in Jun-15 for $924k (25k over ask)
All of them looked nicer than this place, imo, but someone besides the owner will dig the whiteout (certainly after enough liquid paper).
“Are you telling me that the guy I just had refinish a floor for me for about $1.50 psf would charge more because it’s a “space like this loft”?”
You’re not simply refinishing them. You also have to restain them.
“#601, also 2/2, closed in Aug-15 for $650k
#603, a 2/2, closed in Jul-14 for $588,500
#606, a 2/1.5, closed in Mar-13 for $635k
#602, a 3/2.5, closed in Jun-15 for $924k (25k over ask)”
This is a 2/1. One toilet. All those others have at least a half second bath and are somewhat useful for a family, and look substantial bigger. This one is probably closer to #504 in terms of demand / suitability – #504 went for $378k in April. Probably it’s better than #504 in finishes, ceiling height, etc., but still. Also, when I see all these recent sales (especially on the 6th floor), and another unit priced to take advantage of them, I wonder if they are too late to the party and have maybe run out of demand for that building in that location. Also taxes will almost double if it goes for the list price. And it’s fall. If they want to sell this before the spring it needs a “drama” price reduction.
“You’re not simply refinishing them. You also have to restain them.”
$2/sqft should still easily cover this. Should be doable for $3k here. Maybe some complications with no baseboards but still not a big deal. $3k is a drop in the bucket for a buyer on a property that is $100k overpriced.
“You’re not simply refinishing them. You also have to restain them.”
Oh, he didn’t stain them? I’m pretty sure that my floor is now a different, darker (but not *dark*) color than (1) before, and (2) after the sanding.
Like I said, if you get a quote that’s 4 or 5 dollars a foot, then you just have to try harder.
“This is a 2/1. One toilet. All those others have at least a half second bath”
I had a typo. #601 is a 2/1, not a 2/2.
5th floor lacks the ceiling height (sufficient for the mezz level–even tho the ladder-office is unbelievably stoopid) and the private roof deck.
I’m not actually disagreeing with you, but found the prices of the other units surprising, and they are clearly the basis for this ask.
“Oh, he didn’t stain them? I’m pretty sure that my floor is now a different, darker (but not *dark*) color than (1) before, and (2) after the sanding.”
Actual refinishing without hitting the wood itself is easy enough, but has to be done early enough that there is enough varnish on top of the stain that you can remove a bit, rough it up and then revarnish/buff/etc. Should be able to do that for well under $1/sqft. It’s not that common – you would have to have a situation where the original varnish was thick, but has been substantially worn down with heavy traffic, and you catch it at the time when you can still get enough off without hitting the wood/stain. Usually when it starts to get worn down, the varnish is gone before people do something and then you need to sand/stain. Most real wood products that aren’t engineered can take 3 sandings before you have sanded enough off that you’re hitting the nails and/or the grooves have broken through, then you have to replace the wood. If you do it right, the same wood can last indefinitely if you keep the varnish in good shape.
“Should be able to do that for well under $1/sqft.”
Yep.
Obviously not if you call the floor guys that Sabrina uses, tho.
I see this one is back on the market again, along with 2 other units on the 6th floor. Are we all thinking about $550k for these, $600k for the ‘nice’ one?
“I see this one is back on the market again, along with 2 other units on the 6th floor.”
…asking $595k, having sold for $560 in Jun-16.
So JJJ was close with “a property that is $100k overpriced” at $650, but underestimating the market with “Hard to see this going for anything that even starts with a 5”.
They added a second bathroom, answering one of the problems.
Finally contingent. Eager to see what #604 goes for, as this one also listed in the building looks much nicer for “only” $35k more.
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1872-N-Clybourn-Ave-60614/unit-605/home/13350738
Back on the market after being contingent for 3 weeks. Now 3 units on 6th floor for sale for awhile in this building. Are they all just $50k overpriced, or is something going on with this building?
“Back on the market after being contingent for 3 weeks. Now 3 units on 6th floor for sale for awhile in this building. Are they all just $50k overpriced, or is something going on with this building?”
There are 56 units in the building. Having 3 units on the market on one floor doesn’t seem like a big deal in the spring market.
Every unit is unique in this building.