Should You Paint Your Brick? A 3-Bedroom Loft at 154 W. Hubbard in River North
This 3-bedroom loft at 154 W. Hubbard in River North came on the market in April 2018.
This is an 18-unit building that was converted to luxury lofts in 2008. It also has a heated parking garage but no doorman or other amenities.
This loft has sanded and refinished hardwood floors.
The kitchen has double ovens, a wine fridge, stainless steel appliances, including a Subzero refrigerator, and custom Italian cabinetry along with a new backsplash.
The family room has surround sound and Restoration Hardware lighting.
The listing says there’s a “spa-like” shower in the master bath. The master suite also has a walk-in closet.
An end parking space in a heated garage is included.
There are also 2 balconies.
This is an authentic brick and timber loft but the bricks have been painted white since the 2011 sale.
Should you paint exposed brick?
Jamie Bernhardt at Weichert has the listing. See the pictures here. (If you have a Redfin account you can click on the pictures from the 2011 listing to see what it looked like before they painted the brick.)
Unit #502: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2311 square feet
- Sold in September 2008 for $760,000
- Sold in September 2011 for $760,000
- Originally listed in April 2018 for $1.125 million
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $1,050,000
- Assessments of $368 a month (includes exterior maintenance, scavenger, snow removal)
- Taxes of $18,244
- Central Air
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- Bedroom #1: 16×14
- Bedroom #2: 13×12
- Bedroom #3: 13×10
- Office: 8×5
- Walk-in-closet: 10×9
- Family room: 18×16
I think it’s a good look. Risky move but it paid off. Of course, I’m not a fan of exposed brick. It’s part of the less is more movement.
After seeing this, I say yes.
Nice place. Needs more Darien Taylor
I think that painted brink can look nice. In this case, it looks nice.
But as a buyer I would be wary of painted brick. If the brick passes moisture, as many bricks on outside walls do, the paint will start to peel in places. Then it becomes a battle to keep the brink painted while the brick keeps peeling.
Attempting to strip off all of the paint from the brick, if there is a peeling problem, is not an easy task because some of the paint is likely in the pores of the brick. There is only so much that paint stripper and a wire brush can do.
Now even our lofts are white and gray palettes? Isn’t loft living all about bucking trends, being more of a risk taker? At least give me a giant sculpture somewhere or a Warhol painting. Anything.
Painted bricks or not, this unit is really nice. The layout, the high timber ceilings, the finishes. Really a beautiful place!
the post in the middle of the island really sucks though. must be enjoyable having a conversation with the person sitting next to you.
It’s better than I expected, but I’ll be the naysayer and say I don’t really care for the brick being painted. However, at least it contrasts with the brick you see from the building next door.
I’m more tolerant re the placement of the posts–not ideal, but they must be structural, and IME aren’t that bothersome in practice, but then my idea of a breakfast bar is more to chat with the person in the kitchen than to converse with the person sitting next to you. A table is better for most actual eating, and it’s not like it’s far away.
Brick interior walls leave me cold. Feels prison-like.
Overall, this seems overpriced and taxes are on the high side, too. I also don’t like the location.
That works well in this unit. I toured this building when it was converted to residential and I thought all the units were dark. The white paint lightens the paint up. In a generation, they will be adding drywall. LOL
Independent of how nice the unit is, I wouldn’t want to live in this location full time, especially with young kids. There will be street noise until 3am TH-SA every weekend of the year. No thanks!
Closed for $965,000