Once a year, Mike Tuttle breaks away from his role as co-owner of Inhabit, an internationally recognized home-furnishings gallery, to renovate a property under the name of his company Built Urban. “The homes I’m interested in are either too much work for flippers or ones they don’t have the vision for,” says Tuttle. Case in point: this 115-year-old Dutch Colonial on the near-north side’s bustling Delaware Street, fresh off a remodel. The home sat, for all commuters to see, in complete disrepair, with no running water, heat, or air conditioning, and duct-taped windows and walls, until a few neighbors came together to transform the 4,200-square-foot home. And these aren’t just any neighbors. One of Tuttle’s partners, Melissa Iannucci of Trade Design Studios, also has a lot of industry clout. Once they shaped the final product, they took the listing to Mark Nottingham of Nottingham Realty Group. While all three knew one another and had collaborated on past projects on a one-on-one basis, this was the first time the trio had worked together to improve their own neighborhood. “We all have a high value for local,” says Nottingham.
After a year’s worth of renovations, the polished residence—originally built by architect Herbert Foltz (known for the 1928 Shortridge High School building)—now resembles an old-meets-fresh spread that will appeal to fans of Inhabit’s clean, modern style who also appreciate rich woodwork and historic character. With four bedrooms and three baths, the house contains all the current classic-yet-contemporary must-haves, such as pops of industrial vintage lighting and hardware, white subway tile with gray grout, and concrete 3-D tiles; the latter create textured walls with Inhabit’s sought-after eco-friendly dimensional wall treatment, spotted on the pages of InStyle, Dwell, and Metropolitan Home. But by far the most striking elements are the black-framed windows, the original and ornate mahogany staircase, and the 100-year-old handcarved brick dining room fireplace. As for modern conveniences, both the first and second floors have a laundry room, and there’s a two-car garage. You can thank your new neighbors for those rare-for-the-area touches.
WANT TO BUY IT?
ADDRESS
2021 N. Delaware St.
LIST PRICE
$675,000
AGENT
Mark Nottingham, Nottingham Realty, 317-489-3441
