HGTV’s “Renovation Goldmine” Reworks Chicago Greystone

Jen and Mel Mihalek loved their classic three-story Chicago greystone, but realized, three kids later, that they needed to revamp the space if they were going to keep living in it with their growing family (and start renting out the top floor to tenants). With a $200,000 budget, Meg and Joe Piercy saw potential to rework some of the structure of the home and make it into a cohesive space that the whole family could enjoy.

In the latest episode of HGTV’s “Renovation Goldmine,” Meg and Joe focused on remodeling the entire home, with an emphasis on some select spaces. The living room was situated right off of the entryway and served as one of the first impressions of the home, so it was important to give the room a classy update.

The living room began as a functional-but-basic space, with plain white walls, dark wooden trim, and dark blue curtains. The original furniture (including a gray couch, chair, and coffee table) belonged to a renter, so none of it could be used in the renovation. Since they’d be working with a blank canvas, Meg and Joe decided to look elsewhere for possible money-saving furniture restoration. They sourced material from the rest of the Mihaleks’ house and also recruited some of their nearby family members for additional pieces.

Meg and Joe painted the walls a dark, mossy blue-gray color and added white curtains on gold-colored curtain rods. They also painted the trim of the room white (around the windows and running along the floorboards), which helped the new wall color to pop. They brought in a new light blue couch and accent chair. They also added a white and gold coffee table, which subtly matched the window fixtures. To help save money, the Piercys painted Jen and Mel’s old wooden bedroom dresser white and incorporated it into the living room.

“While we wanted to make your home beautiful, we also really wanted your girls to feel like they could really live here, and so every design choice we made was with them in mind,” Meg explained to the couple. She cited the dark paint choice and indoor-outdoor couch fabric, both of which would be friendly to kids’ “sticky fingers.” 

In the next room, Meg and Joe gave the property a total remodel by making a new kitchen from scratch. Rather than using the outdated kitchen in the back of the house (which they wound up scrapping and turning into a master bedroom and private bathroom), the couple pushed back one of the bedrooms and created an entirely new, larger space for a fresh and updated kitchen that could fit the entire family. 

The Piercys installed fresh appliances (including a fridge and dishwasher), white cabinets (upper and lower), and modern light fixtures in the new kitchen. They also added an island with high seating and a stone countertop for casual mealtimes. The finishing touch was the bright yellow custom range that they were able to budget for, thanks to some of the furniture refurbishment completed throughout the renovation.

“Renovation Goldmine” airs Saturdays at 8/7 central on HGTV.