In Our LivingRoom with Abby and Josh from Color Club

Our In Our LivingRoom series takes us to the home of Color Club, a special building Managing Broker Annie Coleman helped clients Abby Monroe and Josh Dihle purchase in 2020. Located at 4146 N Elston, Abby and Josh are the 3rd owners of this space originally built in 1922 by the International Order of Vikings. Josh is a professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Abby is a trained facilitator and community engagement specialist for government agencies. Together this husband and wife team have created a center for art and community.  They currently have 10 artists working on-site, two art galleries, a two-bedroom apartment, a ballroom event space, and they aren't done yet! They are honoring the history of the building as it's been used as a cultural meeting space, keeping its cool character, but doing some necessary updating. We're so happy to have been able to help Abby and Josh find their building and can't wait to see how they evolve and grow!

Tell us about yourself

Abby- We are a husband and wife team -- Josh is a professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the painting and drawing department and Abby is a trained facilitator and community engagement specialist for government agencies. Together, at Color Club, we hope to cultivate a home for creative expression and meaningful gathering.

Tell us about your property

Abby-We are only the third owners of this impressive and quirky property. The building was built in 1922 by the International Order of Vikings and then was operated by the Chicago Latvian Association from 1958 until 2020 when we bought it! Many original features remain and it has always been a place of celebration and cultural activity. We are excited to maintain that legacy for Chicago's art community by renting affordable studio space to artists of all disciplines and thoughtfully programming creative events in the ballroom, tavern and former museum.

What were the deciding factors when choosing your area and picking your property?

Abby- We were not very familiar with Irving Park, but we knew it was a gem immediately! The building's existing layout was perfectly fit to our vision for Color Club. It was easy to imagine how we could utilize every space and we liked that it didn't need a complete renovation -- we've really enjoyed restoring it's unique character while adding our own touches.

 

What’s your favorite thing(s) about your property

Abby- We love that it's not just ours -- it's been so fun to watch others in our community enjoy the space and use it to foster their own creative pursuits.

What would you tell someone who is embarking on the buying process?

Abby- Trust your intuition and be patient -- if it's meant to be it will be. This was sage advice from Annie Coleman when we lost another property we thought we wanted. Turns out, something better was right around the corner!

Tell us about any improvements you made or plan to make and why

We converted the former office back into its original purpose -- a two-bedroom apartment. We opened up and white boxed both commercial storefronts that are now functioning as art galleries. We fortified the roofs and other structural elements. But otherwise, we've mostly kept the various spaces intact. A lot can be done with fresh paint!

Can you tell us about that process?

Abby- We were very lucky to find a great contractor at the beginning of the pandemic quarantine -- when a lot of tradespeople were not busy. It allowed us to move quickly and get the rentable spaces finished and leased.

What would you tell someone who is embarking on the renovation process?

Abby- With so much space, we had to map out a project order based on priority and potential for generating revenue. We've been chipping away at it piece by piece and it definitely has taken a lot longer than expected, but it's also important not to rush and to make good long-term choices. We keep saying if we knew everything we know now, we probably would have thought twice about jumping into this massive project, but that's also the fun part -- discovering what the building needs, what it has to offer and seeing it come to life.

Thank you Abby and Josh for sharing your story and wonderful space with us!