Inspired House

Inspired House Inspired House is a real estate investment and interior design firm that rescues residential single family homes in St Louis + Chicago.

We turn hot messes into money magic and mindful living! https://linktr.ee/inspiredhouse

08/27/2026

DAY 2: Apparently, I Live Here Now. 😂

Five. Hours.
For ONE grit.
On ONE room.

The living room is almost 400 square feet, and getting the old finish off these floors is no joke. I managed to sand the entire living room today… and that’s it. 😳

And before you ask—YES, I still have 3 more levels of grit to go, plus all the edge sanding.

So yeah… this is taking considerably longer than I expected. But there’s something about uncovering what’s been hiding underneath decades of carpet that makes the pain worth it.

Slowly. Carefully. One layer at a time.

Because Rome wasn’t built in a day… and apparently neither is this floor. 😂

SAVE IT. RETHINK IT. MAKE IT GORGEOUS.

08/22/2026

The 60-year-old carpet is GONE… but apparently it left me one last little gift. 😳

Now I’m scraping off the felt backing that was glued underneath, and let me tell you—this has been QUITE the undertaking.

I’ve tried several different methods, and every single time I had the same thought:

“Is this actually removing the felt… or am I destroying the wood floor underneath?” 😬

That’s the tricky part of restoring old floors. Sometimes you just have to experiment, test a small area, see what works, and pay VERY close attention to what the floor is telling you.

And here’s the controversial part…

WATER. 💦

I know. I can practically hear the flooring professionals gasping. 😂

But in this case, a little water seems to have been the easiest, least messy and most effective way to loosen the felt without damaging the wood underneath.

Would I recommend blindly soaking your hardwood floors? Absolutely not.

Would I recommend testing methods carefully and figuring out what works for your floor? 100%.

Because sometimes the best restoration method is the one you discover by trying something and saying…

“Hmmmm. Well, THAT worked.” 😂

So tell me: Would you have kept experimenting, or would you have stopped and called a professional?

08/20/2026

🔥 THIS CARPET HAS SURVIVED LONGER THAN SOME MARRIAGES. IT’S TIME TO GO. 😂

Sixty. Freaking. Years.

That carpet has been collecting dust, dirt, history… and God only knows what else. 🤢

So today, I finally said GOODBYE, YOU NASTY OLD THING. ✌️

And then came the next layer of fun: the felt backing.

Because apparently this floor needed one more obstacle between me and my prize. 🙄

But underneath that disgusting mess?

ORIGINAL PINE FLOORS. 😍

Are they perfect? Absolutely not.
Are they going to take some work? Ohhhh yes.
Are they worth saving?

HELL YES.

This is the part of old-house renovation I LIVE FOR. You peel back the ugly and sometimes there’s a little piece of history waiting underneath.

Now let's see what happens when I put in the work. 👀

SAVE IT. RETHINK IT. MAKE IT GORGEOUS.

08/18/2026

FLIP FINDS: What Were They THINKING?! 😂

One of my favorite parts of flipping houses? The absolutely unhinged things I find along the way. 😂

Shower curtains where you least expect them. Foam floors that make you question every life choice. And one room that I can only describe as… diarrhea. 💩😂

I’m thoroughly amused by the hilarious creativity people come up with when decorating their homes. Some of it is questionable. Some of it is downright horrifying. And some of it is so ridiculous you just have to laugh.

Because before I can turn an ugly house into something gorgeous, I have to appreciate exactly how weird it was before. 😂

SAVE IT. REUSE IT. MAKE IT GORGEOUS.
…But sometimes? Just make it less diarrhea. 😂

08/07/2026

Let's see how many smarties we have on here... can you guess what this opening is used for?

Go!

07/29/2026

Today the roof finally came off... and what a surprise it was.

Under THREE layers of shingles was a patchwork of old and new decking—OSB mixed with original 1x boards, weak spots with holes, and valleys where years of leaks had taken their toll. Honestly? The decking was in much better shape than I expected.

Stripping three layers took an entire day, and there's still another section left to go. I can rehab and flip houses all day long, but when it's your own house, it somehow feels ten times harder. 😂

Huge shoutout to the roofers for tackling this back-breaking job in the summer heat. At least they had a pretty incredible view while they worked! Now I can't wait to see the finished roof tomorrow.

Every old house has a story... you just never know what you'll uncover until you start peeling back the layers.

Address

Chicago, IL

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18724446681

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