Plenty of condos and lofts have exposed brick walls here or there, but at Firebird Development Corp‘s Columbia Gardens in Rogers Park, the exposed brick travels down the living room wall, across the bay windows at the front of the room and, it appears, into the kitchen, in the backsplash area over the sink.
That’s a lot of brick. A stylish choice, do you think? I kind of like it in the kitchen, although I wonder if it’s as easy to clean as a tile backsplash. I’m also curious about how well an exposed wall insulates the unit. As this online discussion suggests, it depends a lot on the thickness and quality of the wall – buyers might want to consult with an HVAC engineer or home inspector to see how well they’ll be protected from heat, cold and noise.
Columbia Gardens, at 1615 W Columbia Ave, comprises 38 condos with one to three bedrooms. Prices range from the $100s to the $360s.
I live across the street and we have similar brick. It looks great. Haven’t been here long enough to say how it will wear in the kitchen. I can tell you it’s “3 bricks thick” and this particular developer does not do it in the bedrooms, so insulation seems fine for all else. Andy