1122 W. Lunt Avenue
1122 W. Lunt Avenue is the address of the Lunt Lake Apartments building in which the third floor, Barnett Apartment was located, in 1990.
This apartment was part of the 1990 Annual Fall House Tour.
There are other entrances at 1132 W. Lunt Avenue, 1138 W. Lunt Avenue, and 1140 W. Lunt Avenue.
Circa: 1950s
Original Owner: Community Development Trust
Present (1990) Owner: Zelda Barnett
The change from farmland to urban development that swept Rogers Park in the 1920s and beyond, brought huge apartment buildings to the area. One such group of apartments is the Lunt Lake Apartments, on Lunt Avenue, east of Sheridan Road and near the lake.
At that time, the competitiveness in drawing tenants was so great that advertisements had to be very honest and captivating. One such ad for this 'beauty' would have looked something like this:
"The Lunt Lake Apartments offer a good neighborhood, the pleasantness of Lake Michigan, lots of parks and playgrounds, easy access to the transportation system, plenty of shopping areas, schools, churches, and different types of recreational facilities."
These apartments are still vibrant today (1990) for the same reasons claimed in this ad. Each of the apartments in these buildings is different because it is privately owned.
One such apartment is situated on the third floor in the "A" Section of 1122 W. Lunt Avenue. This apartment has a street and lawn view on the front and a partial view of the lake from the Master Bedroom and the Guest Bedroom, which are at the south end of the building.
The apartment has undergone several remodeling jobs since the building was built. Its present owner for 23 years changed the dry wall to paneling in the Living Room. The sills on all the windows were laid with very small ceramic tiles. Many changes in the Living Room came with the removal of the built-in flower boxes and a wardrobe from just right of the foyer. These were replaced by a vanity stand where memorabilia from travels of family and friends are displayed. The beams that are visible in the Living Room ceiling are transparent in all the other rooms. These beams contain heating elements for the apartment. The living area is accented by some antique furniture pieces, such as Eames chairs and gorgeous pictures that represent pleasant memories. Zelda's wedding picture is one such glorious memory.
Moving north to the doorway that takes you into the Kitchen, you will view several wall plaques from different countries. The kitchen cabinets were installed as part of a 1969 remodeling project.
On your way to the south end, where the Bathroom, Bedrooms, and Office are located, you walk on parquet floors and pass a closet whose doors have been replaced. This is also true for the other closet doors in the apartment. Continuing south on the walkway, you come to the Bathroom on your left and the Office on your right. The Office sometimes serves as a Guest Bedroom and is punctuated by the presence of pictures and antique furniture. The Bathroom remodeling came in the form of a new sink and mirror. Adjacent to the Office on the south is the Master Bedroom where antique furniture, including an original dresser mirror, belonged to Zelda before this apartment was built. A vanity tray made of real butterfly wings and a picture collection definitely give this room an "A" status. The Guest Bedroom is in the southeast corner of the apartment. Here the view and the furnishings are a little different from the Office, but still are unique.
