Doing a Lot with a Little

It amazes me how ridiculously addicted I have gotten to shows such as Hidden Potential on HGTV. The concept is alarmingly simple : Take a downbeat property, add a designer with vision (and a pile of cash) and “Allakhazam!” Through the use of 3-D modeling software, three competing ideas for a new living space are born.

Unfortunately, in the current threadbare economy, many of us don’t have the flow of bank-supported money that makes many of these projects a reality. One idea is to think smaller, a lot smaller.

A great web site devoted to helping urban dwellers who long for the cathedral but must settle for the cardboard box is Apartment Therapy. The site is devoted to making smaller units look better, if not bigger. Each featured unit has lush photos that accompany the descriptions of what people have done to renovate them. A few of the current featured units are in Wicker Park and look pretty swanky.

Here are some one-bedroom, one-bath units currently available in Wicker Park just waiting to be converted into something extravagant:

1111 N. Winchester St., #2F
$249,900

1218 N. Paulina, #1
$194,900

1311 N. Damen Ave., #G
$289,900