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My Home Renovation Story
This house has been a labor of love from the very beginning. My husband and I bought this home because of the excellent location and fantastic neighborhood, but it desperately needed to be brought out of the 80's. Upon seeing the house, I immediately fell in love with the traditional colonial style of the home. I knew the bones of the house were solid, and I had the vision and ideas on how to make it our own. Over the years, little by little and room by room, we continuously worked on the house (and still are!). Any extra disposable income and time we had (is that even a real thing... "extra disposable income and time?"... ) we spent on the house. Below is the transformation of the main floor of our home. What a difference from the very beginning to now!
original kitchen
updated kitchen
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This is what the kitchen looked liked when we bought the house. The cabinets were in great shape, and the countertops had been updated from laminate to a solid surface; however, I couldn't get past the dated dark brown stain, beige wall color, and yellow oak floor. Because we had just bought a house and welcomed a new baby to the family, we didn't have the budget nor the time for a major renovation. Instead, I called a contractor and had the cabinets stripped and painted (how gorgeous is that blue?!), floor sanded and stained a warmer tone, walls painted a bright grey, and had a custom banquette built to create a precious little breakfast nook. Along with a few other inexpensive decor changes and new light fixtures, we completely transformed the kitchen without breaking the bank... Mission accomplished!
original living and dining room
The Kitchen wasn't the only area of the home that needed an update. The living room is the first room you see when you enter the house, and it did not make a good first impression (yikes!) It really needed some help... Are you seeing the beigey green crown molding and trim?? Again, yikes! The living room led into the formal dining room, and with it's maroon red walls, dated drapery, and brass light fixture, you can guess I wasn't having any of it. In the living room , we added board and batten molding 3/4 up the walls, painted it and all the crown molding bright white, and decided on a true navy blue color for the exposed portion of wall on top. The dining room walls were covered in a gorgeous, patterned wallpaper with different shades of blue, green, and white. We hung an airy black iron chandelier to add the finishing touch.
updated living and dining room
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Fast forward several years, and we come to our final step in our renovation. Can you say, "Tear down the walls!!" Now, I really do love the "box" style of a traditional colonial home. Divided rooms can make a home feel cozy and safe. Not to mention that in the current state of todays world (stupid Covid!), many families long for separate, defined spaces as everyone is home all day working and doing virtual school. However, I really longed for an open space to allow all the natural sunlight we get to flood into our home during the day. Also, I have 3 little boys who run around the house all day, so it really was a matter of safety... slamming into walls just isn't safe, am I right!?!
Demo
my amazing contractor disassembling my kitchen
Demo
the wall between the kitchen and the dining room coming down
Demo
Because we took out the main support wall, a massive support joist had to go up in its place... not an easy thing!
Demo
the walls are getting ripped to the studs
Demo
the walls separating the kitchen, living room, and dining room are down and the HVAC is getting rerouted
Demo
walls ripped to the studs, plumbing, electrical, gas, and HVAC all rerouted and installed in their proper place
Demo
while only the studs were exposed, this was our chance to run all the wires for our surround sound and get our lighting design in the proper place
Completed Remodel
with all the walls removed on the main floor, we really did create an amazing open floor plan
Completed Remodel
the wood accents, including the basket pendent lights, are the perfect contrast to the white cabinetry and stainless fixtures... they really help warm up the space
Flooring
yes, all my hardwood had to be ripped and replaced, sanded and re stained... this was one of the messiest parts of the renovation!
Completed Remodel
the open concept living/dining/kitchen makes our home feel so spacious
Completed Remodel
By far, one of my favorite design features in the kitchen. I designed this run of cabinets to really make a statement in the kitchen... with glass stacks and pearl like backsplash, what's not to love?
Completed Remodel
Another view of how open the space became
Completed Remodel
The bay window was too perfect to ignore... I had a custom built window seat installed and brought the same upholstery from the breakfast nook over for continuity... This is now the best seat in the house!
Completed Remodel
There was no way I was getting rid of my custom built breakfast nook... With a few style changes and some custom upholstery, I gave new life to this perfect area
Completed Remodel
I know I already said something else was my "favorite design feature" but I lied... This is my Favorite! I designed this precious little "cookbook nook" to fit into a little section of unused wall... My contractor and carpenter worked diligently to make my vison come alive, and I would say they hit the nail on the head (literally and figuratively!)