All Finished! (*whew*) Our Brick Cape Cod Gets Her Big Debut

Just this week, after many months of hard work, careful planning, and many answered prayers, our little project house was put on the market! WOOOO HOOOO!

I am very excited to show you some of the before and after pictures today!!

I know you remember her forlorn facade from before:

But take a look at her NOW!

As you can see there are now welcoming front steps with a rail at each side (you can read more about that in this post), a new roof where a blue tarp used to be, and beautiful colorful landscaping. Her front is so pretty and clean now too, due to fresh paint, a set of shutters, and a nice light scrubbing with the power washer. (If you are wondering what happened to that funny white siding/strange addition, you can read about that here)

Throughout this process there have been pleasant surprises, bitter tears, grumbles of frustration, shouts of joy, expensive shopping trips, slips and falls (don't ask), and now...... a wonderful result.

When we first viewed our little house, there were lots of things to weigh out and lots of things that needed attention. First the roof was replaced.  When we were no longer open to the elements and without heat, it was time to focus on the existing kitchen. The cramped and dark room lacked a dishwasher and and needed updating throughout. Older appliances and an awkward layout also didn't seem like it was going to make anyone feel at home...

Not to mention the cramped doorway that led to the dining room.

A totally redesigned kitchen with quartz countertops, new hardwood floors, all new appliances and cabinets, and a repositioned larger doorway make a huge difference.

Pretty, bright, and sparkly!

The living room had a fireplace, but it lacked a mantel shelf, had cracked and crumbling tile at the hearth, and was surrounded by dark knotty pine panelling.

With paint, beautiful carpentry work, a new stone slab, and staging for the upcoming showings, it looks like a whole new room:

The dining room also needed a little pick-me-up.  This is how it looked before.

And now it has a clean look that welcomes buyers to envision using the space to sit down for soup and a sandwich or to have an elegant meal with guests.

The final room I will show you for today is the Master Bedroom. It originally had been painted with bright pink paint in one area, and blue and white stripes in the dormer space.

Now with beautiful neutrals, new carpeting, and the right furniture and accessories, a buyer can see all the potential this room has to be a restful retreat.

I will be back very soon to show you the rest of the redesigned spaces!

What do you think? Do you like the look of our freshened up cottage?

A Colorful Girl

You know, Sweetie, I don't know if you know this....but  not all of us have the natural inclination to keep things tidy....

Sometimes people living under the very same roof can be as different as night and day!

Not that I know of ANYONE that would fit that description!

Although, maybe I could help you straighten your room a bit. Oh, and didn't you say that you felt things were looking a little too "little girlish"?  Maybe if we collected a bunch of things that your weren't using (like enough to fill the back of the car..a few times over) and donated them, we could make room for some cool new accessories.....Whatcha think? Are you game?

Nice try. Very effective. I know those "tears" are water from the sink.  Now let's get down to work! It will all pay off very soon.

Don't worry, we will make the colorful cast of characters feel right at home in their new digs.  SEE, they are smiling!

They may even feel MORE comfortable with all the extra elbow room.

And we will make sure that your artsy, sparkly style comes through.

You will still have all the things around you that you love!

And with just a couple of new things to add a more funky, tweensy fun vibe....

We have done it!

HIGH FIVE! WE ROCK!!! :)

Now go put your socks in the hamper.

Down A Winding Lane....

I have the best job in the world. No, really. I do. You will never be able to convince me that your job is better than mine. Go ahead and TRY.

Just a few Saturday mornings ago, while the birds were singing and the sun was shining, I climbed into my Honda with my travel mug full of hot coffee~off to pick exterior paint colors for an amazing little historic house tucked away on a winding, tree-lined lane.

The owners are diligently working to bring the charm back to their lovely house, and revive the architectural detail that has been stripped from it over the years. I had spent the time before I met with my new clients researching the type of house they have and gathering ideas based on its style--possibly indicating how their house may have been painted in the past.

An understanding of your house’s architectural style is your best friend when you are hoping to kick up your curb appeal, wanting to select paint colors, or deciding on roofing, siding or other exterior materials. Knowing what is appropriate helps you to make choices that look pulled together and intentional.

This house is a beautiful cottage built during the Victorian era, but with the influence of the Dutch Colonial style of architecture. In addition to a certain palette and placement of colors, my main suggestion to these homeowners was the addition of a shake siding to the front gable, (or “Gambrel” in this style) to add appropriate texture and detail. Here is an example of a modern house that has similar influences:

Do you know what style your house is? Check out this link about house styles, and get some ideas and inspiration for your next exterior project!

p.s. make sure you check back soon. As soon as the painting is finished, I will post the “afters”!

A (Much Happier) Woman, a Man (Also Happy), and a Weird-Shaped Bedroom that Works

So, we have established that how you feel about where you live is pretty important. And my cousin had started in the right place when she recognized her frustrations and tried to put a positive spin on it. In one of her recent e-mails to me she had said:

“Currently, I am pretending that we actually live in NYC or another city where space is at a premium, and so our small two-bedroom [apartment] is actually a lucky find.”

Being able to see the opportunities that your space is presenting you with will never be a possibility if you are stuck in a negative frame of mind. SO, I will wait here while you go find your rose-colored glasses, dust them off, and put them on.....

Go on. You can do it. Maybe a few visuals will help.

Just to help you remember, here is what the room looked like before:

I know it is hard to orient oneself from these pictures, so I will do my best to describe to you how we changed the space.

Previously, due to the odd shape of the room, the bed had been placed alongside the wall, and the dormer alcove was essentially a dead space at the foot of the bed.  It really didn’t seem like there was any other option. One person had to climb over the other to get in and out of bed (which can be fun from time to time, especially in the first few years of marriage...but it does eventually get old) and there was no room for nightstands or lamps of any kind.

We simply turned the bed ninety degrees, the unused space became the perfect place for a nightstand, and then there was room on the other side for another one!

Creative reuse of existing items in the apartment kept costs down. One nightstand was an end table in the next room, and the other was the small media stand also from the living room. We switched it with a long, low dresser that there was no longer room for in the bedroom with the  bed in its new spot.  Two problems solved!

In addition, we dug through my cousin’s linens and found a white duvet and orange sheets that matched the decorative pillows she wanted to use.  The flat sheet used as a throw across the bottom of the bed adds the additional  punch of color needed.

1950’s vintage family artwork that had been hanging in the kitchen had the colors in it we wanted to pull together, and added so much to the wall above the bed.

Yes, you are right. We did have to buy a few things. We marched off to HomeGoods to find matching bedside lamps (symmetry creates balance and a restful feeling) and other bedding items that would round out what we had.

total purchases for space:

Milk Glass Lamps (2) $59/each

Silver Lamp (not shown) $39

Decorative Shams (2) $12.99/each

Decorative Sham (1) $12.99/each

Total Price: $186.00

What possibilities could you be overlooking in your space?

A Woman, a Man, a Weird-Shaped Bedroom

A few years ago, a friend told me about a book that she had read that had really helped her marriage. It illustrated how all people have a love style, a certain way that they show and prefer to receive love. It can be words, affection, time....well let me just cut to the chase: if I love you and know that you are in need of some support, I will come and move your furniture. I will even drive eleven hours each way to do it....but you have to really rate.

My cousin lives in Cincinnati with her husband of three years, and her oh-so-wonderful baby boy, Henry.  I live in Philadelphia with my husband (who shows love through driving long distances so I can see my cousin) and two children.  There are 560 miles between us, and that was not going to stand in my way when I knew that they all were experiencing a Hard Time.

Professionally it is what I do. I redesign people’s environments so that they can enjoy a sense of peace and balance. Your home should nurture you, support you, and provide an intentional, well-designed framework for you that makes day-to-day life more livable.

Does yours?

Anyway, my cousin’s DIDN’T.

These photos are all of the bedroom that she shares with her husband. They downsized and moved to this third floor apartment about a year ago. The small space is punctuated by the angles of the roofline & alcoves created by dormers.

“Where do we put the bed?!” I can hear many generations of renters crying out.

As is the case almost always when experiencing a Hard Time, clutter had collected, and since there was general frustration with things both in life and with the space where they were living, there was no energy to even try to make things look good. And it was just getting worse each day.

The feelings that my cousin had expressed to me about her home were the same that most of my clients do. She said she felt ashamed and overwhelmed--not feelings that exactly welcome you home, but we have all been there.

What are the words that would best describe your feelings about your home?

You have seen the “before.” Tomorrow we will see the “after” and talk about all the steps in between!