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Hey everyone! As promised, today starts our blog series all about how my life got twisted upside down...
Just kidding. Although, I'd like to take a minute (I swear I'll stop) to tell you about how we are using minimal renovations to upgrade, modernize, and get this house ready for sale!
Most of the folks who stop in to read this blog are HGTV addicts like me, so you've probably seen episodes of #PropertyBrothers and #FliporFlip, etc. Those are large scale versions of what most home owners are able to do with their own homes. If you purchase a distressed property, obviously you're going to need to do large scale renovations to make your home livable. If, on the other hand, you purchase a home that has mostly cosmetic flaws then you can make some simple upgrades to enjoy it yourselves, or make it more desirable for home buyers who don't want the hassle of a renovation when you plan to sell.
Years ago, before Chris and I met, he did some renovations to his home. He opened up a bunch of walls, added chunky baseboard, painted, installed Travertine flooring and a Travertine fireplace, refinished the kitchen and baths, refinished the pool and deck with travertine, etc. Flashforward five years and a lot of the chosen finishes are becoming dated. If you want to sell your home for top dollar, the best thing you can do is modernize in inexpensive ways: curb appeal, fresh neutral paint, simple and universal decor, hardware, lighting, etc.
In my next handful of blog posts I'll be talking to you about the 7 Ways We Upgraded Our Home going room to room!
1. Interior and Exterior Neutral Paint
2. An Outdoor Living Space
3. Adding an Office
4. Minor Bathrooom and Kitchen Upgrades
5. Character
6. Curb Appeal
7. Staging
Today you'll be reading about our living room and dining room. Though the transformation is pretty grand, the renovations were not difficult or expensive to complete. This is what both spaces looked like before they were refinished:
Step One: Paint
The first thing I wanted to do was lighten up the house. There is so much natural light pouring in from the windows, but the muddy beige color on the walls did nothing for the beautiful Travertine tile throughout, the wooden shelves on the fireplace wall, the chunky baseboards, or the Travertine fireplace and black tile under it. I chose a cool-toned grey for the majority of the walls, called Play It Cool by Sherwin Williams, and Oxford White by Sherwin Williams for the fireplace wall (I also used it on the future ship-lapped front of the house). All of the trim in the house and ceilings were re-painted in pure white after any drywall/texture repairs were done. The lighter, cooler paint colors contrasted much better with the black windows, warm flooring, and warm wooden accents throughout the home.
Step Two: Character
I loved the fireplace wall in the house and really wanted it to be a show-stopper when you walk in the front door. The best way I could think to do this was to take the focus off of the television, and return it back to the fireplace. I whitewashed the Travertine, and added Shiplap above so the height of the wall was emphasized. I used Howard's Restor-A-Finish and Beeswax in Walnut to bring new life to the wooden shelves on the wall. I removed any furniture from the wall and added in decor.
Step Three: Staging
I had a bunch of furniture of my own before Chris and I moved in together. Most of it was very Mid-Century Modern or Eclectic in style and needed to be balanced out with some more traditional/ transitional pieces. I might be a Boho Chick but this house is not meant for a Boho Buyer. Adapt, I must.
We sold a lot of his furniture and some of mine, and started rounding up some cool pieces from homes as we cleared them out for their own renovations. One particular home was a treasure trove and I was able to score a China cabinet and a bookshelf that would be perfect for our house once they were refinished.
Living Room:
First, we purchased a new neutral-colored 9'x12' area rug to anchor the space. When selecting an area rug remember, there is a right way and a wrong way. Too small a rug will actually make your living room look smaller. I like my area rugs to be touched by all of the furniture pieces -- that's how I know whether they provide a good 'anchor' or not. I kept my awesome second-hand Ikea couch, a couple of beachy looking chairs, TV cabinet, side table and coffee table. I swapped out some of the pillow cases for more neutral ones, and we added a cozy pouf for the kiddos.
The idea when staging a home is to show a buyer the space's potential. Some stagers recommend removing any personal items but I like a cozy, functional and lived-in looking space. I want potential buyers to know this home was loved and they can be comfortable in it, too.
I moved the television onto a TV cabinet that I placed against the big blank wall. The sofa is directly in front of it, creating a bit of a hallway behind it for the accordion doors out to the pool. The flow of traffic makes sense, and your view of the room focuses on the beautiful fireplace wall instead of the television. I think it works much better than the before.
We also moved a piece of furniture that was acting as shoe storage from the master closet to the living room hallway. I painted it in our accent color (teal) and put white baskets inside it so the girls' Barbies and other small toys were organized. This helped to bring the piles of toys from their bedroom and other areas of the house to a nice organized area. It's amazing how much more often they use this stuff now that it is easily accessible and organized.
Dining Room:
This room was pretty simple to refinish; it mostly needed furniture. The lighter paint color helped brighten the space up, and a touch-up on the base molding and french doors helped to freshen its look.
The dining table that Chris already had received a coat of gel stain so it would be almost black. I painted the teal chairs I had in a shade of white for some contrast. The free China cabinet we picked up from a job was painted in a French blue and white and then staged with our wine glasses and white plates/bowls. The China cabinet provided some much needed storage and added some interest and color to the room. The large table creates a bit of a natural walkway to the master bedroom, and doesn't block the french doors to outside (although we rarely use them). It shows buyers how many people this space can accommodate without making the room look smaller. Before the home is listed I'd like to add an area rug (remember, larger than the table and chairs) but I don't want to risk it looking dirty or dingy from rough use. A clean house will sell much better than one with stains on the decor. Dirt a buyer can see will likely cause them to wonder what is hiding where they can't see.
What do you think about the before and afters? Let's refresh your memory:
Living Room
Dining Room:
I think we were able to demonstrate the homes potential with these simple tricks: Paint, Character, and Staging. It's not your cookie cutter contractor-grade house, but it's not so out-there that it will eliminate buyers! Be sure to comment and let us know what your thoughts are! Would you have done anything differently? We love hearing from you!
xoxo
Alyssa
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