House Tour
Our house has been constantly evolving, and we’ve got plenty of photos to show how it has changed (hence the roundup of before and after pictures below). We’ve also compiled a room by room source list (along with links to help you get the look in our Amazon store), so feel free to peruse the our house pics and then learn about paint colors and where we got everything at the end of the before & after fest.
If you’re looking to get a live action tour, you can also watch our video house tour on thenest.com. And if you’re in dire need of an extreme home makeover of your own, click here to score an interior design consultation to help transform your space on a budget.
FRONT YARD
Our first before picture is a doozie. We inherited a lot full of trees and mulch… where’s the house?
We did some major tree work, planted a ton of grass, laid a new stone path, ripped down some country details, painted our front door red, and upgraded the landscaping for the ultimate streetside transformation. Here’s the after:
FRONT PORCH
Our front porch was a big blank slate with a battered old wood floor and a sad, empty vibe. Here’s the forlorn before picture:
We lightened things up and added a welcoming cheerful vibe by painting the floor (in subtle tan and cream stripes) and creating a functional seating area (we even added a little dog corner for Burger).
LIVING ROOM TO LIVING/DINING ROOM
Our living room used to have a big red brick fireplace that sucked all the light out of the room and a strange divider by the door that made the room feel closed in. Here’s the before:
So we painted the fireplace and added a dining area to turn this expansive formal living space that went unused into a multi-functional living & dining room. Widening the doorway that led to the kitchen and adding crown molding completed the transformation:
LIVING/DINING ROOM – OTHER SIDE
Here’s another before shot from a different angle to show more of that strange divider that we inherited along with some dated curtains and a square of faux-stone linoleum right in front of the door:
We ripped out the divider the day we moved in, and replaced the old lace curtains with bamboo blinds and floor length white curtains for a more current look. We also ripped up that square of linoleum by the door to find hardwood flooring running right underneath (which we later refinished to a rich mocha color):
KITCHEN
This before shot of our kitchen reveals the 50-year-old knotty pine cabinets, a low hanging fan, dated linoleum flooring and old appliances:
We completely gutted our kitchen, bringing in new hardwood flooring, stainless steel appliances, white cabinets, and granite counters. We also closed off the doorway that led to a formal dining room (which we converted into a third bedroom since we moved our dining area into our living room). This earned us a lot more cabinet space and a much more functional layout- here’s the after:
DINING ROOM to THIRD BEDROOM
Here’s the aforementioned dining room before we converted it into a third bedroom (it already had a closet!) by closing off the doorway to the kitchen. The dated wallpaper, brass chandelier, and blue chair rail had to go…
So we removed the chair rail and the wallpaper in favor of some warm tan paint, brought in a daybed and hung an asymmetrical frame collage so the modestly sized space still feels open and inviting. Here’s the after:
MASTER BEDROOM
Our master bedroom was a boring box with a grapevine wallpaper border and one tiny closet that barely held any clothes. Here’s the yawn-inducing before shot:
So we used Ikea wardrobes to build out the space on either side of the bed- creating two hidden closets- and added billowy curtains, swing arm lamps above the organic bed, and a capiz chandelier for a much more memorable (and functional!) place to lay our heads. Here it is after the big makeover:
MASTER BEDROOM – OTHER SIDE
Here’s another before shot taken from a different angle after we painted the walls and moved in our cheap-o furnishings…
After we added the concealed closets on either side of the bed, we no longer needed those Ikea dressers so we brought in a plush leather chair, a nailhead ottoman and a large floor length mirror to bounce around even more light and create a much more “masterful” feeling:
FULL BATHROOM
Before, the only full bathroom in the house had a ratty old carpet (!) covering gorgeous basketweave tile. And the dated curtains and interior shutters didn’t help…
We ripped up that nasty old carpet to reveal the black and white tiles underneath, and we raised the shower curtain for some added drama and height. Switching out the lighting, adding a mirrored wall cabinet, and removing the door to the linen closet completed the transformation. Here’s the lighter and brighter after:
GUEST BEDROOM
Much like the master bedroom, the guest room was a boring white box with dated window treatments and pinky-beige trim. Here’s the ho-hum before shot:
So we painted the walls a nice sandy tone, went glossy white with the trim (and even added crown molding) to create a space that feels crisp and current. Making our own art and upholstering the headboard ourselves saved us some serious dough. Here’s the after:
DEN
The old hunting lodge of a den that we inherited had dark brick, dated paneling, and heavy ceiling beams that created an oppressive dungeon-like feel. Here it is before we moved in:
We brightened everything up on the cheap with a few gallons of cream colored paint and replaced the faux-parquet linoleum with hardwood flooring so our entire house now has mocha wood for a seamless, open feeling that flows from room to room. Here’s the light and airy after:
DEN – OTHER SIDE
Here’s another before shot from a different angle to show just how much this room transformed with a bit of paint (and a whole lot of elbow grease):
We also widened the doorway that leads to the sunroom and the kitchen for a more open feeling, and created a functional little “mudroom” in one corner and a cozy little office nook in another.
LAUNDRY NOOK
Before we bought the house, an ancient washer and dryer were hidden behind a rickety old bifold door (which actually blocked access to the back door when it was open- talk about bad planning). So we ripped out the bifold doors and the wall above them…
… to create an open laundry area that’s super functional as well as easy on the eyes. Other than the purchase of a new front-loading washer & dryer, this whole project was done on a major budget- from the bamboo blinds that we used as “cabinet doors” to the piece of plywood that we painted to create an inexpensive “counter.” Here’s the easily accessible after:
HALF BATHROOM – RIGHT SIDE
Our half bathroom was a sight for sore eyes, complete with a green toilet, yellowed linoleum floors and some dingy fabric shutters:
So we replaced the pea-green throne with a shiny white toilet and carried the wood flooring from the rest of the house into the room for a seamless look that makes it feel less cramped. Removing the shutters and adding a subtle tone on tone paint job brightened things up in no time:
HALF BATHROOM – LEFT SIDE
Before, the other side of the half bathroom boasted a dated medicine cabinet and some pretty old brass wall sconces, along with a huge faux-marbled vanity that took up half the room:
So we replaced the big vanity with an airier pedestal sink, which instantly made the whole space feel lighter and more open. Switching out the sconces and bringing in an inexpensive mirror to replace the old medicine cabinet finished the makeover- and a cheap teardrop chandelier added a bit of glitz:
SUNROOM
Here’s a before shot of the sunroom right after we moved in. The thin matted carpet was hiding a great concrete floor, and the room could definitely use a little softness:
So we hung some breezy white curtains in each corner and ripped up that old rug to reveal the concrete flooring underneath- which we painted a rich chocolate color to work with the mocha flooring throughout the rest of the house.
PATIO
Here’s a before shot of the jagged and loose slate patio that we inherited (which was a tripping hazard to say the least).
We replaced it with a curvy cobblestone patio that’s a lot easier on the eyes (and the feet). Adding some soft landscaping around the edge, bringing in some outdoor furnishings and making a fire pit completed the overhaul.
BACK YARD
Our original backyard was perfect for our wedding, but all that weeding and trimming was incredibly time consuming on a regular basis.
So we enlisted some free labor on Craigslist and had the backyard cleared in an afternoon. Then we planted some grass for a simple and scenic backyard that’s a lot easier to maintain (see a full exterior breakdown here).
If you’re wondering about any of the furnishings or paint colors above, click here to find out where we got everything. And if you’re looking to completely transform a room in your home into a jawdropping “after,” click here to score some design advice of your very own.
