Our latest and greatest is finally done. This one we held for much longer than usual, because we were/are in the midst of moving and renovating our own house simultaneously! That, however, is a post for another day. So, without further adieu, here is our diamond in the rough.

Before. Ugly, right? Kind of looks like a modular home or trailer, but it’s not. Our challenge here was to figure out how to beautify it, and lessen the “trailer” look to it. Notice all the random sized windows, two front door entrances, and the light blue roof.

After. Cute! Americana- perfect for this region I think. We painted the roof and shutters a wonderful charcoal color (Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron, specifically- my fave). Jeff had the idea to add the two cute little covered front porch areas. You can’t really tell from this picture, but it has the popular shake shingles on the front, making it look current. We changed the sizing of two of the front windows to make them uniformly sized, making the home look less haphazard. We added a little landscaping, and our signature touch, a flag.

Above are all pictures of the kitchen before. It was a nightmare. Smelly, dirty, and falling apart. Notice in the third picture there is a wall where a line of cabinets was along with the microwave and oven. We knew as soon as we walked into the house that it would have to go and that a great big old island was exactly what needed to be there instead to open up the floor plan.

Bam! I love it. When you’re right, you’re right; taking out the wall made a huge difference. We had some major scores with this kitchen. For instance, with granite there are 3 tiers to pricing and quality. Level 1 is builder grade, and it is the least expensive. Level 2 is mid grade, and level 3 is the exotic granite, the most expensive. This granite is level 3, white ice. It is sparkly and gorgeous- I am jealous of this granite and it is throughout this home! It’s not only in the kitchen, but also in every bath. We got majorly lucky and got it for the builder grade price due to some yellowish veining running through it that made it impossible to market as true white ice. They only had 3 slabs at the granite yard, and we got all 3. Major score.

The lighting in the kitchen is also wonderful. I can’t say enough good things about Wayfair, which is where I purchased all the lighting in the house. From the copper pendants over the island, to the glass globe pendant hanging over the kitchen sink, and the matching bronze chandeliers in the kitchen and dining room, I don’t doubt that this lighting will inspire someone to fall in love with this house. I loved the pendants so much that I bought the exact same ones to put in my house over my island and sink.

And here is a little bonus on the edge of the kitchen by the front door that I will take all the credit for:

An adorable little entry way bench/shelf/hook area to hang coats, hats, and backpacks.

Ugly, dirty hall bath before

Gleaming, beautiful hall bath after. Gorgeous custom tile work, that fabulous granite, and special fixtures make this bath a star.

The pictures above are technically what is now the master bedroom. We moved a lot of walls around on this one, and reconfigured the floor plan and bedrooms, so it’s difficult to show easily recognizable before and after photos.

These are all differently angled pictures of the master bedroom above. I love the unique sitting area. The private wooded backyard, lighting, and freshly, gleaming, refinished hardwood floors are all the stars here. Along with my staging of course.

Yucky, small, dirty master bath before.

Stunning, huge master bath after. Gorgeous granite, tons of well laid custom tile, lots of natural light, a high end rain shower head with body jets, beadboard walls, and beautiful fixtures. We tried to invoke a spa environment, using a refreshing light blue/gray paint on the walls.

This is a HUGE living area, which sported old dirty blue carpeting before, along with peeling wall paneling.

After, it’s just a wonderfully big living room perfect for entertaining.

Before, this was a dirty, yucky bedroom with it’s own funky little half bath and an exterior entrance.

After, we changed it into a gleaming full bath, along with that granite and custom tile work, and now it’s beautiful!

This was the dining room before. Complete with a window ac unit, and old radiant wall heaters.

After. Gone are the heaters, replaced with a new big hvac unit, gleaming hardwoods, and pretty fixtures make it pretty. And the staging sets the stage. Also, now that the wall is down, it is no longer separated from the kitchen.

Before, this was a sad little bedroom.

After, it’s a happy little bedroom!

So, our Hillview house officially hit the market yesterday, and we are hoping for a quick sale, so somebody can move into and love this home.

Some standout stats:

• All one level living!
• 2600 square feet
• 2 car garage
• 1 acre level lot
• Popular Barfield school zone
• 4 bed/ 3 bath
• Granite throughout/Stainless appliances
• New windows, tile, paint, carpet, fixtures, plumbing, hvac

I’m still working on the photos and blog for our personal house. We are still making some updates and buying furniture, so it may be awhile yet, but for those that are curious, I promise it will one day come!