before + after

The stairs that you see when you enter received a subtle facelift with hand-painted stripes in shades of gray and gold.

Oh, and I’ve painted the walls in the entryway too.

Three of the walls are a dark gold (like you see here on the walls) but one wall received a dark brown shiplap treatment to tie it in with the dining room accent wall you’ll be seeing a little further down:

Walk through the living room:

The living room in the house I bought was very small and dark – I didn’t buy the house because I loved that living room, but I knew that behind the over-stuffed sofa, dark curtains, and obscure wall hangings, there was opportunity.

The updates that have been made allowed for a dramatic change.

I showed off the original hardwood floors. Painted the fireplace, and updated the hearth a glossy gray. Installed a new door to the sunroom. New furniture, including DIY’ed ottomans. And new blinds, left without curtains. Oh, and a new light, new paint, and new art. And books. A lot of books.

I even built a table to flank the couch. It’s currently home to one of the two driftwood lamps with coloring book lampshades I made.

Come to dinner in the Dining Room:

The only room that had exposed hardwoods when I took over ownership. The whole house is hardwood now, you know. It looked like this, which wasn’t a room that I necessarily wanted to eat or work in.

My first stab was with coral pink (which I love, and was similar to Pantone’s 2011 Color Honeysuckle) but it didn’t last long. I decided to extend the olivey-green from the living room into the dining room to encourage cohesiveness, and it works.

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I extended stained shiplap detailing from the master bedroom and created a warm accent wall that adds interest and vibes with all of the dark furniture that I’ve included in the house.

To entertain an inset space in the dining room wall, I added built-in shelves for appearance and utility.

I don’t cook enough, but I love my Kitchen:

The big kitchen came with a lot of counter space and storage.

Not a bad perk, although each wall was a different shade of sweet baby blue and I was drowning in oak cabinets.

I opened the room up by painting each and every wall white, and removing lots of cabinets in exchange for open shelving. I also made an island out of a workbench that I found on the side of the road. All changes combined, the kitchen looks quite different.

Sometimes the stairwell is ignored:

Not here. I removed the carpets to refinish each and every step by hand, and painted the walls to add fluidity from the living room to the second story.

Bathroom: First doorway to the right:

The original bathroom color didn’t last long; bright teal? Love it, but not here, not now.

I made minor cosmetic improvements to transition the bathroom to gray (which complemented the existing tan shower) and added new (longer) towel racks.

We’re currently updating the bathroom ourselves; after saving and planning for a year, we finished our first bathroom renovation and had the opportunity to share the whole process here on DIY Network’s blog, The Pegboard.

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My Master Bedroom:

Albeit a small room, it overlooks Lake Ontario, so I can deal with any inconveniences in size (after all, I only sleep there?).

Once upon a time, the master bedroom was carpeted and bright yellow.

That too changed quickly with the removal of the carpeting and decision to paint the room dark gray. An experiment in lowering the box spring and mattress to the ground really opened up the room, making it feel both taller and more spacious. Because it fit best beneath the window, I decided to anchor the bed in place beneath the window, flanked by DIY canvas curtains and a self-stained-and-installed shiplap paneling accent wall.

My West Elm Pebble Rug remains a favorite splurge, and two simple IKEA MALM dressers provide extra his-and-her’s storage. A hand-painted ikat pattern pops from the closet interior, and I adore the orange-red of the CB2 Harvey Lobster bedside tables.

Two family heirlooms hold their own against the wall across from the bed: the antique trunk and a mirror/frame from the year 1900 add charm and utility to the space.

The Guest Room, a.k.a Cody’s Room… a.k.a. Bedroom #2:

The guest room has made great strides, mostly being in that I finally bought a guest bed, meaning I can entertain overnight guests.

How’s that for long-coming fanciness?

The room was originally light blue (previously a kid’s room) but is slowly being transformed into a legit quarters for visitors.

The paint color was updated, the carpet’s gone, the fan has been replaced, and a new bed has taken over. Slowly, it’ll come together.

The third bedroom/office: I don’t need animals painted on my walls.

I don’t have kids, and I didn’t need painted animals. What’s a single girl need three bedrooms for? You know what a works-from-home girl needs? A real working sanctuary. The office space is clean, with Powdered Snow walls, a light blue ceiling, and appropriate storage. I updated a desk, a $1 chair, painted an IKEA cabinet pink, installed a pegboard panel for utility, and refinished a pair of filing cabinets. And the bear rug? Yeah, there’s a whole story and tutorial behind that.

I added a small gallery wall (with DIY octo-art) on the left side of the entryway, building in space for a magnetic board for notes and inspiration images. All of the baseboard trim in the room is new too.

One last thing:

If you’re looking for more information on the color palette you see, be sure to check out the latest color palette post. Here’s an overview:

And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed the tour.