The 1940′s American Foursquare in Rochester, NY lacked curb appeal, presented with a damaged exterior and even more sloppily maintained interior. But a less-than-perfect home is what I wanted, so yeah, I asked for it. It was actually move-in-ready when I found it, or at least more so than the homes I wanted to make over with a renovation loan. It had enough personality, and with a little repair I knew that could make it my own, top to bottom. It was love at first sight, you could say. I’ve been here for 2 years now, and you’re wondering what I’ve done? Each area is an never-ending work-in-progress, but check out the status here.

You can click on these links to jump around on the page, if you’d like:

• Exterior
• Front Entryway
• Living Room
• Dining Room
• Kitchen
• Stairwell
• Bathroom
• Master Bedroom
• Kid’s Room
• Third Bedroom/Office

Quickie Tour of the Exterior:

Out with the old, in with the new… front porch, that is.

The old porch was neither symmetrical nor attractive. It needed a boost. And that’s what it got.

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Did you notice that the siding color changed in those first few photos?

I updated the original dented aluminum with a fresh vinyl siding (Mastic Ovation in Victorian Gray). There’s a whole post on this adventure, so go here to read about it. I’m happy that the house is looking good these days.

The song should really go “How slow does your garden grow“.

The first summer in the house I made a modest front garden along the front of the house where there was none before. I made progress in the fall of 2011 by widening the front garden, and switching out some plants for new ones. Winterberry, Inkberry, Dogwood Shrub, let’s see where this goes when the plants latch on and mature.

An old deck there once was. It was red and octagonal, and why wouldn’t they have a perfect octagonal deck leading up to what once was a round above ground pool?

Without the pool, it looked silly (not to mention the stain was chipping and it wasn’t built to code) so down it came. I sold a lot of the pressure treated lumber to offset the cost of the new deck, but we also handcrafted an amazing treehouse for my boyfriend’s daughter as well. A new one went up in it’s place, and was supplemented with fancy-pants pergolas to complement the natural height of the house and the size of the deck. You like?

The backyard itself is home to roses, tulips, berries, mint, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers on any given summer day. This spring we’re a little behind due to cooler temperatures, so it looks like this:

Updating the Front Entryway:

Let’s start with the front door.

The old door was heavy + insulative; not a bad thing. It was new-ish, sure, but it wasn’t my taste, and it certainly didn’t do anything for the house. My solution? Out with it. I found a new one at a local salvage shop (solid wood with pretty, pretty leaded glass) and had it installed; the whole she-bang cost <$500, and I was left with a door that I could be excited about and proud to walk through.

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We swapped out the existing storm door too just this spring in favor of a model that would really help to show off the new door in full, and added new railings. The driveway could use some help, as shown in this photo.

If I let you in, you’ll be greeted in the entryway, complete with jacket hooks and a shoe rack that Pete built me. It’s received a gradual overhaul; I’ve removed a linoleum tile floor and painted the stamped cement that was revealed.

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The floor stayed painted like that for almost 2 years, when I decided to take it a step further by re-tiling the surface with hand-selected shale stonesfrom a Lake Erie beach. Mortared and grouted in place, the stones feel lovely underfoot and make for a more impacting entryway.

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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.

I altered the room’s appearance further by updating the floors, gel staining the remaining oak cabinets java brown, and having the countertops replaced with pretty white acrylic. It’s easily the most transformed room in my home.

 

 

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.

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. From the floor to the trim, to the tub and tile surround, to the vanity, mirror, and lighting, we’ve updated the room in entirety to suit our taste (on a budget of only $1,500!). See the full list of related projects right here on DIY Network.

My Master Bedroom:

Albeit a small room, it overlooks Lake Ontario, so I can deal with any inconveniences in size.

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.

Julia’s Room:

Julia is Pete’s daughter, my stepdaughter, and the room that is now hers has come a long ways. The room was originally light blue, highlighted by a rainbow fan, and carpeted. I gradually altered its design and its furniture orientation, eventually transforming it into a modern little girl’s getaway with a pink striped wall, birch IKEA furniture, and lots of room for toys.

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

A works-from-home girl needs a real working sanctuary, and for now, our office this third bedroom will be. I painted the room with Powdered Snow walls and light blue ceiling, and added 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.