I have been waiting to say these five words for so long – Our Home Renovation Is Finished!
So, this post is not exactly dog related, but since I have been getting messages from people on Rocket's Instagram asking to see photos of our home renovation I figured I would write a whole post about it. I promise to include photos of Rocket 😉
Our house has good bones. It just needed us to see it's potential. We used to call our house “Autumn Harvest.” The main color scheme was brown, orange and yellow. Inside and out. Brown windows, yellow stucco, orange brick…you get the picture. But just in case you can't visualize it, here is a photo.
Pretty dated. The inside was remarkably the same. My husband and I had to put our thinking caps on to come up with something that would work well with the space and be truly unique.
The entire renovation process took a little over two years with the last three months being an agonizing push to the finish line.
Renovating a home should not be taken lightly. It is an extraordinary amount of work, stressful, uncomfortable and expensive. Your house is a complete mess for long periods of time and things never go as planned. The only thing you can plan on is to spend way more money than you originally thought you would.
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Of course, there are some pros too 🙂 We have a beautiful home that is truly unique. My husband and I will walk around the house and say “oh, remember when we did this?” and “remember how fun it was to build that?” or more often than not “that was a HUGE pain in the a$$!!!”
The best part is looking at the before and after photos. You tend to forget what things looked like pre-reno. I sure did. Looking at our old photos made me realize how much progress we made and what a huge accomplishment this whole process has been.
Now for the big reveal!
*This post may contain affiliate links. You can view my full disclosure HERE.
BEFORE
AFTER
Photo by Jon Woodbury
The arch was removed from the front of the house to open up the entry – bye bye 70's style. Our roof was literally crumbling to pieces, so that had to be replaced. We lime-washed the brick on the side of the house. It's much like whitewashing but instead of using paint, you use a combination of lime and water. The lime wears really well as the house ages.
We chose a gray and white color scheme for the exterior. It's really hard to choose paint colors so I played it safe with a simple gray with white accents.
One of my favorite details is the garage door accents. You wouldn't think adding small details like this would make a huge difference but it does wonders for curb appeal! Best of all, it's so easy to install. The hinges and handles are magnetic so you just stick them on the garage door and you're done! You can find this nifty hardware HERE.
BEFORE
AFTER
Photo by Jon Woodbury
We really wanted to brighten up the entryway. It was so dark and intimidating before. We decided to make the doors pop and chose Sherwin Williams “Blue Mosque.” I wasn't sure of the color at first, but now that it is decorated, I love it!
We replaced the patio light and decorated the porch with plants and an outdoor rug. 
Doesn't Rocket look so cute?
BEFORE
AFTER
Photo by Jon Woodbury
The living room is probably my favorite transformation. Looking back at the “before” photo, I can't believe it's the same room.
My husband and I started by limewashing the brick. After applying the lime and water mixture, we sanded it back to give it a worn look.
We ordered an old railroad tie for an oil train in the Sierra Nevadas to use as our mantle. My favorite feature of the room is the custom steel firewood holder. My uncle came out from Colorado to help us with the house and he made this eye-catching piece.
Get the look:
The throw blanket is the Threshold Chenille Throw Blanket from Target.
I love these Sheer Curtain Panels because they allow the light to come through giving the space a clean, bright feel.
The wood serving tray is from Amazon
Coffee Table is from Bassett Furniture (similar here!)
U-Shape Couch and Pillows are from Bassett Furniture.
BEFORE
AFTER
Photo by Jon Woodbury
Photo by Jon Woodbury
The dining room was a huge project. First, we painted the walls (Behr “Gray Ghost”) to get rid of the orange walls.
Next, we did a shiplap style ceiling with plywood. We first stained the wood a dark color, then painted over it with white paint. Once everything dried, we sanded it back giving it a distressed look. My Uncle installed the beams and custom floating shelves.
The dining room table was unfinished and broken when we got it. My husband and I repaired it and then stained the top dark walnut and painted the legs white.
I dressed up the windows with curtains tied with burlap string and we completed the look with new lighting. Hint: Use a double curtain rod to add dimension to your windows!
Most of our rugs are from Amazon since they have great prices.
The ARTWORK is from Target (aka my favorite store ever.)
BEFORE
AFTER
Photo by Jon Woodbury
I love how bright our kitchen is now. We thought about painting the cabinets ourselves but I was too scared I would mess it up so we hired a painting company. We upgraded to a gas range which is amazing because we both love to cook.
My favorite detail in the kitchen is the gold hardware! I thought it tied in well with the countertops and pendant lights. I love it because it's an inexpensive and easy way to upgrade your kitchen.
The pendant lights are the Farmhouse Edison Hanging Lights from Amazon
I'm obsessed with vintage, distressed area rugs so I added one to the kitchen.
BEFORE
I can't believe I'm actually showing you this photo, haha
AFTER
Photo by Jon Woodbury
Photo by Jon Woodbury
Our master bedroom got a huge facelift! The bedroom used to be awkwardly long. Once we painted the room (Behr “Gray Ghost”) we added the fireplace wall and turned the other side into a large walk-in closet.
Get The Look:
The rug is the Temara Moroccan Diamond Pinstripes Tassel from Rugs USA.
The small end table is the Marble Top Table by Project 62.
You can find the artwork here and here.
BEFORE
After
Photo by Jon Woodbury
My mom flew in from Pennsylvania to help us with the pool area. She helped with all the planting and decorating. I didn't have much of a green thumb before but since my mom did such a great job I made sure to take care and water the flowers every day so I wouldn't let her down! Three months and a very hot summer later, everything is still thriving 🙂
Rocket has even enjoyed the pool a few times! He is actually a fabulous swimmer. You can watch his little legs paddle away here.
Of course, we had to include a room dedicated just to Rocket. He loves to be outside so we created a space for him under the deck stairs.
You can see a video of Rocket's entire space here.
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Have any questions or home renovation stories to share? Comment below!
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