The Split Decision is on the market! This house just really needed some love! When we walked in the first time, it was dark, with drab colors. And now it is streaming with natural light. The thing is, from a cosmetic point of view, nothing crazy was done. The entire kitchen and the two main baths remained intact. Most of the changes in this house were the result of paint, new hardware, and refinished flooring.
On the outside, neglect had led to lots of overgrowth. And there was the pool that needed serious attention. But there was also a beautiful camellia bush, a healthy magnolia tree, a tulip tree and a beautiful large tree with round, draping canopy in the front yard.
Now, the pool is gone so the new owners can enjoy the true expanse of the yard. On the front, we painted the shutters and garage door.
The foyer had broken flooring and random cabinets. Not exactly welcoming. On a side note, those hooks received a facelift and new life in my husband’s closet 😉
Now, it’s much more welcoming, and blends together with the rest of the house. A 1/2 glass front door also brings in some light.
This room was very dark before, with wood paneling that had been cut out.
We replaced the carpet and deepened the closet to make room for a washer and dryer to bring the laundry area out of the basement.
Up the stairs from the foyer is the living room and dining room. Aside from paint, lighting, and refinished floors, the biggest change in these rooms was the openings into the kitchen. The pass through from the living room and the widened doorway from the dining room really opened up the main floor living space and allows light to pass through effortlessly.
It really is amazing how dramatically different the kitchen feels, and yet the changes were so tiny! Although it had a skylight, the room still felt dark and closed-off. With two small doorways at opposite corners from each other, the flow was off and allowed for no space for additional workspace.
Expanding the opening with the dining room allowed the placement of a pre-made island, as one can now pass behind the island to get to the back steps without running right through the work zone. The pass through to the living room makes it easy to tell anyone upstairs that dinner is ready, but more importantly, it lets in morning light from the front of the house.
As in the Skinny House, I waxed the cabinets with briwax. The countertops also stayed. In terms of updates, I followed the same ideas as I offered here: Updating a 90s kitchen – WITHOUT Painting Cabinets! I think the biggest two changes were removing the scalloped wood valence and bringing in a simple, modern backsplash. The backsplash area was small, so I opted for no accent or decorative tile. Removing the granite backsplash that was previously there also made it feel much bigger. I updated the pulls and hinges and replaced the previous stained glass door with clear glass.
The bedrooms upstairs mostly just needed paint and new floors. The hardwoods really shined up there after pulling up the carpet and having them refinished. A total game-changer.
If you haven’t followed along or maybe you forgot, the upstairs bathrooms were totally tiled, and painted in a not-very-friendly shade of yellow/white. We ultimately decided to paint the tile, and I’m so glad we did. The cabinets were in great shape, so we kept those. And the tiled floor wasn’t exactly pretty but was in good shape. So we laid vinyl over top.
The upstairs full bath was in much the same condition as the master bath, so it received the same treatment.
The half bath downstairs was dark, wallpapered, and tired. Now it’s clean, fresh, and much brighter! I also repainted the little window shutters to match the new vanity.
And last but not least, a peek into the downstairs bedroom, which would also work well as an office or playroom.
Wow! What a lot of pics! I hope you’ve enjoyed our journey with this house. Fingers crossed for a quick sale, because I’m ready to go house-hunting again 🙂
Light Fixture | Console Table – DIY | Irish Blessing Wall Art – DIY | Clear Vase, Eucalyptus & Media Boxes – IKEA | Black Vase – Hearth & Hand with Magnolia
“Tiled” Mirror – DIY | Wooden Bowl – Similar from Hearth & Hand | Sofa | Chairs – similar | Rug | Coffee Table | Light
Dining Table | Dining Chairs | Artwork | Wood and Metal Tote Centerpiece | Dining Light | Rug
Flooring | Island | Stools | Window Light | Pulls | Knobs | Backsplash
Faucets | Single Sconces in Master | Master Mirror | Hardware | Half Bath Mirror | Half Bath Light | Half Bath Vanity | Diamond Bath Rug | Striped Bath Rug | Striped Towels | Shower Curtain
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Looks beautiful. great job.
Thank you, Donna!
The kitchen is beautiful! Did you restrain the cabinets? If so what color did you use?
The kitchen is beautiful! Did you restrain the cabinets? If so what color did you use?
Hi Emily,
Thanks for visiting! No I did not restain the cabinets. I just used Briwax in Tudor Brown to bring them back to life a bit. Check out this post here... Refreshing Worn Wood with Briwax Hope that helps!
Beautiful! Can you tell me the wall paint color you used? Is it the same throughout?
Thanks.
Yes, for your other question, it is the same throughout. :)
The product link to the dining light actually links to the living room light. Could you please provide the source for the dining light? Thank you!
Hi Julia,
I'm so sorry, but I had ordered the light from Amazon and unfortunately it's no longer available. Here is one that is very similar (might even be the same light, just hard to tell!) Hope this helps!
Wayfair Light
affiliate link
Lovely! Could you please provide the paint color used on the walls? Thank you!
Thank you Cheryl! I have looked and looked for this, but just can't find it. I think it is Sherwin Williams Spare White. Hope that helps!
I love the floor in the kitchen! Can you share brand and store?
Hi Allie, The flooring is a vinyl plank by Lifeproof in Scratched Stone. Here is the link. I liked that it hid dirt and worked well against the wood of the cabinets.
Beautiful! Can you tell me what you used to paint the sinks and counters in the bathrooms please? We have a couple I would love to do this to!
Thank you Anna! Unfortunately, I do not know what type of paint was used. We'ved hired a painter to do it on several of our houses. My best advice would be to hire a professional, and be sure they have done it multiple times. Good luck!
The shower door frame is darker in the after photos. Did you paint the frame or put a new door. If painted what did you use?
Hi Anna, yes we did paint the frame. I took it down, cleaned and taped it, and used Rustoleum black spray paint. The key was allowing plenty of cure time.
What kind of light do u have in the dining room? I have the same wagon chandelier is it better with daylight or warm white?
Hi Jaleen, I think it's all a personal preference. I tend to feel like daylights are too blue, but I don't like anything too warm either. I do, however, always use clear glass bulbs in a fixture like this.
lovely! do you have the source for the bathroom vinyl floors? and any pics of what you did with the kitchen floors?
Hi Jen, Unfortunately I do not still have info on the floors we used in the bathrooms. I do know the flooring in the kitchen. It is called Scratch Stone by Lifeproof and you can find it at Home Depot. It's a great vinyl option that doesn't look like wood. Check the sources link above under kitchen.
Good luck!
Hello! Could you tell me about the grey tile in your kitchen? We have a very similar kitchen -- wood cabinets and dark grey/beigy speckledy countertops and are struggling to decide what to replace our flooring with.
Hi Chelsea, These floors are actually vinyl plank but they do look like tile. They are from Home Depot and are called Scratch Stone by Lifeproof. They look a bit like concrete and have some brown in them which ties in the wood cabinets well. Here's a link
https://bit.ly/2PDv8JF
Best of luck to you!