Tips and a Tour From Expert Renovators

Katie and Jeff Bullard own Avenue B Development, an Austin, TX, firm that buys, renovates, and sells properties. He’s the contractor, she’s the designer, and together they’ve rehabbed 53 Texas homes. After purchasing their 1,200-square-foot bungalow in 2013, they embarked on a gut reno, nearly doubling the home’s size with a second-story addition.

Katie crafted the paneled wall using leftover pine flooring nailed in place. Most of the strips are painted shades of gray, blue, and white, but she left a few untouched. Salvaged Floors Mean Mega Charm: The couple replaced the worn-out oak floors with 100-year-old heart pine boards, buffed with wax only. The look is similar to what the 1927 Austin home would have originally had when it was built.

The 14-foot-by-14-foot room needed pieces scaled for its size, like the petite Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams sofa, upholstered in a mini black-and-white houndstooth pattern. It’s OK to Paint Woodwork: While the couple are fans of preserving the past, painting the 1920s woodwork white (Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore) immediately made the living room feel younger.

Although the gas fireplace is decorative, it’s still a focal point, thanks to attention-grabbing black-and-white glass tiles from Material Marketing. Say Something With Lighting: The Bullards installed personality-packed lighting—including this gleaming crystal pendant from Restoration Hardware—throughout the 2,200-square-foot house.