Growing Family Needs More Room

Homeowners Yvette and Curtis Brady are feeling a little pinched in their 1,100 square-foot home. With a growing son, they are quickly running out of room. The place is so small, father and son have to share a closet. The family has lived in the three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath home for 12 years and in that time they have put a lot of effort into making it their own.

Real estate expert Bethany Souza pays a visit to provide her professional home-selling opinion. Upon entering the living room, she asks if it was once a dance studio. Souza thinks the dated floor-to-ceiling mirrors make the room feel like a rehearsal space, and the shiny window treatments look like they came from the wardrobe of a Las Vegas show. Souza refers to the kitchen as "laminate land" because all the surfaces and cabinets are made from bland laminate. In the dining room, the overabundance of furniture leaves her feeling cramped and crowded.

Designer Monica Pedersen agrees with Souza’s observations and has a $2,000 plan to turn all this cluttered, laminate rehearsal-like space into a quick sale.

Step 1: In the living room, remove the mirrors and repaint the room in warm jewel tones.

Step 2: Lose the laminate cabinets in the kitchen and replace them with real wood.

Step 3: Edit the furniture in the dining room to make it light and spacious.

Talented carpenters Robert North and Chad Lopez will provide the brain, brawn and power tools to get the job done.