Fixer Upper: A Family Home Resurrected in Rural Texas
Making New Memories
Joanna and Chip transformed a crumbling and practically abandoned old house in Marlin, Texas – a rural community about 30 miles outside Waco – into this stylish and attractive home for a family of three. New exterior enhancements provide plenty of curb appeal although, with the house located on a 2000-acre ranch, there's not a curb in sight!
Southwest Contemporary
Since the living area was already a large, open space, not much was needed in terms of structural changes for this area. However, the house overall was in such bad shape prior to the renovation, it had to be taken down to the studs and essentially re-created from the ground up. Joanna referred to the project as "building a new house inside an old frame."
Gathering Space
The house had belonged to homeowner Sterling Zan's grandfather and, in years past, it had served as a focal point for holiday get-togethers and other family gatherings. Joanna and Chip's remodel creates a revitalized space that's ideally suited for extending old family traditions and fostering new ones.
Meet the Homeowners
Chip and Joanna pose with homeowners Casey and Sterling Zan on the front porch of their newly renovated family home. The Zans knew from the start they wanted to restore this cherished and inherited home, so there was no purchase decision for this particular fixer upper. The challenge was in the damage the house had undergone and in pulling off a full makeover within Zans' $160,000 renovation budget.
Living Room, Detail
Joanna repurposed some of the old patterned drapes – one of just a few things salvaged from the original items in the home – to create new throw-pillow covers. The western and southwest themes of some of the original furnishings served as a reference point for Joanna's decorating theme, thereby maintaining a visual connection with the home's past.
Home Exterior, AFTER
The original metal roof was retained, but nearly everything else visible on the outside is new. The front porch was moved from a corner location to create this grand new entry with post-and-beam construction and exposed wood. The siding was replaced and enlarged windows added with decorative wood shutters.
Finis
Still want more from this project? Be sure and check out Joanna's design tips videos with exclusive background and insights on the designs incorporated into the kitchen, living room and master suite in this Fixer Upper makeover.
We Recommend
Related Pages
- 99 Stylish Bathroom Design Ideas You'll Love
- 30 Best Low-Light Indoor Plants
- 50 Small Bathroom Design Ideas & Solutions
- 25 Flowering Shrubs for Full Sun
- Fixer Upper's Best Living Rooms
- A Fixer Upper Holiday
- Fixer Upper: Behind the Design
- 30 Low-Maintenance Plants for Easy Landscaping
- Outrageous Holiday Houses