Fixer Upper: Freshening Up a 1919 Bungalow for Empty Nesters
The clients wanted to downsize and simplify, and to find a period home with charm and original detail. Chip and Joanna Gaines helped them find a turn-of-the-century gem and update it to suit their needs while retaining a successful balance of the old and the new.
Soft Hues and a White Canvas
Joanna and new homeowner Stacie are on the same page in their affinity for white. Stacie asked for a color palette that emphasizes rich blues and white. In the living room, going with white walls and white slipcovered furniture provides an opportunity for the subtle accent colors to stand out.
#shiplap
The cozy master bedroom is finished clad in Joanna's favorite material, the home's original wood shiplap, here painted in fresh white and offset with unpainted wood ceiling and exposed beams. As with the selection of white wallpaint, Joanna and homeowner Stacie are in sync in their love of shiplap.
Dining Almost Alfresco
The new dining room is located in what was formerly a screened porch. Large windows wrap around the space and new exterior French doors opening provide an outstanding view onto the backyard. A second set of French doors, seen here leading into the newly remodeled kitchn, are the original doors that openend onto the porch.
Meet the Homeowners
Ben and Stacie Childers are soon-to-be empty nesters with one daughter enrolled at Baylor University and a second likely to be enrolled there soon as well. Moving from California, Stacie and Ben were eager to downsize and simplify, and were hoping to find a home in the Brookview neighborhood close to the Baylor campus. They were looking for at least three bedrooms and two baths in an older style home that had character and original details. Their all-in budget: $175,000.
BEFORE
This house -- dubbed by Chip the "Beanstalk Bungalow" because of the plenitiful seedpods from the catalpa tree in the front yard -- was built in 1919, has five bedrooms, three baths and 2100 square feet. The listing price was $100,000 which would leave approximately $75,000 for renovations before moving in.
AFTER
Exterior improvements included patching the stucco, all new paint and trim, a new roof, fresh landscaping and a new unpainted wood door in an arched profile. "This house is just simple and sweet but it really makes a statement," said Joanna after the renovation was complete. "The house had the character built into it. It just needed to be exposed."
Living Room, BEFORE
The living room had original pine wood floors as well as a brick fireplace with built-in bookshelves on either side -- a feature common in bungalow and craftsman style homes. Joanna recommended sanding and refinishing the hardwood floors and opening up the cased opening into the adjacent dining room to create a more open feel in the main living space.
Kitchen, AFTER
Joanna's kitchen design included plenty of open shelving, further contributing to an open and airy feel in the redefined space. She also sidestepped her often preferred choice of subway tile backsplash in favor of handmade tile in muted blue and white, again drawing on the client's preferred color choices.
Kitchen, Detail
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Bathroom, AFTER
The original window and built-in cabinets were retained since they are a desirable and authentic feature of the home's period. An antique table converted into a vanity with vessel sink adds a timeless touch. And though white subway tile did not make an appearance in the kitchen, rest assured that it's in full evidence in the remodeled bathroom.