Here's How an Indiana Fixer-Upper Went From Drab to Lively and Fab

When Meegan and Paul Melgus started house hunting around Lake Michigan, they knew exactly what they wanted: “a steal of a place we could put our stamp on,” says Meegan. That’s just what they found in this 2,000-square-foot 1930s Rolling Prairie, Indiana, home. “The structure was great and the house had been well cared for by the previous owners, but most of it hadn’t been updated since the ’50s,” says Meegan. The couple zeroed in on everything old-fashioned — dark parquet floors, dated light fixtures, and the not-cool kind of floral wallpaper — and made it in fashion, with help from designer Crystal Blackshaw. They bleached the wood floors; painted the walls, trim and kitchen cabinets; and decorated with fun furniture and wallpaper for a modern-rustic lakeside vibe. “Paul and I like things with some zip and a dose of humor,” says Meegan. Dropping in pops of color and lively patterns brought playfulness — and made a stuck-in-the-past house look newly fabulous.

Chic (and easy!) updates included painting the fireplace a dark, rich color (Graphite by Benjamin Moore) and adding a felt pendant by Felted Home Deco on Etsy and armchairs by Ro Sham Beaux. Meegan thinks the sofa, custom by MegMade, is the comfiest spot in the house.

A showstopper entry with a dresser by Ace Craftique, armchair fabric by Vlisco and wallpaper by Cole & Son.

There was something kinda great about the original black-and-white linoleum flooring, so the couple replaced it with a modern version: ceramic tile from The Tile Shop laid in a buffalo check pattern. The color they painted the cabinets (Hunter Green by Benjamin Moore) and the vintage orange light were actually chosen to complement Meegan’s cookware: “I’m committed to Le Creuset orange!” she says.

When designer Crystal spotted the huge tree trunk on a desk base at an antiques market in Chicago, she got the idea to turn it into a dining table. Chairs by Anthropologie echo the kitchen floor. The wallpaper, Harlem Toile by Sheila Bridges, is a favorite of Meegan’s. “I’d wanted it for the longest time,” she says.

Green carpet made this enclosed porch bland central. New budget-friendly cork flooring, layered rugs, and a jewel-tone sofa from West Elm gave it a life. “I could lie out here reading all weekend,” says Meegan. The ceramic garden stools are by Global Views.

“We carpeted the upstairs bedrooms for warmth in the cold months,” says Meegan. Topping the carpet with a vintage African shag rug adds pattern and plushness. They mixed a light-wood platform bed (from Houzz) and dark-wood nightstands (from West Elm) to keep up the stylishly offbeat look.

“This ’60s love seat in our bedroom was on the sunporch of my mom’s house,” says Meegan. “It’s been reupholstered 10 times! Redoing dated things around the house instead of replacing them left a chunk of money for the fun stuff, like furniture and rugs."