A Night-Shift Home Renovation

For most people, 6 p.m. means time to leave the office. But while Catherine and Nick Balding were renovating their Wilmington, NC, home, early evening meant it was time to get to work! Luckily, the couple runs a remodeling company, Balding Brothers, so they were well-equipped to take on the job. For seven months, they spent most nights and weekends transforming their 1950s ranch from a wood-paneled mess into a cheery four-bedroom home.

“We’d work until midnight during the week, then put in 14-hour days on Saturday and Sunday,” says Nick, who tackled most of the construction himself. The reno was so involved that the couple lived in a rental for the first two months. That level of dedication has its drawbacks: "We didn’t go out much," says Nick. Adds Catherine, "I can’t say I’d do it the same way again. But the house turned out perfect for us."

The knotty pine cabinets had a dated, log-cabin look. And those peeling laminate counters? Yuck!

The gourmet kitchen now has stainless steel appliances, an industrial-style range hood, and a 7-foot-long, concrete-topped island. By knocking down two of the walls, Nick opened up the space to create a combo kitchen/dining/living room. The original cabinets got a facelift with paint and glass-front doors. The couple also added Pottery Barn seagrass stools, a subway tile backsplash, and a butcher-block counter around the perimeter.