Fixer Upper: Plain Gray Ranch Made Bright and Spectacular

Chip and Joanna Gaines help a young couple turn a run-of-the-mill 1958 ranch house into a charmer of a first home with lots of light, color and wide open space.

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December 13, 2016

Bright, Open and Defined

Chip and Joanna reconfigured the bulk of this '50s vintage home in Woodway, Texas to create an open, free-flowing space with combined kitchen, dining and living room.

Before

The Plain Gray Ranch. This house fell well within the clients budget, but the exterior was visually unspectacular and there were more challenges inside. The house was built in 1958 and came with three bedrooms, two baths, 1560 square feet and a large backyard. The asking price was $135,000 leaving around $60,000 for renovations and improvements.

After

The exterior is brightened up with fresh paint in a soft cream white balanced out with dark shutters and window boxes in natural wood. Fresh landscaping, and an update to the front porch with new railing, columns and sconces, help elevate the curb appeal.

Integrated Elements

Creative layout and design helped create a floor plan that is functionally unified but with visually delineated areas. Integrating the bench seat with the kitchen island helped define the new dining space.

Cool and Inviting

Changes in the master bedroom were chiefly cosmetic. Joanna brightned up the space with new windows and French doors and chose a color palette of blues and grays, with yellow accents, to give the space a soft look and relaxing feel.

Design Challenge

The biggest challenge in the master suite was a tiny bathroom. The footprint of the bath was expanded into what had been a service closet to create this spacious luxury bath with twin vanities and a marble tiled shower.

Meet the Homeowners

Chip and Joanna pose for a pic in front of the newly refurbished porch with homeowners Matt and Melissa Yeilding. Matt and Melissa were looking to put down roots with their first home purchase. Their wish list included at least three bedrooms, two baths, an open concept floor plan and a large backyard. Their all-in budget, including any renovations: $190,000.

Team Gaines

Chip and Joanna join forces to put some of the finishing touches on the Yeilding home.

Team Gaines

Before

The kitchen was ordinary, fairly small and had dated appliances and wall covering. Joanna's recommendations included removing a wall to open up the space onto the main living area, essentially reverse the cabinet and counter layout to reconfigure the kitchen and expand its footprint into an adjacent dining nook and entryway.

After

The remodel also added two large windows to brighten up the space, a large kitchen island and lots of storage.

Before

After

What had previously been the breakfast nook now includes a portion of the kitchen island, additional drawer storage, floor-to-ceiling cabinets and built-in hutch.

Before

After

The new patterned backsplash is in a light tan that ties in with the fabric selected for the upholstered bench seat and new window treatments.

Kitchen, Detail

The island countertop is gray carrara marble and provides a nice contrast with the rustic wood dining table with dark stain.

Kitchen, Detail

What had formerly been a dated and confining kitchen now feels airy, open and elegant. Integrating the bench seat with the island helped save space and creates an enhanced flow between the kitchen and dining area.

Kitchen, Detail

One of Joanna's favorite new kitchen features is this hutch with glass front and crown molding.

Kitchen, Detail

The kitchen island included a farmhouse sink and dishwasher.

Kitchen, Detail

The kitchen renovation came with all new appliances including this gas range with vent hood and pot-filler faucet.

Kitchen, Detail

Living Room, Before

The house was originally broken up into distinct spaces, making it feel closed in, and the clients wanted a more open layout. Removal of the wall seen here, separating the living room from the kitchen, was one of the biggest structural changes in the remodel.

Living Room, After

With the wall removed, the kitchen and living space are unified and the home's entry opens directly onto a central area for dining and entertaining.

Living Room, Before

Living Room, After

The living room is given a whole new character with two sets of French doors that open onto the backyard and bring in lots of natural light. Exposed wood beams help ground and define the space.

Living Room, Detail

A leather chair, ottoman and sofa help give the living room a rustic and welcoming feel.

Living Room, Detail

A new fireplace in stucco finish and with a simple wood mantel was added on the exterior wall, between the new French doors, giving the once bare room added character.

Living Room, Detail

In the living room, an antique door — seen here at far right — was given new life. Before it was installed here, five coats of old paint were removed and the door sanded to reveal the natural wood underneath. It's a nice custom touch and was a deliberate choice to coordinate with the other natural wood elements used throughout the space.

Living Room, Detail

An antique apothecary chest and cathedral style window frame add visual interest in the living space.

Living Room, Detail

Exposed wood beams help warm up the living space, provide visual balance and contribute to the more masculine feel of the room.

Master Bedroom, Before

"The master bedroom was a simple fix," says Joanna. Most of the changes were simply cosmetic or decorative.

Master Bedroom, After

New large windows were added to brighten the space and the room got fresh paint, crown molding and a stylized chandelier.

Master Bedroom, Before

Master Bedroom, After

A special accent is the wall feature with ceramic pocket vases custom created by a local Waco artist.

Master Bedroom, Detail

The folded wall pocket vases add a whimsical touch and can hold live or faux flowers.

Master Bedroom, Detail

Joanna balanced the cool grays and blues of the room with yellow accents like the tulips and daffodils.

Master Bedroom, Detail

An area rug also incorporates blue, gray and yellow and stands out smartly against the original hardwood floors that were sanded and restained in a dark finish.

Master Bedroom, Detail

Master Bathroom, Before

The tiny bathroom presented Joanna with the biggest design challenge in the renovation. The existing bathroom was ultimately expanded into what had been a service closet, and a water heater and HVAC unit had to be relocated to acommodate the remodel.

Master Bathroom, After

Removal of a wall enabled the bathroom to be enlarged enough to make room for a twin vanity, tub and standup shower.

Master Bathroom, Before

Master Bathroom, After

The shower is given a luxury treatment with Carrara marble tile and wide wood trim.

Master Bathroom, Detail

The notched profile and curves in the vanity top add dimension and give the piece a distinctive look. Sconces mounted to the mirror surface help maximize the space and provide well placed and direct illumination.

Master Bathroom, Detail

Before

After

New garage doors were installed in a style that meshed with the new porch and exterior treatment.

Exterior Detail

Black iron sconces and black shutters provide contrast with the newly painted cream exterior.

Exterior Detail

A crowning detail on the home's exterior are three window boxes in natural wood which tie in nicely with the new front door in similar finish.

Well, Hello

A new front doormat offers a concise greeting to visitors.

Where's Jo?

Chip strikes a rare pensive pose on the newly refurbished front porch at the Yeilding home.

What the World Needs Now

Chip and Joanna celebrate another happy and successful renovation. If you liked this Fixer Upper project, we've got a hunch you might also enjoy this one: Fixer Upper: A Family Home Resurrected in Rural Texas.