House Tour: Jenn Todryk’s Epic Home Renovation for Her BFF

Jenn had all the insider knowledge she could ask for with this project’s clients: They’re her besties, and she’s in their home almost every day. No pressure, right? Right?

July 15, 2022

By: Lauren Oster

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No Room for Mistakes? No Problem!

To say that Jenn Todryk had jitters about reimagining Greg and Alicia Jardine's family home is pretty much the understatement of the year. “Taking on friends’ homes is a weird feeling, because I feel blessed that I’m able to do that and help people that I love and care for … but it also adds a lot of pressure,” she confessed. Luckily, Jenn and her BFF's bond is so tight that she'd spent serious quality time in the house before she had $150,000 and six weeks to reimagine it. So, of course she knew just how to smooth over the space's dated details to suit her pals’ style and personality. (Spoiler: They love it.)

See More Photos: Jenn Todryk's Best Designs From Season 1 of 'No Demo Reno'

Making the '80s More Livable

The Jardine’s house was built in 1989, and while they initially planned a gut renovation, they grew to love (most of) its quirks. Some details, like the vaulted ceiling’s red oak exposed beams that culminated in an ultra-deep coffered feature, were a little too “80s law firm” in their original state. Instead of peeling back the original glossy stain, Jenn used a darker stain paired with brighter walls and an angular contemporary chandelier to modernize the feature.

From: Jennifer Todryk

Doubling Down on the Built-In

In its original form, the living room’s charming built-in cabinets and shelves featured a wonky wet-bar area that didn’t suit the family’s needs. Jenn removed the left half of the piece, then replaced it with new construction that mirrors the right side and blends in seamlessly — a move that saved $3,000. She also tucked a schmoopy photo of Alicia and her husband, Greg, on the finished hybrid unit.

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Restyling the Living Room

Jenn knew her friends’ home would be stunning once she was through with it: “It is such a cute house, it just needs some makeup and a new change of clothes, you know?” Bringing it up to date was all about adding understated organic accessories like these house plants in textural woven baskets and a trio of mineral votives. The cool stain on the credenza, in turn, counterbalances the original overabundance of warm woods.

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A Reader's Paradise

With fussy floral wallpaper and a strong storage-unit vibe (because the Jardines had no idea what to do with it), this space was a view in search of a room. Jenn made the bold move of consulting the youngest Jardines on what their mom liked best (“I figure, who better to know what to do than her own spawn?”) and channeled their reports of her book-loving into a show-stopping home library. Alicia’s own books now frame the trio of windows she’s always adored.

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When to Go Dark

Jenn envisioned a “moody green box” for this former dining room. “I’m even going to paint the ceiling dark,” she explained, “because if I’m going to commit, I’m going to commit!” She added dimensionality to that bold hue by deploying picture frame molding on the walls, then turned the books’ spines inward to contrast with the built-in shelves. “Also we have this window letting in a ton of light, so I’m not really too worried about it,” she said.

From: Jennifer Todryk

Pale Hues Can Pop

In a white or creamy room, pieces like the sofas, chairs and stone occasional tables Jenn chose would have disappeared in a tone-on-tone wave of meh. Against this immersive, deep green, on the other hand, they have visual substance.

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Proper Proportions

In its original incarnation, the Jardines’ main bathroom was a cross between a saloon and a jail: Poor Greg couldn’t even fit in the toilet stall (which featured a pair of swinging half-doors seemingly repurposed from an old Western), and a crossbar in the shower threatened to knock him out every time he dared to bathe. Jenn borrowed footage from the room’s original vanity to bump out both spaces and create a massive, glass-walled shower stall.

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Tile With Style

Jenn chose long, hexagonal terra-cotta tiles to execute her major design moment in the main bath. “I want it to be very organic-modern feeling, a little bit of nature brought indoors,” she explained. Pro tip: Ultra-porous material like this needs to be sealed prior to installation, since any grout that strays from between individual tiles will stick like glue to their faces.

From: Jennifer Todryk

Changing With the Times

Jenn was able to bump out the shower and install a roomy, stone-topped double vanity because the main bath’s original tub featured an oversized (and totally unnecessary) surround. Once it was out of the picture, there was plenty of room for both Alicia and Greg to wash up.

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Something Old, Something New

This sweet demilune window is one of the original features the Jardines have grown to love about their 33-year-old house; the clunky tub that was once beneath it, not so much. Jenn installed a minimalistic but still-roomy standing tub to stake out a spot for Alicia’s treasured post-workout soaks, then installed and styled Scandinavian floating shelves above it to create a cohesive look on the room’s rear wall.

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Okay, So There Was a Little Demo

The undisputed star of the Jardines’ home makeover — and the recipient of $82,000 of its $150,000 budget — is the now-expansive kitchen that formerly featured an extremely dysfunctional layout. “One of the biggest things on their wish list was an eat-in island, and it’s just not achievable unless I take down this peninsula that’s really obstructing the walkway and separating the kitchen from the living room,” Jen explained at the beginning of the renovation. “I want them to walk in and cry happy tears, not tears that our friendship is about to be over, you know what I mean?” Mission accomplished.

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Bonus Storage

Jenn created handsome glass-fronted bins to serve as an end cap for the now-gargantuan island. With Alicia’s and Jenn’s kids in constant motion through the Jardines’ house, a storage solution like this one makes much more sense than loose items atop the island (or the potentially dangerous electric range that was once right in the middle of it, for that matter).

From: Jennifer Todryk

Vintage Style, Modern Convenience

Throughout the kitchen, Jenn chose new fixtures and hardware that offered up-to-date functionality but felt historic. The reeded glass she used for the cabinets was similarly intelligent and evocative, since it partially obscures their contents: “If [the dishes] have Mickey Mouse on them, you can’t tell because it’s all distorted!”

From: Jennifer Todryk

A Warm Welcome Home

Jenn splashed out (to the tune of $2,200) to create a backsplash the Jardines would love. “The charm is just packed in this little tile! It’s imperfect, it has really messy grout lines, which I love, and I think it has that kind of vintage old charm that Greg and Alicia gravitate to.” Her instinct was spot-on — and her best friends fell in love with their house all over again.

From: Jennifer Todryk

No Demo Reno

House Tour: Jenn Todryk’s Epic Home Renovation for Her BFF

Related To:

Shop This Look

No Room for Mistakes? No Problem!

Making the '80s More Livable

Doubling Down on the Built-In

Restyling the Living Room

A Reader's Paradise

When to Go Dark

Pale Hues Can Pop

Proper Proportions

Tile With Style

Changing With the Times

Something Old, Something New

Okay, So There Was a Little Demo

Bonus Storage

Vintage Style, Modern Convenience

A Warm Welcome Home

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