This is our previous home. I loved this house. When we decided to move I wished to simply pick it up and move it the three miles to our new neighborhood. Interestingly, both our old and new homes were built by the same builder. You know I asked if they would just build me another one in the new location...but they declined. (The Nerve.)
Anyway, with no progress to report on my work space let me show you a few before and afters from work done on that home. These projects did not involve any major renovations, rather the addition of millwork, new paint, a restained mantel and new light fixtures. It shows how relatively small changes can make a tremendous difference in the look and feel of a space.
Millwork. I can't get enough of it. The large opening between the kitchen and family room looked quite bland. (And where do you stop one paint color and start another?!) So I decided wrap the opening with trim. The wood pieces shown created a frame for the millwork, which slightly lowered the opening into the kitchen.
By enclosing the large opening with millwork that stretches out from the walls and drops down from the ceiling a sense of separation was created between the kitchen and family room. With high ceilings in the adjacent family room this division also created a cozier feel in the kitchen.
Here is the before looking from the kitchen into the family room and staircase.
After. Crown molding was run throughout the kitchen. Again, note how enclosing the large opening not only brought character and defined this as a separate space, but as a bonus the kitchen paint now had a place to stop! One of my all time favorite paint colors was used, Devine Blade from Devine Color. A light crisp happy green...just enough color without being too bright.
The before looking into the kitchen.
The after. Crown molding, Devine Blade paint...
new light fixtures, which cast better light onto the island while mirroring the lines of the hood...
...and the EAT sign, found during an online shopping spree at Pottery Barn's 75% off clearance section.
The before looking up the stairs to the upper hallway.
After. The thick crown molding from the kitchen was also added throughout the main areas of the entire house. What a difference. Sconces were added which beautifully illuminated the area and the richer paint, Miller Paint Flat Oaks, adds warmth.
The Before mantel and stone fireplace. Beautiful...but isn't that stain a bit bright?
The Flat Oaks paint color was selected to bring out the hues in the stonework. The crown molding runs up to the stone and the mantel was sanded down and restained a rich walnut color. What an improvement.
We ended up living in this house for just three years. In retrospect it was a lot of work to enjoy for such a short time. But there was a payoff. We were able to sell quickly in a declining market, while other homes on the street sat for months...some are still on the market over a year later. The house showed so well that with only seven showings we received multiple offers, allowing us to move to our dream neighborhood.
My husband occasionally confirms the above scenario is not in the works for our current house...
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