Season 2 Episode 12: Story Book No More

project
OVERVIEW

the
INSPIRATION

the
EXTERIOR

the
KITCHEN

living +
DINING

shop
THE LOOK

WATCH THE EPISODE: On HGTV | On iTunes | On Amazon

Project Overview

The Home Owners

Helen, Her 2 Daughters, and Grandma

The Budget

$85,000

The DL

Helen is raising her two daughters in this house and following a recent divorce, she is ready to open a new chapter in this family home. She no longer feels that the home represents her life or her family, with its overgrown, storybook exterior, and dark, low-ceilinged rooms.

The Plan

I wanted to help Helen and her girls turn a new page in their lives by brightening up the exterior of the home and updating the heavy, dark finishes. Inside, I want to update the floor plan by removing an excess of pony walls, posts, and soffits, and update the decor to represent Helen’s fun, stylish, eclectic cottage style.

The Inspiration

S2 EP12 Inspiration

The Exterior

S2E12 Exterior

Before this exterior felt heavy and dated, with its overbearing roofline, overgrown landscaping, and gingerbread style. In order to have the outside of this house match the humans who lived within, I wanted to update and feature the front door, streamline the roofline, and create a front patio gathering spot. In the end, a light purple dutch door is the icing on the cake of this sweet little eclectic cottage.

S2EP12 Exterior Gallery

Special Project | DIY Porch Swing

This was such a fun, easy project that adds so much personality to the front entry. I particularly love the texture and visual interest the rope sides add to the vignette. The following is a DIY Tutorial of how Zach (Well Done Building & Design) and I made my notebook sketch come to life.

E12 DIY Porch Swing

1.) Drill the holes

2.) Clear the dust

(I thought this was a cool pic!)

3.) Measure the rope

4.) Cut the rope

HINT: When cutting rope, wrap masking tape around the rope and then cut in the center of the tape. This prevents the rope from unraveling!

5.) String the rope

HINT: We used a jute manilla rope, which is softer than other varieties.

6.) Keep stringing the rope

7.) String some more rope

8.) Hang the brackets

9.) Level the swing

10.) Test the swing

11.) REALLY test the swing!

12.) ENJOY!

Thanks to Zach with Old Tech Designs for bringing this design to life!

Shop Front Entry and Patio Accessories and Decor

The Kitchen

S2EP12 BA Kitchen

Before, this kitchen felt small for the home. In order to expand its footprint, we reclaimed the space dedicated to the dining room and turned it all into one big, bright, updated, cottage kitchen! We called upon our best hardwood floor installer to match the original floors from the living room, and having this material continued across the entire first floor landscape worked wonders. Handcrafted tile backsplash, custom shaker cabinets, chrome and acrylic hardware, and brushed nickel faucet fixtures all contribute to the carefully mixed decor, with a custom reclaimed wood range hood as the centerpiece to the room.

Kitchen Specs

E12 Kitchen Specs

Glass Front Wine Refrigerator

Because every Mom needs a good wine fridge.

Kitchen Sink

Can't go wrong with a clean, white porcelain sink. It's like the classic white tee of the design world.

Pendant Lighting

Loving these cool, copper pendants!

Island Cabinet Color

This cabinet color is so light that it can read as white, but feels just a little bit warmer.

Backsplash

This classic white subway tile just never gets old!

Quartz Countertops

This quartz countertop is timeless, full of rich texture and movement.

Appliances

Stainless appliances feel polished and contemporary.

Original Wood Flooring

Marquez Hardwood Floors did a beautiful job patching and matching the cottage's original hardwood flooring.

Custom Reclaimed Wood Range Hood

This hood was a custom build from Well Done OC. The reclaimed texture is the perfect pop for this "eclectic cottage" kitchen.

Lucite and Polished Chrome Cabinet Pulls

These lucite cabinet pulls are really unique, while still being neutral and feeling classic.

S2EP12 Kitchen

Shop Kitchen Accessories and Decor

The Living Room

S2EP12 BA Living Room

Removing all the little pony walls, soffits, and posts made all the difference in creating a bright, open floor plan. A fireplace refresh instantly updated the space and created an attractive focal point that actually…wait for it…works! Because every cozy cottage absolutely needs a functioning fireplace! (Remote Control Log System for Fireplace: Backyard Expressions | Fireplace System: Real Fyre)

S2EP12 Living Room Gallery

Shop Living Room Accessories and Decor

The Dining Room

Special Project | Hand Blown Chandelier

I visited local glass blower, Siemon & Salazar, to help create a truly custom lighting fixture for the dining room. Helen’s taste is eclectic, and the bespoke art of glass blowing embodies that aesthetic perfectly. Each individually blown glass pendant is a unique piece of art in and of itself; hung together in a cluster, the impact is simple, yet breathtaking. A true piece of functional art.