Project House: After

I’ve been really excited to share the results of our project.  There are still a few finishing touches, but I’m ready to show off the “after” photos of our project house!

This home is for sale in Austin, Texas.  Click here for info on making this central Austin home your own.

The Family Room

When I walked into this home, I saw the gorgeous floors and fireplace beneath the glue, dust, and tired paint.  We had to do some major foundation work which meant damage to the floors.  I could hardly even look!  I had to keep ultra-focused on the foundation upgrades until it was time to put the floors and hearth back together.   It was worth it!  Some great artisans were able to repair and refinish the floors.  We opted for an oil finish as a modern touch and the darker colored stain is gorgeous, but also helps to hide where the new wood was blended into repair & restore the floors.  They are dusty here, but still WOW!

The fireplace also needed a restoration.  Thankfully the wood trim was able to be preserved, but the hearth had to be removed for foundation repairs and we enlarged it for safety when we put it back together.  Seriously, I’m obsessed.  We also wired for a TV and speakers while we were at it, so this gorgeous old home is ready for modern life.

The Kitchen

As much as I love to preserve what I can, the kitchen was just not the place to do it.  We were able to enlarge the kitchen and in the process, just went for it.  The kitchen is completely new, but done in a transitional way where it blends in with the roots of the original home as well as what today’s families want.

The kitchen now has new cabinets, granite, and tile backspash as well as a new pantry.  We went big on the appliances with a Bertizzoni dual fuel range by Viking, Bosch dishwasher, stainless steel refrigerator, and a microwave tucked away out of sight in the island.

We left the original ironing board in the kitchen, a homage to the original home.  The vinyl floors were replaced with the same wood floors as the rest of the house.  Don’t you love the lights over the island?  A perfect blend of vintage flair with a modern touch.

Love the cabinet hardware?  It was provided by D. Lawless Hardware.  Search for the “Southampton” line, there are many options for this transitional/heritage look.  Don’t forget your 10% off coupon code “remodelicious”.  We have ordered reproduction hardware from D. Lawless for several homes now and the value is amazing.

The Dining Room

The dining room was expanded as well with a sliding glass door in place of the original window.  We did find a place for the original fixture in the pantry (re-wired and with modern LED light bulbs) and took down the wall separating the kitchen from the dining room.

We selected a beautifully simple light fixture that won’t block the wonderful light in the space and didn’t compete with the amazing kitchen.

That hallway in the background is new.  It leads to what was the master bedroom (but is now a bedroom that would double as a study or nursery beautifully) and the new master addition.  You can also get a peek of the new deck in the background that overlooks the yard that still has plenty of room to breathe, play, and relax.

The Laundry/Mud Room

A 1950’s house with a laundry room?  Yep.  Amazing.  Although it did need a but of updating.  We replaced the floor with a more practical tile reminiscent of the home’s heritage and created a larger space for folding since women don’t feel the need to struggle for the sake of laundry in today’s culture.  Isn’t that counter gorgeous!

The Hall Bathroom

I gave a sneak peak of this room before because it’s probably the room I take the most pride in, even though the kitchen turned out amazing (and wait until you see the new master bath below!).  I partnered with my folks for this project and decisions were made jointly, with me at the head of selections.  The first rule of Project House was “no one messes with the blue bathroom”.  The second rule of Project House is “no one messes with the blue bathroom”.  You get the picture.

Technically, we had to touch it.  I was not in charge of energy features since my father is an Environmental Engineer and it as decided to replace all of the windows in the house with new, functioning, energy efficient ones.  That, with the leveling and foundation upgrades, caused some damage to my cherished blue bathroom.  We also removed the crumbling shower door, replaced the toilet, raised the shower head high enough for actual adults, replaced the light fixtures with some that made more light, and replaced the medicine cabinet with a larger one so there would be a larger mirror.  I’ve been itching to use this Moravian star light forever and thought that this was the perfect spot.

Since some tiles were damaged in the work, we had to find replacements.  This color is no longer made and after months of searching all over town and online in vain, I finally glazed some times myself.  I’m mostly happy with the results, although there are a few things I’d do differently as well.  Read more on how I glazed my own tiles to create this color match here.

The Front Bedrooms

The bedrooms were fairly straight forward.  We restored the floors to match the rest of the house, replaced some trim, re-worked the closets, installed new ceilings fans, and of course added a fresh coat of paint.

As with the rest of the house, the bedrooms also receive new windows, new insulation, and new wiring.

We saved the original closet doors and they are amazing.  A definite example of “they don’t make them like they used to”.  The rollers actually work and the doors are solid wood (and heavy).  The inside of the closet now has much more functional rods and shelving.

The second front bedroom was tired, but large and beautiful.

The Third Bedroom

(Former Master Bedroom)

The master bedroom in the original house shared the blue bathroom with the other two bedrooms.  It had the two small closets typical of a 50’s home.  We initially considered adding a bathroom on to the master bedroom. Since the lot was so large, we decided to add on an entirely new master suite since it’s something that is so often lacking from older homes that causes people to ruin original bathrooms (see rules on blue bathroom above).  The window on the right above is on the left in the after photo below.

With it’s proximity to the master, this room will make a great study or nursery for a family who doesn’t need 4 bedrooms.  It gets great light, now has a functional closet, and is near the center of the home.

The Powder Bath

Before I share the amazing master suite we added, here’s the final room of the original house.  We opted to leave the original tile in this bathroom as well, but did take down the wallpaper for a fresh finish.  This bathroom also received a new faucet, larger medicine cabinet, low-flow toilet, and lighting.  Since the painters boo-booed on the hardware, we d plan on replacing the cabinet hardware as well.

The New Master Bedroom

No “before” photos here because this space is completely new.  And it’s an amazing space.  You know what older homes in central Austin never have?  Extra space.  This bedroom has it.  Need a computer nook?  There’s room here.  Practice yoga at home?  There’s room here.

That’s a queen-sized bed and look at all of the room left to live and breathe.  It’s even wired for a wall-mount television and speakers.

The queen-sized bed easily fits on the wall opposite the view of the backyard, and also on the wall between the large walk-in closet and new master bathroom.

The New Master Bathroom

I’ve sold so many homes in central Austin to families who completely compromised on the master bathroom.   Either the home didn’t have one at all, or it was a tiny corner.  That’s not the case here.

The floors, walls, and counters are clad on gorgeous marble.  The same marble in my persona home, but cut in a much more classic (and also modern) way.  Even the doors are trimmed with marble, yet nothing about it is over-the-top.  It’s simple, chic, and refreshing.

You know what’s great for marriage?  Separate vanities.  Trust me.  here, one has a knee space for a vanity stool.  The mirrors are custom cut and the cabinets are new.  The classic cabinet hardware here was also provided by D. Lawless.

The large separate shower has a bench and classic touches.  The soaking tup is the centerpiece of the bathroom, but it was kept to a reasonable size to allow for this functional and beautiful shower.

Let’s not breeze over that gorgeous Kohler tub.  The plumbing hardware is both highly functional and a beautiful reflection of a heritage home.  And that beautiful marble surrounding it…

Even the sinks received the high-end treatment with these beautiful faucets.

The Backyard & Deck

One of the best parts about this project is how much space was left over.  Lots in urban Austin are small.  This lot is larger than most at over .2 acres, and we didn’t need to use it all to create this amazing project.  There is still room for a future homeowner to add their touch… a shed? a pool? a carport? a 2nd garage space?

The new landscaping is watered with a state-of-the-art, automatic, in-ground, drip irrigation system.  A must in Texas where our summers can bring months without rain and three-digit temperatures.  The system is water-wise and low maintenance so you can really get out there and enjoy beautiful Austin, Texas.

This new deck really helps you enjoy the beautiful weather and the outdoors that Austinites love.

So when would you like to move in?