Bungalow Project - Finally, the Big Reveal!
We know, we know. It's been a while. We got so wrapped up in the project that we didn't update the blog as often as originally planned.
The good news is that the bungalow project is finally complete. And it has turned out so nicely that we've decided to list it for sale.
Interested? View more here.
From the outside, we gave it a fresh coat of paint to give the home a clean and polished look and protect the wood siding. New lattice was added to update the front porch.
Since it's January, we focused our landscaping efforts on cleaning and tidying the yard. Winter is a difficult time to plant anything and we didn't want the new owners to arrive to dead plants, so we kept it minimal in this area.
The house has a wonderful backyard that would be great fenced in, but it also has a curb cut in place for off-street parking. It's great to have options, but we didn't want to make that decision for the future owner so we decided to clean up the yard and let the new owner decide if they wanted to fence it in or add gravel for a driveway. Or both!
While the outside may not look drastically different, it's another story when you step inside. It's a small house but it's a great neighborhood so we wanted to do an upscale remodel to this home. The original hardwoods were refinished but kept their original character. We kept the craftsman style details when you first enter the house but we opened up the wall between the former dining room and kitchen to create a more open floor plan.
The kitchen is all new and we went all out here. Solid wood white shaker cabinets with custom trim. Silver Shadow granite countertops (which offer the look of carrara marble without all the maintenance). LG stainless appliances. A butcher block breakfast bar. Mini subway tile backsplash. Open shelving for tons of additional storage. Wine rack. Recessed lighting. The exposed brick we were so excited about when we started the project.
The open shelving over the window was a design feature we had seen done several times in various design websites and blogs, and we decided that this would help maximize the usable space in this great kitchen. We love open shelving as it is versatile, practical, and offers a more up to date look than boxy cabinets closing in the space.
We kept the charming arched doorway that separates the living areas from the bathroom and bedroom areas. The details between the living and kitchen/dining area were also left intact. Opening up the wall between the former dining room and kitchen has made such a difference in the layout of this house. The open floor plan feels modern and airy and provides flexible options for living areas.
The front bedroom originally had a tiny, poorly laid out closet that had been added at some point by taking away valuable space in the bathroom. We added a floor-to-ceiling built-in wardrobe to provide ample closet space while still maximizing space in the bedroom.
The back bedroom has a large closet already in place, but we wanted to draw attention to the walls in this image. See how smooth and nice they look? This was not the case when we started. The house had crumbling, textured plaster walls and an enormous amount of effort was undertaken to renovate these. Plaster walls offer superior strength, durability, and soundproofing abilities but are generally only used in high end builds these days due to the labor and skill required to install them.
The original bathroom was in terrible shape and had to be gutted down to the studs. We replaced the tub and vanity with high quality Kohler models. We added white subway tile wrapping around the entire bathroom for easy cleaning and high durability. Mosaic carrara marble floors were added as well as matching shelves in the shower. Valuable shelving space was added behind the tub. And we replaced the clear glass window with obscured tempered glass because..well...we assumed most people would prefer to shower in private.
The basement originally had a couple of scary rooms that had been poorly added in the past. We removed those and painted the walls and floors to create a bright and cheery space. This basement doubles the size of the house and could easily be finished for more living space. As it is, it's perfect for exercise, storage, crafts, or play area. (Laundry is included to the right of what is shown in the picture.)
We were going to post a final picture of the yard, but a yard in January is still a yard in January regardless of what is done to it. The yard is huge for downtown and offers countless possibilities--expansion, garage, play area, pool, garden, or any combination.
We're thrilled with how this renovation turned out and are happy we were able to bring this little house into the 21st century. With the trend moving away from McMansions and into smaller, more practical living spaces we are confident that this house will find the right buyer looking for location and quality.
