Working with Tim and Kenna Lee was such a treat. You know I love visiting antique stores. Well, walking into this home was like walking into an authentic, frozen-in-time, secret, antique retreat! There were untouched chairs and a settee from the turn of the century, antique dishes, original paintings and a gorgeous hutch. This house is, understandably, so special to Kenna. The house had been built by her grandparents in the early 1970s, but the land it sits on has been in her family for multiple generations dating back to 1901. Kenna has many fond memories of spending time with her grandparents at what she considered a second home. Now the Lees want to turn it into a place that they can share with future generations of their own family. 

The Lees gave us very little direction – they must really trust us! That said, we felt a great responsibility to preserve the memory of Kenna’s grandparents and great-grandparents. We wanted to give Kenna and Tim a transformation they would be excited about, while still keeping the nostalgia of the house. 

BEFORE

Because the Lee’s ranch is all brick, we wanted to add some extra elements that would give visual contrast and break up the brick a bit. Since Kenna’s grandmother was a lover of roses, we thought this challenge would be the perfect opportunity to bring roses back to the property. Dave built two modern-looking trellises that rise from large, cedar, statement flower boxes. The pink roses and the warm color of the cedar boxes softens the look of the brick exterior. We chose a soft creamy white paint for the brick and added window shutters to finish it all off. Some extra details to the exterior include the cozy swing under the magnolia tree, an old iron bell from Kenna’s great-grandmother’s schoolhouse and a new lovely green door.   

AFTER

SOURCES

Exterior Lights | Kichler

Garage Lights | Kichler 

Flag | Allegiance Flag Supply

Front Door Hardware | Amazon 

Watercolor Painting | WestOak Watercolor 

Exterior Paint and Plaster Installation | Roma Bio 

Main Walls Paint Color | Farrow and Ball Dropcloth

Trim and Front Door Paint Color | Farrow and Ball Green Smoke

Landscaping | Cristy Lamers Blossom Landscape & Design

BEFORE

Flashback to the 70s! This room had popcorn ceilings, old carpet and dated wall paneling. We scraped the popcorn, removed the carpet, and added new sheet rock and new flooring. The new white oak flooring in this room, and throughout the house, made a huge difference in freshening up the whole space. 

The fireplace is probably the most important thing in the house to Kenna. It had an old mantle that had been in the family for at least 100 years and used to hold everyone’s Christmas stockings. We knew we had to do something special with it, so when we removed it to replace it with a thicker, lighter piece of wood, we saved the original mantle for a surprise. Lastly, I had a friend limewash the fireplace to soften the brick. 

I cannot get over how beautiful the antique furniture turned out. We used a professional restorer, Jeff and Rachel Ruetty, to reupholster the cushions and brighten up the wood on the chairs and the settee. The updated look is now refreshed like the rest of the house, but still holds the sentimentality and memories of past generations.   

AFTER

SOURCES

Furniture, Rug & Art | Howse

Flooring | Audacity Flooring

Fabric | Fabric Farms

Fireplace Limewash | Bad Ash Paint and Design

Can Lighting | Kichler

Wall Paint Color | Benjamin Moore White Dove

The dining room and the great room used to be separate spaces. Since the wall wasn’t load bearing, it was easy to knock it down along with the kitchen wall to create one large open concept kitchen/dining/family room. Here’s where we got to add some really special surprises for the Lees. Dave was able to repurpose the two long wooden boards that had been mantles on both sides of the fireplace into a new extra-long dining table for the family. The new table is 11 feet long! We also updated the dining room’s built-in to display some of the family’s antique treasures. 

Right next to the dining table, we created a cozy gathering place for family to sit by the fireplace and enjoy being part of what’s going on in the kitchen. Like the living room on the other side of the fireplace, this room also had the same dated popcorn ceiling and carpet. We removed all of that, continued the white oak flooring and did the same the lime wash on the fireplace. On this side, we added a special plaque made by Joel Gordon bearing the name Reed – which is the family name of the generations who have lived here. Dave made new wooden frames for all the photos and paintings of Kenna’s family members, and we also added one new picture – a painting by Bethany Carroz where she captured the house as it is today. 

Custom Dining Table | Dave Marrs

Dining Chairs | Howse

Dining Room Light | Kichler 

BEFORE

The kitchen had some nice natural light coming in from one of the windows but, since the kitchen was closed off, that light wasn’t brightening up the other rooms which were a bit dark. We removed the wall that separated the kitchen from the great room and installed a giant island which will be great for entertaining and family time. The white stone on the island and the countertops complement the subway style backsplash. It all looks so much brighter in here now with the new faucets, appliances and cabinets. The repurposed wooden hutch with new wallpaper inside adds a touch of warmth and history to the space that I love.

AFTER

SOURCES

Cabinets | Magick Woods

Rug | Turkish Trunk

Kitchen Faucet | Gerber

Appliances | Metro Appliances

Island Pendants | Kichler

Kitchen and Pantry Knobs | Amazon

Kitchen and Pantry Pulls | Amazon

Countertops | Gunn Granite

Kitchen Tile | Home Depot

BEFORE

The first change we made to the main bedroom was moving the entrance to the other side of the wall. This allowed a full run of cabinetry in the kitchen on the other side of the wall. Then, we removed the popcorn ceiling and old carpet, and freshened things up with a fresh coat of paint and modern paneling behind the bed for a feature wall. I love choosing muted colors for adult bedrooms because it gives the room a serene feel – a place where you can retreat and rest. The new lighting is updated, but as a hanging pendant, it still portrays an antique feel. 

What was once a yellow time capsule bathroom, now has new flooring, new white stone vanity countertops and double sinks. We also installed a new tub and shower. The serene colors here make the bathroom feel bigger and peaceful at the same time. 

AFTER

SOURCES

Bedroom Furniture | Howse

Rugs | Turkish Trunk

Bedroom Fan | Kichler

Toilet | Gerber

Bathroom Sink Faucet | Gerber

Bathroom Sink | Gerber

Bathroom Pendant | Kichler

Bathroom Pulls | Amazon

Vanity Countertop | Verona Marble

Bathroom Floor Tile | Home Depot

Bathroom Wall Tile | Home Depot

Bedroom Wall Paint Color | Farrow and Ball Blue Grey