Not only are Nick and Shea Frakes dear friends of ours, but Shea also happens to do my hair – and my mom’s hair, and my sister-in-law’s hair and my sister’s hair and a lot of my friends’ hair. So, the pressure was on because how was I going to face her every few weeks if she didn’t like what we did with her home? We had to get this right. Fortunately for us, Shea’s been over to our house many times and I happen to know some of the things she likes about our own house, and since we’ve known each other for some time and had many conversations as she cuts and highlights, I think I’ve gotten some pretty good insight on her family, her lifestyle and her personal preferences. 

Nick and Shea have a son and daughter who have recently left the house. One graduated from high school and has gone off to college and the other has graduated from hair school. As new empty nesters, this is the first time they are designing a home just for themselves. We want to give them a home that’s beautiful, functional and well done – they deserve it!

BEFORE

We wanted to keep the exterior of this house true to its Cape Cod roots, but it definitely needed a major refresh, so we kept the basic structure and style the same, but we enhanced every aspect of it. The siding was removed, replaced and painted a classic white. The shake on the dormers was replaced with synthetic shake (lower maintenance that cedar) that we painted a soft, warm gray. Dave and the crew rebuilt the front porch and I carried the same warm gray we used on the shake to the brick skirt to tie it all in together. Centering up the front door made a huge difference! Lastly, we added classic black shutters, a black front door, new light fixtures and the pièce de résistance – two cozy porch swings handmade by Dave. 

AFTER

SOURCES

Outdoor Sconce | Kichler

Outdoor Flush Light | Kichler

Flag | Allegiance Flag Supply

Shake and Brick Paint Color | Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter

Siding Paint Color | Benjamin Moore Simply White

Landscaping | Derek Hillyer- GC

BEFORE

I know how much Shea likes natural elements like wood and stone. They serve a beautiful purpose of adding warmth and coziness to a space. The fireplace – which had been a traditional brick, wood burning fireplace with a brass and glass enclosure – was changed out for something more rustic and homier. Because the fireplace had cinderblock behind the brick, we couldn’t do much to change the structure of it. Instead, we added a stone façade and an updated mantle to get the look we were going for. The crew tore down the wall between the living room and the kitchen to get more sunlight into the room. This gave the Frakes the open floor plan they wanted. Dave was able to refinish and carve out some wooden beams he found in the field, which he used to frame the opening between the two rooms. We finished off the room with a new ceiling fan and light fixtures.

We also changed the entry way of the house slightly, with new flooring, lighting, stairway handrail and pull-out cabinetry for easily accessible storage under the stairs.

AFTER

SOURCES

Furniture & Art | Howse

Rug | Turkish Trunk

Living Room Fan | Kichler

Fireplace Stone & Hearth | Diamond Petra Stone

Walls and Trim Color | Benjamin Moore White Dove

Now that the dining room is opened up to the living room, we carried in the same wood flooring, added new french doors and replaced the lighting to create a beautiful and timeless dining space. 

BEFORE

The look we were going for in Shea and Nick’s kitchen is timeless with a touch of sophistication. This space used to be a galley kitchen. We were able to give the Frakes the island they wanted by knocking down the walls and now there is a clear line of sight from the kitchen to the front door. We added new windows to center the range and hood between them. This brought in more light and created a nice balance in the space. The island and counter tops are a crisp white quartz that coordinate nicely with the white subway tile backsplash for a classic look. Shea had commented in the past that she likes my stove at home, so we found her the same range with brass knobs. I was a little nervous about powder coating the hood, but it turned out great and it makes such a gorgeous contrast to the white while tying in the brass knobs from the stove. You might not have noticed on the show, but we also put in a built-in coffee cabinet as another surprise for Shea because I know how much she loves coffee! She LOVED the coffee cabinet and the entire new kitchen. 

AFTER

SOURCES

Appliances | Metro

Runner Rug | Turkish Trunk

Range | Ilve

Kitchen Faucet | Gerber

Island Pendants | Rejuvenation

Kitchen Cabinet Paint Color | Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter

BEFORE

I wanted to give Nick and Shea a serene and cozy bedroom, so I chose soft neutral colors for this space. We were able to give them a bigger closet by stealing a little space from the other side and moving the door. 

The bathroom had previously been tiny and basically unusable. It didn’t even have a door! So, we completely reconfigured it by getting rid of the big tub so that we could have more room for a huge shower. I love how the white tile of the shower runs throughout the bathroom so that looks clean and classic. And we were able to give Nick the double vanity he was hoping for. 

AFTER

SOURCES

Bedroom Furniture | Howse

Rug | Turkish Trunk

Shower Head | Gerber

Hand Shower | Gerber

Bathroom Light | Amazon

Bathroom Hardware | Amazon

Bedroom Wall and Bathroom Cabinet Color | Farrow and Ball Blue Gray 

BEFORE

This turned out to be a fun surprise for the Frakes! We turned their laundry room into a laundry room/dog bathing station. Now that they have a lot of land, their dog Honey (and now their new puppy, as well!) is going to be having the time of her life running around and getting dirty. The pet shower is going to get used a lot! We added the same classic white subway tile in here to tie in with the kitchen and finished off the classic look with black and white penny tile. 

AFTER

SOURCES

White Laundry Room Floors | Home Depot

Black Laundry Room Floors | Home Depot

Laundry Room Hardware | Amazon

Laundry Room Cabinet Color | Farrow and Ball Setting Plaster