Happy Tuesday, friends! I hope your week is off to a great start, and if your kids have gone back to school, that you’re finding a new rhythm! I know I’m feeling a lot more productive with them gone. Hopefully that leads to more unpacking and re-decorating soon, ha!
As you know, we had to move out of our house this Summer to repair the damage caused by the Texas Winter Storm (considering the expense, I think the storm warrants caps!). I shared our new floors HERE, and had so much fun seeing the progression of our house, I’m back today with more Before & Afters!
Like most home projects, this one snowballed once we got started! But once the house was cleared of furniture and was in total demolition anyway, we decided to tackle the remaining updates we’ve wanted to do. After all, it couldn’t get any messier!
Mantel //
First up… the mantel has always been a little ‘extra’ for my taste, so we pulled down the layers of trim and molding and replaced with a simpler design. We’ll start with the Before shot of when we moved in…
We initially streamlined the built-ins, retiled around the firebox, and swapped the carpet to hardwoods, and it was a nice update… but was still A LOT of molding.
So this time we pulled the rest of the molding for cleaner lines and less visual weight in the room. Shocking transformation, right?!
It’s just a simple box of wood, framed with basic white quartz. We’ll update the firebox with new logs and stones before Winter, but the transformation is exactly what I wanted.
Paint: SW ‘Pure White’ on walls & trim
Paint: SW ‘Pure White’ on walls & trim | Floors: Monaco White Oak
Enclosed Foyer //
I’ve always wanted to optimize square footage and enclose the awkward opening above the foyer that looked in to the upstairs, but assumed it was a huge undertaking.
But in just a few short hours, they had beams installed and drywall on the ceiling! We used leftover Monaco White Oak for the flooring, and BAM… instant mini room! I think it will be perfect for an exercise spot.
The ceilings are 10-feet, so plenty high to keep it from feeling closed in! We opted for can lights on dimmers rather than a fixture since the lights in the adjoining Living and Dining Rooms are such statement makers. (See those HERE.)
Navy Paint: Farrow & Ball ‘Hague Blue’ | White Paint: SW ‘Pure White’ | Lighter Blue: SW ‘Aqua Sphere’ | Floors: Monaco White Oak
Walls: SW ‘Repose Gray’ | Trim: SW ‘Pure White’ | Floors: Monaco White Oak
Paint & Baseboards //
It was hard to notice in photos, but drove me nuts in person… but the trim and doors throughout the house weren’t quite white. They weren’t a pretty creamy white either, but rather a yellowed, aged white. They’d also seen better days since it’s been who-knows-how-long since they’ve been painted. (The house is almost 30 years old.)
It’s a project I’ve wanted to tackle since moving in, but always put it off since it required oil-based paint… and that is stinky! But since they had to pull all the baseboards to replace the floors (and we weren’t living there!), we used it as the chance to refresh throughout with a coat of SW ‘Pure White.’
We also chose a taller, simpler baseboard and installed it throughout the downstairs. (We used to have three different styles and sizes!)
Stairs //
This project came at the very end and wasn’t even on my radar… after all, we’d given the stairs a mini-makeover when we moved in!
But upon further inspection, we discovered unstable rails, broken spindles, and split treads. Not to mention, the base of the railings was MDF and had swelled with water damage over the years.
So new stairs it was! And OH MY WOW do they change everything!
Dining Room Walls: SW ‘Aqua Sphere’ | Everything Else: SW ‘Pure White’ | Floors: Monaco White Oak | Railing & Treads: Stained to match floors | Spindles: Square Black Matte Iron
Photos are from our travels in IKEA frames | Adjoining Bonus Room HERE
Adjoining Family Room HERE
I mean… just look at the difference with the new stairs and without the opening!
Another update we did throughout the house was replace the old, tarnished door knobs with matte black. It was an instant update and made a HUGE difference! (I ordered these.)
We also swapped all the yellowing outlets and switches with bright white. These small changes did wonders in giving the entire house a fresh, clean feel, while still staying true to her traditional bones.
Dining Room Walls: SW ‘Aqua Sphere’ | Doorknobs
I can honestly say we likely would have never tackled these projects had the house not flooded, so there’s the silver lining, right?! It’s not something I’d like to do again, but our contractor certainly made the process easier. His crews worked fast and efficiently, while being considerate of our home! I’d highly recommend him if you’re in the Dallas area… find him HERE.
You can watch the full transformation HERE, and see all the Before & Afters of the flooring in each room HERE.
Up next, unpacking all the boxes and putting things back on the wall! Surely that will happen by Christmas, right?!
[More Home Decor Posts]
Our New Floors!
Kitchen Remodel
Backyard Pool & Patio Remodel
Primary Bathroom Remodel
Hi
Do you have an outside porch light at the lake you can share? We have one from the 80’s at our lake house that definitely needs replaced. It’s flush to the ceiling.
Thanks
Hi Pam! We use these on both our porches: https://shopstyle.it/l/bxgKa
Our ceilings have fans
Beautiful 💗
Thank you, Diane! It was definitely a labor of love (and sweat and dust!)! xo. C
Wow what a difference! That oak is *chefs kiss* Did you change the carpet upstairs too? I can’t find any details on it but it looks lovely in the shots of the new stairs/new bonus room – would you mind sharing it’s details please?
Thanks so much, Danielle! Yes, we changed the carpet a year or so ago (thanks to the pups), but not sure I’d recommend it. We chose a middle of the road carpet, and you definitely get what you pay for. I’d recommend choosing the highest grade with a super low pile. xo. C
I’ve been waiting for this post! Looks great! We are thinking of carpeting our upstairs hallway because it so dang loud. Please share more of the carpet. Did you carpet the loft too?
Thanks, Krista! Since we had leftover wood from downstairs, we just used that for the new mini space (it’s the photo with the weights stacked to the side). Carpet would have been more cohesive, but we opted to use what we had on-hand rather than adding more the cost. The rest of the upstairs is carpet, and it definitely cuts down on the noise!
Gorgeous updates! I want to change out my 1950’s pitted/scarred brass door knobs so badly, but it’s a daunting project.
Your blog is the gold standard. Thanks for all of the work you put into it each and every day. I’m sure you’re always working….even when you’re not. 🙂
Thank you so much, Jennifer! It’s a lot of work, but I love it so much and feel grateful to have the opportunity! The doorknob swap is a major update and not hard to do! Start small and do one room at a time…you’ll be able to see the change and feel motivated to keep going, but won’t be overwhelmed by the number of doors!
New world’s record in home redo!
The previous owners would not recognize it.
Beautiful perfect shade of blue in the DR. Bingo!
Yes! Contractor worked so hard and fast to keep our time away from home to a minimum! Definitely grateful for that! I often then about the other houses we’ve lived in and would love to see their evolution…I hope the previous owners of this house would love what we’ve done!
I love the bamboo shades in your adjoining family room. Do you have a link to those? Thank you!
Yes ma’am, those are JCPenney finds from several years ago, and they are still holding up great! https://shopstyle.it/l/bxgJZ
How do you hang these? I zoomed in your pic 🙂 but wasn’t sure. Above the windows by a couple inches? Wider than the windows?
Hi Beth! Do you mean the yellow drapes in the front rooms? The rods are installed as high as necessary to allow the panels to *just barely* touch the ground. In the third photo under the “Enclosed Foyer” section of the blog post, you can see where the rod is hung by the window in the living room (left side of the photo). xo, C
Hi! Thanks for your response. 🙂 I should have been more clear. I meant the bamboo shades from JC Penney. Do you hang those above your windows? Or within the frame, like blinds?
Ah, sorry for the confusion! They are hung outside the window and quite a bit higher! The intent is to give the illusion of taller windows to open up the room. 🙂 xo, C
Wow! Hell of a lot of work both by your contractor and you, but so worth it. Made not just lemonade out of lemons, but lemon meringue pie, lemon bars and a whole pitcher of lemonade.
Hahah, yes!! Thank you for the perspective, Patricia!! xo. C
Hi Cassie, can you tell me about your upstairs wall to wall carpeting and if you would recommend?
Hi Valerie! We had that carpet switched out last year (thanks to the pups), but I don’t think I’d recommend this exact one. While I like how it looks, it already has pulled threads in a few areas, and seems to turn with the sun fairly quickly. My advice is to choose a low pile, high quality (we went middle of the road). You’ll save in the long run!
It looks absolutely beautiful!! So many great ideas for updating an older home. Thank you for sharing it all!
And thank you so much for following along with me, Michele! xo, C
Looks amazing! I recently visited a relative that asked about painting a bathroom vanity top. I’m thinking in my head, just replace it. Sometimes money needs to be spent and things need updating. Like you mentioned about the carpet, fixing something twice does not save money in the long run. Now look at all the loveliness you get to enjoy 🙂
I’ve definitely made my share of mistakes, but yes sometimes spending money will help you out in the long run!! xo, C
Thanks for sharing all the updates. I love all the ways you modernized the home while honoring its timeless appeal. I am adding a few of these ideas to my list. You always have the loveliest ideas/products and perspective! Thank you, Cassie.
Gosh, thank you so so much, Jackie! That comment just made my day!! xoxo, C
I so agree. Modernized, yet honoring it’s timelessness. Brilliant, SPs!
Everything looks lovely! From disaster comes beauty! What paint “finish did you use on walls? Flat, eggshell?
Thank you!
Thank you so much! I used satin/eggshell on the walls and trim, and flat on the ceiling. xo. C
I just love seeing how you’ve slowly made your house completely *your own*… the initial flooring change was dramatic, but this just seems to have taken a really lovely makeover and turned it into one that’s breathtaking! Well done, Cassie…. and thanks for sharing the reasons behind some of your changes. Oh, and can I say that your dining room looks a million times bigger once you changed the flooring… I was stunned!
You are too sweet Alison, thank you!! And I totally agree… every room now seems bigger with the lighter floors! xo, C
Love it! What will you put in the little nook at the top of the stairs?
I’m thinking it’s going to be my little exercise area!!
Everything looks beautiful! Where can I find the leopard rug in the foyer?
Thank you so much!!! Here’s the link to the leopard foyer rug: https://shopstyle.it/l/bCEFT
What sheen of SW paint did you do on the walls and trim? Also, design advice…if your replace baseboards, do you have to replace al the trim that goes around every door in the house? Thanks! Everything looks amazing!
Hi Elizabeth! You certainly could, but we didn’t change the trim around the doors! xo, C
The stairs! Wow! Everything is lovely….great job!
I really feel like the stairs made the most impact, change-wise!! xo, C
I absolutely love the stairs and the gold octagon mirror. Can you tell me where the mirror is from? Thanks!
Hi Adrianne! The link to that mirror is right here! https://shopstyle.it/l/bxnXr
Good Morning,
Love your house remodel. When you changed out your doorknobs to the matte black knobs, I wondered what did you do with the door hinges?
Thank you.
They were painted to match their walls! Look at the photo of our dining room in this blog post that is of the closed door into the kitchen… the hinges are blue! xo, C
Wow-what a transformation! The new railings and stair area have to be my favorite parts! I’m actually getting my whole stairway banister upgraded by a refinishing company and I’m totally going to show them a photo of yours as what I want for mine! Looks incredible!