*Click on any of the photos to make them bigger*
We bought our first home, the one we live in now, in 1998.
It was definitely a diamond in the rough!
These photos are for those of you that think
trash can't be turned into treasure!
It's been a long road, and Lord knows, we still aren't done,
but it's been a fun journey and very rewarding.
The exterior of our home had cheap siding and
had inexpensive windows all fogged over.
The backyard was moss, not grass, and the roof leaked.
and as you can see was just a room full of mold.
The shower and the toilet didn't function,
The shower and the toilet didn't function,
so it was more of just a place to store our things until we added onto it.

The living room had this outdated stone on the fireplace. The only thing that stayed the same for quite some time was the cedar paneling, and if you read my blog regularly, you know I just painted over it last month.
{second photo courtesy of Kim at Mimi Charmante}

The kitchen was the worst I think.
You could stick your hand through the ceiling.
The cabinets were all mix matched and the appliances were super old.
We literally gutted the whole kitchen adding a
skylight and bigger windows, new cabinetry, floors, and island.

The master bedroom had the same cedar paneling as the living room.
We bumped the room out making it larger and adding a walk in closet.
We walled off where you see the beautiful sliding doors,
and the deck outside of that became Savannah's new room.

We did all the work ourselves, minus the drywall and plumbing.
We don't have any background in this,
{although my husband is pretty handy}
so there is hope out there for all of you do it your selfers!
I hope I didn't scare too many of you off by the before shots!
xoxo

The kitchen was the worst I think.
You could stick your hand through the ceiling.
The cabinets were all mix matched and the appliances were super old.
We literally gutted the whole kitchen adding a
skylight and bigger windows, new cabinetry, floors, and island.

The master bedroom had the same cedar paneling as the living room.
We bumped the room out making it larger and adding a walk in closet.
We walled off where you see the beautiful sliding doors,
and the deck outside of that became Savannah's new room.

We did all the work ourselves, minus the drywall and plumbing.
We don't have any background in this,
{although my husband is pretty handy}
so there is hope out there for all of you do it your selfers!
I hope I didn't scare too many of you off by the before shots!
xoxo
44 comments:
What an inspiration for seeing a diamond in the rough! Thanks for posting!
ok - love the comparisons - all I can say is WOW. You've got it girl!
Oh your house is beautiful! Amazing transformation it has had.
Beautiful home and so full of charm. I LOVE your bedroom. What a wonderful transformation. Thanks for sharing! ~Liz~
unbelievable! v-e-r-y, v-e-r-y nice!
oh.my.gosh! You would never even know it was the same house! Fabulous job...especially love the exterior! ~mary~
Amazing job Melaine! your house is gorgeous!
WOW - The work you have done is amazing. Your home is beautiful!!!
Thank you for sharing these pictures and inspiring us.
You did an amazing job!
-FringeGirl
I just wish I had all the before shots of our house! Doesn't it give you such a sense of accomplishment to look back at those??
Great job! It pays to have a handy hubby!!
[email protected]ubledelight
Your entire remodel is amazing! My favorites definitely are the family/living room, kitchen and the exterior...and I'm glad that it was on a realistic if sometimes exasperating timeline...we have been in our builder box for 15 years...literally half of our married life, and still are working on it! Patience pays off...sometimes the checkbook is smaller than the vision, and that is definitely when necessity becomes the mother of invention. Enjoy your gorgeous nest...you've earned it and inspired US!!
Mary Frances
Your home is beautiful! I love before and after pictures. Job well done!!
WOW, what a transformation! I would never say it was the same house! It gives me hope that the fixer-upper we are buying will someday be beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
ah yes- thank you for the hope! we are in the midst of a similar renovation, so this is reassuring to me!
thanks!
rachel
GREAT transformation! I especially love the look of the kitchen after you redid it. So cozy and comfy! :)
WOW! What a huge change. Your bedroom is so beautiful. I had found pictures of it on Rate My Space forever ago and saved them in an inspiration folder, and then I ran across your blog and realized it was yours! I am still loving that couch. I wish the closest IKEA wasn't a 3.5 hour drive from me, so I could go sit on it and take a look. I can't decide if I want to just buy it or save and splurge on the Pottery Barn one.
Amazing what a little love (and money) can do..it's beautiful! :D
We are right at the beginning of a diamond in the rough transformation. Just bought a house that was being leased before us and its a MESS..but has SUCH great potential. Its an older home (1962), but the bones of the house are still in great shape. Its all very overwhelming right now (I'm 7 mo pregnant with our 4th boy), and these pics are EXACTLY what I needed to see! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
awesome, I never get tired of admiring your home!
We've been in our house for 22 years and we've done some pretty big renos! Looking back, I feel like we "redid" things bc we did what we could at the time...I still have ideas...Funny-I just put my old to reno house up on my blog last week! Yours is amazing! I wish I had the insight that you have.
~Nancy
Your home has turned into a real beauty. What a wonderful job you have done with everything. Hugs, Marty
Wow, is the only word.
You both did a great job and it was obviously a ton of hard work, but it all started with a vision.
Your vision and hard work are such an inspiration.
Thanks for sharing.
Amazing transformation. Your home is beautiful.
beautiful... probably seems like endless... but its a beautiful house... i truly love your living room....
Amazing transformation! You can feel the love (blood, sweat and tears) that went to what we see today...a home with tons of personality!!
Its beautiful. I know that was a lot of hard work. Those are great before and afters. Thanks for sharing.
oh my goodness melanie! what a wonderful job! i would love to see more! thanks for sharing!
This post is the story of my life. Hubby and I just bought a house that is gutted from the walls in. We didn't know how to do any of it but are learning along the way. I now know how to tile and lay hardwoods. Still don't have an oven yet...still working on that one :)
This is an unbelievable transformation. The exterior is especially remarkable. Can't believe it's the same house. WOW! I love it all.
Oh,wow! I am impressed! Thank you so much for sharing these photos! You inspired me and that hasn't been done in a long time!
Malisa
Amazing job , you all should be so proud! Having seen it in person, it is gorgeous and your brown bedroom is the reason ours got changed to chocolate brown.
I just loved the color when I saw yours.
Thanks for inspiring yet again!
Linda Q
You did an amazing job! It's just beautiful!! Thanks for sharing those!
What you and your husband have accomplished with your house is just incredible. You have turned it into a beautiful "home". I always love when you share pictures with us.
You've done an amazing job on your house Melaine!
I was wondering if you'd like to see our recent kitchen remodel...
http://ruespeanutbutterandjellylife.blogspot.com/2009/10/kitchen.html
and this is how it was done:
http://ruespeanutbutterandjellylife.blogspot.com/2009/10/breakdown-of-kitchen-remodel-and-winner.html
Curious about your thoughts....
Thanks,
rue
How cool to see the "befores"! You did wonders---just fantastic. It must feel so good to know that you have created the dream home for your family with all the warmth and style you've got goin' on.
Fabulous!
No! It's an encouragement. Thank you for sharing pix of your lovely home.
: )
Julie M.
You have such vision! A true "Cinderella Story"--WOW! Enjoy your heavenly home!
Amazing! Our's was a duplex before - so I understand the total gut and remodel thing!! Thanks for sharing..
Your home is beautiful and you and your husband have done a fantastic job. It is such a great feeling of accomplishment when you do it yourself. My husband and I are definitely do it yourselfers, we may not always know how to do it but we figure it out just like you guys did. beautiful!
LeAnn
Great makeover!! It's beautiful!!
shit howdy.
I just think about if i had a handy husband ..how my house would look now...
love it melaine.
xo
that is quite the transformation ~ even though you hear of all the work you have done ~ it is not until you see those before and after shots that everything falls into place. A diamond in the rough indeed.
Beautiful:) We too have done this... currently on our 3rd and final:) There is such a sense of accomplishment in these projects.... it helps to have a handy husband {something we share} ;) Thanks for sharing.
I love your blog and your gorgeous home. Now that you have had your sectional for awhile, would you buy it again? Just wondering.....I am thinking of buying it and am worried about "snacking" occurring (can't always be avoided). Thanks! Jill
[email protected]
Post a Comment