Progress at the Flip House, and Sometimes Less is More

I’m thrilled to be back this week to report our progress on “The Flip House.” If you’ll remember from some of my earlier “before” pictures, this house started with every color of the rainbow on the walls and in the carpet. Sadly, all those colors came out of a seventies palette that hasn’t quite come back into vogue yet. So we’ve decided to go with a “less is more” approach with the colors throughout the house.

Now, you know that I love color. I can’t get enough of it in every area of my life. But I do recognize that not everyone feels the same, and when you’re trying to design a house to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible, you sometimes have to put aside your own preferences and make the smart call. Thankfully, my partner Jana made that call when she picked one of my favorite grays to go throughout the house. It’s “Anew Gray” by Sherwin Williams, and it has the wonderful ability to change in every light. As we are painting it throughout almost the whole house it looks like a light gray in some rooms, and a darker shade in others. It’s a great way to get some variety, without introducing lots of new colors that might scare off a buyer.

The Den

Here’s a look at the evolution of our Den:

It started with dark wood paneling and a boring brick and brass fireplace.

Fortunately, there was clean (ish) drywall behind the horrible paneling, so we ripped it all off. The ceiling seems higher, just by lightening up the walls.

Hiding behind that brass fireplace, we found a great little arched brick fireplace that reminds me a little of a kiva fireplace. It really matches the rustic look of the dark wood beams on the ceiling. The walls have been painted in Anew Gray. It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do! (Pay no attention to the kitchen cabinets strewn all around.)

Right now, we’re debating painting the brick and the chimney a light cream to accent it. What do you think – paint or keep the brick? And highlight the chimney in a lighter color or leave it the same as the wall?

The Kitchen

The Den is on its way, but the major transformation is the kitchen!

In my last post, the before pictures showed where the kitchen ceiling was all torn out. That’s because the previous owners had lowered the ceiling height to put in some quite functional, but not so beautiful, fluorescent lights. We decided to open the ceiling up as high as we could to preserve the openness of the space, while still allowing for wiring and recessed lights. Here you can see it being put back together.

What a difference a week makes! By the time I got back to the house again to take pictures, they had already finished the ceilings and walls, and had set most of the cabinets. See those pipes in the middle of the floor? Those mark where the island will go.

And finally, here’s a little sneak peak at one of the granite samples we’re considering…

(The cabinets are wrapped in plastic to keep them safe during installation.)

There’s still a TON of work to do in the bedrooms and bathrooms, but I’m hoping to at least be able to show you the new floors soon. I’m so pleased with how this makeover is coming along that I may just have to buy this house myself when we’re done. But that won’t be a problem because I still haven’t finished unpacking from our last move!