I'm thrilled to be back this week to report our progress on "The Flip House." If you'll remember from some of my 
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!
Rachel says
Looking good. I'm pretty sure that is,the exact granite we have in the kitchen. I wanted solid surface but I can't deny the durability and hideability of breadcrumbs. It always looks clean even when it isnt.
Meredith says
That's awesome Rachel! It's all about hiding the crumbs!
jacquiegum says
I love the neutral palette and agree that it allows any potential buyer to envision their own imprint. I vote to keep the brick fireplace in the den and paint the chimney the same as the walls. I completely agree that it adds a rustic touch that compliments the beams. Kitchen looks amazing and wonderful choice of granite. Wow.. you are moving right along!
Meredith says
Thanks Jacquie! That's what I'm leaning towards too. It's so fun to see everything coming together!
Jean Q says
Love everything you picked and the colors too. The fireplace, FLIP OR FLOP, on HGTV just did a fireplace that looks like yours with colorful tiles. Did you see it? If your home is Spanish styled, it maybe something to check out. It's season 6 episode 3.
Meredith says
Ooh I love Flip or Flop! I'll definitely check that one out. Thanks stopping by!
Jeri Walker (@JeriWB) says
It's always fun to look at the progress on flip projects, especially so since I have cut out home improvement TV due to lack of time to watch it. Neutral is always best, though from some of the crazy patterns and colors used on some shows, that sometimes isn't the case. When I rented my house out for a couple of years, I knew it was time to cover up the orange, and the purple, and the yellow...
Meredith says
Ah yes, I can sympathize with the time constraints! HGTV is one of my guilty pleasures. I should probably spend less time watching and more time doing!
Andy says
That wood paneling wasn't horrible at all: on the contrary, it would faithfully provide a stately, calming vibe while you are vegging out in front of a crackling fire after a long day of work. As for what color you should paint the fireplace bricks, I trust you would agree that a deep crimson red is clearly called for.
Meredith says
Maybe we should be smoking a cigar and sipping an 80 year old bourbon also, while enjoying the cozy red fireplace and dark wood paneling too!
kddomingue says
Seems that there are two camps when it comes to brick on a fireplace. The "totally paint it" and the "never paint it" camps. The brick looks kind of orange toned to me......? If orange toned brick, definitely paint it. If it's more to the red side of the spectrum, leave it alone. Either way, adding a mantle and a wood topper for the hearth stained the same color as the beams would create continuity and tie everything in together nicely......in my opinion, of course.
Meredith says
I agree with you! The brick is really more reddish than orange, so we've decided to leave it the way it is. I love the idea of a mantle. I'll have to see if we can find room for that in the budget...