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    Old House - House Tour

    Hi there! We lived in this home for four years before selling it and moving into our current home.

    beige house with white trim, black shutters

    Our home was built in 1937, has 1285 square feet, and sits on 1.37 acres on a partially wooded lot. There are 2  bedrooms and 1 bathroom, a basement, and over 300 square feet in the unfinished walk up attic. The house is completely renovated, has hardwood floors throughout, many built-ins and storage, and lots of character.

    KITCHEN

    by reusing items and waiting patiently, this kitchen only cost $2500 to renovate. WOW!

    The projects in here included painting walls, painting cabinets, adding a chandelier from Freecycle, replacing the countertop, removing an old wall oven and extending the counter, new window/trim, adding glass knobs and pulls, installing wood floors, and replacing the appliances with stainless steel.

    by reusing items and waiting patiently, this kitchen only cost $2500 to renovate. WOW!

    The kitchen used to have gold flecked countertops and backsplash, 40 year old laminate tile, wood cabinets, and green appliances. Can't picture it? Here's what our kitchen used to look like.

    Click here for all posts about our kitchen.

     

    LIVING ROOM (THE "MOM CAVE")

    I love this idea! Unused living room turned mom cave. So pretty!

    Our living room was an unused dumping grounds of furniture just here to fill space. We decided to transform it into a mom cave!

    A lot of love and hard work went into this room! We emptied it all out, painted the trim and the walls a calming color, and added new and second hand furnishings (many that we already had). Now we have a room we actually love and use, perfect for quiet reading, work, or family time.

    The living room/mom cave was also featured in the following magazines: Better Homes & Gardens, Traditional Home, Family Circle, More, and Midwest Living.

    I love this idea! Unused living room turned mom cave. So pretty!

    Here are all of the posts on our Mom Cave and Living Room!

     

    FAMILY  ROOM

    I love this colorful family room! Looks like a real family lives here.

    Our family room has gone through a lot of changes, maybe because we practically live in there. 🙂

    Want every post I’ve ever posted about the family room? Here you go. (There’s a lot.)
    Like our clipboard wall? Here’s the tutorial for how to make a clipboard wall gallery for under $25.

    This room used to have 30 year old carpet, ceiling tiles, and paneling. Here are the before pictures!

     

     FOYER

    this family created a functional foyer from scratch, love the look!

    Normally the foyer doesn't deserve a post of its own, but we built this foyer from scratch. We had a problem (no real foyer, one hot mess), dropped a part of the floor, built walls, railings, and wider stairs. This was one of my favorite DIYs to date.

    It also led to us adding a breakfast bar made of repurposed floor boards which is nice to have for quick meals, parties, or art projects.

    this family created a functional foyer from scratch, love the look!

    Click for all posts about our foyer, including before pictures!

     

    DINING ROOM

    I am loving this fresh, simple family dining room!

    The dining room wasn't too bad before, but we painted the trim, walls, and added curtains. I love the before and after  because the before has the same furniture! It really shows the power paint can have on a space.

    Click for all posts about our dining room.

     

    Our Bedroom

    I am loving this calm and simple master bedroom!

     

    We've lived in our home for 4.5 years and finally finished this room in February 2014. I feel like our bedroom has always been full of things that needed to be put away and we never got around to it. We painted the trim white and the walls greige (the color is Martha Stewart "Whetstone Gray"), made a headboard (tutorial coming soon!), added all white bedding and colorful accents.

    Even though it *still* frequently holds unfolded laundry, it finally feels relaxing and calm.

    Here are before pictures and all posts on our bedroom.

     

    Kids' Bedroom

    Three kids in one bedroom, yes it can be done!

    We bought our two bedroom house when our oldest was a few months old, and now we have four kids! Our youngest has a crib in  our room while the older three share the other bedroom. (

    The room is pretty simple due to our toy organization system. We are in the process of giving this room a much needed makeover, so stay tuned for that as well as a post with tips for organization in a kids' room.

     

    Bathroom

    I am in love with this simple bathroom!

    We gutted this entire room and the projects include: adding porcelain tile, installing wainscotting and thick trim, adding hooks, replacing the toilet, light fixtures, sink, faucet, shower head, and mirror, painting existing built-in storage, raising the shower curtain and adding a curved rod, and painting the upper walls a medium blue.

    We had rusty water so to solve it and keep our new fixtures clean, we had a whole house water filter and a whole house rust remover installed before we started the renovation. We then scrubbed off the rust from the tub and it looks new!

    IMG_1259-1

    Unfinished Attic Space

    unfinished attic, what a beautiful space!

    We have a walk up attic that when finished would be an additional 300 square feet of living space. It would be perfect for a master bedroom, closets, storage, and a master bathroom. Even though it is unfinished, the old beams, exposed brick, and wood floor boards of the space made me fall in love with this home. The possibilities in this space are endless.

    Here are all of the before pictures from when we bought it.


    Take the tour of our current home:

    img_8118

     

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katie

      April 25, 2018 at 5:16 pm

      Do you have a link to how you made the floor board breakfast bar? I love it!

      Reply
    2. Brenda

      March 06, 2016 at 12:57 pm

      Your house is BEAUTIFUL! We have a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom house and seeing yours gives me motivated. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    3. Dodie

      February 09, 2016 at 3:06 pm

      I just wanted to thank you for keeping up the pics of your old home. I live in a modest 1961 house, and I am only the third owner. To say it needs a lot of work, well, your before is my current state. lol. I've been here nine years. The reason I'm saying thanks is that the progression over time is really helpful and the modest amount you spent makes this something that is reasonably obtainable. I was so afraid that when you bought your new house you would take down the pictures and posts of the old house, and I'm so glad they are still here. Thank you. There's nothing new with moving forward, I'm hoping your new place has more bedrooms and bathrooms for you all, but I'm so glad this is still here and being treated with respect. You and your family should be proud of what you have accomplished. <3

      Reply
    4. CJ

      January 19, 2016 at 10:52 pm

      Your home is really beautiful and inspiring. I want to paint my kitchen cabinets (they are laminate over pressed board?). Not looking forward to that job. But all the awesome work you did on your lovely home gives me hope for myself. Thank you for the blog.

      Reply
      • Ann Marie Heasley

        January 20, 2016 at 10:09 am

        Hi CJ! Thank you for the kind words. We've painted similar cabinets for our laundry room! They've held up so far, however, we did have to use a certain type of paint; we bought it at Sherwin Williams. When you do decide to tackle it, I'd talk to someone in store and see what they recommend. (Not an advertisement, just speaking from our experience on what we used.)

        Best of luck to you!

    5. Nikki

      October 26, 2015 at 10:22 am

      I came to your blog last year, right before 40 bags in 40 days. I used to think I needed to buy a bigger house to accodate my growing family.After, I found your blog, I realized that I can utlize the space I have, and get rid of things we have but dont need.
      My Husbands job took us from Pennsylvania to Flordia.We moved before school started in August to get settled in. Since we moved with our saving account and credit cards, we had to downsize from a 2000 sqft home to a 900 sqft apartment. Its a learing process.

      Reply
    6. Katie

      March 31, 2015 at 9:42 pm

      I love your house! Just wondering, where did you get the sofa that is in your "mom cave." We are looking for something similar. Thanks!

      Reply
    7. Brenda M

      February 19, 2015 at 8:15 am

      Love all the things you have done with the house, we are going to be re-doing things in our very small house. It is funny we had 3 others living in our house when the kids were here and now hubby and I can barely fit. lol What has happened? I know we are NOT using our space wisely.

      Reply
    8. Connie

      February 18, 2015 at 8:56 pm

      I'M GOING TO DO IT!!
      Besides the family items that I hold, I have things from when my children have moved out and then had to move again , but had to store items here, I also hold items from my mother's house after she died. Girl Scouting was a large part of our lives and still have large amounts of items ready to be used by others. When people clear their areas, they bring it to me. and I accept it. *sigh*
      I'll have to make it 35 bags/35 days -as soon as I get over this bronchitis, but I'll work hard!!
      LOVE the challenge idea.

      Reply
    9. Christina

      February 18, 2015 at 3:16 am

      My hubs and I own a Tudor Revival that wasn't kept up very well by previous owners...but it's livable.. this is our first time with home ownership so there is always hesitation, and self doubt involved in DIY projects...this site is a great inspiration for getting our place to have good bones so that I can decorate and switch things up as time and needs change. Thanks!

      Reply
    10. gina

      February 15, 2015 at 12:12 pm

      Hello. Love your home and what you have accomplished. I found you thru you 40 day purge. Take care

      Reply
    11. Cleta

      October 03, 2014 at 7:40 am

      That is similar to my enclosure I purchased just lately, incredibly satisfied about it for anyone
      found on the fence with regards to buying one,
      get it done, you will not regret it

      my blog - steam showers reviews (Cleta)

      Reply
    12. Sherri Howell

      June 09, 2014 at 10:02 pm

      Love this home! I especially LOVE the paint color in your Mom Cave! It is beautiful!!

      Reply
      • Ann Marie Heasley

        June 11, 2014 at 9:37 pm

        Thank you so much, Sherri! 🙂 If/when we move, I will definitely be using this color in another room. It's very calming!

    13. Lynda M O

      April 27, 2014 at 2:33 am

      Incredibly cool transformations you have wrought upon this home, Wow !~! We have lived all our married life in small spaces: houseboats, studio apt with teen and dog, 450 sq ft now in retirement and I have so much respect for others who are capable of being happy in a reasonable amount of space. My sister raised her brood of four in Moscow in 800 sq ft--all the kids in one room in built in bunk beds; Muscovites were surprised that only one family lived in All That Space !~! I love that you are not complaining and instead are making a beautiful home for your growing family. I hope it sells soon and that your dreams for your next space come true.

      Reply
    14. cheryl

      April 08, 2014 at 11:21 pm

      Hi! I love your style!! I used to live in Geneva and I think I know right where your house is! (we live in West Chicago now) I love reading your blog. Maybe we'll bump into each other sometime! I'm always shopping in St. Charles/Geneva. 🙂

      Reply
      • Ann Marie Heasley

        April 09, 2014 at 3:31 pm

        What a small world! Thanks for the sweet words. Maybe we will, I feel like I'm always out at Trader Joe's or pretty much any shop off of Randall. 😉

    15. Maggie

      April 01, 2014 at 4:23 pm

      Wish that spammer's name wasn't Maggie; boo. I have to laugh at the crazy spam comments I get on my blog too. I kind of wonder what the point of spam is.

      I found you through a friend who is doing the 40 Bags in 40 Days. I love the idea! I'm behind the game, but so desperate to simplify our life and home. Thanks for the inspiration and great tips!

      Love the character of your home and what you've shared here!

      Reply
    16. Sylva

      March 28, 2014 at 1:22 pm

      Do you have a TV?

      Reply
    17. Libby Sawyer

      March 23, 2014 at 10:00 pm

      The attic space is awesome! I rent a house now, but my husband and I are looking for a home of our own. We love walk-up attics! I want to turn one into a craft space where I can go crazy and make a mess, but no guests will see it!

      I'm loving your blog. We just started spring cleaning this weekend. Next weekend was scheduled for decluttering, but your 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge has inspired me to start tomorrow! I'm going to have to blog about it and link back to you. Thanks!

      Reply
    18. Melissa

      March 20, 2014 at 9:58 am

      Love your style and how fresh it looks. Starting with the 40 bags in 40 days challenge today and scheduled a Donation Pick Up to make sure I stick to it!! I have 3 kids under 5, youngest is 71/2 months.. Having a messy house makes me very anxious and takes away time from my kids, looking forward to the day when we have less and there is less to put away!!

      Reply
    19. Kim

      March 17, 2014 at 10:38 am

      Love the clean and fresh look. We had that about 17 years ago. Now I'm trying to get back to this simple lifestyle.

      Reply
    20. Brittany

      March 16, 2014 at 10:42 am

      Can you tell me where you purchased your curtains? So light and airy! <3

      Reply
      • Doug

        March 17, 2014 at 8:56 pm

        They are from Ikea! Nice and cheap. Here's a post about the curtains and the curtain rods.

      • Doug

        March 17, 2014 at 8:56 pm

        http://www.whitehouseblackshutters.com/conduit-pipe-curtain-rods/

      • Pau

        June 19, 2014 at 9:08 pm

        Yeah, the curtains add the breezy feeling in the living room. It's a perfect place to relax. Nice!

    21. Lindsay

      March 15, 2014 at 9:49 pm

      Your home is wonderful and inspiring. Do you have an area that you explain exactly what you did to paint your kitchen cabinets? That's going to be my first home project and would love
      To see how to do it. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Doug

        March 18, 2014 at 8:39 pm

        Hi Lindsay - Thanks for reading. While we don't currently have a tutorial, we plan to post one soon. Sign up for our newsletter on the sidebar so you can get the info sent directly to your email. Thanks!

    22. KateT

      March 13, 2014 at 1:52 pm

      Followed a link from Lisa Moorefield and found you here! Your domestic arrangements sound a lot like ours. I bought my 2 bed home when I was newly married, working in the financial industry. We now have 3 kids and they are all in that one little 2nd bedroom. We are desperate to move but our home looks NOTHING like the beautiful pictures of yours. 40 bags in 40 days has got to be a good way to keep my moving plans alive.
      So pleased to have found you.
      ~Kate~

      Reply
    23. Margie

      March 13, 2014 at 1:16 pm

      My friend just sent me your link on Facebook and I am trying to round up some friends to do your 40 bags in 40 days challenge. I hope that I can get some of them to join me to help me stay motivated. I love your home and all your projects that you have done, and I can tell that you have been a "40 bagger" for a while. Hopefully my friends will soon be saying the same about me. LOL

      Reply
    24. Teresa

      March 10, 2014 at 9:13 pm

      I love that you are using the space so sparingly.. That's where most of us go wrong.. we try to keep too much stuff that we don't need! Very nice presentation!

      Reply
    25. Becca

      March 10, 2014 at 3:33 pm

      We have very similar home. We haven't done much yet, just paint and refinished hardwood floors. We have high iron content in our water as well. What filter for iron did you go with? Is it working well?

      I love the colors and the choices you've made in your house. Looks lovely.

      Reply
      • Doug

        March 18, 2014 at 8:34 pm

        Hi Becca - thanks for reading. The Iron was a HUGE problem for us too. We tried using the rust-removing pellets in our water softener, but that only partially worked. Then we tried a sediment filter (approx $60 for the housing and $20 for the filter every couple months). That helped a little too. Then we decided to purchase an Iron filter from a local water company. We considered purchasing the one that Sears sells because it's essentially the same. Sears sells it for I think $800. Our guy charged $1,000 fully installed. We have to add some powder once every 2 months, but that's it. No Iron now! Good luck!

    26. Shelleymat

      March 10, 2014 at 2:46 pm

      Is the "greige" in all of the rooms the same whetstone grey you mention? It's beautiful and I'm looking for something similar. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    27. Sarah M

      March 09, 2014 at 7:44 pm

      I am encouraged the you have 4 kids in a 2 bedroom house. We are expecting our 4th and so I'm looking at buying a bigger house (we're in a 3 bedroom townhouse now), but love seeing when people make what they have WORK! It encourages me that it is possible, although you probably have more land than me. We are squished between neighbors...
      Love the bunkbeds...where did you get them?

      Reply
      • Doug

        March 18, 2014 at 8:23 pm

        Hi Sarah - we actually got the bunk beds from a garage sale. I believe the cost was about $100. The thing we like best about them is the drawers under the bottom bunk. We definitely need the storage space, as I'm sure you can relate. Thanks for reading!

    28. Lou

      March 04, 2014 at 6:08 am

      Those broken-English spam comments are hilarious. Especially the one that tells you to "stop doing your unappealing, annoying website."

      Love your home, by the way, especially the 'mom-cave.' The height and width of the curtains really make the windows seem significant compared to the unfurnished room.

      Reply
    29. Lonnie

      February 08, 2014 at 4:32 pm

      Hurrah, that's what I was exploring for, what a stuff! present here at this weblog, thanks admin of this website.

      Reply
    30. Maggie

      December 18, 2013 at 10:37 am

      U r annoying so stop doing this website it is un appealing for me

      Reply
    31. Lauren @ Mom Home Guide

      December 13, 2013 at 7:18 pm

      LOL - too funny! When I started blogging just over a year ago, I didn't realize at first that the spam comments were spam. But, I love your living room. I like the accents of blue and yellow. I wish I could figure out how to turn my home's living room into a mom cave -- at this point, it just has a piano in it. The living room is long (20 feet long) and not wide (9 feet wide), and leads into our kitchen, so we treat it more like a hallway than a room. One of these days we will furnish it!

      Reply
    32. Maggie

      October 18, 2013 at 11:16 am

      I have read several good stuff here. Definitely price bookmarking for revisiting.

      I surprise how so much effort you put to create the sort of great informative website.

      Reply
      • Ann Marie Heasley

        November 08, 2013 at 12:36 pm

        why, thank you spam commenter! 🙂 PS I hope you don't mind that I deleted your link but am keeping your copy and pasted compliment.

      • Krisdee Donmoyer

        March 09, 2014 at 8:57 pm

        Hysterical!

      • April

        May 27, 2014 at 7:22 pm

        Well THAT made me laugh. 🙂

      • Ann Marie Heasley

        June 11, 2014 at 9:39 pm

        goofy spammers 🙂

      • Cindy

        July 17, 2015 at 2:27 pm

        I really enjoyed seeing the pictures of your home remodeling adventures! You gave me some great ideas for our "shabby cottage" built in 1920! I especially want to thank and commend you for your thoughts regarding fixing things up little by little. We Americans can be so impatient and so entitled! We want it all and we want it now! I have to admit to getting sucked into this type of mind- set when watching the HGTV shows! But hey, I have so much to be thankful for and little by little it's getting there!!

      • Maggie

        December 18, 2013 at 10:35 am

        My name is Maggie 2

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    Hi, I'm Ann Marie. I want to help you find peace in your home through simplifying your life, taking on small projects, and learning to find your style. Learn more about this site and why I started it...

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    Hi, I'm Ann Marie. I want to help you find peace in your home through simplifying your life, taking on small projects, and learning to find your style. Learn more about this site and why I started it...

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