Anyone else love a good flip? I love seeing the transformation of a home from start to finish. Just like the seasons in Washington, it's a beautiful reminder that there is a beginning and an end. Seasons of drought, and seasons of complete flourishing! But it doesn't come over night. Transformation takes planning, time, effort, and patience. When we bought our first house we dreamed of the possibilities it could be - and that excited us!
We're a fan of anyone wanting to take on a DIY project - its how we got started. We purchased our first home in 2008 and it was a bit of a mess... but I will never forget the feeling of owning our first home!!
We started with just little things... like new exterior and interior paint, landscaping, sanding/staining the deck. Inside, we replaced the stained-smelly carpet with bright laminate floors, new carpet upstairs, tile in the bathrooms, and new countertop and backsplash in the kitchen. I so desperately wanted to replace the cabinet cupboards and drawers, but when you're fresh into marriage and have a load of college debt - that just wasn't an option at the time. Ugh... and that track lighting *face palm*. Let's just say... we've come a long way!
By house number two, we had two dogs, two kiddos, and baby #3 on the way! But for whatever reason even with our "controlled chaos" the idea of taking on more projects like tearing down a wall didn't seem so daunting! It was with this house that we really started taking this remodel/design dream seriously.
We channeled our inner "Chip & Joanna" (haha!) and took out a wall! That was fun and much needed to open up the space and maximize function. We took out all of the existing floors - they were in rough shape due to improper installation (DIY project gone wrong - yikes!) - and replaced them with an engineered hardwood in the high traffic areas and kitchen, vinyl in the upstairs bathrooms, and new carpet in the bedrooms. Any of the existing vanities or oak accents like the railing going up the stairs we gave a simple face-lift with my favorite 'espresso' gel stain.
In the kitchen, the cabinets weren't in too bad of shape but did need some TLC . With a little bit of elbow grease and paint, I ended up getting a white kitchen I always wanted! The grey quartz countertops came, white subway tile backsplash installed, and my gorgeous and massive apron sink came! It was coming nicely together. While there are still things I wish we would have done, it was leaps and bounds better than our previous flip.
And WA-LAH! At 31 weeks we were just about done with our home renovations and ready for baby girl #3. It only seemed fitting to talk about our next home (COMPLETE SARCASM!)... "let's live in a trailer with three young children while we build a custom home!" #dakertrailer
Within 48 hours of being listed we received 3 solid offers, house #2 was sold, and our biggest project yet was about to start!
Every home is different. Some are blank canvases, some need a little extra TLC. Whatever style, layout, and shape your house is in, it can be transformed into your home-oasis. Sometimes all it takes is a solid plan on where and how to begin that makes all the difference. And we're here to help! Whether its a simple design consultation, or you're ready to take-on a fixer upper, we'd be happy to assist! We love a good flip!
harvesthomesdesign@gmail.com
(Read more on our trailer + building adventure: Home Sweet Home)
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