Renovation Series – Beautiful 1790 Chester County Farm House

Dana’s house is AH-MAZING!!!! I LOVE old homes and her home is absolutely stunning. She has kept the charm of her 1790 farm house, but wonderfully modernized it for her young family. Take a look at a few before and after photos then make sure to hop on over to her blog, Stable Living,where she shares even more.

****

As a Pennsylvania girl who grew up daydreaming about horses and farm life I knew one day I would be living in a farm house just steps away from my horses.

After searching the area, my husband and I stumbled upon circa 1790 farm house in the middle of Chester county. Surrounded by bridle paths and green fields, the former 1800’s women’s seminary fed our inner ‘Explorer’ and gave us an opportunity to keep our horses at home. I fell in love with the 2 ft. thick stone walls, over sized windows with deep sills, slate roof, big dormer and expansive porch overlooking our horse pastures. But the house needed a lot of work.

We started by tackling insulation, flooring and updating the electric in a bedroom and hallway on the second floor. Soon after, we completed a new bathroom and laundry area on the second floor. With a baby in tow and another one on the way, we knew we had to renovate the whole first floor with electric, flooring, removing some walls and updating the bathroom and kitchen.

                                               Kitchen After

Check out our renovation stories at our blog. We hope it will inspire you to tackle a project of your own or maybe even recycle an old home.

Direct Link to Dana’s Blog – http://horselvinmom.wordpress.com/

To view all of the home renovation projects featured in this series – click here

If you are interested in sharing your home renovation project please click here. Your contribution to the series can be any room in your house, garden or patio.

Weekly Renovation Series ~ Simple Changes That Make a HUGE Difference!

She’s back!! Chesco Mom Laura is back to show us what she has been up since she shared her kitchen renovation project a few weeks ago. I love her style and always enjoy her tips. 

This was an 80’s bedroom screaming for a makeover!  The carpet was removed and hardwood with an area rug was replaced.  The walls were painted a darker khaki color to emphasize the cathedral ceiling.  All of the faux flowers were replaced with a live palm.  Furniture replacement was minimal, but impactful.  Bedding chosen was a mix of hotel style with still a little splash of antiquity.  The mirrored nightstands and glass lamps were inspired by all of the HGTV shows I watch!

This is a before and after shot of a basement that lacked a cozy feeling.  A sectional was replaced for the single couch to accommodate more people in a smaller space.  The walls were painted a fern green to add warmth and allow the trim to pop.  An area rug was placed underneath the coffee table to help center the sitting area.  The bamboo sculpture was purchased locally from Dane Décor!  At night I have a light behind it that illuminates the bamboo—way cool!

This is a sitting area in our master bedroom.  There is a see through gas fireplace that was screaming for a stone finish.  I did the stone work myself…it was definitely a trial and error type of project and ended up taking longer than expected, but the final result was well worth it.  My husband and I sit in this space, especially during the winter time, when the snow is falling, fireplace going and reading a good book.  I added the jute rug to pull the entire space together.  The print on the wall is from Art.com (they have great stuff for reasonable prices).  Eventually I’d love to add built in bookshelves along the back wall….another project on the list!

This was a relatively simple and inexpensive project.  The powder room on the left was a blood red color without a towel rack and the hand towel was right on top of an electrical outlet (seriously!).  I removed the contractor mirror and added one I got from Bed Bath and Beyond.  I changed the wall color, added a towel rack and wall art and presto…powder room transformed!

The picture on the left is from when the previous owners lived in our house.  I kept the wall color the same…it’s called Silver Sage from Restoration Hardware.  I really wanted to bring a rust color into this space and make it feel more organic and earthy because of the wall of windows along the one side of the room.  While I was able to bring in the rust colors, I also played with a little bit of turquoise as well.  All of the bedding is from the Pottery Barn outlet store in Lancaster.  You can see a full shot of the stone fireplace project I did as well.  The wood work above the bed is from Pottery Barn.  I splurged a little on this one because I thought it was so unique. I think this space came together so well because I planned out every aspect of it prior to jumping in!

This is a basement bathroom that was painted a dark brown/reddish color.  The oak cabinets did not match with anything else in the home.  So I painted the oak cabinets black and painted the walls a deeper green.  This simple paint job project transformed the way the floor and counter top colors look.  With a few simple accessories from Home Goods, this space feels a little more inviting.  It’s AMAZING what paint can do to a space!

How many of your closets look like the one on the left??? There was some attempts at organizing the closet, but because it lacked containers, it was difficult to maintain.  By going through the closet and putting all of the materials in natural categories, the space evolved into a container haven on the right.  You know where everything is…AND you know where to put it BACK!

About the Home Owner: Laura Lee Room Design is owned and operated by Laura Lee and offers home staging, redesign and organization services in Chester County, PA and the surrounding western suburbs of Philadelphia. 

Laura is a Home Staging Resource (HSR) Certified Professional Home Stager, Redesigner and Organizer.  The HSR Certification program is accredited by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), which is the only 3^rd party, governing association for the home staging industry.  Laura is a member of the American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners, Real Estate Staging Association, National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and Stagers Connect which assist her in remaining current on real estate and staging industry trends.

Laura has a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Masters of Art from Webster University. Her career has included military service as a construction engineer, project management and process improvement expert with General Electric, business executive with Wells Fargo and currently as an executive consultant.  Laura’s creativity, attention to detail, customer focus and love of design enable her to create beautiful and memorable interior and exterior spaces for any type of home. 

To view all of the home renovation projects featured in this series – click here

If you are interested in sharing your home renovation project please click here. Your contribution to the series can be any room in your house, garden or patio.

Renovation Series ~ Give that room some personality!

You hear all sorts of “mother-in-law” bashing jokes, right?  Well me, I have none.  I can’t even attempt one.  I have a phenomenal mother-in-law who I proudly call “mom”.  She raised a wonderful son who takes good care of our family, and for that I’m thankful to her.  Plus, she’s incredibly encouraging, supportive, and helpful.  She’s a good seed!  The best part, she’s handy and motivated!!!  So after 3.5 years of living with builder white walls in our bedrooms, it was time to give my girls’ rooms a little personality!  And MIL of the year is who said “put a weekend on the calendar, we are painting those rooms!”

My husband and I are under the belief that your room is your sanctuary, so we wanted our 4 year old and 2.5 year old daughters to have a say in what their rooms looked like.

Samantha painting her wall

My oldest, Samantha, picked out her bedding (horses, of course) back in September.  Our hope is that she’ll keep this for at least 5 years.  (True, I may be completely unrealistic, but what do I know, I’ve only been a mom for 4 years!)  So knowing this was her bedding to match, we told her to pick any 2 colors from the comforter that she wanted her walls to be painted.  The girl is so predictable.  Pink upon pink was her choice!  Next was Olivia’s room.  Olivia is our middle daughter and has recently been potty trained.  Her bedding is the “transition to a big girl bed” bedding, so it isn’t what she’ll end up using for several years, just for right now.  We still let her pick any 2 colors from her bedding she wanted, but I didn’t go “matchy-matchy” with the paint swatches.

Olivia painting her pink wall

The next step was the paint purchase.  I was going to go buy the Behr paint we used when we had the downstairs painted, but after reading my trusty friend, Sarah’s, post I had to run out to Walmart to get the Disney Glidden paint!  I step into a Walmart maybe once a year, and even then dread it.  Fortunately, I knew in advance where to go when I got to the Parksburg mega store and to scoop up the gentleman from the pet department to help me mix my paint.  It wasn’t too painful, I suppose.  I brought Samantha with me to help pick the colors.  She had a great time looking at all of the colors and sparkles, etc.  Once I honed her in on the pinks, we held them to her pillow case and picked the two that matched the best.  It was a wonderful teachable moment!  Then we picked out Olivia’s colors.  She wanted pink and green, so we found colors that coordinated well.  It worked out so that Samantha’s 3 walls are the same color as Olivia’s accent wall!  One gallon, two rooms, awesome budget tip!  Then I picked out a gorgeous turquoise for the bathroom.  Looking at the colors just gave me such an urge to get that done!  I thought, it’s so small, I can bust that out super fast.  Fast forward 24 hours, boy was I wrong!  (I’ll elaborate, read on.)  We also picked out colors for the baby’s room, sage and purple.  The sage green is the same color as Olivia’s 3 walls.  Sadly, we didn’t have time that weekend to do her room, but we’ll get to it in June.

We started with Olivia’s room.  My MIL is terrific at keeping a straight hand and edging the room and I was super-speedy with the roller.  We made a mean team!  Next we went onto Samantha’s room.  The girls kept running upstairs to peek at their rooms.  Olivia would say “it’s so pretty” and “ohhh, beautiful”!  Samantha just kept saying “I love my pink room” and “I’m so excited about my pink walls”!  We let the girls each paint a few swipes on their accent wall before we wrapped up their rooms.  They lit up at that offer!  So sweet and such a special memory.

The next morning we did the bathroom.  Oh-my-goodness was I insane to think it would be easy!  I will never look at a painted bathroom the same again.  Scarred I tell you, I’m scarred!  Hello nooks and crannies!  I tucked my body into absurd positions to get into cracks behind lights and cabinets.  It was not fun.  The nice part was that the paint wipes right off the cabinets, tile, and fiberglass shower, so I could be messy and not worry too much!  A definite bonus given my completely unsteady hand.

In the end, I’m so happy that my daughters finally have a room that is theirs.  And it sure feels great to walk upstairs and see color for once!!!!

Sea themed bathroom (I’m thinking when 3 girls ask for a more feminine bathroom, this would look great with hot pink accents.)

Melissa is a local Chester County Mom who is a contributor to the Suburban Social Media sites, sells Tastefully Simple products, and is active in the Downingtown MOMS Club. 

To view all of the home renovation projects featured in this series – click here

If you are interested in sharing your home renovation project please click here. 

Your contribution to the series can be any room in your house, garden or patio.

Renovation Series ~ From Baby Room to Big Kid Room with Disney Paint

I know we usually share Renovation Series posts on Friday, but I couldn’t wait to share my most recent room update with you. 

I have been working with Disney Paint by Glidden on my sons bedroom makeover. He had a beautifully decorated bedroom, with hand painted murals and at almost six years old, he hated it! He wanted blue and blue (makes me think of the line in the movie Steel Magnolias, when Shelby said her wedding colors were blush and bashful, well his colors are blue and blue). Thankfully there are dozens and dozens of blues to choose from in the Disney Paint line. 

The Before…

.

The After

The walls are “Toon Afternoon” ~ Disney Paint by Glidden. As I have previously stated in my “Making Progress” post, I really liked the Disney Paint. It doesn’t have a harsh smell and rolled out very well. 

To add a little pizazz to his room I painted a chalkboard on his wall and also used chalkboard paint on his dresser. As crafty as I am, I have never used chalkboard paint before so I checked out the “how to” video on applying chalk board paint on DisneyPaint.com. The instructions were super simple. I am very happy with how my wall turned out. So much so that I am painting my entire guest bathroom with chalkboard paint. Can’t wait to get started on the project. Well… actually I just can’t wait to be able to write “please flush” and “wash your hands” reminders.

The chalkboard wall – I outlined the area using painters tape. I recommend removing the tape before the paint is totally dry. The Disney Paint Specialty Finish that I used was Great Slate – Sleepover Scare, but you can tint your chalkboard paint anything form black to pink, white to teal.

The finished chalkboard wall

The Dresser – My sons baby room had a jungle theme so his dresser was painted with hundreds of cheetah spots. To refinish using the Disney Paint Specialty Finish Chalkboard Paint, I lightly sanded and used primer before applying the chalkboard paint. I had a lot of cheetah spots to cover up.

The finished dresser

I LOVE how the dresser turned out! My daughter is eight and wanted to help with the redecorating so she drew the pictures on the dresser drawers and labeled them. My son is having a ball drawing on his furniture. The chalk wipes off easily with a damp cloth and doesn’t remove any of the finish.

My plan is to write a “love note” or encouraging phrase in chalk each morning on the dresser for my son to see each morning when he is getting dressed.

SO…here are pictures of the finished room. We went from baby to big kid room in one weekend. I bought a desk from Ikea to house my sons action figure collection. Best purchase ever! Now Spiderman and Batman are no longer hanging out and living in my kitchen. I also bought a book shelf to hold his growing library and TV. We kept the bedding he was using before the makeover, but I bought a bean bag (Walmart only $20) and a throw rug to complete my room renovation on a budget.

I invited a few of my sons friends over for a “room reveal party”…and guess what? Five year old boys are not really into interior design. {Gasp!!} The kids did have a lot of fun drawing on the dresser and writing my son notes on his chalkboard wall. 

While the kids rode bikes, played with chalk and bubbles for our “Road Rally” play date,the moms and I chatted about the whole process of redecorating my sons room with Disney Paint and the different Specialty Finishes available. I am happy to say one of my friends is currently redecorating her sons room, using Disney Paint and the “Ready, Set, Glow”, Glow and the Dark Specialty Finish. Oh, yes… Glow in the Dark paint! How cool is that? She told me she will let me know when she is done so her room can be featured as a part of the Chesco Moms Renovation Series Posts. I am excited to see her “big reveal”.

I would like to take this opportunity to say a great big, huge THANK YOU to my mom for all of her help with this project. She is the best!

If you have any questions about using Disney Paints or the Chalkboard Paint Specialty Finish, please let me know. Leave a comment below or send me an email. I will be happy to share my tips with you.

Disclaimer: Compensation and products for review were provided by Glidden via MomTrends.  The opinions expressed are mine and are not indicative of the opinions of Glidden. 

Weekly Renovation Series ~ Jeannette from EcoIncognito.com, shares her kitchen renovation story

While shopping for a home in Chester County, my husband and I decided that we wanted a fixer upper to have the opportunity to build our dream kitchen right away. As soon as we closed on our house he set to work on the construction project. As with every DIY renovation, there were unexpected challenges, but at the completion it was an amazing experience. Our family now has a delightful nook to come together to cook and enjoy our food

. 

We don’t have a ‘before’ photo because he literally gutted the entire space. However, we did repurpose the original cabinets in the garage as a work space. Now the kitchen features stainless appliances and a glass tile backsplash. This juxtaposes with the embellishments and cast iron cookware for a rustic-modern theme. We selected eye-popping red accessories as our design elements.

 

 

Photo Credit: Stephanie Cheseboro http://www.stephanielee-photography.com

Early in the design process, my husband discovered a creative way to nearly double the amount of cabinet space in our kitchen. He created a breakfast bar with lower level cabinets on the kitchen side. Plus, he inset the refrigerator into the wall to free up the space for a floor to ceiling pantry.

We get a bit of natural light from the window, so our plan is to grow a window-box of herbs to incorporate into our cooking. Recently my toddler has made loading the dishwasher a challenge since she likes to remove everything as I load it. The window offers a delightful view while I hand wash dishes with her and dry them on the ample counter space.

 

  

We selected wrought iron/microsuede barstools to match the furniture in our family room. To add visual interest to the breakfast bar, my husband installed finials and framework, then painted the whole piece the same color as the walls. The counter is a custom piece, ordered to match the rest of the countertops in the kitchen.My favorite part of the kitchen is the induction stove! We picked induction because we didn’t have a gas hookup at the house and discovered that it is a great alternative to a conventional electric stove. You can read all about why I love cooking in cast iron on an induction stove on my blog. Many experts agree that induction cooking is the most eco-friendly type of stove. Paired with a cast iron skillet, it is an excellent way to save money on operating expenses while cooking with ease.

Thanks for reading about our DIY renovation! We hope this inspires you to create your dream kitchen. It is the heart of the home, so putting in the effort to build a space that begs to be used makes it much easier to put a hearty, home cooked meal on the table every day.

Special thanks to Stephanie Cheseboro of Stephanie Lee Photography for the photos. She is a local photographer and Mom to two young boys. Her love of photography shows in her beautiful work on family photography and children’s photo shoots.

Jeannette Bezinque is an eco-friendly blogger and mom to two green girls. She chronicles the creative way she balances parenting with a green lifestyle at EcoIncognito.com. 

Find Jeannette on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.

To view all of the home renovation projects featured in this series – click here

If you are interested in sharing your home renovation project please click here. 

Your contribution to the series can be any room in your house, garden or patio.

Weekly Renovation Series ~ Nicole from Techmomogy.com shares her DIY King Farmhouse Bed

Today we are featuring a peice of furniture for our weekly Renovation Series Post. Nicole from Techmomogy.com shares her fabulous DIY story.

 
Do you ever go to a hotel or bed & breakfast and think “I would love to have a bed like that…”? That’s exactly what my husband and I thought when we went on a business trip for his job to an adorable bed & breakfast in central PA. The bed was big, solid wood, and perfect. We knew we couldn’t afford to buy one just like it. But we had already been talking about getting into wood building and when I searched for plans, the most wonderful site popped up. Ana White is a mom and homemaker from Alaska who makes her own furniture and, along with her husband, has even built their home. By themselves!

   

 Her popular Farmhouse series has inspired many DIYers to make their own versions. We were thrilled to jump on board. I wish I had documented the whole process better, but I do have some completed pictures from before we had set up the whole room. Please excuse the messy bed. I also need to DIY more pillows. 🙂 The project took a couple weeks to complete from start to finish since we had a trip and various events going on at the same time. When all was said and done, it cost us $250 for all materials including the primer, paint, and poly top coat.
 
We used this King Size Farmhouse Bed plan from Ana White and built it for a mattress alone without a box spring. We attached the headboard and footboard to the rest of the bed with bolts so we can take the bed apart when we move. We have so many more DIY projects on our list thanks to Ana’s site. You should check out all of her brilliant ideas, just start small. We’re working on a media center right now that I can’t wait to share soon and I am documenting with plenty of pictures and details.

Nicole Kobilka is a Mompreneur with many interests, she has a Graphic Design & Event Stationery business in addition to blogging about her gadget obsession and her adorable sons. You can find her online at www.techmomogy.com. Thinking about becoming a Blogger? Nicole is your design girl! She designed my family blog and I love it.. now I just need to update it. 

She’s Crafty! Chesco Mom Nicole, Shares Photos of her Craft Room.

You know that scene in The Little Mermaid when Ariel is in her grotto looking at all her treasures and sings.. 

How many wonders can one cavern hold?

Looking around here you think

Sure, she’s got everything

I’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty

I’ve got whozits and whatzits galore

You want thingamabobs?

I’ve got twenty!

That is how I feel when I am in my friend Nicole’s Craft Room. It is one of my very happiest places to be. Not only because she has crafty treasures galore, but because we have lots of fun being silly and artsy in her awesome space. 

I am excited to share Nicole’s Craft Room with you and hope it inspires you find a space that you can make your own and get yo’ craft on! 

Nicole’s Crafty Story….

We moved into our new house in June of 2012…and I purposely wanted a new home with an extra room that no one was going to use – except me! I like to craft. A lot. And my craft antics were usually spread over the entire house in some way, shape or form! Not anymore! They have their own space!

This is our spare bedroom turned into my crafty sanctuary. I wanted a fun, fresh and bright space to craft my day away…and this room was just the ticket! It has a large window that gets full sun most of the day. Perfect for light and great for taking photos of my crafty stuff! 

When we moved in, it had cream walls, beige carpet (this is still there…and it will soon be replaced with dark hardwood) and lovely old brass light fixtures on the wall (sorry there aren’t any before pictures…but I promise, you’re not missing much…it was just empty and simple). Since I wanted a space that was bright and happy…I decided on a simple light gray color for the wall and teal accents. The bright walls reflect the sunlight so well…and it’s perfect for daytime crafting without the use of lamps!

The teal – it’s my favorite! I find it inspires me and relaxes me, so I decided to decorate my space with as much of it as possible. Luckily for me, it is a trendy color and I could find everything from window treatments to organizational bins to wall art and more – fairly easily. A bit TOO easily if you ask my penny pinching husband –  HA, HA! 

Here’s the run down of my space…

The Entrance

I have a little bookshelf that houses some of my favorite books when it comes to crafting and creativity. I refer to them often, so this bookshelf was perfect for allowing me to keep them at my finger tips! 

I also created a few fun wall prints on the computer and put them in frames as decor. One says: “I Make Craft Things All Day” and the other says: “Shhhh, Not While I’m Crafting”. A rather fitting greeting into my craft sanctuary, right?! 

The Closet

I spent an entire weekend working on the closet. Yes, call me crazy. But, I wanted it: A) functional and B) organized. I love organization! The door is now my “gift wrapping station” – I found a door shelving system and chocked it full of gift wrap, bags, tissue paper, cards and bows. If anyone needs to wrap a gift – that’s the place to go!  It makes me a very happy, happy girl. The inside of the closet is full of labeled bins of craft supplies: Paints, glitter, ribbons, punches and more! Everything is in labeled clear bins – easy to see, easy to use! 

The Dresser

This dresser was a ‘spare’ that wasn’t being used anywhere, so I stole it for my craft space! Each drawer is set aside for something: I have a drawer of stamps, ink pads, and die cuts – for stamping, of course. Another drawer is devoted to stationery. Another is full of wood crafts (like frames, etc.) Remember…I said, I like to CRAFT! When I get in the mood to work on something, I can go to a drawer and all of the items needed are contained in one space. No more digging around the entire room just to finish a project!

The Bookshelf

This is probably my FAVORITE part about the room! I wanted my ‘most used’ and most treasured crafting supplies out in the open and readily available for me at any time. Over the years of crafting, I tend to grab the same tools over and over again…so these are the items that I want “out” all the time. My favorite paper punches, ink sprays, washi tape, baker’s twine & even my personal die cut machine all sit out on display in this space. When I see them out, it makes me want to craft even more…and the fact that they are all neatly in their own space makes for a less ‘stressful’ space, too!

The shelf area is full of bins with craft supplies: paper, envelopes, party items (balloons, cupcake wrappers, paper straws, etc), paper crafting tools and more.

It’s all ready to be used!

The Desk Area

I wanted a bright and open space that could be my ‘crafting area’. In the past, I had just crafted anywhere I could find the extra space to do so…I wanted this room to have a large open surface that wasn’t cluttered with stuff so I could have room at any time to create away! I love the open, white table top on the desk. I just have a few items on it at all time: my iPad (hello, Pinterest!), a day planner and a few everyday things like pens, stamps, an address stamp and a little desk lamp for night time crafting. Other than that…it’s all open space!

Right next to my desk, I have another little shelf that houses my Silhouette machine and all of it’s supplies. It’s location next to my desk is perfect since it needs to be hooked up to a computer. When I want to use it, I just bring up my lap top and craft away!

Well, that pretty much sums up my crafty space! I hope you’ve enjoyed the little tour! And…it’s open for craft time! Seriously…I’d be more than happy to have some craft companions in this space…the more it gets used, the less “eye rolls” I’ll get from my husband!! He’s convinced that there’s a “mortgage worth” of craft supplies in this room! There just might be….

Ha!

Nicole is a local Chester County Mom who obviously loves to craft. She’s a personal friend of Sarah, Editor here at the CCM blog, and they have tons of fun in this space! If you have seen it on Pinterest, chances are…they have made it together – or at least attempted!!!

To view all of the home renovation projects featured in this series – click here

If you are interested in sharing your home renovation project please click here. Your contribution to the series can be any room in your house, garden or patio.

Chesco Mom Laura shares her Kitchen Renovation

Can you believe it is Friday again?!?! This week seemed to fly by. Time for another installation of our weekly Home Renovation Series. 

This weeks homeowner is a former work colleague (Wells Fargo) and former neighbor of mine. Her old house (in my neighborhood) to this day is my most very favorite. I love it and when she put it up for sale last year, I seriously considered picking up and moving into her beautifully decorated and remodeled home. ( I will have to ask her to share basement pictures.. it is AMAZEBALLS! The new owners won’t mind, right?) 

The home owner…Laura, is all settled into her new house and has already begun putting her special decorating touch on it and making it hers. Below she shares her kitchen renovation story. 

BEFORE:This is a picture from when the previous owners lived in it. I fell in love with this kitchen instantly, but once we moved in, it was lacking the warmth and attention to details I love about a kitchen. I knew that I wanted to make a change in this space, but without spending a ton of money or changing anything major. I found that the yellow walls really made the cabinets as well as the counters appear yellow as well. Also, the island light was not centered on the island (which drove me CRAZY!).

AFTER:  It’s amazing what a difference a just a few changes can make.  I pulled out the two old lights and replaced them with ones that reflected our style more (and the island light is now centered on the island and all is right with the world now).  I also freaked my husband out when I took black paint and painted the beautiful Merilat Maple island.  We also added two legs to the end of the island to give it a piece of furniture feel.  I also put in bar stools without backs which allowed for more walkway space.  I painted the walls a toffee brown which made the cabinets and counters appear more warm.  To balance the toffee paint, I added celadon green roman shades to the doors and windows.  Overall, these were minor and quick changes with a nice warming impact. I now love my kitchen even more!

Here is a side by side of the Before/After

About the Home Owner: Laura Lee Room Design is owned and operated by Laura Lee and offers home staging, redesign and organization services in Chester County, PA and the surrounding western suburbs of Philadelphia. 

Laura is a Home Staging Resource (HSR) Certified Professional Home Stager, Redesigner and Organizer.  The HSR Certification program is accredited by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), which is the only 3^rd party, governing association for the home staging industry.  Laura is a member of the American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners, Real Estate Staging Association, National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and Stagers Connect which assist her in remaining current on real estate and staging industry trends.

Laura has a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Masters of Art from Webster University. Her career has included military service as a construction engineer, project management and process improvement expert with General Electric, business executive with Wells Fargo and currently as an executive consultant.  Laura’s creativity, attention to detail, customer focus and love of design enable her to create beautiful and memorable interior and exterior spaces for any type of home. 

To view all of the home renovation projects featured in this series – click here

If you are interested in sharing your home renovation project please click here. Your contribution to the series can be any room in your house, garden or patio.

Kelly from The Centsible Life Blog Shares Family Room Before & After Photos in Week #2 of our Home Renovation Series.

The second post in our Chester County Moms Home Renovation Series comes from Kelly Whalen, the founder of The Centsible Life, a blog where motherhood and money meet. Her goal is to help readers live well on less. Kelly is a Chesco Mom to 4, and loves that she can stay at home with her kids, and still pursue her passions for writing, personal finance, and social media. You can often find her on twitter and Facebook talking money and motherhood. 

I asked Kelly to tell us about her renovation project and this is what she shared…. 

We live in a house we affectionately (and sometimes not so lovingly) call “The Money Pit.” Every small issue we come across ends up being a huge project. Painting a room isn’t just painting the walls, it involves hours of sanding, replacing painted over outlets and lightswitches, and more.

About 2 years ago I got a bit by the redecorating bug. I had this idea that I could transform our dark and uninviting family room by painting the paneling, removing some shoddy DIY built-in bookshelves, and replacing the burgundy carpeting with something fresher and brighter. 

What started as a ‘simple’ project turned into gutting the room down to the studs. Oops! We joke that it all started because I removed the built-in shelves. 

It took us many months, and lots of labor to transform our family room from a dark and dated room to an inviting and bright family space, but it was well worth the wait. 

You can read more on Kelly’s blog about how she remodeled her family room (part 1 & 2)

Link to part one: http://www.thecentsiblelife.com/2011/11/before-after-family-room/ 

Link to part two: http://www.thecentsiblelife.com/2011/12/family-room-reveal-part-two/, 

and made a barn beam mantle for her fireplace wall. {http://www.thecentsiblelife.com/2011/12/barn-beam-mantel/}

• To view all of the home renovation projects featured in this series – click here
• If you are interested in sharing your home renovation project please click here. Your contribution to the series can be any room in your house, garden or patio.

Chester County Mom Natalia Shares Her Fabulous Kitchen and Family Room Renovation

Wow! Where to start with our kitchen/family room project. We moved into our house almost 7 years ago and we’ve been working on turning our house into a warm, inviting home that reflects our family ever since. (well, at least I have with one, at times, reluctant husband)

(click on photo to enlarge)

We’ve tackled this project piece by piece and almost all of it has been a diy project. Shortly after we moved in we replaced our laminate countertops with granite because not only did I look like the look better, I loved the functionality. Being able to take hot dishes out of the stove and just pop them on the counter without worrying about finding a hot plate (which I never seem to have around) is very convenient. Then my husband and I put in the tile backsplash that you currently see by ourselves. It was one of our first projects!

A year later we decided that we really wanted our kitchen/family room area to be one large open space. We frequently have family and friends over and wanted the most space we could get out of this area since it seems like no matter what we try people always want to congregate in the kitchen. There had been a 1/2 wall separating the kitchen area from the family room that we tore down which then led us to re-do all of our flooring. So, while I was very pregnant with our 2nd son my husband bravely tackled removing our old carpet and linoleum tile and installing hardwood floor that would match the front of our house. He replaced about 750 sq ft of floor all by himself!  This was the biggest home improvement project that he’s ever undertaken and I have to admit he did a great job. The floors look beautiful and we love that our entire first floor is connected in this way.

(click on photo to enlarge)

So, we had our 2nd son in May and it was my first time not working so I think I obviously must have been looking for something to do because that summer I repainted all of our cabinets (that’s 42 doors!). I sanded, primed and painted every one with some help from my wonderful husband who by now will usually just give in to my crazy plans. So every afternoon while my son was napping I was painting cabinets. I have to admit that I would probably not take on such a big project again. It was a ton of work but I love the way they came out!

Finally, this past year we replaced our small island with a much larger 8 foot one that can accommodate up to 4-5 people comfortably. Although, we have a kitchen table that we eat at in our sunroom I found that we really spent almost all our time around that island. My older son would come home and unload all his homework onto it and I would be trying to prep dinner around everyone else’s stuff. Now the kids can be around the “bottom” end, snacking, doing homework, painting, whatever and I can be at the “top” making dinner. We chose a wood counter because we wanted some contrast and warmth against our white cabinets, same with the base. We felt like adding a large white base would just be too stark and we wanted something to draw your eye in.

I love the colors turquoise and yellow so there are splashes of both those colors all throughout our house and especially in the kitchen. The pops of yellow bring a cheeriness that I like to see in a kitchen and the blue reminds me of the outdoors and the sky. One of the books that have recently influenced my design aesthetic is The Things That Matter by Nate Berkus. I love the idea that your home should be filled with things that you love and that tell a story about you, so whenever I pick something up I try to use that filter to decide if it would fit into our home.

Natalia Beley has been easing entrepreneur’s harried schedules since 2011 when she began working as a virtual assistant for a busy equestrian sales rep. Her past experience working in the high stress New York fashion industry  has prepared her well to take on a variety of tasks, such as merchandising, inventory planning, sales analysis and assortment planning. In addition to a variety of retail skills she is prepared to take on social media management, email newsletters, excel spreadsheets, proofreading, editing and any other task you might want to throw her way! Natalia is married and is a mother of 2 wacky boys. She loves horseback riding and when she’s not at the barn she can found trudging up and down the hills of Chester County, PA in her running shoes. She is actively involved at Willowdale Chapel and believes that God has presented her with the opportunity to help small businesses. Check her out at www.nsbvirtualassistant.com.

If you are interested in sharing your home renovation project please click here. Your contribution to the series can be any room in your house, garden or patio.