Pineapples and Peonies - Our First Home - A Makeover

Hello and Happy New Year! It has been a hot minute since my last post…life, and such. We have been super busy at our house, as we found our dream home in November, made an accepted offer, then put the first home we ever purchased on the market two weeks later. If you follow along on IG, you’ll know our home sold within ONE DAY. We were blown away by the response and had our pick of multiple offers…what a fantastic seller’s market. Now, here we are, on Closing Day, and the new Owners will be soon begin making their own memories at beautiful Crossings Way. I thought it would be fun to take a look back at what our first home looked like the day we purchased, vs. when we put it up on the market…what a transformation.

Curb Appeal

First up on our list, especially for my lawn-loving husband, was amping up the front lawn and overall curb appeal. Hidden beneath decades of shade and overgrown mulch beds, was a diamond in the rough. I can’t tell you how many creepy things emerged from those giant mulch beds, but the end result was most definitely worth it!

Above, a shot of the exterior before…neglected landscaping, large mulch beds, and tons of shady trees covered the front lawn, taking away curb appeal potential.

A fresh exterior, painted in Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter, a new traditional front door, a style I like to call “The Richmond,” french drains for improved drainage away from the home, irrigation repairs, new landscaping, tree removal, and lawn replacement rounded out our list of updates to the front exterior of the property. This transformation took place over the course of three months, from late summer to early fall, the best time of year to address reseeding, etc. Curb appeal = priceless!

The Interior

The Entry just looked plain tired. I knew the old carpeted runner would eventually go, but was initially unsure what direction to go in. This is why I believe it’s usually best to live in a space before making too many design changes…then you have a pulse on the flow of the home, as well as what you’d love to walk by every day.

A pop of strong color is just what was needed to punch up this traditional space, while still staying true to the Colonial style. A banister in Benjamin Moore’s Black with a High Gloss finish, a wallpaper punch via Thibaut Medallion Paisley wallpaper in Blue and Green, and a neutral animal print runner from my local fav, House of Carpet. The runner was actually cut down to size from a very large remnant I found one day browsing the store for inspo…I figured it was meant to be : ).

The Formal Living Room off the Entry, which we turned into an Office, really just needed a fresh coat of paint and new decor. We left the majority of the space open, which became a great place for our little ones to play with toys or color, while I tried to get work done from home.

In this room we chose Benjamin Moore’s Sea Salt to freshen up the space, as well as a new rug from Target’s Threshold line…adore the pattern and it was super affordable. I am also happy to say it is still available! Our Return desk for two is from the Tuscan line for Ballard Designs.

The Living Room felt dark and dated, with wood trim as far as the eye could see. By simply painting all the wood trim white, and updating the gold fireplace to black, the room felt instantly brighter and lighter. We also removed the dated carpet, carrying in the golden oak floors from the entry. The new floors were stained to match those existing, saving us the cost of restaining everything.

For the Living Room walls, I chose Benjamin Moore’s Beach Glass, a lovely shade of blue that has enough gray tones to serve as a neutral base. Our furniture in this room is a mix of reupholstered antiques and affordable finds. The round coffee table is available from Ballard Designs (painted in Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl), while the club chair and ottoman are from IKEA. The faux bamboo end tables were a DIY project you can find all the details on here.

The Kitchen needed an overhaul, bringing it into this decade. I loved it’s open feel and bay window, as well as the overall footprint. By whitening and brightening the space, we were able to achieve an airy, open, and updated look.

White cabinets, quartz countertops, and a marble herringbone backsplash anchor this now modern, open space. The sink basin was also swapped for a large, deep commercial basin by Kraus. High end appliances by KitchenAid and Jenn Air, as well as new hardware and lighting, complete the look.

The kitchen was painted in Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl. Functional, custom roman shades by Regal Fabrics in Vera Wedgewood were added to the Bay window, as well as the Living Room area. Drapery made in the same pattern were also added to the Dining Room.

As the floors were in great condition, we simply painted the Dining Room in Benjamin Moore’s Beach Glass, added custom drapery (see above), and our own decor. The table and console, both in mango wood, are from the Aldridge line for Home Decorators Collection.

The Sunroom, shown below, was spacious, but overcrowded with furniture and a dark color palette. Lightening and brightening with fresh paint and white trim amplified its spaciousness and helped create an inviting space, where we gathered around the tree every year.

The Daybed frame, pictured above, was purchased from World Market , to which I added a foam mattress and custom cover in fabric by Jonathan Adler.

Upstairs, the Primary Bedroom suite received a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore’s Pale Oak, updated decor, an Orb Chandelier from Ballard Designs, and new gray carpet throughout the upstairs rooms.

The Backyard

The rear of the home was a bit of a jungle when we moved in…tons of trees blocked grass growth and served as a home to a multitude of spiders, etc. The deck was also in need of repair and a good cover of stain as well. Seven trees and plantings later, we found the natural light and created a lovely backyard.

After removing a ton of trees and seeding and re-seeding the backyard, we removed all of the Liriope grass that had overtaken the area below the deck, adding in fresh landscaping and a fruit garden. The deck was repaired and stained in Parisian Gray, to match the color scheme of the home’s interior.

We will always treasure the memories we made at our first home. What a wonderful experience it was and how blessed we are to have lived there. The process of transforming it, leaving it better than when we came, was so rewarding, and we wish the next owners happy memories to come.

If you’re in the Richmond area, and would like to discuss how to prep your current home for sale, finding your dream home, or just want to find out how to update and work with what you have, I’d love to discuss! You can contact me here.