An Amazing Renovation: Before and After Tour
I am so excited to reveal my new house photos! Today I invite you to tour my new home’s kitchen and living area–with before and afters, too. Our home has been a year in the making– we walked the dirt, envisioned the layout, dreamed over the spaces, and agonized over the finishes. And finally, HERE WE ARE!
Welcome to our home!
Durable flooring surfaces
Our front hall flooring is brick pavers. Country life + boys = durable flooring. The foyer opens into our kitchen, dining and family room–One Big Happy!
Easy, informal country living
We deliberately chose not to have formal living and dining rooms in our new home. With two growing boys, our home life is pretty informal, and we like that. So kitchen, dining, and family room simply flow into one another. That way, friends and family can just hang out together, talk, eat, play games, watch tv (see tv note below!) My palette in this large room is neutral: black, white, and wood tones, with plenty of texture from fireplace surround to vintage furniture to nubby textiles.
Want to see the family room in process? Here ya go.
Hide a TV in plain sight
Ok, so here’s the Burning Question: do you like the TV on the feature wall, or not? I always accommodate my clients’ wishes for TV placement, but in my own home, I’ve never been a fan of a huge TV on a feature wall. When we built the fireplace on the side wall, there were not many options for the TV. And I definitely wanted one downstairs to make sure I saw my boys once in a while! So I made two decisions to help minimize the impact of technology and highlight beauty instead.
- We saved for a frame TV, which looks like a piece of art when it is not turned on. This decision was totally worth it, because the feature is so cool and and we love changing out the art to suit the mood.
- We made the area around the TV a major impact piece. We bought these amazing vintage wood screen printing frames from a friend at @cityfarmhouse at Roundtop, and lugged them home in the back of our car. It was worth the trip because I love the look of the overlapping frames. And now I don’t mind the TV a bit.
Modern farmhouse kitchen
Now for the kitchen! I was ecstatic to see my design for the kitchen come together.
The way my white Shaker cabinets pop against the black walls, and the black arabesque tile pops against the white counters just makes my heart happy every time I walk in! I mixed the effect with my veined black quartz island top. Notice how the veining picks up on the criss-cross cabinet doors and the pattern of the white backsplash grout) One of my favorite features in the kitchen–besides the cute turned legs on the farmhouse sink–is the oversized window above it that looks out into our wooded acreage.
The breakfast nook has the same million-dollar views. It’s cozy and comfy and just right for homework help, snacking, and informal suppers with the guys.
It took a while to get here, though:
Home under construction? Persevere!
So, my friends, if you’re still in construction, just hang on! You’ll get there! With patience and perseverance (and many, many conversations with your contractor), your dreams for your forever house will one day come true for you like they did for me.
What a ride it’s been! Stay tuned for more before and after looks at more spaces in my new home.
See other design ideas on my home page courtneywarren.com and on Instagram @courtneywarren
Got a remodel project in mind? Let’s connect!
As always, I am happy to guide you on your design journey. We’re all about designing for real life. We want your home to work well for you and your family. Good design always incorporates BOTH beauty and function!
I offer a complimentary, no-strings-attached phone call consultation.
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