May 24th, 2010, Kevin and I purchased our first home. We have spent a lot of time making little changes, like painting, hanging curtains, and installing ceiling fans. The home was in great condition, we just wanted to make it our own. The biggest “construction” project (and construction is in quote because we didn’t add or remove any walls) to date was when we removed all the retro wood paneling in our den and put up drywall.
The coffee table is from West Elm. The white mirror was found at Home Goods. The chocolate and light blue rug was also found there. We store all our wine glasses in our West Elm wine bar because our 1966 kitchen cabinets are not large enough to store our glasses. We also keep our outdoor dinnerware and cocktail napkins in it. Unfortunately, both the coffee table and wine bar are no longer available.
Here’s the before photo: wood parquet floors, wood paneling, and wood crown molding. We called it the wood room. During: my amazing dad and husband removed all the paneling and hung drywall. We had someone come in an finish it up with plaster (to give the walls a subtle texture, to match the rest of the house), a coat of Kilz, remove the popcorn ceiling, install crown molding, and paint.
Yes, our Expedit bookcase is still around. It’s probably my favorite, most versitile Ikea piece. The yellow side chairs were in my Grandparent’s Black Mountain home. The are so comfy! The pillows are linen and velveteen and from West Elm.
My father-in-law got us this ceiling fan and installed it for us! It’s from Home Depot. Our white twill sofa is from American Signature. It’s incredibly comfy and is easy to clean. I made dark blue pillow covers with some scrap fabric and the bird pillow is Dwell Studio for Target. The tray and recycled glass vase are West Elm.
The illustration of Kevin and I was a wedding gift by our very talented friend, Rob Dobi. The copper foil print was a gift from my college roommate Jen. The wooden Crate & Barrel bench was a gift from Kevin this Christmas. The seats flip up so you can store things inside. The pillows are Dwell Studio for Target.
The adorable print is by Freya, a talented Etsy artist. The light blue velveteen curtains and silver rods are from Target. The wall color is Behr Ultra in Parachute Silk.
Thanks for taking a peak into our home!
I’m way into this blog post.
Planning to remodel our basement. From one designer to another, thanks for the inspiration and proving ikea furniture does have worth.
Cheers!
You didn’t include an ‘after’ picture at the same angle as the ‘before’ and ‘in progress’. That would be really helpful!
I have the same yellow chair! My husband parents gave us when we moved into our current home in Ohio. You are right. It is very comfortable. I love it :)
Buying your first home is such an exciting whirlwind, but man, the “little changes” like painting and decor are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to long-term security and management. I’ve been diving into how modern homes are becoming more integrated with tech, and it’s interesting to see how even generic home systems are starting to rely on better data tracking. I was actually reading about how geolocation and ip analytics are reshaping modern industries recently, and it’s wild how much that tech influences everything from local service reliability to smart home connectivity. It really makes you think about the digital side of your house while you’re busy with the physical remodel. Definitely a cool perspective to have while setting everything up!