Last year I helped a client find a home that he planned to retire in; however, not long after purchasing it- he decided that wasn’t the route he wanted to do. He knew he wanted to sell the home, and to help recoup his costs & add value to the home, he hired me to do a home makeover on a budget. Every design choice I made was with a buyer in mind, so I kept things neutral and on a budget!
Home Makeover On A Budget
When he purchased the home, it was a great, solid house nestled on a quiet cul-de-sac, but some of the finishes were dated. The previous owner was wheelchair bound, so there was quite a bit of sheetrock damage from the wheelchair. But beyond that, the house was in great shape which made the update much easier! All after photos were taken by Houston Evans Films.
Kitchen Makeover Project
To keep the budget down, I wanted to work with as much of the existing as I could. When I have a tight budget, I rely heavily on paint to make a dramatic change- it gives the best bang for your buck! (Tip: this is the paint you should use on your cabinets!) The other changes made:
- Replace the countertop
- Remove existing backsplash & install new backsplash
- Replace white range with new stainless steel range
- Swap out cabinet hardware
- Remove ceiling fan & add flush mount light
While I would’ve loved to have replaced the honey oak vinyl floors, that would have blown the budget! So I made all my design choices based off those floors. I ditched the green tones from the before kitchen, and I focused on bright & neutral colors.
Sources:
- Cabinet color: Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White
- Grout color: Polyblend Bone
- Hardware: Liberty Hardware 3″ Oil Rubbed Bronze Arched Drawer Pulls
- Countertop: Formica River Gold with waterfall edge
- Light: Commercial Electric 15″ Flush Mount With Bluetooth Speaker
- Backsplash: Tumbled Travertine 3×6″ tile
- Wall color: Behr Spun Wool in eggshell finish
Dining Room Before & After
The dining room is essentially an extension of the kitchen. It has elevated ceilings and lots of windows which allows for a lot of natural space. I wanted the space to be as bright & open as possible! There was a lot of oak color throughout before, and I wanted to modernize the space, so again I relied on paint!
The changes I made weren’t a lot. Again, by working with what was already there, I was able to save my client money! What I did change:
- Swap out the light
- Paint the walls
- Paint the trim
- Elevate the breakfast bar counter
- Paint the beam
Sources:
- Wall color: Behr Spun Wool
- Light was a random $20 clearance find from Home Depot
- Shelf brackets for breakfast bar: Basswood corner bracket
- Trim Color: Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White
Living Room Makeover
The living room looked like something straight out of a late 2000s Better Homes & Gardens magazine. All of the colors were dated, but the space was huge with natural light & patio access! I just freshened up the space with neutral colors!
Only a few things changed in this space, but yet so much changed! I love the end result. What I changed:
- Remove the existing carpet & add new carpet
- Paint the walls
- Paint the fireplace
- Paint the fireplace cover
- Swap out ceiling fans
Sources:
- Trim paint color: Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White
- Wall color: Behr Spun Wool
- Ceiling fan: Hunter Creekside Satin Bronze fan
- Carpet: Shaw Cabana Life Beach House
- Fireplace color: Behr Tanglewood
- Fireplace insert: $15 tutorial
Master Bedroom
The master bedroom was one of my favorite spaces in this house- even before. It has direct patio access, tons of natural light, and was an incredibly spacious room. But as with the rest of the house, the colors in the room just dated the entire room. It just needed a little updating!
What I changed in this space:
- Fresh paint on the walls
- Replace the carpet
- Replace all hollow doors (they were all damaged from the wheelchair)
- Replace light fixture
- Add new door hardware
Sources:
- Carpet: Shaw Cabana Life Beach House
- Trim: Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White
- Wall color: Behr Spun Wool
- Doors: Jeld-Wen Colonist 6 panel door
- Door knobs: Gatehouse Baron Antique door knobs
- Door color: Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White
- Ceiling fan: Moved from a guest bedroom into this room
Entryway
This house has an entry way hallway. The space was very dark with basically no natural light, and the finishes were pretty dated. But with just a little creativity & a few dollars, the space totally changed!
What I changed in this space:
- Remove the dated spindles
- Replace the front door
- Remove the wallpaper (it’s painted wallpaper)
- Fresh coat of paint
- New closet door
- New hardware
- Add a new light fixture
In an ideal world, I would’ve removed the dated beige tile- but it wasn’t in the budget. So I made it work. The paint wall color has a greige base that really played well with the floor tiles. And honestly, the best change was swapping out the front door. I specifically chose one with a window to let in some light!
Sources:
- Wall color: Behr Spun Wool
- Trim & Front door color: Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White
- Light: A clearance find from Lowe’s
- Front door: Masonite Craftsman prehung door
- Deadbolt & Handle: Design House Stratford oil rubbed bronze door handle
Master Bathroom
I really wanted to do so many things with the master bathroom, but there was hardly any money in the budget for this space. But this isn’t my first rodeo of tight budgets and big impacts!
Given the tight budget, I had to make my design choices count. And I’ve said this a gazillion times before- when you have a small budget and need a big impact: go with paint! And that’s what I did! Here’s what I changed:
- Paint the vanity cabinet
- Replace the cabinet hardware
- Install new doors
- Add new door knobs
- Paint the walls
- Paint the trim
- Remove ceiling fan
- Add new lighting
And just like that- the entire look of the bathroom changed! It no longer looks so dated and dark. I love how light & bright it looks!
Sources:
- Wall color: Behr Spun Wool
- Trim color: Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White
- Doors: Jeld-Wen Colonist 6 panel door
- Flush Mount Light: Hampton Bay 13″ LED
- Door knobs: Gatehouse Baron Antique door knobs
- Cabinet Knobs: Amerock Allison Value polished chrome traditional knob
- Vanity Light: Allen + Roth Wyatt Modern Farmhouse vanity light
Guest Bedrooms
Both of the guest bedrooms were in pretty good shape and only need a little bit of TLC. The previous owner had already installed a barn door which I kept. Here’s what changed in each space:
- Paint the walls
- Replace ceiling fans
- Replace doors & knobs
Sources:
- Wall color: Behr Spun Wool
- Ceiling fan: Hunter Creekside Satin Bronze fan
- Door: Jeld-Wen Colonist 6 panel door
- Door knob: Gatehouse Baron Antique door knobs
- Trim & door color: Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White
Guest Bathroom
The biggest chunk of the budget was dedicated to the guest bathroom. It needed quite a bit of work to bring top dollar on the market. The previous owner had removed the shower component, so it was just a soaking tub. To bring the most appeal to buyers, we wanted a full tub & shower combo. So here’s what changed:
- Replace the bathtub
- Run shower plumbing
- Install shower trim kit & shower head
- Install tub surround
- Replace light fixtures
- Paint the walls
I love how this room turned out, and I was so happy to see all the blood red disappear. I kept the vanity & mirror combo because it was newer and in great shape. Most of the money in this space went to the shower situation, but worth it in my opinion.
Sources:
- Wall color: Behr Spun Wool
- Trim color: Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White
- Light fixture: Hampton Bay 13″ LED
- Bathtub: American Standard Princeton bathtub
- Shower surround: Supplied by client
- Trim kit: Supplied by plumber
This home makeover took approximately 2.5 months. We listed last month & within 48 hours, it had multiple offers. Designing to sell is one of my favorite things to do! And it doesn’t hurt when you’re designing with other people’s money!
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