First, I’m sorry for the delay. I promised a reveal two weeks ago! We went to Disney World, and I’ve been playing catch up ever since.
Now, without further delay, I present you with The Cherry Lane House, Before and After.
The Exterior Before and After
Hello, lover.
The love that I thought I had for this house when I first met her absolutely pales in comparison to the love I grew for her during and upon completion. Did she give me troubles? Many. Did we fight? Sure. Like any great love, did I sometimes want to break up with her and forget I ever met her? Of course. But my love for her was ultimately too strong to stay mad for long.
I first introduced the Cherry Lane House HERE and I talked HERE about the epiphany that lead me to believe that this home had distant Spanish Revival influence, so I took that inspiration and rolled with it… gently.
I decided to give the faded, dull exterior a fresh coat of white paint. From the beginning I referred to the house as “white,” but in reality the color was somewhere more along the lines of “sad and depressing beige.” The color I chose is Shoji White by Sherwin Williams, and it’s just the most perfect exterior creamy white. It’s not stark white, not beige white, just perfectly soft and creamy. Feasting your eyes on Shoji White is like being a hugged by a cloud. (You just sighed dreamily, didn’t you? Or was that me?) The house’s brick mortar is the heavily over-mortared dripping look (which I love as it can offer so much depth and character to a home). I felt sure this would be problematic to paint around, so I had a painter do this job professionally. I’m very pleased that I made this choice as I am certain that I would still be there painting that exterior by hand myself, probably until the end of time, surely long after all of my loved ones were dead and gone. It came out great, worlds better than I could have ever done, and now I get to watch my children grow up.
It’s hard to tell from these shots, but the trim work before was hunter green, which I didn’t hate and think could have looked nice freshened up, but it just wasn’t the look I was going for. The brown roof had been replaced in recent years and was in perfect condition, so I was locked in with a color scheme in The Browns… not my favorite color family. But I Tim Gunned myself, shouting, “make it work!” and ultimately chose Urbane Bronze for the trim, garage door, and front door as it is a very friendly, moody, dark gray color with warm, brown undertones- hence the “bronze” component of the name. I also had my painter paint the edging of the front windows Urbane Bronze to highlight and play up the arches. I love how it makes the front windows pop.
Landscaping was very low budget and minimal, but it makes a big impact here. There was an existing brick planter bed on the left side of the house that we filled in very minimally. Some height was needed on either side of the large arched window to anchor it and add balance, and some low shrubs went in under the window to fill in the center. The front porch area had pavers buried under mountains of dirt. Those were a nice surprise to unearth. I love how welcoming and approachable they make the front porch area seem. (I somehow don’t have an after shot of this, but imagine feeling very welcomed and smiling a lot.)
I replaced the front door with this arched panel front door to continue the arched theme. The existing front door was hunter green and paneled in bold, heavy squares, and the hard lines were so very out of place on this exterior. I prefer clean lines as a rule, but this house was a departure from my typical personal style and it challenged me to push myself in a different direction. The new arch panel front door compliments the arched windows and plays into the Mediterranean/Spanish vibe that I was inspired by. Finally, I envisioned oversized lanterns in black or dark bronze on either side of the front window to pop against the white brick. They’re like face jewelry for my pretty, pretty girl. Earrings, but on her cheeks. Prettiest cheek earrings I’ve ever seen, fancy lady. Catcall.
Come Inside
ADIOS PASTEL FLOWERY WALLPAPER!
This ashy oak colored luxury vinyl plank flooring extends throughout the house, everywhere but the bedrooms and master bath.
Luxury vinyl plank flooring is referred to in the biz simply as “LVP.” Guys, I was so sad when I realized that all of these flooring guys were actually in fact NOT trying to talk to me about the latest episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and the *REAL LVP*, but just trying to upsell me on flooring. I thought I had found common ground and shared interest in this male-dominated world, but no. They’re all “laminite is crappy, but LVP is the best,” and I was like “I KNOW, SHE’S MY FAVORITE TOO!” Imagine my disappointment when I broke down that acronym.
Anyway, LVP flooring is affordable, extremely durable- arguably the most durable flooring choice on the market- and also waterproof. This makes it a great selection for bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms. I love this stuff and will most likely use it for all future flips. LVP is the real MVP in my book. I mentioned in my last post that I regretted not ordering a darker flooring, but I’m happy with how this choice came out in the end. It makes it so bright and light and airy in these front rooms. (It reads a little darker in these photos, but it’s actually really really light in person.)
All of the walls throughout the house are Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams, and the trim is Snowbound, also Sherwin Williams.
Living Room Before and After
This living room though. I love how it turned out. It is absolutely flooded with natural light, and I just want to sit in the center of the room and get all of my vitamin D here for the all rest of my days.
The modernization of the built in bookcase was probably the biggest hiccup in the whole remodel. I envisioned pulling the entire bookcase and back paneling out and revealing behind them a brick wall that had been covered, then installing what would appear to be “floating” wood shelves horizontally over the brick. But this is not HGTV; this is real life. During demo, when we went to pull out the shelving unit and back paneling… THE BRICK ABOVE THE SHELF SPLIT INTO A PYRAMID SHAPED CRACK AND STARTED TO COLLAPSE. (And there was of course no brick behind the paneling, just like there are not actually “beautiful original hardwood floors” lurking under every piece of carpet.) Greatest heartbreak of my life. And, I will admit , I was super melodramatic about this event. I did not play it even a little bit cool. So many words flew from my mouth like an actual real life sailor, and I believed the world to in fact be ending.
But we were able to push the shelving unit back in, add a support piece of wood that reads as trim to the eye, reinforce the unit, caulk the brick back into place, and move forward with the addition of the “floating shelves”. Drama aside, I love how it turned out.
I had canned lighting added in the living room ceiling, so I chose to do a simple, minimal ceiling fan in a lighter tone to compliment the flooring. And finally, I chose a rich, darker stain for the ceiling beams, floating shelves, and mantel. (But only after originally choosing to stain them (they’re cedar) a natural cedar color. It was a most poor decision. They were orange and screaming at me “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!” It looked like the summer of seventh grade when I experimented with Sun-In in my hair. So orange…)
Kitchen and Dining Before and After
I of course removed the two pony walls that broke up the arch separating the kitchen/dining from the living area. It made both rooms feel instantly larger and airier.
This kitchen though. She’s pretty sassy. Heart Eyes. Let’s get closer.
YESSSSSS. The kitchen is my favorite part of this entire house, and I have been waiting to show it to you!!!! Biggest transformation to date.
Let’s break down all of the changes that happened in here. First and foremost I obviously ripped out that ugly drop down decorative fluorescent light ceiling and the obstructive bank of upper cabinets over the bar. I could have stopped with those two quick, easy changes and the kitchen (happily) wouldn’t have recognized its own self in the mirror. But I wasn’t ready to stop there. I had big plans for this kitchen. I wanted it to be unique and ultra cool, with a subtle Mediterranean nod. The backsplash tile was my wink at Mediterranean backsplash tile, and to keep it hip and make sure we didn’t fall down the slippery slope of Grandma’s kitchen with our patterned backsplash, I painted the upper and lower cabinets two different colors. I love this look. It dominates my Pinterest account right now. I chose Sherwin Williams Snowbound (same as the trim throughout the house) for the uppers and Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze for the lowers.
Where the upper cabinets were over the bar I added two floating shelves in Urbane Bronze. I kept the light fixtures and cabinet hardware brushed nickel and pretty simple so they didn’t distract from the backsplash’s leading role.
I removed the cabinet over the cooktop and chose to go with a sleek, minimal, modern look stainless steel vent hood. I replaced the existing cooktop with a professional looking gas cooktop.
This kitchen is my happy place. But we must move on.
Master Bedroom Before and After
Before: bedathroom. (bangs head against wall at the mention of the name)
After: Master Suite. (Relaxes shoulders and defensive posture brought on by the mention of the word bedathroom)
I closed in the opening and added a sliding barn door track. I kept the actual door minimal and modern in style and painted it Urabane Bronze. I removed the laminate flooring and replaced it with carpet. I chose Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze for the walls and Sherwin Williams Snowbound for the trim.
Master Bathroom Before and After
I replaced the single vanity with two light gray individual vanities. I chose these morccoan arched top mirrors to go over the vanities, and I love how the color compliments the floor tile and the color of the sliding barn door.
I chose this black and white tile for the floor for a fun punch of pattern. I mentioned in my plans post that I wanted to introduce a patterned floor tile on this end of the house in keeping with the Mediterranean vibe I was getting from the house.
I ripped out the entire master bath toilet/shower room. It all needed to be replaced, just period because ew.
I love how the marble look shower tile creates a relaxing spa feeling and doesn’t compete with the floor tile.
Bedrooms 2 and 3 Before and After
These two rooms got carpet, fresh paint, new closet doors, new ceiling fans, and new door hardware. And sadly, so sadly, I removed the Live Laugh Love vinyls from the wall in the Yellow Room. If you want them… they’re at the bottom of a landfill somewhere, and I’m worried about you. This is an intervention. Sit down.
Jack and Jill Hall Bath Before and After
It all came out. It just allllll caaaame oouut. The seashell sinks, the built in corner medicine cabinets, the yellow shower wall tile. All of it had to go. Except for the tub, that puppy is solid cast iron. But everything else has to go and my skin is crawling looking at the befores. This room was nasty (boo) but now it is not (yay!).
I chose the same 16×24 marble look wall tile for these shower walls that I had chosen for the master bath shower. It’s a clean, relaxing look.
I kept the hall bathroom fairly simple. I replaced the vanity with this gorgeous gray, marble-topped beauty. I continued the LVP (not Lisa Vanderpump) floors from the rest of the house. It keeps the look clean and simple and makes the hallway look long and lovely.
Backyard and Pool Before and After
Take a moment to appreciate every beautiful crystal clear, sparkling blue pool that you have ever seen or swam in. I for one have always taken them for granted.
Pools are monsters. Soul sucking, time stealing monsters.
They are, by default, actually black. Or green black. Or foggy green black. And also frog infested. Dead and alive.
They are not blue and sparkling by default.
After having the vinyl liner replaced and most of the filter/motor/pool equipment (something I had budgeted for and came as no surprise) I thought that the pool would just be blue and sparkle like magic. I actually believed this to be the real life workings of the world. I was so young and naive then.
It turns out that to make and then maintain the blueness of a pool you have to live your life part time at your flip house and you cannot go on vacation to Disney World, and you must say things to your children like “sorry mommy missed you riding your bike without training wheels for the first time. I had to go backwash the pool for the hundred seventy nine billionth time today.”
But here she is. We have made it to the other side, and I will not let her turn back to Black Death water again.
I had the entire dining room window bump out replaced. The siding was rotting, and it, along with all of its insulation, needed to be replaced. Much better.
So, what do you think?? Did it turn out like I planned? Was my Mediterranean inspiration a hit or a miss?
I started staging the house yesterday, and will wrap that up in the next day or two. I will share the photos of the house staged next! It’s already completely changed the feeling of the house, and I love it even more now (I didn’t think that was possible, but turns out I had more love in my heart to give to this house). She goes on the market this Friday with an Open House next Sunday!
Let me know what you think of her!