It was such an honor to work on this home for the Trewett family. Mandy and Thomas Trewet were displaced after the tornado that hit Northwest Arkansas a few months ago. It was a traumatic experience since they were in the home when the storm hit. Twelve large trees fell on top of the house, even leaving gaping holes through the roof into the house in several areas. One month before the tornado, Thomas and Mandy’s daughter was hospitalized, and a month before that, Mandy’s mother passed away. So, to be able to restore this house not only to a place where they can live but into a beautiful home where they can feel a sense of safety, peace and hope – that was our greatest reward and we just couldn’t wait to bring them home.

BEFORE

The outside of the house had been badly damaged by the tornado that ripped through the town and sent 12 trees down on top of the Trewett’s home. The roof was destroyed. The garage door was damaged, and the whole exterior needed to be rebuilt. We started by replacing all the shingles on the roof. Then, we replaced the garage door and gave the exterior a fresh coat of paint, going for a two-toned look for added character. New lighting, a new front door and fresh landscaping pull it all together.

AFTER

SOURCES

Flag | Allegiance Flag Supply

Lights | Capital Lighting

Windows | Cornerstone

Siding Paint Color | Sherwin Williams Natural Choice

Brick Paint Color | Sherwin Williams Gray Area

BEFORE

Before, when you would walk into the home, you would practically walk right into a brick wall – which was the back side of a huge fireplace. Luckily, it was very easy to remove a lot of the brick and downsize this fireplace to gain several feet back in this area. Now, the back of the fireplace is the perfect place to display their kids’ artwork. Dave made the ideal frames for storing layers and layers of drawings. They’re spring-loaded so all you have to do is keep adding a new piece of art on top every time. At the end of the year, you can take out all the pages, make a book and start over fresh.

By gaining space in the entryway, we were able to add a drop zone in the corner which is a huge bonus for a family, or really anyone. 

AFTER

SOURCES

Picture Frames | Custom by Dave Marrs

Flooring | Tarkett

Rug | Turkish Trunk

Wall Paint Color | Benjamin Moore White Dove

BEFORE

The kitchen, previously, was very small and had a strange flow to it. The dropped ceiling made it feel even smaller. We reconfigured the kitchen, moving it to the opposite wall so that it flowed more directly from the family room, through the dining room and into the kitchen. Since the Trewetts like the Mediterranean modern style, we added a beautiful arched hood over the stove to be the focal point from across the dining room. Since we had all this natural light coming in from the new slider, we were able to remove a window to make room for more cabinetry, painting them green for an outdoor/indoor fee. All that natural light coming in makes for a perfect  plant sanctuary so we installed custom shelving for a plant wall in the kitchen window.  

The wall between the kitchen and the family room feature a unique art piece by a friend, Brook, who painted swirls to represent the five Trewetts that make up this family.

AFTER

SOURCES

Sconces | Amazon

Tile | Bedrosians

Countertops | Santa Margherita

Microwave | THOR Kitchen

Refrigerator | THOR Kitchen

Dishwasher | THOR Kitchen

Range | THOR Kitchen

Cabinets | Premiere Wood Concepts

Cabinet Hardware | Top Knobs

Windows | Cornerstone

Plant Wall | Custom by Dave Marrs

Flooring | Tarkett

Runner | Turkish Trunk

Cabinet Paint Color | Benjamin Moore Dark Olive

Wall Paint Color | Benjamin Moore White Dove

BEFORE

We’ve seen this many times before, the sunken 1970s-style living room. This room had a step down to a lower level family room. Since the room had high ceilings, it wasn’t a problem to raise the floor in here and bring it up to match the rest of the house. The biggest issue was the huge fireplace that took up so much of the space. There was also a very outdated bar in the corner that we knew would make the perfect art nook. 

Once we poured the concrete and leveled the floor, we got to work on the fireplace, knocking down the excess brick. Luckily, when we started removing the brick, we found that there was a much smaller fireplace inside. We skimmed it and added a layer of stucco to it. Then, we finished it off with a mantle made from wood that came from the tree that had fallen down in the storm. Using this tree adds one more element of personal touch to the Trewett home, especially since they lost a few of their very old trees. 

Another huge change here was the giant, 16-foot sliding door that runs along the entire wall. It lets so much natural light into the house. More big changes like updating the bar into an art closet, lightening the finish on the beams along the ceiling and adding new LPV flooring, this space looks like a completely different room. 

AFTER

SOURCES

Furniture | Howse

Sofa | Marrs on Main

Chandelier | Pottery Barn

Windows | Cornerstone

Wall Paint Color | Benjamin Moore White Dove

BEFORE

This room had been very badly damaged from the tornado and had a large hole in the roof. Once the roof was repaired, we were able to get to work giving the Trewetts a beautifully serene bedroom. Since this bedroom was already large to begin with, we were able to create a large walk in closet, complete with built-in dressers. 

New flooring and fresh paint go a long way, but sometimes bedrooms can be boring. We found this unique six-foot long trim with a two-inch scallop that we installed on the focal wall. It’s fun to add something that breaks up the space and makes certain aspects stand out. Adding texture is an easy way to do this. Now this room is calming and relaxing. They can walk in and feel that this is a refuge.

AFTER

SOURCES

Ceiling Fan | Fanimation

Curtains | Target

Furniture | Howse

Windows | Cornerstone

Runner | Turkish Trunk

Wall Paint Color | Farrow & Ball Light Blue

The bathroom was dingy and it was tiny compared to the size of the bedroom. We were able to steal some space from the bedroom to make the bathroom larger. Now, they have a double vanity. They both get a sink and the toilet gets its own little water closet for privacy. Like the kitchen, the bathroom now also features a soft arch for that luxurious mediterranean feel. The classic details in here ensure the bathroom is timeless and doesn’t go out of style in a few years.

SOURCES

Sconces | Capital Lighting

Mirrors | Amazon

Countertops | Santa Margherita

Shower Tile | Neolith

Flooring | Tarkett

Runner | Turkish Trunk

Vanity Hardware | Top Knobs

Vanity Paint Color | Farrow & Ball Light Blue

Wall Paint Color | Benjamin Moore White Dove

The backyard was a blank space. We had plenty of room to expand the patio area and give them a covered patio. Starting off with tornado repairs, we fixed all the joists on the back of the roof so we could get all the insulation we needed back into the house. Adding the giant covered porch off this back wall with a beautiful modern metal roofing, now gives them extra shade and water protection. 

Dave built the cutest playhouse for the girls complete with cedar shake, plexiglass windows and window boxes to make it look like a true little house. And, since we were on such a tight budget, we were lucky to get a company that donated a whole outdoor kitchen which was a big treat for Thomas. 

SOURCES

Exterior Lights | Kichler

Outdoor Kitchen | Prokan Grills

Sliding Door | Cornerstone

Generator | Jackery

Play House | Custom by Dave Marrs

Siding Paint Color | Sherwin Williams Natural Choice

Brick Paint Color | Sherwin Williams Gray Area