The Danos’ home was originally built as Chris and Kim’s dream house on the lake 25 years ago, but it hadn’t been updated since. The kitchen, living room and bathroom all had very dated, orange-toned oak wood cabinets. They wanted these spaces freshened up and brought up to date. Kim also wanted to expand her bedroom closet –  The closet is enormous now, so dreamy! And we did add a couple of special details to the home for them to enjoy with their grandkids (who live just up the road!). Check out the oversized porch swing Dave made; they can ALL fit together.

BEFORE

The brick exterior on this home was a classic brick that fit the colonial style of the house nicely. We just gave it (and the siding on the sides of the house) a nice power wash to bring out its natural beauty. Then, we painted the dormers white to match the trim along the house. A new front door and new lighting brought it all together for this timeless and beautiful home.

AFTER

SOURCES

Exterior Light | Kichler

Flag | Allegiance Flag Supply 

Landscaping | Ground Effects Landscaping 

Front Door Paint Color | Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black

BEFORE

We reworked the entry way by closing in a wall to eliminate the old office (which is now Kim’s closet) and added trimwork to elevate the whole space. We sanded and refinished the existing wood flooring and chose a deep, warm stain that feels appropriate for this classic home. 

I love that, now, when you walk in the front door, you immediately are met by this beautiful new office. It was formally the (unused) dining room. We closed it in by walling off the doorway behind the stairs to the kitchen and added built-ins from floor to ceiling to create a library feel. I chose a deep, moody shade to complete the Academia aesthetic. We also added a window seat to balance the built-ins and accentuate the natural light of the window.

AFTER

SOURCES

Entryway Art & Furniture | Howse

Office Furniture | Howse

Office Light | CB2 

Small Framed Art | Juniper Prints

Runners | Turkish Trunk 

Entryway & Office Wall Paint Color | Benjamin Moore White Dove

Office Built In Paint Color | Farrow & Ball De Nimes

BEFORE

First off, we needed to address the height of the existing french doors on the back wall. When we replaced the existing doors to the back porch with taller doors, it created consistency in the window height and the entire room felt larger. This one change made the whole wall look more symmetrical and enhanced the beautiful view of the lake. 

The old fireplace with its oak trim was dark and dated. We kept the existing body of the built-in, but removed the old doors and replaced them with clean, shaker doors. We painted the entire structure an airy, mushroom color. As a special gift, Dave built a custom game table for Kim and Chris for board game storage for their grandkids. The drawers can store games and are even big enough to store puzzles in progress.

AFTER

SOURCES

Art & Furniture | Howse 

Fan | Kichler 

Cabinet Knobs | Amazon 

Wall Paint Color | Benjamin Moore White Dove

Fireplace Built In Cabinet Paint Color | Farrow & Ball Drop Cloth

BEFORE

Kim had said all she wanted was a “Jenny kitchen.” Wow! I felt a little bit of pressure to deliver on that one! We started off with a large U-shaped area although, like the living room, all the oak made the kitchen look dated and dark. By replacing the existing window with a larger one, we were able to immediately bring in more natural light and take advantage of the view outside. 

We gutted the entire kitchen and installed new cabinets, new appliances, new countertops, new backsplash, new light fixtures and a new, much larger island that fills the scale of the space. The blue Ilve range is a gorgeous statement piece that I knew Kim would love (and, she did!). I opted for gold hardware on the cabinets and added a brass pot filler above the range to tie in with the range’s gold accents. For the cabinet color, I chose one of my favorite colors – a soft neutral mushroom – to allow the range to be the focal point of the space. This color also is consistent with the built-in bookshelves in the dining room and helps the two spaces to work together seamlessly. The natural white oak island adds a beautiful warmth to this timeless kitchen.  Kim loves to cook with her grandkids, so Dave built a little helper stand that folds up and fits neatly next to the island. 

For the fireplace on the kitchen side, we did exactly what we did on the living room side, keeping the original structure but refacing it to make it more modern. Since we got rid of the dining room to create the office, now this area becomes the dining space. Just off the kitchen, we added a built-in window seat in the bay window – because, again, I can’t resist a cozy built-in nook.

AFTER

SOURCES

Appliances | Metro Appliances & More

Range | Ilve

Kitchen Pendants | Lumens

Helper Stand | Dave Marrs

Runner | Turkish Trunk

Cabinet Pulls | Amazon

Cabinet Knobs | Amazon

Kitchen Framed Art | Juniper Prints

Dining Room Furniture | Howse

Dining Room Light | Pottery Barn

Dinnerware | Marrs Mercantile

Dining Room Small Framed Art | Juniper Prints

Dining Room Small Framed Art | Juniper Prints

Dining Room Large Art | Melissa Griffith

Cabinet & Built In Paint Color | Farrow & Ball Drop Cloth

Wall Paint Color | Benjamin Moore White Dove

For the bedroom portion, we kept it quite simple. New paint, new window treatments and a new ceiling fan gave the space a nice refresh. 

The bedroom closet, however, went through quite a change! To create this dreamy closet, we absorbed the space from the office that had been on the other side of the wall. Adjoining it to the existing closet gave us a massive space to work with. After much debate, I chose to keep the two closets adjoined but separate. Now, Chris and Kim each have their own space and we were able to maximize storage by keeping the wall that separates the two closets and adding cabinetry on either side. 

We installed floor-to-ceiling cabinets and plenty of drawers to maximize storage. We even incorporated a special spot for Kim to put all her purses – which is quite a collection. We added a built-in island and installed new flooring and lighting. For extra drama, I painted everything a soft blush and installed a gorgeous floral wallpaper on the ceiling. It adds a fun, unexpected touch that I knew Kim would love.

SOURCES

Furniture & Rug | Howse

Bedroom Fan | Kichler

Closet Light | Kichler

Cabinet Knobs | Amazon

Closet Ceiling Wallpaper | Kelly Ventura

Main Bedroom Wall Paint Color | Farrow & Ball Light Blue

Closet Wall Paint Color | Benjamin Moore White Dove

Built In Cabinet Paint Color | Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster

For the bathroom, we kept the existing footprint but overhauled the entire space. We took the shower wall down to a knee wall with a glass enclosure, adding a new shower (with a glass door! The door was custom built and didn’t arrive in time for the reveal) and gold hardware. We also removed the built-in jacuzzi tub and replaced it with a modern freestanding tub. The old cabinets were a darker oak color. I kept the new vanity a natural white oak which is always my favorite choice for timeless cabinetry. New countertops, mirrors, light fixtures and brass plumbing fixtures update the look. We also opened up the doorway to the closet and made the entrance a bit larger.

AFTER

SOURCES

Sconces | Lumens

Runner | Turkish Trunk

Shower Wall Tile | Home Depot

Shower Floor Tile | Lowes

Floor Tile | Lowes

Behind The Tub Tile | Lowes

Mirrors | Amazon

Wall Paint Color | Benjamin Moore White Dove

BEFORE

This porch wasn’t usable before, which is a shame because it’s the perfect spot to enjoy the view of the lake. Dave replaced the entire wooden deck with Trex material, squaring off all the existing jogs and creating straight lines. He also replaced all the railing and posts to make it completely safe for everyone. Kim had requested Dave make a porch swing. Originally this had been planned for the front porch, but the oversized swing Dave made was too big for the front. He installed it in the back, and it turned out to be one of those times when Plan B is better than Plan A. Here in the back, it’s so much cozier, and they’ll be able to enjoy the lake view as they sit in the swing.

SOURCES

Outdoor Furniture | Howse

Landscaping | Ground Effects Landscaping

Ceiling Fan | Kichler

Outdoor Light | Kichler

Porch Swing | Dave Marrs