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1970 home renovation

We purchased a 1970 brick ranch house in Washington County, Maryland in September of 2022. This wasn’t the home I envisioned us purchasing, but we thought it was a little gem that needed the kind of updating we were eager to do. We have had the privilege of meeting some of the children of the original homeowners, who built this Better Homes & Garden floor plan as their dream home. Follow along as we make updates to the home, big and small, while retaining the original charm and best features of the home.

1970 home renovation

1970 kitchen renovation | little finishing touches

We still have a few more finishing touches to do in the kitchen (touch-up paint, building a shelf by the side door, and building a cover for the doorbell), but I wanted to share a few details I added over the past couple of weeks.  I think it’s taking longer to get all of the little things finished up than it did to do the big stuff, but I think that’s how it goes with makeovers and renovations.  You start to lose a little steam and what’s done is beautiful that it’s easy to look past things like a naked doorbell hanging over the doorway to the hall.  We’ll get there. One thing I had on my shopping list for a while was a towel bar to install on the end range end of the antique baker’s table.  I felt like it would be a nice place to hang a

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1970 home renovation

vintage brass “turtle” grater & a button fern

As I’ve been visiting second-hand stores in the area with my mom I’ve, of course, been looking for some fun pieces for my kitchen.  Admittedly, I didn’t really “need” anything, but it’s been fun to hunt for things that are special.  I did get a little overenthusiastic, but I have tempered myself now.  I did find the sweetest piece for my pot rail, though.  I spotted it at an antique store and was immediately drawn to it.  Can you spot it on the pot rail? It’s this vintage brass “turtle” shaped grater.  I paid about $40, which was one of my bigger purchases of that shopping trip, but I kept coming back to it and finally decided to buy it.  I looked it up when I got home and it turns out I got a pretty nice deal on it.  They seem to run in the $70+ range on Etsy

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1970 home renovation

stainless steel trim for the range hood & range

I kept showing the range and range hood with a little asterisk.  *It’s not quite finished, yet!  We will be adding some stainless steel trim to the back of the range and around the underside of the hood.   Well, that was finally installed last week and it was just the perfect finishing touch.  For you to fully appreciate these finishing touches, you have to see where we started. Our contractor built the frame and installed the range hood, but the way he built the frame, some of the lumber would be exposed when we added the panels and trim.  Of course, painting it would be an option, but he suggested having a stainless steel frame made that he would install and seal with silicone for a cleaner look and one that would protect the wood better against moisture.  It would also be easier to clean. You can read about how

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1970 home renovation

1970 kitchen renovation | the new/old sconces

We are creeping towards the finish line of our 1970 kitchen renovation!  I feel like I’ve said that before (and I probably have), but it really feels like we’re very nearly there.  Last week, I painted the window trim (and repainted the rest of the trim that was looking a little too yellow-cream) and we got the stainless steel trim installed on the range hood and behind the range.  I need to take some updated pictures of those details, but they look good.  Today, though, I am going to share the sconces!  These are the vintage sconces I purchased from to flank the kitchen window… I selected this style of sconce because it coordinates with my dining room chandelier and I wanted to use vintage fixtures so it feels like they might’ve been original to the house.  These fixtures were popular in the 1950s-1970s, so they make sense in this

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1970 home renovation

1970 kitchen renovation | what didn’t make it & slow decisions

A final kitchen reveal is coming!  The window was trimmed out over the weekend and I worked on sanding and priming today.  The sconces that flank the window will be installed on Thursday and then we’re just down to some finishing touches.  Jeff and I also need to build a cover for the doorbell and a shelf with hooks for the wall next to the door, install the handle on the pull-out spice rack, and do a few other things.  I need to put together a final punch list so we know when it’s all checked off and we can call the kitchen done. My initial drawing, though, has mostly come to life, but there is one element I was pretty certain of adding even a couple of weeks ago, but now, I don’t think it will make the cut.  What I’m referring to is the open shelves on either

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1970 home renovation

1970 kitchen renovation | the new window

It’s the post you’ve been waiting for!  Well, some of you have been asking about the window, so this post is for you. If you’ve been following our 1970 kitchen renovation, you know that the window was delayed by several weeks.  I ordered it with the garage and dining room windows back in February, but this one didn’t come with the rest and we’ve been living with exposed, dirty insulation and an off-centered old window for a couple of months. The funny thing is I’ve started to look past it since the rest of the kitchen is so beautiful, but I was looking forward to window day along with everyone else.  My window came in a couple of weeks ago and we needed to wait for everyone’s schedule to line up to get it installed.  Since our exterior is brick, it is a bit more complicated than cutting a larger

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1970 home renovation

pool & patio updates with Walmart

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Walmart.  As always, all words and opinions expressed in this post are honest and my own. There are a lot of sponsored posts I get excited about.  I don’t work with a brand if it doesn’t feel authentic and if I wouldn’t buy their products as a customer.  But, I am super, extra excited about this post because our pool and patio area has been completely transformed over the past couple of weeks.  There has been a lot of heavy-duty renovation work that has happened to get the pool up and running and we’ve put in a lot of sweat equity on the landscaping and overdue maintenance like power washing, but it’s been all of the furniture, plants, and accessories that have brought our outdoor oasis to life.  There still is more to do and I can’t wait to see how things look in

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1970 home renovation

1970 kitchen renovation | waypoint cabinets & customizations

I wanted to write this post a few weeks ago, but I kept putting it off because I’ve had so many fun things to share.  I am glad this post was pushed back, though, because it gave me a chance to really use our cabinets and to give a report on how we like the customizations we made as well as the choice to have some of the cabinets sit on the counter.  Was that a mistake?  Do we miss the counter space?  Would I change anything about the cabinets? Also, I’m asked almost daily to share the color of the cabinets and, since I bought the cabinets in this color (Painted Sage by Waypoint), I don’t have a specific paint color to share.  I am going to pull out my paint decks this week, though, to see if I can find at least one good match to share.  It

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I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.

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