home progress in 2017

by | Jan 5, 2018 | All Things Home, Decorating, My House, Room Makeovers | 48 comments

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We’ve been in this house for just over five months and, with the turn of the year on the calendar, it seemed like a good time to share a recap of what we’ve accomplished.

This house has been an interesting project for me, because it is beautiful as is.  It doesn’t need a major makeover.  Nothing is hideous or dated.  Even the plum-colored wall in the basement hasn’t bothered me enough to paint over it.  The nice thing is that there doesn’t need to be a sense of urgency to work on projects.  We can move at a comfortable pace as time and budget allow.

These makeovers are about customization and making this house feel like ours.

And that has meant buckets and buckets of paint!  Paint is always my go-to and it, once again, has proved its worth.

In the living room we…

The room that has received the biggest makeover is the studio.

In the studio we…

  • Had the ceiling, floor, and outside walls insulated
  • Installed a mini-split heating/cooling unit
  • Primed and painted everything – the walls, ceiling, floor, trim, and doors.
  • Swapped the ceiling fan for a chandelier

Here are some posts with details about the makeover…

Studio Transformation | Part 1 

Studio Transformation | Part 2

Studio Transformation | Part 3

Studio Transformation | Part 4

Oak Studio Hutch

Painting the Studio Floors

The kitchen is another space that received a big makeover.

In the kitchen we…

  • Replaced the appliances (the fridge and dishwasher needed to be replaced and we wanted to replace the electric stove with a beefy gas range.)
  • Painted the cabinetry and replace the hardware with glass pulls
  • Swapped out the lights above the island
  • Hung my beloved pot rack
  • Installed open shelving in the “nook”

Painted Kitchen Cabinets Reveal

Beefy Range

Hanging the Pot Rack

We haven’t done a lot outside, but we did paint the front door and replaced the porch light.  (We still need to give the light a small turn, so it’s straight!)

In the dining room, we swapped out the light fixture with one I brought from my last house, painted the room in Pearly White by Sherwin Williams, and the trim in a custom white.

And, in the master bedroom, we swapped the ceiling fan for a chandelier (Do you see a trend?), painted the walls in Stonington Gray by Benjamin Moore, upsized to a king-sized bed.

We have gotten so much done and I can’t wait to share our progress with you through 2018.

This isn’t the old house with creaky floors and plaster walls that I dreamed of, but we found a home that we really love which also fits our family and stage of life.  When we first started our online house-hunt, I had my doubts!  This home is perfect for us, though, and I’m enjoying the process of making it ours.

And there are plenty more walls to paint and rooms to design!

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    48 Comments

    1. Vibeke Lippold

      You have done an amazing job!!
      It all looks so beautiful! Your family must be soo pleased with all you have done 🙂
      Your house hav become a dreamhouse <3

      Best regards
      Vibeke

    2. Marsha Kern

      It is looking wonderful! It now fits your family.

    3. Vanessa

      When you first started sharing pictures of this home I could not imagine how it would fit your style, obviously I should have had more faith. The transformation you’ve made to your home is amazing.

    4. am

      swooning….(is that a word?)…just love all your ‘makeovers’…can’t even pick a favorite. still inspiring us! Hugs….

    5. Kim

      The POWER of PAINT!!! My favorite makeover tool ever. And your accomplishments in such a short period of time are more than most of us could even hope for.

    6. Darcy

      It is all so lovely! And I especially love the attitude of “it may not be perfect for us; but it’s pretty good already and we’ll make do until we can make it ours” – very refreshing to read. 🙂 Happy 2018!

    7. Stephanie

      This post should make you very proud of what you accomplished so far! I’m always amazed at how simple paint can make such a radical difference.

    8. Donna

      I notice I never see a television in any of the pictures- is it hidden or removed? I find it hard to blend media components into surrounding decor with out making it impractical.

      • Leslie Brown

        Donna, they have a complete finished daylight basement with a lovely and large family room for their television etc. Along with extra room for family to stay while visiting. Marian has shared photos of part of the downstairs, I believe when she shared photos of the new sectional she purchased for the area. I don’t think it would be too difficult to find.

    9. Nan, Odessa, DE

      I like the chandlers very much, want one, but I would miss my ceiling fan!
      Everything looks lovely.
      Happy Momma, happy life!

    10. SUSAN K GUILLEBEAU

      Of all the beautiful things you have done I would like to know about the mini-split heating/cooling unit. What did brand did you purchase? I have a potting/she shed that I would like something like that for and am very interested.

    11. Vicki

      Marian, you amaze me at how much you can get done! It’s all beautiful. I noticed the round pedestal table by the blue hutch. Love these types of tables. I recently refinished one with a unique finish I thought you may like. Actually I loved it so much I ended up keeping it for my own home. Your spam filters blocked the blog page link I was trying to show you but you can check it out on my site, EntriWays.com. In the right sidebar just search “recreating a naturally-aged wood pedestal table” under the Furniture tab or from the “search” bar.

    12. Lesley

      Marian, you mention using a custom white color for trim. Do you use the same color each time you use it or do you mix a new custom white each time? Hope that makes sense. Thanks.

      Your touches definitely make your new house more home-y and personal. Love everything you’ve done! Great job and give yourself and huge pat on the back. I hope you’re proud of yourself!

    13. Carol

      I love how it looks so bright and inviting

    14. MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!)

      Congrats! Marian! You have done a fantastic job of everything you have accomplished thus far! Your home is just beautiful! Enjoy! Blessings!

    15. Sandy

      Its like builders grade blah to warm and cozy home.

    16. Goedele François

      Great job! Our home wasn’t as beautiful as yours from the start, but I enjoy the process of making it prettier. It still needs years to make it completely ours, but I love to walk through the house and look at what has been tackled already in 1 year.

    17. Carole Prisk

      How many quilts do you have?

    18. sharon

      Seeing the before and after pictures really is great, you’ve really done a lot in 5 months. Its starting to look more and more like your style. More & More like your house. I will admit though I would like to see more of your Chippy Milk paint used in your home.

      • Marian Parsons

        Yep, I will be using more a milk paint as I get to the furniture. Right now, I’ve been working on the foundation of the rooms and the furniture makeovers will come later.

    19. mary m

      Marian, Do you ever miss your old house? Even though it has been 36 years I still long for the
      historic house we left behind in RI…………but I get over it. When we built this house 32 years ago I
      tried to copy some of the details from the other house. For instance I stood on my head for a wooden
      louvered screened door. Found it from a “wagon wheel” factory in West Va. and it looked like a casket
      when it arrived in NH> Well it was well worth it because it has stood the test of time.

      Everything you touch turns to gold!

      • Marian Parsons

        I miss some of it and certain aspects of it, but this house is situated better for us at this stage. I think each place we lived in was perfect for us at that time. 🙂

    20. Denise Rambo

      I prefer the porch light on an angle like that.

      • Rebecca S Clark

        Me too. I love the angle.

    21. Carla from Kansas

      Marian, I’m sure God planned for you to get this house knowing it was “just right” for now.

    22. Janet Melanson

      Great review…I just got the Country Sampler Farmhouse issue and enjoyed seeing your articles and photos ??

    23. Marianne

      Your house looks great! You have accomplished a lot and it is looking like you!

    24. Lana

      WOW there’s nothing I don’t love! Inspiring!

    25. MaryLisa Noyes

      You have accomplished so much in these short months. You are really making this house your home….

    26. Amy Murillo

      So very beautiful! We are moving about 2 hours north of you in a couple of weeks and turning our builders grade home into our vision. You are such an inspiration! I hope you decide to sell your pretties at a show or two in Minnesota once you’re settled and regrouped.

    27. Marlene Stephenson

      You certainly have put your mark on it and looks more and more like your style, looking forward to 2018 and what God has in store.

    28. Patrice

      Marian, I have wondered during this frigid weather and of course the Minnesota wind…has your little porch turned studio stayed warm enough for you to work in? Did the installed insulation and heater do the trick? Ws wonderin when you did the overhaul and now with this weather all over the country…an really curious?

      • Marian Parsons

        Yes, the minisplit has been fantastic and has worked great in the cold. We’ve hit as low as -15, so I’ll keep you posted when it gets colder.

    29. Norma Rolader

      Wonderful and beautiful

    30. Sarah

      So happy for you! Love what you’ve done! Cheers to 2018…

    31. Kimberly Bruhn

      Even though I consider myself more of an eclectic decor lover…I cannot believe how much it bothered me that the bookcase/display shelves on the right side of your fireplace weren’t matching (shelf-wise)! It looks so much better (to me) with that little change…and the bright, white paint!

    32. Mari

      Beautiful, absolutely beautiful!

    33. Tami

      As always, inspiring and beautiful. I noticed in your studio you have an octagon shaped floor pillow. Did you make that? If so, would you provide a tutorial? My Ziggy would surely love his own floor pillow to snuggle on while binging on Netflix with us! Thanks!

      Hugs from Chicago.

    34. Jackie

      Did you say five months? It looks like you’ve lived there for years – in my wildest dreams I couldn’t imagine the after pictures when I looked at this house for the first time!!! Such an imagination you had when you walked through the house to know this one was for you!!! Nice job!

    35. Linda

      Although I have followed your blog for a long time, I am not always the most careful reader; so you might have already shared this. However, here is my question: what is the formula for the custom white you so often use in your rooms? I love white but find that it can be a very tricky and exasperating color to “nail!”

    36. Elizabeth

      Nice post… Thanks for reminding us of the work you did in ‘17. The transformation comes together nicely when you see it all in one place. And, yes, certain “trends” become more obvious when viewing the progress as a whole.

      I like all of the changes you’ve made,, but the one that strikes me the most this time around is the kitchen. It was a beautiful, functional kitchen when you moved in, but painting the cabinets made it more timeless. Wood-stain colors come and go, but a white kitchen is a classic.

    37. Teresa

      You have the ideal situation….nothing in your new house requires a urgent/ASAP project. Its all about making it your own style at your own pace and budget. You have already done so much to make it your style and with that in mind maybe you could do a upcoming post on what projects you plan on tackling in 2018.

    38. Suzanne

      I especially love the before and after of the living room. The new paint makes it look as though there is a beautiful mist in the room!

    39. Kathie from IL

      Wow, you have done a great job making your home cozy and friendly. One anyone would love to live in, including me:-)). Congratulations on all your hard work and sense of design.

    40. Barbara Kemp

      Marion,

      thank you again for the recap. what took you so long? just kidding, you are a power house of ideas and one hard working young gal. i would love to follow you around for a day and soak up your ideas. even following you a day though i would probably need a nap. are naps ever in your schedule?

      on a side note, i ordered some of your stationary from society 6 and the note cards are beautiful. i ordered the blue and white cards with the cow in the meadow. i write personal notes almost every day to someone, somewhere. stationary is always at the top of my list and brings real delight as I send a special greeting.

      happy 2018 to you and yours!

    41. Eleanor

      You are such a hard worker and you make great choices. I might have missed some of your posts so you may have already written about this but I’m wondering how your studio is handling this super cold weather. Does the heating system you put in do the job?

    42. Vickie White

      I swear, every time I think you’ve done something that should be the pinnacle of your creativity, you top it with yet another practical and beautiful project! You continue to inspire everyone who follows you….and I continue to be amazed! Congratulations on the beautiful, welcoming and home that says “you.”

      Hugs from Texas,

    43. Kathleen

      Thank you Marian for sharing your new home. You inspire each of us who read your blog. I especially love the details you give in painting kitchen cabinets and choosing fabrics for your home. Please continue to share your adventures with us your faithful readers.
      God bless!
      Kathleen.

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