Before and After: A Living Room Project

I was thinking about our old house today. It's interesting to look back and see how the seeds of my style were sown at the old place, but transferred and continued to grow here in our new home.

My dear Sweet Husband bought the old place while we were dating and planned on holding it for 2-3 years at the most. Nine years and two children later, we bought a bigger home and JJ moved in. These images show what it looked like after the renovation in 2010. JJ has her own style, so it looks nothing like this today. In any event, the renovation is a testament to the power of white paint.

Before:
There are hundreds if not thousands of rooms just like this in North Dallas and according to a real estate agent "people LOVE the wood and brick." I say "who cares about re-sale value?" After 8 years (8 years!), I couldn't live in this cave another minute.



After:
Let there be light! It took 16 different shades to get a white that wasn't too yellow, pink or blue in this room. I've never seen anything like it. The wood had a chameleon-like ability to tweak a base color just enough to make Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. The room fought hand and tooth to avoid white, but eventually submitted.  The winner: Benjamin Moore's Simply White. 

Dallas Designer Abbe Fenimore provided much needed moral support in the process. Thanks Abbe!



Before:
The white chair and table started us on the road to renovation, but it's totally out of place in this room.

That deconstructed slipper chair in the background is the twin of the black and white one pictured here. I found it on eBay for $150 and recovered it in pink velvet for The Lady's Room. Last week at Again and Again, an identical pair (unrestored) was listed at $695. At that rate, these may end up on Modern Hindsight.

After:
It's like the room took a breath of fresh air..but for the brown sofa and chair. It took buying and renovating a new house to get My Dear Sweet Husband to part with the sofa and chair. I must admit: it was a great napping spot.

Before:
The best "before" shots are the ones that show the room at its worst....and here it is. Check out the plywood in the middle of the floor. How cheap was this builder? Really?!?!

 

After:
Wow. It's amazing. With a lot of white paint, a little marble and some drywall. I can't believe we lived with the wood and brick all that time.



Before:
Terrible. Just terrible.



After:
The room finally fit in with the rest of the house. Finally, in 2010, our home was completely renovated and on the road to being furnished.

And then we moved.