Before and After: 1920s Bungalow

Last summer my in-laws bought a cute 1920s bungalow on an extra large lot.  The yard had been well loved.  The interior of the house though....   Let's just say it needed updating.  You can see how the whole thing looked right after they bought the place when we first crashed it last July.  My in-laws started doing some improvements, and then my father in law got offered a job he just couldn't pass up.  The only downside- it was located 5 hours away.  After lots of consideration, my in-laws decided to fast track the improvement process and sell their house.  They let me come take pictures, so let's do a little before-and-after, shall we?

Please forgive me for the lack of lighting and a non-wide-angle lens.

Walking in the front door, looking to the left before:

And after:

I know I talked about finding hardwood under the original (really stinky) carpet, but turns out it didn't run seamlessly all the way to the kitchen.  A nice patterned berber did the trick instead.  The lighting fixture was switched out for something a little more modern.  The cedar paneling on the ceiling was painted white and the cross beam finished.  The walls were patched up and painted a familiar color- Kilim Beige (it's the same color on most walls in the main part of our house)- and new base molding was installed.

Here's a new view- straight ahead as you walk into the house.  You can see more of the living area to the left and the tiny bedroom that was never had a before picture.

We called that room "The Aquarium" because of its two-toned crazy turquoise/bright blue paint at the time.  They transformed it into a piano studio:

New carpet, paint, base trim, and lights.  You can't tell the scale from the picture, but there's a MASSIVE built in shelving system in this room.  They painted it glossy black and it looks bomb.  Wish I'd have taken a picture of that beast full on!

Here's walking in and looking to the right before:

And after:

The picture doesn't even do justice to how much larger this space looks.  A digital thermostat, new carpet and paint, and fresh trim updated the space.

Here's one angle of the kitchen before:

And after:

Paint made a huge difference here.  The other big improvement was moving the fridge to a different wall, ditching the portable dishwasher (that by the way, would only work when connected to the spigot for the washing machine in the bathroom), and installing some cabinetry and a vented microwave.

Here's another angle of the kitchen where you can see the sink area:

 And the after:

Again, paint, new lower cabinets, and new counter tops.  They also installed a new sink and faucet and changed out the lighting above the sink.  The interiors of the existing upper cabinets were so stained that they got a heavy-duty dose of cleaning and a couple coats of white semi-gloss as well.

Let's check out the one and only bathroom, attached to the kitchen.

Before:

And after:

So much better!  New flooring, bead board, and paint throughout.  The toilet was moved to a different wall (no more sticking your head into the shower when getting on and off the toilet!), the too-large vanity replaced with a pedestal sink.  The sliding shower doors were removed and the tub surround replaced.  The uber-70s fixtures were replaced with pieces that were more modern, minimalist, and (most importantly) matching. They installed a better washer and dryer and replaced the wire shelving with two cabinets (that happened to be missing their faces when I took this picture).  A rod for hang-drying clothes went up between the cabinets after I snapped the photo.

And now comes my favorite transformation, the master bedroom.  Here's the purple palace before:

And after:

I've said it once and I'll say it again, ah the transformative power of paint!  New carpet, base trim, and a ceiling fan didn't hurt either.

The only part of the interior that wasn't touched besides the basement is the back hallway leading from the kitchen to the master bedroom.  Way back when we crashed this home the first time, I tried to explain how crazy-bright the yellow paint was even though it read as a softer buttery shad on the realtor's photos.  Well folks, I have proof that the yellow was indeed crazy-bright.

Time was of the essence, so it was decided that the buyers could easily repaint a tiny hallway if they saw fit.  And it looks like all of the upgrading was worth it- the house has already been snatched up by a prospective buyer!  So much fun.  Thanks for letting me crash, Dennis and Dawn!