Revisiting the Farm

Nearly 10 months ago, I shared photos and designs for a farmhouse that I was renovating in Chester, SC.  I had been working with my client on a complete redesign of the home, which had been built originally in the late 80's and not only had a very strange floorplan, but was also completely lacking in any true farmhouse charm.

Now, more than a year after we started working on the initial designs, the construction is nearly complete!  I had the opportunity to visit the site last week and check out the progress.  It's hard to believe it is the same house.

Here's an exterior shot of the 'Before':

And here's the progress in mid-August . . . .

And here is the house now . . . (!)

Unfortunately it was a miserably cold and rainy day on Monday, so i decided not to traipse through the mud for a front shot of the house.  But even at this angle, you can tell that it has gone through nothing short of a major transformation!

In the original structure, there were only a few windows on the front of the house, and no porches or patios to sit and enjoy the expansive view.  Though we only increased the footprint of the home by about 200 SF to create a new master bedroom, we added nearly 2,500 square feet of porches to the front, side, and back of the home.  

Almost the entire front facade of the house was removed in order to pull the front entry forward and add fourteen french doors across the front to open up the rooms to the beautiful views.  Three interconnected, gabled porches were added, with a large outdoor fireplace. Another striking change was replacing the asphalt roof singles with this gorgeous cedar shingle roof.  It entirely changes the look of the house and will only grow more beautiful with time.  

New outdoor fireplace, with log storage below, and pizza oven

On the inside of the home, only a few of the rooms remain recognizable from the original floorplan.  For example, here's how the kitchen looked 'before'. You can see the original front door to the far left of the photo:

 . . . the progress in August:

. . . and now the new kitchen, still in progress, relocated to the opposite side of the space where the living area used to be:

Here's a few shots of the great room, before:

This is where the new fireplace will be located

Before view of windows towards pool

Before shot of fireplace wall

In August:

And now:

Picture windows replaced with pairs of french doors

This is where the window used to be. . . 

The fireplace in the 'before' photos was completely removed and relocated to the exterior wall.  Now bookcases and a desk area line that wall:

Soon there will be a large, rustic barn door on an iron track that will conceal the desk area as needed.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, the back of the house will now become the main 'front' entrance to the home.  We've changed the window pattern and added (per the advice of our feng shui expert) a large solid - not glass - front door.

Original back of the house (in August 2011)

View of the mudroom, interior

New front door

We're in the home stretch, but there's still lots to be done before it's move-in ready.  Over the next month, the painting, cabinetry, countertops, and flooring will be installed, followed by all of the 'pretty' stuff - lighting, furniture, rugs, artwork.....etc.  I am giddy to see it finally all come together!

Thanks to all of you who have been keeping up with me as I've been working on this project.   It will be exciting to share the final 'after' photos with you and hear your feedback. 

Thanks, as always, for reading!

Bronwyn 

2011 Lessons Learned

Via Rifle Paper Company

Happy New Year!

You may have realized by now that my absence from the 'net has been a result of my extremely overzealous, overachieving alter ego who decided it was a good idea to renovate and redecorate her house during the precious few weeks leading up to Christmas.  I know you are anxious to see how it all turned out, but i'm still working on the finishing touches, so those before and after photos must be saved for a later post!

The start of a new year is a great time for reflection and fresh starts (and top 10 lists) so I thought i would gather my personal and professional list of 'lessons learned' in 2011.  Some of them are a little cliche, but they are still worth remembering:

My top 10 lessons learned in 2011:

1. Great rewards cannot be enjoyed without taking great risks. 

This applies to quitting your stable job with good benefits to start your own design firm to painting your kitchen cabinets.  Which leads me to my next lesson learned . . . 

2. Painting is the number one way to make the most impact with the least cost.  

And don't listen to your man when he says those dark wood, paneled walls and wood beams are cozy and woodsy.  Most likely you dont live in a mountain cabin.  Paint them!  Check out this amazing transformation from blog Young House Love:

From this . . .

To this!

3. Use color on your ceilings and doors.  

Yes, they can be something other than white, and once you do it you will be amazed at how cool and wonderfully subtle it is.   My painted doors are my favorite thing in my 'new' old house.

Here's a little peek at my new front door

Source Unknown

4.  Stage to Sell

If you are trying to sell a house in this economy, it is imperative that you spend the time and money to thoroughly clean, repair, update, declutter and stage!  Here's just a little example of how making a small change can make a big impact:

Before . . . 

And after!
Photo courtesy of The W Realty Group

Removing the old screen door and a fresh coat of paint added so much curb appeal!  (Though I was pushing them to paint the front door aqua!)  

5. Multitasking doesn't necessarily mean you will get more things done. 

6. Don't overthink things too much.  

Trust your gut.  Your first instinct was probably right.  

7. Choosing paint colors is not for the faint-hearted.  

If you want a bold, intense color, choose a shade lighter or muddier than you think.  If you want a light color, choose a shade slightly darker than you want.  Don't be afraid to go dark - settling for a similar lighter hue will generally end up being softer and lighter than what you really wanted.

Source unknown

8. Mistakes, disappointment and failure are inevitable.  

Deal with it, learn from it, and move on.

9. Don't overdo it

No matter how simple it may seem, or how organized you are, it is not a good idea to start a major project right before the holidays. (Though it turned out amazing, and I can't wait to share photos with you once I get the hardware on the cabinets and the stone on the hearth!)

And last but not least, the most important lesson I learned in 2011: 

Via The Ugly Green Chair

12. The Law of the Ugly Chair

I read this post earlier this year, and it really stuck to me.  If something isn't working in your life anymore - a comfortable, but ugly, chair, a paint color, handbag, even a job or a person.....get rid of it.  You will feel an instant weight has been lifted, and it will free up a space in your life for something more wonderful and beautiful.

I hope you have a wonderful and beautiful 2012.  Thanks so much for reading my blog this past year, and I look forward to sharing more inspiring images with you in the year ahead.

Peace,

Bronwyn