When you see the photos in this post, you’ll immediately understand how dramatically Meghan and her husband transformed their space. Equally compelling is the story she included about how their “before” became a jaw-dropping “after.” If you’re skimming the images, take a moment to read the backstory—it’s worth it.
“Like the two of you, my husband and I bought a house that needed a lot of work. In our case we couldn’t reuse much because previous owners had made very frugal choices. We decided to gut the kitchen, family room, dining room, and bathroom down to the studs and subfloor when our first child was only 12 weeks old. Oh, and we both worked full time and DIY’ed everything because my husband is not cheap—just very ambitious. There were countless late nights and weekends, and our son learned to sleep to the sound of a nail gun. With the refrigerator in the garage, we even had to go outside in the middle of the night for 2 AM feedings. You’d think we’d have learned our lesson, but we’ve since renovated most of the rest of the house while raising two more children. Three boys in under three years while renovating a home DIY-style—do not try this at home. Here are some before shots, orange paneling and all:
Notice the back and left side walls. Now you see them…
…now you don’t:
We also swapped doors for windows and a window for a door—because why do things the easy way? We even shut off the heat for a week to move baseboards around, and did this during a cold spell so our little one slept bundled up with mittens. He didn’t seem to mind.
The cabinets, windows, and sliding door (really almost everything in the room) came from Home Depot. I splurged on the lighting from Restoration Hardware and on a Ming Green marble backsplash. The toy boxes under the console are Ikea end tables, and most accessories are from HomeGoods and Ikea. Thanks for letting me share!” – Meghan
Is anyone else exhausted just hearing that story? It’s tough enough to tackle a DIY project with one toddler, so the idea of renovating while caring for a 12-week-old is impressive. Incredible job, Meghan — and thanks for sharing. Can you believe all those images are of the same house? It’s remarkable. Let’s play a quick favorite-parts game: Sherry adores the substantial crown molding, while I’m all about those pendant lights.