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Sneak Peek: The Smurf House

August 12, 2009 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 14 Comments

Today I wanted to give you guys a glimpse inside a house that I toured and fell in love with over the weekend. Take a gander at this charming little house dubbed the “Smurf House” (I’m sure you can guess where it got its name).

In addition to being cute, this house is also famous – it won the 2007 Renovation of the Year Award for its conservation district.

I love this porch directly off the master bedroom – it feels so Southern, don’t you think? And the pale blue siding accented with periwinkle is just awesome – I wish fun colors like that would look as perfect on every house! Although the exterior is picture-perfect, to be honest I wasn’t really expecting to be wowed by the inside of the home.

But I was wrong!

Just inside the front door you are greeted with this unexpected open floorplan – as well as some decor that had me totally swooning.

What I love most about this open living space are the bold choices and unexpected combinations made by the homeowner – the pops of orange in an otherwise muted color palette, a mirrored side table, luxurious silk curtains and statement lighting all work together flawlessly.

I like that the homeowner chose to add modern chandeliers to both the living room and breakfast area – they are in a straight line across the ceiling so instead of competing with one another they simply serve to define the two spaces in an otherwise open floorplan.

I like the kitchen a great deal, but I’m not bowled over in comparison to the rest of the home. I think it’s the cabinetry that isn’t doing it for me – maybe something in a richer wood tone would have felt a bit more historic and flowed a little better with the furnishings throughout the home. Or maybe it’s just me!

This little dining room is just past the kitchen, and is in its own little world. I actually really like that – I feel as though the focus would be solely on you and your guests, without the distractions of television or anything going on in the rest of the house. And it overlooks a great backyard, as an added bonus. I love the combination of the sleek West Elm circle chairs with the more luxurious upholstered chairs – and they all work well together with their lovely curves.

Just off the main living space is a small half bath (under the stairs), and then the master suite. And not to hype it up too much, but this is probably the best master suite I’ve ever seen in person – it’s awesome!

You walk directly into the master bedroom, which is serene yet bold at the same time with deep chocolate browns and pale blue paired with faux fur and two statement lamps. The rich curtains act as a focal point behind the bed in place of a headboard, and the door to the right of the bed leads out onto that gorgeous patio you saw above.

On the left-hand side of the master suite is this spa-like bath. The luxurious and spacious feeling is enhanced by the sliding panels (from Ikea!) which allows the two spaces to either become one or remain totally separate.

This bathroom has all the basics you would hope for in a master bath – double sinks, soaker tub, walk-in shower, and storage. But beyond that, it has all the little details that you can only dream of – a crystal chandelier, floating vanity, the shower has frameless glass panels, and the soaker tub overlooks a beautiful side yard.

My only complaint has to do with the vanity – have you noticed it yet? The mirror is about 10 feet away on the opposite side of the soaker tub! I’m guessing that the homeowner typically uses a small mirror on a stand that remains on the ledge behind the vanity.

On the opposite side of the master bedroom is this totally drool-worthy closet. I don’t know any woman (or man, for that matter) that wouldn’t give her right arm for a closet like this. Tons of built-in storage, windows, a chandelier, and an island? I’m sold!

If you head back to the front door and head upstairs, you are greeted by this lovely capiz chandelier:

At the top of the stairs and on the left is this sunny and funky guest room – I would never have been so bold as to paint the walls orange, but now I’m feeling completely inspired.

I love the combination of orange, white and chocolate – the shock value of the orange is tempered beautifully by the chocolate and white, and keeps what could be a very loud color from screaming at you. Instead, it just feels rich and eclectic.

This bedroom adjoins a hidden study through the sogi screen:

My favorite part about this study is the antique desk that has been painted a stark white – while some would shudder at painting such a piece (sometimes I feel that way, too), you can’t deny that it both looks fabulous and acts as a neutral yet interesting piece in this space.

The homeowner has clearly learned the lesson of pairing bold colors with only one or two other shades – in this case, the mustard yellow is calmed by white and black for a totally chic look.

At the top of the stairs, between the two bedrooms, is this bath remodeled with a walk-in shower and oodles of glass tile – we all know I’m a sucker for glass tile!!

The last room in this surprising home is the third bedroom, which is glamorous and refined with a bit of an edge. The element of painted woodwork is repeated with the antique bed, and the mirrored side table and chandelier add a touch of sparkle to the space. As the homeowner demonstrated in the master bedroom, the combination of chocolate brown and blue (in this case a steel blue) is instantly luxurious.

The sophisticated flair of this room is accentuated with a pair of vintage Barbie illustrations.

And although I didn’t get any pictures of it, this property also had a full guest quarters in the backyard – how cool is that? Curious about the stats of this house? Check out the detail sheet below:

So what do you guys think of this house? Are you as bowled over as I am, or do you think it’s a little over the top? While I love it, I’m wondering how I would feel living in a home like this 24/7 – I mean, how would it go with my sweatpants and tank top?

Some images courtesy of GoliadAve.

Back In Black: Beth’s Beautiful Budget Kitchen Makeover

June 11, 2009 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 14 Comments

The moral of this kitchen makeover is to make the most of what you’ve got. That’s definitely what Beth did when she took her blast from the past kitchen and updated it with a sophisticated color palette and modern touches – all without breaking the bank. Here’s what Beth had to say about her inspiring kitchen makeover:

Hey there! I LOVE your blog, and your transformation is absolutely amazing. I bought a 35 year old home and have really been busy with it, so I completely understand. I didn’t have the money to completely renovate our kitchen, so most of the changes had to be cosmetic. I attached the before and after of our 70s kitchen. I actually did this entire project in a week (after getting home from work at 5pm each night!). I worked really hard, but I was glad to knock it out in one week, and was pretty happy with the result. And all for under $3000! ~ Beth

Here’s the 70s kitchen that Beth started out with – functional but totally lacking in style:

After a week of late nights and tons of elbow grease, Beth had this stunner of a kitchen to show for all of her hard work:

Amazing, right? Here’s what Beth did and how she did it:

(1) Pick a tight color palette. Beth definitely planned ahead before she tackled her kitchen makeover, right down to the color of the accessories. Pops of fire engine red keep your eye moving around the kitchen and provide great contrast to the simple, black cabinetry and stainless steel accents.

(2) Bring the cabinets into the 21st century. Beth’s kitchen cabinets were a blast from the past, but they were in great condition. Instead of starting from scratch, she made the smart (and cost-effective) decision to paint the existing cabinetry (check out a tutorial here). After a few coats of tinted primer and black paint, Beth’s cabinets no longer screamed “70s”!! Switching out the old brass hardware with new chrome knobs was another easy fix that modernized this kitchen in a snap. (Tip: Use a tinted primer when going from light to dark – it will help you get to the desired color faster and let you get away with fewer coats of paint).

(3) Increase functionality. Beth’s kitchen had tons of unused space in the middle, so Beth made the perfect choice to add a kitchen island – talk about a feature that every homeowner wants!! Now she has extra counterspace, additional storage, and a place for two barstools in her spacious kitchen. And the best part? That stunner of an island was a steal at only $200 from World Market.

(4) Add some luxurious touches. There’s no doubt about it, stainless steel appliances are the “it” thing to have in your kitchen these days. Spending a little extra cash for these snazzy appliances will add a bit of luxury to your kitchen, and will also pay off in a big way when it comes time to sell your home. And in Beth’s case, she found jaw-dropping deals at Sears (where we also got our kitchen appliances, and where we’ll be getting appliances for our flip) and practically stole her new goodies for under $2,500 – I’m so impressed!! The icing on the cake is that Sears delivered Beth’s gleaming, new appliances in just 2 days.

(5) Let there be light. Beth replaced her outdated ceiling light with a simple modern fixture from Home Depot that perfectly compliments her shiny new cabinet knobs and gorgeous appliances.

(6) Stay grounded. What’s the use in sprucing up the rest of the place if the flooring is still blah? Beth was able to instantly update her old linoleum with some great new flooring from Home Depot in an earthy tone.

I still can’t get over the fact that Beth completed her entire makeover for under 3 grand, including the new appliances – way to go!!! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Beth’s transformation – and be sure to stop by Beth’s blog to check out her other DIY projects!

P.S. When it rains, it pours!! Beth’s getting two back-to-back features this week, today here on IGTBH and yesterday on Young House Love. Lucky duck!

And thanks to Christy of A Lil’ Welsh Rarebit for giving me the cutest award ever – you rock!!

Want to see your own DIY project or makeover featured on IGTBH? Send it in to itsgreattobehome@yahoo.com, we can’t wait to see it!

Gord & Laura’s Gorgeous Kitchen Remodel

May 5, 2009 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 14 Comments

When I asked you guys to send in your favorite “before and after” transformations, I knew I’d be in for some great eye-candy – and boy, was I ever right!

Take Gord and Laura, for instance – they took their cramped and dated kitchen:

and turned it into this show-stopping, ridiculously functional and family-oriented kitchen – almost entirely by themselves:

Amazing, right? Here’s what they did and how they did it:

1. Made the kitchen twice as big. One thing that you can’t miss about Gord and Laura’s new kitchen is that it looks ginormous – and no, that’s not an optical illusion. By knocking down the wall between the kitchen and dining room, they were able to create this huge space that is perfect for all of their needs – cooking, entertaining, having meals, and reading the morning newspaper.

2. Took advantage of vertical space. Do you see how the cabinets in the “before” picture don’t go all the way to the ceiling? Talk about wasted space! By ripping out those furrdowns, Gord and Laura were able to install ceiling-height cabinets to take advantage of vertical storage space that would otherwise have been completely lost.

3. Created a functional layout. Once they ripped out that dining room wall and combined the two spaces, Gord and Laura were no longer tied to that U-shaped kitchen design – that meant that they could rearrange the appliances, move a door, place a new window, and throw in a breakfast bar in a design that feels airy, spacious and welcoming.

4. Let there be light. Gord and Laura’s newly renovated kitchen could not be further from the dark and dreary kitchen that they started out with. Recessed lighting, crisp white cabinetry, a huge new window and striking rattan pendant fixtures over the island and sink work together to make this space bright and cheery.

5. Prettied it up. What’s not to love about this new kitchen? Shaker-style cabinets, sleek appliances, a gorgeous subway tile backsplash, ebony granite, a contrasting dark-stained island, natural maple floors . . . could it get any prettier?

So, whatcha think? Did Gord and Laura hit this one out of the park? I think so, but I can’t wait to hear what you guys think – and I bet Gord and Laura can’t either!!

Craving more details about Gord and Laura’s amazing kitchen renovation? Be sure to check out their blog, The Evolving Renovation.

Want to see your own “before and after” transformation featured on It’s Great To Be Home? Go ahead and send it in to itsgreattobehome@yahoo.com – you know you want to!