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Home » DIY & Crafts » Tamara’s Kitchen, Living Room, & Staircase Renovation

04/05/2017 · 11 Comments

Tamara’s Kitchen, Living Room, & Staircase Renovation

DIY & Crafts

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You know when you’re watching a home renovation show, the contractors do amazing things to a house on a somewhat strict budget, and you think “Hey, I could absolutely do that!”

That’s the beginning of our story.

My husband and I had been looking for a house with a certain style, some land, and in a particular town for a while. It felt so good to finally understand my style and have a vision of what I wanted our home to look like, but then we would walk into homes in our price range and be continually disappointed.

We inquired into several pieces of land for building and actually made an offer on one. In the end, we felt it just wasn’t worth our time, energy, or money to build.

During this process, we passed on our current home the first time our realtor took us through it. Something about it, though, kept it in the back of my mind. It needed to come back to life and we were feeling brave!

Closing day was so exciting! However, I almost cried after demo day. I just remember thinking “what did we get ourselves into???”

The entire first floor of the house, including the kitchen and a wall separating it from the living room, was ripped out.

During the renovation

After hiring a general contractor (GC) and going over two main options for kitchen layouts with rk Miles Building Materials Supplier, we decided to go with a large center island. We lost some counter space and a few cabinets taking down the wall, but gained an open concept floor plan. 
Oak Kitchen Renovation - Before & After from outdated oak to a bright white kitchen that blends modern and farmhouse touches.

We went with white shaker cabinets (with one glass front corner cabinet and some open shelving on the end), Cambria Torquay Quartz countertops for the marble look (but easier maintenance), and sleek chrome knobs and pulls.


I knew I wanted an apron sink and one of the ideas I took from the designer was to go with white porcelain instead of stainless steel. I’m glad I did. I think it looks great with the modern faucet.

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Renovation

The kitchen pendants are from Joss and Main and the bar stools are from Target.

The final kitchen touch was the backsplash that was installed last fall, white 3×6 subway tile in a herringbone pattern with dark grout. I felt since it was a small space I could go for this bold design.

White modern farmhouse kitchen - can you believe this used to be a dark, oak kitchen?

Combination of open & closed shelving in a kitchen

The living room came together after we added our furniture and décor.

Changing the lighting right now isn’t a priority and just isn’t in our budget. I can’t rationalize spending money to change the sconces, even though they aren’t quite my style because eventually, I would just love built-ins next to the fireplace. I think it would really complete the space.

Can you believe there used to be a wall between these spaces?

The staircase might be my favorite part of the renovation. The wrought iron balusters and dark hardwood are just such a gorgeous combination. Do you know how many different types of wrought iron balusters there are?

I wanted to replace every third baluster with iron to save money, but our GC thought it would look so much better every other. Our painting company (who did every room in the house including trim and baseboards) sanded and stained the handrails to match the stairs and floors. They also painted the end wooden posts and kick treads white.

How to Update an Oak Staircase

I love the way the new staircase looks when we open the front door!

One thing I learned after this process is to always trust your instincts when working with a designer. People tried to talk me out of most of my decisions.

The dark hardwood floors, the bright white cabinets, the dark grout in our backsplash, etc. Not to say that some of their concerns weren’t true (like how hard it is to keep dark hardwood clean), but regardless I love it. There is no such thing as a perfect home and nothing is more important than who you share it with.

We are nowhere near done, but feel pretty content here and wouldn’t change our decision to purchase this house for the world. I’ll be back showcasing more spaces and sharing renovation tips soon!

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melissa

Melissa George

In 2013, Melissa founded Polished Habitat to share her passion for intersecting style and function to make everyday life more beautiful and less stressful. She does this by sharing easy home organization tips, home decor tutorials, and creative ideas to help readers think outside the box, no matter their budget. Her work has been featured in print in Better Homes & Gardens and Room to Create Magazine, and online by HGTV, House Beautiful, Buzzfeed, & more. In 2018 & 2019, Melissa was named as a Style Maker by Better Homes & Gardens. In 2019, Polished Habitat was shortlisted for the Amara Blog Awards Best Interior Styling Blog - International. Read more...

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Comments

  1. Jennifer says

    04/05/2017 at 6:16 am

    Your home looks gorgeous!! Love every detail! What paint color did you use for the walls?

    Reply
  2. Nicole says

    04/05/2017 at 10:05 am

    I love your home! It looks like you put your heart and soul into it!

    Reply
  3. Tamara Geffin says

    04/05/2017 at 12:43 pm

    Thanks so much! It’s Light French Gray by Sherwin Williams.

    Reply
  4. Jude McGowan says

    04/05/2017 at 12:51 pm

    Who was your painting company?

    Reply
  5. Jude McGowan says

    04/05/2017 at 12:52 pm

    Oh, and everything looks spectacular!

    Reply
  6. Lisa says

    04/05/2017 at 4:54 pm

    This looks great! I too love the dark floors and the backsplash. They all go together so well. And I really like the way you arranged the living room. ? I look forward to seeing the rest of the house ?

    Reply
  7. Bailey Eastman says

    04/05/2017 at 5:30 pm

    I absolutely love the white herringbone backsplash! It looks so good with the dark grout (that’s how I did my kitchen floor with the white/grey tile & dark grout). We finished our kitchen in September & the only thing that has not been done is the backsplash! I’ll make sure to read more of your posts to hopefully get inspiration to finally pick a backsplash and then onto the bathroom! 🙂

    Reply
  8. Tamara says

    04/07/2017 at 7:42 pm

    Coffey & Heady did all of our painting for this house and our last house!

    Reply
  9. North East Factory Direct says

    04/10/2017 at 2:52 am

    Truly beautiful! Love everything – from your house, You did an amazing job. 

    Reply
  10. Furniture Store Denver says

    04/10/2017 at 2:54 am

    Gorgeous house! It is so modern and clean looking. I’m really impressed.

    Reply
  11. Nicole Patterson says

    05/10/2017 at 8:02 pm

    What a stunning transformation ! Everything is absolutely gorgeous !!

    Reply

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Welcome!

In 2013, Melissa started Polished Habitat to share her skill of mixing decor & organization to add style & function to everyday life at home.

Her work has been featured in print in Better Homes & Gardens and Room to Create Magazine, and online by HGTV, House Beautiful, Buzzfeed, & more.

In 2018 &  2019, Melissa was named as a Style Maker by Better Homes & Gardens. In 2019, she was also short-listed by the Amara Blog Awards for Interior Styling, International Division.

Need to reach Melissa?
Email: Melissa @ PolishedHabitat.com

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