Friday, June 22, 2012

Lexington, All Done

What a ride y'all! I have been floating the last couple days as the chaos winds down and it is back to life as usual (for now, at least!). As promised, here is my tour of Lexington all finished and staged to sell. Is it entirely decorated? no. That's not the purpose of selling, but in my dreams I would love to do a Sarah Richardson-like full house remodel and fully decorate it. But considering this is my first venture into renovating and flipping homes I think we did a pretty good job.

Our total timeline was 10 weeks and we hit it, but the last week was a REAL push! I had a fabulous crew of miracle workers that made all my wishes (sometimes demands) come true and I cannot say enough wonderful things about them. I will continue to use them all again and again!

Let's start from the top, or rather the bottom in this case. Lexington is a 4 level townhouse that is in a nice, quiet community. What originally drew me to it was the exteriors that all evoke feelings of an old boston neighborhood. There is also an attached garage which made the logistics of renovating a lot easier!
Our front door was dark, RED and dirty before (my camera killed the before of this space, but it maybe the most dramatic change). With a little wallpaper (from Lowe's, $40/roll) and some new tile it feels light and bright now, with just hit of fun and quirkiness.


Up a flight of stairs from the front door is the living room (shown here from up in the dining room).

But now it feels like a relaxing place to unwind. I painted the walls in Martha Stewart's Whetstone Grey. All the trim in the house is Elegant white by Behr. 12x12 inch marble tiles ($6/ft, HomeDepot) tie the white and grey together and the more substantial hearth my dad built makes it so much more grand.

All the laminate in the house is from Timber Town on 99th street in Edmonton. If you want wood floors, laminate floors, engineered floors you will LOVE these guys (If you go in and see Dave tell him Holly sent you and I promise you will get a good discount on any price!).
We decided to paint the trim work Whetstone Grey as well to give a modern touch with all the original character.
LOVE the ceiling height in here. I like to think of it as my little french country boat house.

Thanks for lending me your lavender Mom!
I think Lexington is unique because we didn't try to fight all the modern elements. It was a challenge, but we made it really versatile for someone with a modern design sensibility or more on the traditional/rustic side.

Remember our old kitchen? It photographed deceptively well. In reality it was a hot mess.

*singing* A Whole Neeeew World!

The separation between the dining room and kitchen was making both rooms feel small.

The new open layout is family friendly and great for entertaining.

And your view from the kitchen is a little prettier!

The Ikea Otava pendants were only $50 each and add to my 'french-boathouse' theme. The Totem Island was a clearance $399 find that ties all my black elements in.

I feel like form over function describes my take on range hoods. I have nothing against over-range microwave vents, but I don't see myself ever buying anything but industrial, freestanding hoods. This one is only $399 from Ikea!

All the cabinets are Adel Off White cabinets from Ikea. They are a wonderful price, but you need a lot of experience getting them right. Be prepared to do a lot of Ikea runs! I have had a lot of emails asking if I think they are better than my Martha Stewart cabinets and the honest answer is no. I would do Martha cabinets again in a heart beat but time was my only constraint here and her cabinets seem to take forever. If you are trying to make the decision for your own home please do your research on your installers but also decide how you want to live in your kitchen. For me, resale was a big factor in my choice in both properties. My own home is in a neighborhood with half million dollar homes and we needed to make choices based on that, but Lexington appeals to a whole different buyer. The difference is not in the door styles, but in the actual construction of the cabinets themselves. I still 100% believe you cannot get a better quality cabinet at Martha's price point!
I chose a honed black granite for the counters. It was the one element I felt completely out of my comfort zone with, but I am thrilled with the outcome. If you are in Edmonton and looking into new counters I HIGHLY recommend Urban Granite. I used them in our own kitchen overhaul as well and cannot sing anything but the highest praises for them.

The penny round backsplash was from Tile Town and was overage from another order so I got them for $4/sheet. The whole kitchen took $90 of tile!

My installers built a cute little custom cabinet beside the dishwasher for cups, wine bottles, etc. to fill a void space. See why I love those guys?
(my beloved Ikea brackets and shelves again!)
The herringbone tile is probably my single favorite element in the house. It is done out of 12x24 inch tiles I got from Lowe's for $6 each. The result is both classic and modern at the same time and I think I will definitely do it somewhere again in the future!


My wine barrel chandelier
I found it for $179 on a random trip to HomeSense last Winter. I originally didn't like the color of the wood so I restained it a driftwood grey that matches all our laminate floors (and Ikea shelves!)

The railings were probably my biggest job. My Mom and Sister dutifully and sweetly dedicated many weekends to helping me strip and sand them down from years of paint!

Dark grey metal and white handrails now
Just off the kitchen was the dirtiest, ugliest, smallest bathroom in history.

Now it is a grey haven. The HomeDepot vanity ($400) feels like furniture and isn't too heavy for the little room. The hardware and mirror are also from Home Depot.
 
The upstairs landing before. YIKES!
 

All cleared of junk!
 

One of the three bedrooms before
 
and after!
 

Another gross room (this room was PLASTERED with gum! It tooks days of work to get it off and repair the drywall).
 

All clean now!
 
The upstairs bathroom is another dramatic change. It was so ugly, dirty and crappy before I could hardly stand it. AND THE SMELL! yeeesh.
 
Mid progress.
 


And today. 


The lighting came from Lowe's ($75) and all the hooks and accessories were also by Martha Stewart for Home Depot. Because the room is small we opted to use the same tile as the kitchen, but in a traditional staggered pattern.
 

And finally, the old Master bedroom. We ripped out a dividing wall in here and closed a doorway to the bathroom (controversial! but necessary). We also had all the closets rebuilt and drywalled to accommodate new folding doors.


Open and airy now! I may run over there just to take a cat nap one day very soon.


So there ya have it! It doesn't really feel right to sum up SO MUCH WORK into one post and just a few pictures but that's how it is I guess. If I didn't address something feel free to comment and I'll respond in the comments below (the email responses never work for me). If you are in the Edmonton area and want more info on purchasing Lexington feel free to email me for all the details. 


Thanks again for ALL your support and kind words. It was a BIG, scary jump from flipping furniture but I feel like it was the perfect time, perfect project and just what I needed to push myself out of my comfort zone as an entrepreneur. 


And a BIG thank you to all 'my boys' who made this dream come true. I couldn't have done it without Justin and crew from Right Time Repaints (I know I would have broke my neck up that high!). And most importantly Nick and Jason from Nick's woodworking. You guys rock my socks, and all that jazz. We had tons of laughs, a few tears (maybe just on my end) but it all worked out in the end and I learned so much. 

Let's do it again, soon.

76 comments:

Kerry said...

It turned out INCREDIBLY! I've been following along on Instagram (haven't had much time for blog reading recently), but I HAD to see the reveal post and man am I glad I did! You did an awesome job! Down the road the two of us would LOVE to get into flipping and you have me feeling even more inspired now! Just beautiful!

Missy said...

Fantastic job! Whoever buys this will be lucky to live there.
Well done, you! (And your team!)

rachel said...

It's GORGEOUS Holly! Every. single. thing. I've looked at the post 3 times now and I just can't get enough. You really have a knack for this. Would you possibly do a list of the biggest things to think of before flipping a house? I would love that!

Rachel
xoxo

Kath said...

Beautiful and inspirational! Thanks for sharing all the lovely photos! How long did this reno take you?

Anonymous said...

Let me be the first.

Simply said. "What a beautiful job".

Kris Vogelsang said...

WOWZA WOWZA!!! What a transformataion!! LOVE IT! Sarah Richardson look out!! This place is going to sell in 30 seconds flat! Congratulations to you and your team!

Kris of Cricket Acres Studio & Barn Loft

Anonymous said...

You did an outstanding job! Love that kitchen!

Christina said...

OH MY WORD - I am in love with every inch of this make-over - you guys did an impeccable job!!!! I knew it would look amazing - and you didn't disappoint at all!! This is why I love your blog :)

Samantha said...

Great work, Holly! Congrats.

Niki said...

It's just amazingly stunning! Wishing you the best of luck with it.

Rasonda @ East Conolly Cottage said...

This is a GORGEOUS home!!! You guys truly did a fabulous job. I would move in here in a minute. I cant get over the fact that room was plastered in gum... I threw up in my mouth a little- haha!!

Grace said...

BEAUTIFUL!

L said...

You really transformed that place. It is immeasurably more appealing and I hope it sells quickly- it sure looks like it should. If I were in Edmonton and not Colorado id come take a look.
I am actually selling my condo here in the next few months-- do you mind sharing the price point/range? I want to make a few upgrades before I put it on the market but our market is still so sensitive, economy wise, that I cannot do anything too drastic as it won't pay at selling.
Thanks so much and congratulations!

Kelly said...

I know you can't see me right now.....but I'm bowing down to the master! That makeover should REALLY be in a magazine. It is truly fantastic. It looks nothing like it started. Since you kept pictures of your renovation progress and documented everything so well, I'm just sure that a magazine would love to feature this! The makeover looks alot like your own home.....which is I why I love it too. Thanks for sharing these gorgeous pics. You have truly found your calling. Someone should be ready to make you an offer for that place very soon.

Jen @ RamblingRenovators said...

All your hard work paid off - the flip is fabulous! I like how you didn't fight the architecture of the home, but instead found a way to work with it. Hope it sells quickly, if it hasn't already!

mapleandmagnolia said...

This transformation is stunning. All of your thoughtful choices and hard work have certainly paid off. I think you have found your calling! This will sell in the blink of an eye! Thanks for the inspiration.

Anonymous said...

So, so beautiful! The townhouse is going to get snapped up in a heartbeat. We just installed dark grey tiles in a herringbone pattern in our kitchen as well, and I love it!

Heather said...

Gorgeousness! Love it! I think I am going to get a sample of that Martha Stewart paint, looking for a great gray! Congrats'

Tinytoes said...

You did an AMAZING job!!! With the beautiful staging like that and all the hard work put into it, im sure it will be a fast sell:). Can't wait to see what you do next!

bagfashionista said...

beautiful, holly! now hmm....i wonder if i can get you to finish up my house at the same speed!!!

Kelly said...

One quick question.....Where did you get those cute little kitchen towels with the fork, spoon and knife on them?

Unknown said...

It turned our amazing!! I really love all the details so pretty!

Little Miss Martha said...

This looks great! Wanna come do my house?!

Michele said...

Absolutely amazing ~~ You did such a wonderful job

Sincerely,
Michele
Pearl 13.1

Anonymous said...

GORGEOUS!

Anonymous said...

Wow, Holly, you've outdone yourself! If this is what the first project looks like I can't imagine the next! Good job! Enjoy a weekend off :)

carli said...

WOW!! Absolutely stunning!! Unbelievable transformation. Well done Holly!

The S's beach house said...

WOW! Beautiful and amazing! You did such an awesome job! When you first posted about Lexington from the look of things I thought this would take at least a year to become anything. You must have had a great team! Conratulations you should be very proud! Here is to a quik sale!

Anonymous said...

im just moving back to Edmonton I wish I was in the market to buy waaaah I love it!!! just beautiful. Jenny

Unknown said...

Absolutely beautiful!!! Thank you for sharing your decorating gift, it is very inspiring. LOVE it ALL!

Anonymous said...

This is absolutely gorgeous! I'll definitely be filing this reveal away for future inspiration.

Holly Austin said...

Love it! You did an awesome job Holly! Hope it sells soon, and can't wait to see what you flip next!

Holly Austin said...

BTW, the floors are my favorite feature too... definitely pinning it for future use :)

Unknown said...

Beautiful work! Would love to know your paint colors...

AllyH said...

Let us know when all the furntiure goes on sale???

AllyH said...

Let us know when the furnture is for sale!!

JJ said...

You are amazing!! Congrats!!

Barbara said...

Well done it is just beautiful and you all are quick.

Anonymous said...

It's been REALLY fun to follow along on your progress, and the end product is awesome! Great job; I love it all. :) -Melanie

Erin Southwell said...

Hey Holly! CONGRATULATIONS on such a fantastic and beautiful remodel!! It is just jaw-dropping and I'm so impressed that you were able to stick to your 10 week time-frame! I think the herringbone floors may be my favorite part-was the labor cost a lot additional to have the tilers lay them in the herringbone pattern? I've always wondered that!

Britty said...

My husband and I are renovating our first home and I am so in love with everything, but particularly the wood floors. Could you PLEASE PLEASE tell me what they are? We have spent so many hours searching for the perfect flooring, and we still haven't decided. I would love to know what they are, you'd be doing me a huge favor. I'm bookmarking this to copy a lot of what you have done, so amazing!

Unknown said...

Oh wow! It's gorgeous!!!! Great job! I'm sure the new owner will love it!

m said...

Holly,
I've been waiting impatiently for the reveal, and you certainly did not disappoint! Someone is going to get themselves a truly lovely little home. Congrats on a job well done.

Unknown said...

This is absolutely amazing! Where can I find lavender like that?

Kleines gelbes Haus said...

It looks stunning! I love your sense of style and you always inspire me with your amazing ideas (I’ve already painted a few pieces of furniture after you explained everything so well in your “Paint Perfection Classes” – it really isn’t that hard and it’s a lot of fun).

http://www.kleinesgelbeshaus.blogspot.de/2012/06/shabby-chic-wandregal.html

http://www.kleinesgelbeshaus.blogspot.de/2012/05/kleiner-gelber-tisch.html

http://www.kleinesgelbeshaus.blogspot.de/2012/02/der-letzte-feinschliff.html

PS: We’re planning on using IKEA cabinets in our laundry room and I hope that we can handle the installation. But so far we had no problems with IKEA furniture (and we have A LOT of it). ;)

Can’t wait for your next projects!

xoxo
Judith

Faloolabug said...

Hi Holly. Where is Lexington? Is it on the south side, west end, more central...just a general idea...
Thanks!
It turned out beautifully!!!

Unknown said...

Pin. Pin. Pin. Pin.....Love every room!

Juanita @ The Scrap Cave said...

I too was waiting excitedly for this post and it is even more spectacular than I imagined! You must be so proud of the finished product. You are so inspiring...and you are living my dream of flipping a house. I have wanted to for so long and the fear stops me every time! I would love to know if you had any fears and how you overcame them. Also, how did you find / select your team? That would be a big one right there - it could or break the project! If you are so inclined, once all is said and done, I would love to know the breakdown of cost, etc (purchase price, what you spent etc and then sale price). Where is this townhouse located in Edmonton? Again, such a beautiful job Holly. I am so proud of you and I've never even met you!!! :)

Unknown said...

Sorry if I miss an answer here, I'll try to review it all again to be sure.

The paint isnWhetstone grey but the bedrooms are Talc by Martha Stewart. sorry for any confusion and thanks to the reader who asked!

The townhouse is located on the West end of Edmonton.

My Mom got the Lavender at Restoration Hardware.

Jaunita, I am thinking of doing a breakdown like that on price, etc once it sells (maybe LOL). As for fears, there were LoTS (see my post from the end of last November about how I wanted to conquer those fears), and there are still even more , what if it doesn't sell, what is nobody here likes it? It all runs through my head still! But I just have to let go and let things run their course. In my heart I just knew it was time for me to 'go big, or go home'.

Thanks again everyone! Your support is absolutely priceless!!

Unknown said...

L, sorry, I miss answering you. It is priced in the $300,000 range. Good luck with your place!

tara - as long as its fancy said...

Congratulations!!!

Sandra D said...

Congratulations Holly! You have shown how talented you are with this whole home remodel. Sit back, relax and watch the offers roll in.

Sonia said...

Please please can you tell me th make of the laminate flooring? It is gorgeous. I love it all. Great choices. Love the herribone tile too

Sonia said...

Can you please tell me the make of the
Laminate you used? It is beautiful. I love all the choices, you have a great eye. I especially love the herringbone tile

kaylan said...

if i were house shopping in ed this would be the first on my list! i love everything about it.

Kylie said...

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!! Do you happen to know the name of the light fixture in the bathroom (the one from lowes for $75). I couldn't find it on their website, but I want it for our bathroom reno!! Thanks!

Kylie said...

A-MAZING!!! But I wouldn't excpect anything less--you are so talented! Do you happen to know the name of the light fixture in the bathroom (the one from Lowes for $75). I looked online, but couldn't find it, but I love it and want to use it in our bathroom reno! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I would move there in a heartbeat. Simply breathtaking

Candi

Eryn said...

You did a truly amazing job! You should be so proud!

From G2B said...

Such a beautiful job- holy cow! I love your style! I looked over the whole post twice- eating up every little detail.
Even though it's not your own home, which is perfect- it's amazing to see what you've done on a budget. Very inspiring!
xo Becca

Unknown said...

Absolutely incredible! Don't you love herringbone? I just put some in a house. I need it in mine now! The penny tile and the barrel chandelier were incredible touches! Can't wait to hear how the selling goes! Good luck!

Callie said...

Beautiful! Where did you get those lovely french chairs?

JAG&SCM said...

Love it! I'm not interested in buying because I've only had my house for a year but I'd love to check it out if you're having an open house. I'm in the planning stages of an Ikea kitchen reno.

-Sarah.

Cindy @ Creating at Home said...

Wow! My house needs a makeover just like this. I've sent the post to my husband to hopefully inspire him. lol I especially love the kitchen floor!

Alison said...

Everything is absolutely beautiful, Holly. Congratulations on a stunning finish!

Rayia said...

AMAZING! Love everything about and only wish it was for sale here in Idaho.

Paint Me White said...

STUNNING

Carrie said...

Wow- great taste and hard work into this home!

Amy said...

Beautiful! Would you mind giving the name of the Wallpaper you purchased from Lowe's? I've looked and looked and can't seem to track it down.
Again, Beautiful work. Such a talent.
Thank you

Red Hair and Freckles said...

The house looks incredible!

Anonymous said...

I love, love, love what you've done here and appreciate that you are taking us, as your blog readers, along for the ride.
I wish you great success in selling it.

Jenny said...

Oh my goodness, it's FANTASTIC!!! You did such an amazing job, it's no wonder it sold so quickly. I love the transformation in the kitchen and can't even believe (nor understand) why it was configured the way it was to begin with! And I'm stunned that you had to deal with GUM in a bedroom. On the walls. Eww!

Job well done!!!

JABEL said...

Hi Holly,

Bautiful Reno, do you happen to have the details ont the faucet in the 2nd bathroom and a link to the light fixture from Lowe's?

Unknown said...

Absolutely beautiful! I too have an obsession with white/neutral decor. Have you ever painted kitchen cabinets? I bought a new spec home 3 years ago and I can't live with the cherry cabinets any longer! They are in perfect shape and my budget doesn't allow for new cabinets. Any advice? Thanks!!

Amanda said...

Holly-Do you recall the name of the herringbone tiles? I was at Lowes today looking at the 12x24 tiles but they just didn't look like yours-which I LOVE!

Unknown said...

Holly, do you live in any of these houses that you renovate? What do you do with them?

 
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