Last year we met with some clients, Carla and Andrew, who had bought a fixer upper back in the winter of 2014 and were just about ready to sell and get started on a new project. They wanted our input on a few potential projects and timing so that they could really get the house in tip top shape, and at it’s peak value, to be able to maximize their investment when they were ready to sell.

Carla and Andrew are awesome people, and they are smart when it comes to their house.  They also have a killer sense of style {and a super cute dog}. I totally love them.

Their place already looked great when we went over to meet with them. They’d really transformed the house and could have just sold it the way it was… but after walking through the space, the ultimate decision was that it would definitely be worthwhile to open up the wall between the living and dining room to make the overall living space feel larger and more connected, and also have them replace the siding on the exterior of the house, which is older and looking a bit worn out.

Here’s is what their house looks like {without new siding which is coming soon} and a sketch of the floor plan of the first floor {that is definitely not to scale, I drew it totally from memory}

There is already a pretty generous amount of living space in the main area, but the room that they use as a dining room is small and totally cut off from the rest of the space… so they took out that wall, and also opened up the doorway that goes into the hallway to the kitchen so that it became a full height opening.

Here are some ‘before pics that show what is being demolished… first photo is a view from the living room, and the second is the same wall from the dining room… completely separate spaces.

And what does it look like now?! Well here is the new plan… only one wall gone but it makes the biggest difference!

And here is the space now… it feels like a completely different house! 

Just look at the difference {also, how did I forget to turn on the lights?! cringe… sometimes I really do live up to those blonde stereotypes, lol. Good thing the pics are still nice and bright :) }

Both the living and dining rooms feel larger because there isn’t a wall separating them anymore, and there’s a lot more flexibility for changing furniture layouts or potentially moving things around if you need to… the house feels so much more spacious, just by changing this one thing!

Sometimes a smaller project can really transform a space, and make a huge difference in how your space looks and feels… ultimately increasing it’s value and appeal to potential buyers… other times it might not be worth the time or money. I love that Carla and Andrew brought us in early to help talk through the pros and cons so that we could help them strategize getting their space looking its absolute best {and also I just love seeing them}.

I can’t wait to share more with you as they replace the siding and go through the decluttering of their space. I am excited to share this one with you in particular because their space already looks fantastic but yes, even people with great style and fantastic looking homes have to declutter and be strategic when they are ready to sell {we make everyone do it!}, so this will be a great example to show both what great design looks like for everyday living, and also what you want to be shooting for when you are getting your house ready to go on the market.

More great pics of this one coming soon, get excited!