These clients moved to North Carolina from out of state and purchased a house built in 1972 – which had since been stuck in 1972. The property had seen few updates, if any, since its construction, and was in desperate need of a renovation. From the color-coordinated bathroom tile to the heavy, dark kitchen cabinets, this house was stuck in time and ready for a refresh. In the middle of the renovations, our clients found out they were pregnant, so the goal was clear – transform an outdated house into a beautiful, functional family home.

The first step to revitalizing the house was opening up the floor plan between the kitchen and the dining room. We moved the laundry room – which had previously been tucked away in a closet between the kitchen and the dining room – upstairs, making space to knock out a few walls and create an open, spacious floor plan perfect for family gatherings and entertaining.

The changes to the floor plan didn’t stop there. We framed out an oversized upstairs bonus room to add an extra bedroom, perfect for a growing family. We also expanded the primary bathroom, giving the new parents a luxurious space to unwind.

Though we updated all three bathrooms in the house, the kitchen and dining room were the center of the transformation. After opening up the floor plan, we designed the dining room around the dining table, a refinished family heirloom, adding decorative wainscoting to the walls and an elegant new light fixture. In the kitchen, we added a large island for extra prep room and seating space and incorporated a beautiful hexagon marble tile backsplash. The nearby coffee bar was given a coordinating diamond mosaic backsplash to compliment the hexagons. This kitchen also features a touch faucet, perfect for child-sized hands still learning how things work!

Don’t worry – we didn’t erase the history from this house. In the foyer, we kept the original 1970s parquet floor, which we stained to coordinate with the LVP throughout the rest of the home.

Our clients bought this house for $465k, and with our updates, it’s now valued at more than $750k. What was spent on renovations added nearly double the cost of those renovations to the value of the house, creating instant equity for our homeowners. They were able to purchase an outdated property in an incredible neighborhood for a lower cost and renovate it into their dream home.

Very soon after we finished the renovations, our clients’ son was born, bringing the process full circle. We didn’t just renovate a house – we created a forever home for a young family to grow and make memories for years to come.