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My Houzz: DIY Love Reforms a Dated Cape Ann Home
Handmade touches and classic neutrals transform a dark Massachusetts house into a beautiful home fit for a family
Houzz Contributor. I'm a wife, elementary educator, and collector. As a photographer who's always taken an interest in aesthetics and interiors, I'm excited to be a contributing writer and photographer for Houzz. With a fervor for early 20th century architecture and design, I'm endlessly seeking homes that retain or have been restored to their original beauty. I prefer accumulating pieces that reflect personality and hold a story. You'll find me rummaging at the flea market or estate sales every weekend, looking for those one-of-a-kind pieces at a bargain.
Houzz Contributor. I'm a wife, elementary educator, and collector. As a... More »
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Expectant parents Jen Migonis and her husband, AJ, bought their home three years ago, wanting room for their son to play and grow in. The location, just a 15-minute walk to the beach, and a solid school system are what convinced the couple to see the possibilities, despite a less-than-ideal interior. The home had dark and dated rooms untouched for decades, zero insulation and floors suffering from what Jen describes as "nauseating linoleum," but the industrious couple knew that with a lot of DIY love and patience, they could create a bright place for their family to call home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jen and AJ Migonis and their son, Drew
Location: Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
Size: 1,600 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
That's interesting: Although it's located on chilly Cape Ann, the home had absolutely no insulation when the family moved in.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jen and AJ Migonis and their son, Drew
Location: Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
Size: 1,600 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
That's interesting: Although it's located on chilly Cape Ann, the home had absolutely no insulation when the family moved in.
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| The couple removed an existing nonload-bearing wall that separated the original cramped kitchen from the dining area. They added an island with a Carrara marble top, keeping a bright and open-concept kitchen in mind. New stainless steel appliances and a Maytag convection stovetop replaced the very outdated stove. "It was pretty rough before. The 1950s stove took nearly an hour to boil water for pasta," says Jen. "The brightness of the room now makes me happy every time I’m in it." |
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| When the couple moved in, the cabinets were painted a dull taupe. "[The kitchen] was our first major renovation, because we were going to have our first child, and we realized that it would be a key spot," says Jen. |
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| A silver faux pressed-tin backsplash gives the sink area an antique feel. "We ordered semicustom cabinets to fit our space but were careful not to have to move plumbing and windows in order to keep the cost down," says Jen. Backsplash: Shanko 309 Lacquer Finish Steel, Home Depot; cabinets: Thomasville; appliances: Home Depot; countertop: Bianco Carrara marble, Doyon's Appliance; sink, faucet: Franke and Moen, Home Depot |
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The kitchen flows into the dining area, located to the right of the entry. A turned-leg pine dining table found on Craigslist was stripped of its shiny orange coating and given a dark, distressed finish. The linoleum floors went out, and new hardwood floors were stained a dark warm walnut color.
An antique window and inherited vintage lamp accent the dining buffet. "Like many people I love the gray-blue color palette and think it perfectly reflects the ocean," says Jen. "I’m a big fan of calming colors on the walls and having the rooms easily flow into each other."
Rug: Malika, Pottery Barn; chairs: Overstock.com and Harry, Ikea; paint: Driftwood Gray, Martha Stewart Living and Ultra Pure White, Behr
An antique window and inherited vintage lamp accent the dining buffet. "Like many people I love the gray-blue color palette and think it perfectly reflects the ocean," says Jen. "I’m a big fan of calming colors on the walls and having the rooms easily flow into each other."
Rug: Malika, Pottery Barn; chairs: Overstock.com and Harry, Ikea; paint: Driftwood Gray, Martha Stewart Living and Ultra Pure White, Behr
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| To the left of the entry is the living room, featuring many of Jen's budget-friendly DIY projects. The blue and white drapes are actually shower curtains from Target that she cut in half and adorned with a white band of fabric to make affordable window treatments. |
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| The living room's focal point was a dated wood-paneled wall. The couple knocked out the far corner of the wall, adding access to the kitchen, opening up the space and creating flow in the downstairs area. |
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| The couple whitewashed the paneling, trim and brick fireplace, making what was a dark space feel open and cheerful. Paint: Vanilla Ice Cream 2154-70, Benjamin Moore; armchairs: Tullsta, Ikea; pillows: HomeGoods |
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This door off the kitchen leads to the basement, decorated for the coming of spring with a moss wreath. A glittery coral-colored "M," another one of Jen's DIY projects, stands for the family's last name.
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Upstairs, one of three small bedrooms was turned into son Drew's sea-inspired nursery. Jen credits her style and inspiration to her mother and her love of browsing magazines. "My mom has always loved decorating and shopping relatively frugally," she shares, "so I think that’s partially where I get that gene from. Then marrying AJ was like a continuation of how I grew up, only he was very renovation minded as well."
Wheel: Christmas Tree Shop; bedding, rug: Pottery Barn Kids
Wheel: Christmas Tree Shop; bedding, rug: Pottery Barn Kids
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Jen's father made Drew's sailboat mobile by hand in primary colors, adding a personal touch to the nautical design scheme.
Lamp: Fisherman Table Lamp, Pottery Barn Kids
Lamp: Fisherman Table Lamp, Pottery Barn Kids
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Baskets, buckets, and a vintage red wagon corral Drew's toys and books. Jen made the Migonis family plaque.
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BEFORE: The master bedroom had low ceilings, aged walls and the dreaded linoleum flooring. This room was the brainchild of AJ, who came up with the idea to vault the ceiling and did most of the work himself. The transformation took nearly three years and $3,000 to complete.
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| AFTER: The finished master bedroom. |
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The couple opened up the bedroom ceiling to add dramatic lines and make the space feel bigger. Jen repurposed shower curtains into window drapery as well as pillow shams. The tufted headboard is a DIY project that Jen made out of pegboard.
Jen also whitewashed the mantel around a newly installed electric fireplace and created a small sitting area. The once-gold mirror was inherited and painted white to fit the home's neutral color palette.
Paint: Moonshine 2140-60, Benjamin Moore; curtains: Feather Gray, West Elm; floors: stained with Jacobean, Minwax; fireplace: Home Depot
Jen also whitewashed the mantel around a newly installed electric fireplace and created a small sitting area. The once-gold mirror was inherited and painted white to fit the home's neutral color palette.
Paint: Moonshine 2140-60, Benjamin Moore; curtains: Feather Gray, West Elm; floors: stained with Jacobean, Minwax; fireplace: Home Depot
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The upstairs bathroom is the only one in the home, so the couple needed to spruce it up right away. It had old tiles, wallpaper and cheap shelving, and the toilet was sinking into the floor. The shower also had a mysteriously stubborn mildew no matter how many times they cleaned it.
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The newly tiled shower, reflected in the mirror, is outfitted with neutral variegated penny tiles. A white beadboard ceiling adds character. The couple came in under budget at $2,500, becoming members of Overstock.com to receive a 7 percent discount on tiles.
Shower tile: Overstock.com; paint: Harbor Gray AC-25, Benjamin Moore
Shower tile: Overstock.com; paint: Harbor Gray AC-25, Benjamin Moore
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Jen covered a kid-friendly safety gate at the top of the stairs with old maps.
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Attached to the wall next to the entry is a handmade giant ruler for charting Drew's height.
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| The house was hidden by large shrubs and painted blue. |
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| While it's snowy now, Jen loves that they live within a mile and a half of the beach. "It’s amazing to run or walk by the ocean whenever we want to. Our neighborhood is made up of mostly capes or small ranches that people are gradually renovating or tearing down," she says. "There is a great mix of children and older folks who just love waving and talking to Drew." Paint: Cumulus Cloud MSL260, Martha Stewart Living |
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Here Jen poses for a picture with an active Drew. As for the family's future renovation plans, Jen says, "We are starting the process of creating a nursery for our little girl, due on April 5, and turning the guest room into a more grown-up room for Drew."
Your turn: Share your renovated home with us!
Your turn: Share your renovated home with us!
Ideabook published on March 4, 2013.
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The term "whitewashed" was used not in the traditional "whitewashing" sense but just that we gave multiple layers of dark wood and trim a coat of oil based white primer (Kilz) and then used Behr's Ultra Pure White for the final coat.
The bathroom isn't finished yet... we debated even having it photographed. We have two shelves my husband made to "float" above the toilet adding balence to that area (we have zero storage in that room; it's 5x5). We admit it, the two lights look rediculous as is but we think it'll look better once the shelves are hung BUT the jury is still out on whether we will keep the second light, we'll see after we've lived with the final product.
Here is the link to how I made the headboard. My husband attaches it to the bedframe with the pegboard that extends below the upholstered portion.
http://www.migonishome.com/2012/02/headboard-out-of-pinboard.html
I also use tablecloths as curtains.
I find the selections of patterns and colors far more varied than actual curtain panels available in many stores, and
84" tablecloths are the perfect height for my windows.
I use them with readily available curtain clips!
One thing I have noticed on Houzz, is that when someone makes a comment others don't agree with, they are bashed up and down for their difference of opinion. We are all adults here, and surely we are aware there are all kinds of people that make the world go round, so obviously not everyone's tastes are the same. When others pick out a comment to insult or 'attack', because they don't share the same opinion, or thought, it reminds me of children, and bullying. Not everyone is going to agree, but once we are not distructively or intentionally hurting someone with words, a wide range of comments is what would be expected in this type of site.
The comment I found RUDE was yours. Next time you want to write a comment, choose your words carefully, because you end up coming across ignorant instead.
This Houzz site is so amazing we all must contribute avoiding unpleasant situations. I know you will change your home according to your needs many times in the future. Enjoy your creativity as well as the good ideas from others.
Luz María
Not sure by what you mean "how much CFM"... fill me in and I'll do my best to answer you! :)
I shared some of my thoughts on marble and some alternatives to it on our blog: http://www.migonishome.com/2012/07/marble-thoughts-and-other-options.html
Hope this helps! :)