We have lived in our home for nearly 17 years. We purchased as newlyweds, May 2003. For each of us [me and hubby], it was our first home. We love this house! Our daughter came home from the hospital as a newborn in this house. A precious home to us in every way. It’s not a grand home, but ssshhhhhh, don’t tell the house that. It has vaulted ceilings and appointed for the look of a larger home, not the two/two that it is.

Upon closing all those years ago, we completed some light renovations. We immediately had the house painted inside and out. This house lacked curb appeal and was considered one of the least attractive homes on the block. The landscaping was lousy and the trees and shrubs were ehhh. Thank God for my husband’s creative landscape design! We renovated the master bath and “refreshed” the guest bath by changing the vanity, mirror, and lighting, but left the original tile, tub, toilet, and sink. Did I mention the house was built in 1980? The kitchen had recently been renovated by the previous owners to all-white cabinets and appliances with a simple backsplash and countertop. Nothing fancy, but clean and fresh. We later removed the fluorescent lighting and added recessed lighting and a matte, flat white ceiling.

Believing in the philosophy of foundation first, we completed structural enhancements like roofing, storm windows, storm exterior doors, and garage, before completing smaller interior projects. Then it was time to update and upgrade the interior doors and baseboards. Holy moly! What a difference they make! I decided to take down ALL the photos and paintings from the wall and prep the walls for painting. I used joint compound because after taking down the frames and nails, I was left with huge holes and chunks of plaster that had fallen. I did not realize we did not have drywall, but plastered walls. A very good thing, except when you remove dozens of nails from the walls. I later found out that the joint compound is not best for filling holes on textured walls. I’ll ask the painters to correct my error. At least the holes were filled in. It was also time to have the entire interior painted, replace carpets with more light gray flooring, and purchase a few new pieces of furniture.

Then, out of seemingly nowhere, Hubby decided to put the breaks on the entire project – for six months! Talk about a Lady In Waiting! He feared I would bulldozer through and do more than originally budgeted. So what’s a gal to do? I kept purging and organizing! I knew I wanted a clean, uncluttered look and could use the extra time. I decided not to re-hang the myriad of photos back on the walls. They had created such a mess with so many nails, would capture too much dust and greatly damage the wall. I opted for keeping a few family photographs on a round table in the living room. Since the majority of the photos were already on the computer, I only had to have a dozen or so pictures scanned for safekeeping. I had considered creating a collage wallpaper for the family room wall but later decided to keep the bright, uncluttered bare walls intact. Six months later, finally, I was given the green light to move forward and hire our painter and bring in new seating for the family room and update Sofia’s bedroom.

Keeping the house light and bright had such an effect on us all. The paint I chose was Sherwin Williams Ice Cube on all the walls throughout including the closets. The doors and baseboards were painted in Sherwin Williams’ High Reflective White.

The living and dining room.

We kept the bright theme throughout, even in the bedrooms.
It was fun to refresh Sofia’s bedroom too.
She wanted Marie Antoinette inspired decor.

We still have a few projects we would like to complete, but we are very happy with all we have done to date. Remember, keep your home chic, simple, and reimagined. Bring in items that are multi-use and multifunctional. A House Refresh is a great idea. What would you like to refresh in your home? Love, your HomeBFF, Alexandra