This little bungalow was purchased by my sister so it was a labor of love for me. It was already an adorable little home with a humongous yard but it needed a little updating and a couple of minor renovations to make it perfect.

1 – The kitchen had upper and lower cabinets painted 2 different colors with tiled countertops so we painted the cabinets all one color, installed granite counters, and a subway tile backsplash. We also replaced the stove and dishwasher (refrigerator will have to wait a minute).
2 – We painted all the ceilings as well as the sunroom and kitchen walls.
3 – We replaced the hall bathroom sink and mirror.
4 – We installed hardwood floors in the master where the carpet was pulled up.
5 – We replaced all lighting throughout the house.
Our last project is to renovate the master bath.
We took out the clawfoot tub and we will be installing a walk-in shower because neither my sister nor her husband is keen on baths. That renovation will be a whole different post. For now, I am posting the rest of the house as it is now furnished (on a budget) and ready for them any time they want to come to North Carolina.
Hall bath, before and after, not a big change, a new shower curtain goes a long way
Kitchen before, during, and after. This is one of the biggest changes and, of course, the most costly

Living room before and after.
Office or spare bedroom before and after.
Another spare bedroom with no “before” pic.

Sunroom before and after, albeit at different angles.
Dining room before and after, and yes, that’s a desk in the dining room.
The master bedroom is waiting on bedroom furniture because they need to pick the bed themselves, so when I post the master bath renovation you will get a peek at the bedroom also.
This was all done on a tight budget. The initial budget I put together (which I may or may not have emailed my sister) was between $8000-$9500 without the bathroom renovation. The actual numbers are still coming in but I think we will land at around $13,500 (which, btw, includes all the furniture). Now, that sounds like a huge overrun but considering we added the bathroom late in the game at around $2500, it’s really not too bad. We also encountered a few issues along the way which is typical in any old home renovation.
Stuff happens……like the ceiling paint not covering the stains, old plumbing supply lines, roof leaks and such can be budget busters but doing almost all the labor ourselves saved our budget numerous times. There were also a few add-ons like furnishings, bathroom towels, bedding, and kitchen supplies. You can’t make a 12-hour trip and not be able to eat in your kitchen, take a shower, or sleep in a bed with sheets!
Moral of the story? Not really sure there is one, but I will say that having my sister a block away from me, even if it’s only once in awhile, makes me very happy.
Many thanks to my husband who is the BEST! I don’t say that often enough. He worked his ass off and because he knows just about everything having to do with renovations he was a HUGE help.