A Home Made New
“A house is made of brick and mortar, but home is made by the people who live there” -M.k Soni
Inspired by this beautiful quote, we set out to write about a recent flip we completed in a suburb of Rochester, New York. After finding this colonial style house online, we placed our offer. When our bid on the house was picked over multiple other offers we knew we had a long journey ahead of us. To get this house into shape would require a complete home renovation. The house was built in the late 1950s and had only ever been lived in by two families, the latter family having lived there for decades.
As we prepared ourselves for the work ahead we were not prepared for the lessons we would learn. In house flipping, most obviously. In patience, that we would get from renovating. In gratitude, for the family members that would help us when we needed extra working hands. In respect for the sanctity of home. This house would unravel it’s story to us as we dug deeper into the process.
The House
The sellers were working on behalf of their mother who was elderly and for whom this house was no longer suitable. As such, the house and it’s 50+ years of memories and many items remained. It made us sad to think that a person’s home and so much of what they acquired would be left behind and because of circumstances outside of one’s control.
It pains us to have to say that it took two dumpsters in order to empty out the house of the previous owner’s possessions. I have to admit, I did not feel comfortable throwing out items nonchalantly without giving things a thorough looking through. Not that I was trying to find anything valuable, but that I was trying to find anything salvageable for which another person might find use. There was not much that fit into that category, but there were a few beautiful mid century modern chairs and small knickknacks along the way. But among the most valuable of items that we found were old photo albums that have been buried deep in a bonus room above the garage space.
Admittedly, I helped myself to look through those photo books as I would never permit those types of keepsakes to be dumpster bound. What was revealed was a very loving family lived there. This was somebody’s grandmother. This was somebody’s mother. And for a while, this was somebody’s wife. She was young once upon a time, as I am. She took care of young children and raised them, as I do. She adored her home as I do mine, I know from a caption under a picture indicating “our home!”
The old shingles, rough cedar siding, old fixtures and clutter, were all telltale signs this house had gotten away. After coming across an obituary of her late husband from decades ago it became apparent why. And like that, this women -who was just like me- had to make due.
For all these reasons it was so profoundly important to treat this house with respect. It was not my home nor would it ever be. We are a business entity. We were just there to get it ready for the next family. And just as we’d turn over the keys at the end of the project, we’d return those memories we found back to the rightful owners.
The house in the 1960s 
Freshly painted in 2019
The Design
We let the house speak to us rather than trying to impose trends that would ultimately fail to do the house justice and build long lasting character. It’s just as important to us that everything we set to improve upon was done safely and given careful thought to the fact the future people who would call it home would want to feel that it was renewed in a manner that wouldn’t haunt them with issues, at least if those items were within our scope of control.
Bright, clean, airy, fresh, young, warm. All adjectives we wanted this house to hone in on in this complete home renovation. We kept the colors to warm neutrals, black and white, while playing with pattern tile for interest. Refinishing the existing hardwood floors, finding the same species, red oak, and laying them into the kitchen to keep one of the house’s original features and create the visual flow of spaces.
Kitchen and Dining
While we’re sure of the delicious meals that must’ve been cooked up and served in this kitchen and dining throughout the years, we needed to bring this 1950s kitchen up to par for modern day cooking and entertaining needs. We did this by eliminating the wall from kitchen to dining, thus brightening up the space, adding statement and recessed lights, and playing with storage solutions. Just because the kitchen was on the smaller side did not mean it couldn’t pack a punch in its impression upon those who gather there.
Living Room
While the footprint stayed the same, we won’t sell short the tasks this room needed: some drywall repair, paint for the walls, trim and paint to update the built in bookcases, a new fireplace mantle, and tile on the hearth matching that of the kitchen backsplash.
Powder Room
The previous powder room had carpet and original fixtures. Updating this space meant new wood look tile, wall paper removal, drywall repair, paint and new fixtures.
2nd Floor
The goal here was as simple as paint and updated light fixtures, which, added to the refinished floors was about all there was to do. The main bathroom underwent a tub and tile refinishing, complete with new plumbing fixtures in matte black and a new vanity with a pair of sconces. The honeycomb tiles original to the house were a keeper!
The Master Suite
One of the four bedrooms resided over the 1 bay garage. It was chock-full of random furniture. Adjacent to that room was another room. This space and the two bay car garage below it was an addition to the house at some point, our estimate, in the 1960s. It was never finished, becoming home to furniture and random items piled high with no room to walk around. Instantly we knew that the space would be the perfect candidate for a master suite. After inquiring about the required actions that would be needed to make this livable quarters we applied and received a permit.
The Would Be Master:
Guided by the requirements in the permit we hopped to and began the transformation, that of which included insulation, fire resistant drywall in the garage, electrical, and plumbing to say the least. To say this was quite the undertaking would be an understatement! We wanted this to feel like a true master wing in the house, so we placed a small hallway within the master suite, with a full master bathroom on one said, and a large walk in closet opposite, made private, with in-house, custom built shaker sliding doors, to save space.
Finally, At the end of the short hallway, is the master bedroom, which was once the storage space above the 2 bay garage. Complete with a custom window seat and more storage, again built in-house.
Much more work was put into this home made new than can be seen through pictures and just as your eye cannot see through to it, we cannot see the past memories this house holds, nor the future ones to be made. But if this home made new has a say in it, we’re sure it will be amazing.
If you’ve ever found any items of interest or that gave a peek to the memories formed within the walls of a home while undergoing a complete home renovation, drop a comment and share it with us. If you’d like to see our process of renovating a bathroom, follow along as we participate in the One Room Challenge as guest participants!
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