Stardust Designs: House Tour {Part 1}

After 5 years in Pullman doing collegiate ministry, we are moving back home to the greater Seattle -Tacoma area. We had a blast here in "Cougar Country" but we feel God's leading away from here and toward there. We are excited to move back home near both sides of our family and to both use our gifts in new jobs too. We aren't sure where we will settle, hopefully close to the jobs we find (in business and ministry), our families, the water, maybe a lake or two for swimming, and close to a little more shopping. (Oh the things we missed while living in Eastern Washington!)

But for now, we are focused on selling our current home. I lovingly refer to it as "Pioneer Heights" since it is perched on Pioneer Hill, near parks, downtown, and in one of the best and oldest neighborhoods in Pullman - what a sweet location. For the past few months, our noses have been to the grindstone finishing up our basement remodel and shaping up the rest of the house. And now we are officially on the market! So, without further ado, here is the first set of Before and After pictures of Pioneer Heights - our home for the last 3 years:

Living Room - Before & After

Before we moved in - dark knotty pine & navy wall, dated fireplace & no overhead lighting.

After - We painted, decorated, changed the fireplace, window treatments & lighting. Here's the final "staged" product.

Before - window valances and curtains did no favors to those lovely windows.

After - the windows (from another perspective) with new double curtains hung high & wide - to show them off.

Before - Orangish knotty pine & old brick fireplace darkened the room.

After - I painted the pine a light taupe to match the other walls, crisp white went on the mantle, trim & built ins, and the fireplace brick was painted black to add some much needed contrast.

After - The whole living room feels lighter, larger and updated with the new fresh paint on the walls, trim and fireplace.

Dining Room - Before & After

Before - The small lovely dining room was not serving its purpose.

After - Layered drapes highlight the beautiful windows. A refinished glossy ebony round table (w/leaves) offers flexible seating & fits the room well. New lighting centers the room and gives it an updated, polished look.

The Kitchen - Before & After

Before - Orangish-red countertops & backsplash, and cabinets that blocked the eating area and view of the yard beyond.

After - I replaced the laminate with cement countertops (I used a product called "Ardex") & crisp white subway tile with dark grout for the backsplash. We took down the upper cabinets & I replaced them with new pendant lights over the bar and the remaining beam got clad in weathered shiplap (I reclaimed it as is from our laundry room). New stainless steel appliances complete the updated look.

After - Here's the other side of the bar (in the kitchen nook). I added the barn wood to the bar (extra fencing we had on hand) which makes a great pin board for the kids' artwork (keeping the fridge uncluttered). I added the open shelves and tied everything together with some old corbels I scored at my favorite reclamation junk yard. Four stools painted light blue completed the look.

Kitchen Nook - Before & After

Before - this is how the nook was furnished before we moved in. Its such a large room, it can be utilized better - more seating, more storage, and let's play up the great view of our large backyard.

After - Built in cabinets (IKEA) and a window bench (my dad & I custom built) provide ample storage and frame the view of the backyard nicely. The table can expand to seat 12, with the window bench providing a lot of comfy seating.

Backyard - Before & After

Before - from the Kitchen Nook, the paned-glass sliding door leads out to a large deck. The deck wide steps along part of it but no railing along the rest of that side - just a 2-3 foot drop into the garden and yard!