apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

lovely but feels cold & medicinal. i would love to see more colour (seeing of course, that it is colour month!). warm it up with a touch of colour & more plants perhaps.

Great transformation! But I agree with above: Lots going on with a real lack in cohesiveness & tonal warmth.

About time these folks got AT coverage! An inspiring blog: whimsical, fun and chockfull of personality.
Quite an impressive DIY, but space is missing something. I cant put my finger on it! Great job nonetheless!

I like Sherry and John's blog, but for my own personal style I prefer things to be a little more eclectic - vintage items mixed in with stuff from West Elm, Target, Crate and Barrel, etc.

And then I saw TVJessica's bungalow in this contest, and now I want THAT. Lovely, lived in, and totally one of a kind.

It looks great, however it's missing that personal touch. It looks like it's a staged home or fresh out of a catalog.

I agree with the posts above. I am a follower of this blog, and these guys are totally cute (and have an awesome chihuahua named Burger!), but their house (and their mood boards for clients) looks like floor displays at Pottery Barn. I never see their designs and think AHA!

That being said, they're in demand with a lot of people, and the tutorial section of their blog is spot-on.

There's no denying the transformation is dramatic.

One thing that I don't think I'd like in real life is the use of window treatments to hide stuff. They've done this in at least two spots. Their laundry rooms has blinds covering shelving above their washer and dryer. I think it looks a bit messy and strange. Their bedroom has curtains covering wardrobes, and actually this instance is the more successful of the two in my opinion. But still, I just don't love the way it looks.

Hmmm... is this a west elm catalogue? pottery barn?
Not a compliment when you should be decorating your home for *yourself*, not showcasing for blog viewership. Where's the PERSONALITY?!!! The quintessence of a DIY?!
I see why so many people here comment on lack of warmth -- this is not a home but a house: there is a serious deficit of charm, character and most of all, SOUL!

@ Tequila Red... Hardly a fair comparison, Jessica's bungalow is beautiful but completely different than YHL's ranch.

I love YHL's blog--they've got great tips for DIY and organizing, in particular, and though their home is not my home, they've made a phenomenal transformation.

Who's to say that this gorgeous neutral palette and comfortable furnishings isn't exactly "them." I get the impression that John and Sherry are drawn to neutrals, calm schemes, and pottery barn, the way I am drawn to reds, oranges, and yard sales!

Geez, you guys are ruthless... People, please CHILL! I can't believe there's not one single positive comment that isn't followed by a "but". Please remember what Sherry and John started with and how they transformed it. You can't deny that their place came a long way. I would like to see YOUR house!

What's wrong with shopping at PB or West Elm?

So the secret is off-white sofas?!?

I'm a follower of their blog and I think their house looks awesome! It looks very clean and chic. The transformation of each room is amazing and if you check their blog you can see how they really incorporate eco friendly products to their design. They know what they like and they are pleased with their home....that's all that matters. :)

Geez, you guys are ruthless... People, please CHILL! I can't believe there's not one single positive comment that isn't followed by a "but". Please remember what Sherry and John started with and how they transformed it. You can't deny that their place came a long way.

That's partly the problem, acwink. The old house was SO horrible that they seemed to feel obliged to wipe away all trace of it, when perhaps they only needed to wipe away 90%. Period features like the brick fireplace and the entry screen could have been kept, and given the interiors a little more texture, but were probably reminders of the hideous past and are now gone. Coupled with the pale, tasteful furnishings, the decor does start to have that page-34-of-the-Jonathan-Adler-catalogue look about it. When I imagine someone inhabiting these rooms, I keep envisioning Terri Schuester from "Glee".

Which is completely unfair to the owners, I know. There's no denying that, at its core, this is a masterful renovation of a terrible house. Especially in that Kitchen From Knotty Pine Hell.

I guess there aren't enough eames chairs or keep calm and carry on posters in these folks' home to appease the AT readers.

These comments remind me of the comments in response to Layla's cottage a few weeks back. Pretty much, if it's neutral in palette and traditional in style, don't expect it to find a lot of fans on this site. But I feel the same way about this house as I did about Layla's, which is that I think these homeowners have successfully executed their vision, and I really admire that even if their vision is not mine. I also admire their skill, resourcefulness, and courage in tackling such an uninspired house and making it their own. Kudos!

wow man. lots of negativity here! this place isn't my style, but i think they've done a nice job with the renovations! i think the kitchen and bathroom in particular seem fitting for the age of the house. so, nice job! i've seen the YHL blog a few times but never really explored much so didn't know there were tutorials on there. good to know!

A few things I find funny. Someone said it wasn't diy enough for them. Dude, the entire place is nearly diy! And their website is about finding cheap deals as well. Another person I had to directly quote from..."I like Sherry and John's blog, but for my own personal style I prefer things to be a little more eclectic - vintage items mixed in with stuff from West Elm, Target, Crate and Barrel, etc."... which I find hilarious because that's exactly what Sherry's and John's taste is all from.

I personally love their style and they make it work for them. They have done a fantastic job of renovating their house.

I am a recent reader of the Young House Love blog. I think their house looks fabulous. For those that said it's missing personality, you need to check out their blog to see how much thought, creativity and craftiness they put into each one of their items on display. They seem to be constantly full of new ideas. They are quite young, this is their first house, and they have done an amazing amount of work in a short time and on a small budget. Eclectic/vintage/sentimental pieces can take years to accumulate. I'm sure that as they grow older their house will develop more and more personality, but what a great way to start out!

I love this home!! I saved so many pictures for my personal style of spaces I love. I love the way you managed to use such a soothing color palette without letting any of your spaces become boring. Your bedroom in particular is sensational! I can't believe the vision that it must have taken to see this house in the "before" shots.

I think what is great about John and Sherry's house is that they have taken time to develop their personal style, and they're continually working on their own space with small budgets and a lot of DIY. The funny thing is, for the people who say that they're lacking yard sale and vintage pieces - they've actually incorporated a lot of re-used items but altered them a bit to fit in with their personal style. Their blog is a delight to read, especially with a developing library of How-To posts for home projects. And they're also dedicated to making this space theirs for the long-haul, which I find admirable. Great job Sherry and John! Thanks for featuring them AT!

Thanks for directing me to this blog. Their house is almost exactly like ours. Their bathroom is, in fact, our bathroom except we have ugly pink and grey tile, not black and white. And there is no amazing basketweave floor under carpet for us - drat. We'll be using a lot of their DIY tips!

ps. I think the "eames and keep calm" comment is spot on.

Love their blog, love the way the decorate their home.

Even though it isn't necessarily my style, I read their blog. They have some cute ideas. Their wedding was gorgeous!
I do think they need to mix it up with the furnishings and artwork. Everything looks alike so nothing stands out. And yes, an Eames chair would look very nice in their house!

tear for the exposed brick and wood...two of my favorite elements wiped away with a white paint can

Glad to see Sherry and John are getting some AT air time! Love their blog, and their home!

WOW! What a transformation. Elegant and comfortable. Excellent job~!

I saw the pics posted here and clicked on over to their site and perused it some and will read more in depth as time allows as the blog itself is quite good from what little I've read so far but I found the house a tad bland and looking a bit too catalog-y for my taste.

They seem to be relying on a pale color palette to decorate and even I noticed some things about the old house that were much warmer in the before, yes, the kitchen had knotty pine, country style cabinets but they had loads more warmth than the white units they replaced them with - and then went with pale shades of color and there is no vitality to the space, now true, I like a bit more oomph in my design but that's just me and for what they have done, they did a great job, but still, I think they wiped out too much, such as the divider in the living room by the entry, that helps set off the entry space a little and that's the worst thing I think they did.

The red brick, if just left to the fireplace in the family room, that'd have been OK as is, but the fact that it went down one long wall just helped to darken the room up much too much and the pine paneling didn't help so here, going with a light colored paint helps a lot - especially since they were dealing with dinky window(s) and not much else for natural lighting.

I know they do DIY and use vintage pieces but I find the newer pieces kind of overwhelm the vintage stuff so it DOES look too uniform, at least in these pics. That said, they are young and learning, just give them time and their home will evolve and become more eclectic looking.

Well I love it. It is light, fresh, clean and cool - exactly what I want my look to be. And caiti's is the comment of the day.

I love the classism that runs rampant in here. Not everyone can afford true vintage (It sure as hell isn't cheap here) and West Elm and Ikea may be the only places that are available to people.

Get off the design high horses. Damn.

Also, not everybody wants an eclectic mix of vintage mid-century and Danish Modern with pops of bold color.

I would absolutely live here. They did an absolutely brilliant job on this place and have made it very bright, livable, and charming. I really like the bamboo blinds to hide the storage in the laundry room! I'm a fan of bamboo blinds to begin with, they add a natural touch of color and texture without spending much, and I think they've used them cleverly in that context.

Painting the brick was sheer genius, in my opinion. It makes the whole house. I couldn't even believe how much a couple of coats of paint transformed their living room fireplace. At first glance I thought they'd laid new tiles over it. It's so fresh and stream lined looking.. and all it took was paint.

This couple has recognized the good bones hiding in an otherwise fugly house. They've created a cool, welcoming space that 95% of Americans wouldn't be able to.

I grew up in a house with paneling and brick and let me tell you, it was dark and depressing. Exposed brick in some settings is attractive, but not all brick is equal. And all brick fireplaces certainly are not equal. I think their place looks like they weren't afraid to make it their own or to paint over elements that they didn't like (which stops some people, they don't like their brick fireplace, but are afraid to paint over it because it's brick). Their house feels airy and light and since they have tarted out with a neutral color scheme, it'll be easy for them to change it in the future.

By the way, I painted over my brick fire place and paneled kitchen and I love it!

@triedthistwice -- not that I disagree about the classism, but West Elm ain't exactly cheap, and the look is definitely marketed to the upwardly mobile. (And given IKEA's locations, it's not terribly accessible to those with less money either, at least in my part of the world.)

A work in progress I like to think...
We aren't being cruel it's just the majority of us would love to see more whimsy, charm & personality in this space - something that to distinguish the space from a cookie-cutter retail showroom. I suppose the look is inevitable for a self-confirmed design-obsessed couple, but they just need to inject more imagination, creativity, and individualism into their project to find that characteristic "je nais sais quoi" that will set them apart from that dreaded copycat "catalogue syndrome". The delicate art of turning a house into a home...

From what Sherry and John had to work with, they have done a great job. NOT everyone has the time, skill nor financial pocket to upgrade their home like they would love to. West Elm, Pottery Barn and Ikea are places for folks to explore their design urge without going bankrupt. Not many can afford to shop at USM, ABC Carpet or DaneDecor for every item needed. Besides, I have quite a few West Elm products in my home and YES, it looks incredible :). BRAVO Sherry and John, your home looks incredbile. Thanks for sharing it with us.

I think John and Sherry have done an utterly brilliant job with their home!

They're young, not too far from college, and haven't gotten to the place where a few "quirky" or "personal" touches equal anything more soulful than a college dorm room.

Give them time...

What they have done is fresh, lovely, straight forward, serenely elegant AND what's the word-- mature.

That's quite a combination to pull off.

The sky is the limit with these two.

This reno is amazing. I'm absolutely inspired by the enthusiasm, creativity, true DIY spirit and their willingness to open their door and warmly welcome the world into their home via their blog. Way to go! Thank you! I look forward to growing older with these guys.

Amazing!
They did it all themselves?
As always, I'm impressed by people who can do so much themselves and, unlike when I take on projects like that, have it look like they hired an army of people to do it.
When I do that, it looks like I hired an army of three year olds do it.

Wonderful!

the YHL couple are so cute

i can't believe no one defended their DIY closet project in their MBR! i thought that was genius, and am getting a friend ready to do it in his house.

cheers to YHL, they're doing a great job. when i was their age, my decor still included blacklight posters and end tables made out of kegs...it does take time to curate eclectic belongings...so, even if much of the stuff is recognizable, its put together cohesively, and most important, works for them.

as a fellow richmonder, i love reading their blog. (wish they could have kept this young house as their name though) while it's not totally my style, i think it fits them, and i love all their tips and ideas. i always wonder if i'm going to be driving around one day and see their house. i might feel compelled to leave a note in the mailbox telling them how much i like their blog!

Must be something wrong with me. I like the transformation. The house was dark and so-cosy-it-could-smother-you. Now it's full of light, which in and of itself is such a mood lifter.

Good job.

I am a follower of this blog, and it is amazing to me that people so young have such a strong vision, and were able to realize a WHOLE HOUSE design with their own four hands and ingenuity.
I'm sure as their design asthetic grows, the interior will mature as well. Confidence comes with experience; I can't wait to see what happens when they bust into their new groove!