They Passed on Two Move-In-Ready Homes for This 1950s D.C. Fixer-Upper

Apartment Therapy alum Jaime (we toured a 400-square-foot Chicago apartment he lived in many years ago) is also an alum of HGTV’s House Hunters. In 2024, Jamie and his husband Sheridan’s real estate journey ended when they chose to purchase this fixer upper instead of two other fully renovated homes. But while their purchasing journey was finished, their renovation journey had just begun — a journey they would tackle mostly on their own, with the help of family.

“The entire home just felt dated and abandoned before we moved in, besides a few touches done to sell it (like paint),” Jamie begins of this 1950s semi-detached row home located in southeast D.C. “The kitchen, in the original 1950s layout, was in a small corner, and with typical late 1990s-early 2000s honey-colored cabinets, laminate countertops, and sheet vinyl floors. Old and dingy carpet lined the upstairs bedrooms, and the basement was completely unfinished.”

On what the home looked like before their renovation: “What drew us in was the potential we could see from the start — a small home that didn’t feel cramped. We also loved the long and narrow front yard that greets you as you walk in from a busy street. Although lacking a lot of inside character, aside from hardwood floors and solid core doors with brass knobs, the layout and brick-facade hinted at homes of D.C.’s older, more established neighborhoods like Capitol Hill and Georgetown,” Jamie writes.

On the renovation’s beginnings: “After closing on the house, we went straight to renovation. My parents, Carlos and Elizabeth, traveled from Colombia for two months to help with the transformation (as my dad has extensive construction experience),” Jamie begins. “Old carpet upstairs was pulled, original hardwood floors were sanded and stained on both levels, baby blue walls were painted an off-white, and rooms received either wallpaper or plenty of woodwork — whether it was beadboard, box molding, or wainscoting.”

On the home’s most updated room: “The biggest transformation was the kitchen, our favorite room now and where our friends and family naturally gather. We picked the kitchen as the main renovation spot because it was originally tucked in between the living room and a 1990s addition, and without the renovation, the entire first floor would have felt disjointed. To get there, the kitchen was fully demoed and contractors removed two non-load-bearing walls to create a more open concept,” writes Jamie.

“The sink and stove were left in the same areas to keep costs low. Me and my dad then got to creating a kitchen from scratch, using IKEA cabinet boxes, semi-handmade cabinet fronts, subway tile, and other budget-friendly features such as quartz (made to look like soapstone),” Jaime explains. “I designed a large island to bridge the kitchen and living areas using a butcher block for the countertop to help with costs. We splurged on new appliances, lighting and plumbing fixtures (a pot filler too!).”

Their favorite elements: “My favorite element is the floor-to-ceiling tile on the stove wall, which I tiled myself with the help of my dad. It feels like a cafe in Europe,” Jamie writes. “Sheridan’s favorite element is the main bedroom, as this was his domain during the design process. It feels like a retreat. Every time he’s in there, he feels like he’s in a cozy B&B.”

On how they improved the bedroom: “The upstairs bed and bathroom received a lot of love as well. Box molding was added, and the top boxes received a beautiful floral wallpaper.”

On their bathroom design choices: “The bathroom’s design decision was made to complement the existing 1950s green floor penny tile. Wainscoting was added at chair-rail height and painted a deep green. The vanity, mirror, and lighting were updated for a more modern look.”

What’s the oldest thing in your home? “The oldest thing in the home might be the original hardwood floors. They’re old and they’re beautiful. Wouldn’t replace them,” Jaime writes. “There’s also original 1950s floor tile in the upstairs bathroom (Sheridan hates, Jaime loves).”

On their proudest DIY: “Our favorite DIY is our moody study and attached bathroom. Our desks are the old kitchen cabinets that were transformed by cutting them down, adding a few side and top panels, and finally painting them the same deep blue as the rest of the room for cohesion. In the attached bathroom, we used peel-and-stick checkered tile, kept the mirror, and the vanity is a table from Community Forklift, an architectural salvage warehouse in nearby Maryland, that has been retrofitted to fit under the existing sink (with a new faucet).”

On the home’s style today, after all their renovations: “The home’s style is now what I call ‘modern colonial with a hint of cottage,'” writes Jamie. “Our overall look is very minimal, with modern furnishing, but the interior architecture (woodwork, tile, light fixtures, etc.) gives nods to more historical buildings. We wanted to pick elements that felt timeless but still with a modern sensibility, and balancing our general minimal design style but with cozy layering.”

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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