Before & After: A 100-Year-Old House Gets a New Life

I love old houses, and I love a good Before and After, so I particularly love this story about a small-town Texas home that was lovingly and painstakingly restored. In Texas, where land is cheaper and new construction is common, many homeowners prefer building a brand-new house to dealing with the quirks of an old one. But one homeowner fell in love with a 1920s cottage in the small historical district of small-town Hillsboro, Texas, and became determined to bring it back to life.

The house, which was almost 100 years old, had definitely seen better days. It underwent a complete overhaul under the guidance of designer Baylee Deyon, which restored the home to its former glory. The kitchen was replaced, but many of the home’s original details, from the floors to the wallboards to the original doorknobs, were preserved. The home’s exterior got a coat of cheerful blue. Its new facade has all the vintage charm of the original, but with an extra dose of color.

In the living room, the formerly yellow walls are now a muted beige. The new furniture is lighter and more modern, which helps to open up the space. The front door was painted pink, to match the tub in the kids’ bath down the hall.

A glance down the hallway from the kitchen will show you how the original wallboards (and that tiny wall niche, which probably once held a phone) were preserved. The kitchen, on the right, has been opened up to the living and dining room.

The home’s kitchen, while charming, had definitely seen better days. The new kitchen is full of modern amenities, while the omission of upper cabinets helps to open up the space. A full-height china cabinet, which you can see in the photo above, provides kitchen storage.

And then, of course, there’s the pink clawfoot bathtub in the kids’ bathroom, which might be my favorite part of the whole remodel. The whole project is a perfect example of how you can give an old house new life—while still maintaining the character that makes it special.

Want to see more projects by this designer? Check out her website at Baylee Deyon Design.