When my husband Ryan and I were looking for our first house, we were looking exclusively at fixer uppers. I’m an interior designer, so I’m very particular about my house looking how I want, and I didn’t want to pay a premium for someone else’s tastes and renovations that I didn’t even like!

Our house had been on the market for about a year, and it was dirty and in disrepair. No one was walking in there saying “This is our dream home!” Except us of course, because we’re nuts. We put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this house, and it’s really satisfying to see how it all turned out.

Over the two years we lived there, we packed a lot of love, laughter, and good times into our 2,000 square feet! We actually got engaged in our kitchen, and hosted our rehearsal dinner in the main room of our house. That was an amazing night with all of my favorite people in the world that I’ll never forget!

We actually sold our house in April of this year, but Ryan and I (along with our two rescue pups) made a lot of great memories in this house! We’ve also had countless Netflix binges on our huge comfy couch. Nothing in our house was too precious, and we loved having people over. We hope our home gave off a laid back, comfortable vibe.

My Style: I have a hard time pinning this down. I really like to mix styles, and I like to think I am a mix of warm modern with a little vintage and mid-century thrown in. That’s a mouthful!

Inspiration: I get inspiration from everywhere! I read a ton of design blogs, and draw a lot of inspiration from Pinterest. Traveling always inspires me creatively too!

Favorite Element: My favorite element in this house is probably the dining room. I’m really happy with the contrast of rustic and modern, and love the dark walls next to the crisp white fireplace!

Biggest Challenge: The biggest challenge during our renovation of this house was probably our kitchen countertops. They are actually concrete that was poured to look very similar to marble. I love them, but the company who did them just could not figure out the proper way to seal them. They came out four times to sand off the previous sealer that wasn’t working and try different things… that also didn’t work. Such a pain. We never really did get them sealed properly!

Proudest DIY: I’ve got to call this one a tie, and give a shoutout to my husband Ryan for both. One would be our subway tile backsplash in the kitchen. It goes all the way to the ceiling and was a beast to tile but I think it turned out so well! The other is the vanity in the guest bathroom. It was a dresser I thrifted and convinced Ryan to turn into our vanity. That vanity actually made it into our wedding vows because it was such an ordeal—ha! But it looks great and adds some vintage charm to that room.

Biggest Indulgence: Dairy Queen! Oh, you mean house-wise? Haha. Honestly this house was done on a very shoestring budget, and there weren’t many elements we went buck wild with. Probably our farm sink. It is 36 inches and basically a small bathtub—36-inch farm sinks do not come cheap!

Best Advice: Renovating can be super stressful, and definitely plan on double the time and double the money you think it will take. In the end, it’s sooo worth it though—keep your eye on the finish line!

PAINT & COLORS
All over – Benjamin Moore Moonshine
Guest Bath – Benjamin Moore Dark Harbor
Accent Wall Next to Fireplace – Benjamin Moore Cheating Heart
Trim and Fireplace – Benjamin Moore Simply White

LIVING ROOM
Floor Lamp – Target
Curtains – IKEA
Rug – RugsUSA

DINING ROOM
Dining Table – Wayfair
Dining Chairs – Wayfair
Sheepskins – IKEA
Light – SINNERLIG IKEA
Rug – RugsUSA
Mirror – Target

KITCHEN
Barstools – Craigslist
Runner – RugsUSA
Farm Sink – Vintage Tub & Bath
Faucet – Plumbers Stock
Tile – Floor and Decor
Pendant Lights – Wayfair
Hardware – Hickory Hardware

BEDROOM
Bed – Wayfair

BATHROOM
Tile – Overstock
Vessel Sink – Amazon
Faucets – Amazon
Shower System – Light in the Box
Mirror – HomeGoods
Light – Build

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