Before & After: A Boring Beige Condo Is Completely Unrecognizable After a Colorful Makeover

published Jul 13, 2020

Before & After: A Boring Beige Condo Is Completely Unrecognizable After a Colorful Makeover

published Jul 13, 2020
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Bedrooms
Square feet

1486

Sq ft

1486

Name: Mary Kathryn McConaghy, her roommate, Emily, and her cat, Tim
Location: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Size: 1486 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year, owned

Bold colors? Pops of wallpaper? Themed rooms? Yes, please! This past year, if Mary Kathryn wasn’t working as an event design and marketing director at Ooh! Events, you could find her getting her hands dirty renovating her new condo. Her family even drove in from out of town to help. The result is incredible; the “after” is unrecognizable from its boring and beige “before.”

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Credit: Minette Hand

Mary Kathryn lives with her cat, Tim, and her roommate Emily. Together, they’ve created a fun, vibrant home filled with art by local artists and makers. And while Mary Kathryn describes her style as “borderline maximalist,” the entire space manages to feel serene and soothing.

Credit: Minette Hand

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Colorful, bold, borderline maximalist

Inspiration: 

Credit: Minette Hand

Favorite Element: My little screened-in porch off the living room. It’s so pleasant and has lots of trees and chirping birds. My roommate and I started calling it “The Cat-io” because my cat Tim loves to spend time outside watching the squirrels and birds. She spends most of her day out there! I also love the little hammock seat and table with chairs. It’s so nice to have morning coffee outside but not getting bitten by mosquitoes. 

Biggest Challenge: There’s not a ton of light that comes in to the living room. I have to just keep the curtains pulled way open and I have lots of lamps. It’s more “cozy, having a glass of wine” light than bright natural light, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. 

Credit: Minette Hand

Biggest Embarrassment: My boss and I custom ordered my bed through one of her vendors. I ordered a Queen sized bed, and when the bed frame arrived it was wrapped up and had a “Queen” stamp on the packaging. So my mom and I put it together, and went and bought a queen-sized “mattress in a box.” When we got home and took it out of the box and put it on my new bed frame, it was about a foot and a half too short and not wide enough. Turns out, the bed was a mislabeled king-size bed. So my mom and I had to convince my new neighbors (who I hadn’t met yet) to help take it back downstairs and outside, and we rented a Home Depot truck for an hour to return the “mattress in a box”… unboxed. 

Proudest DIY: The staircase! It was so outdated with shag carpet and dark wood, and during quarantine I had finally had enough and started ripping the carpet up and painted the stairs. Thankfully, my dad drove down from Ohio to install the wire cabling and new posts to complete the staircase. 

Credit: Minette Hand

Biggest Indulgence: New appliances in the kitchen. It was expensive, but updated the room so much. Plus, I found the fridge, dishwasher, and oven in the “scratch and dent” section at Lowes at different times. They aren’t all the same brand, but they’re the same color and all match well. 

Best Advice: If you find a piece that really speaks to you or just really makes you happy, get it. I had random decorations, paintings, lamps, etc. squirreled away for a year before I even bought my place. Also, don’t be afraid to be bold and go for something a little funky or different. A coat of paint can fix a lot of accidents! 

Credit: Minette Hand

Dream Sources: Wendy Morrison Design. Her rugs and overall design aesthetic are incredible and very luxe! 

Resources

Credit: Minette Hand

PAINT & COLORS

Credit: Minette Hand

LIVING ROOM

Credit: http://minettehand.com/

UNDER THE STAIRS

Credit: http://minettehand.com/

DINING ROOM

Credit: http://minettehand.com/

KITCHEN

  • Painted cabinets with Sherwin Williams Emerald Extra White high gloss 
  • Handles — Found at consignment shop
  • Rug — Flea Market
  • Framed art above key hook — Debbie Fornell painting of Shem Creek, where my condo is located. Closing gift given to me by my realtor, Lauren Peajeu 
  • Juicer — My most recent Goodwill find! $5!
Credit: Minette Hand

GUEST BEDROOM

  • Day bed —Special order from Out of Hand 
  • Rug — Marshall’s HomeGoods
  • Cowhide chair — Yard sale
  • Armoire — Yard sale
  • Indonesian Mirror on armoire — Old Stuff Co. 
  • Lamp — Shuggy’s Antiques in Wheeling, WV
  • American Flag — Brimfield AntiqueFlea Market
Credit: Minette Hand

EMILY’S BEDROOM

  • Bamboo furniture found on Facebook Marketplace! 
Credit: Minette Hand

MARY KATHRYN’S BEDROOM

BATHROOM

Credit: http://minettehand.com/

DOWNSTAIRS POWDER ROOM

Credit: Minette Hand

UPSTAIRS BATHROOM

Credit: Minette Hand

PORCH

  • Hammock seat on porch —Amazon

Thanks, Mary Kathryn!

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