Before and After: A Very Dark, Dated House Gets Better, Brighter, and Beautiful

Interior designer Joanne Palmisano was given a challenge on this property. The owner bought this rundown Gothic style house with the idea of using it as a vacation home and a rental. He didn’t want to spend a fortune but knew that Joanne could work her magic by getting creative. So he just told her how much he wanted to spend and let her take over the rest. When Joanne saw the red carpets and heavy beams, she knew she had some work to do.

The first step was turning the place from creepy to charming, while still keeping the character of the house intact. Removing all the carpeting, adding hardwood floors, taking out the wall between the dining room and kitchen and adding some windows, and some bright white paint did a lot to change the look and feel.

Keeping a European feel to the place, Joanne had the builder make some open shelving for the kitchen (and reused some of the old cabinets) and painted them all gray. Then using 2′ x 2′ tiles, she created a stone look for the counter and back splash and ordered pieces online to create the pot rack. With the open shelving, pot rack and vintage double drainboard, and double bowl sink, the kitchen was now an open and welcoming space.  

There were two over-sized closets in the master bedroom but no bathroom, so transforming one of the closets into a bathroom was a must. With affordable tile, a custom vanity, and by removing the closets and doors, there was plenty of room for a charming and inviting bathroom.

The master bedroom’s headboard was created from the cabinet doors removed from the bathroom and Joanne found many of the vintage pieces at a variety of second-hand and antique shops. The floral pillow was once a vintage skirt that an Etsy designer made. A modern rug and bright walls really bring a contemporary feel to the space and highlight the wooden beams.

Staying true to the home’s style, Joanne mixed and matched new and old to create a charming European feel, while updating it to a contemporary home that is now enjoyed by all. She salvaged many elements to create a beautiful and affordable home. Joanne is the author of three internationally acclaimed salvage design books, “Salvage Secrets,” “Salvage Secrets Design & Décor,” and “Styling with Salvage.” She also has a new book coming out this March, “Rock Your Rental.”

Project Style: Rustic Modern with a European touch

Inspiration: European country homes.

Favorite Element: 1950s vintage double drainboard, double sink for the kitchen. I have always wanted to use this sink in a kitchen and I finally had the opportunity to do so. Finding an antique cast iron double drainboard, double sink is not always easy, so when I found one at my local salvage shop (Mason Brothers Salvage), I grabbed it!

Biggest Challenge: Turning a large slanted ceiling closet into a full master bathroom.  By removing the cabinets along the wall, we were able to make the space feel bigger. We also put all the functioning pieces—sink, toilet, and shower head on the higher side of the room, so you never had to duck down to use anything.

Proudest DIY: There are two: Using 2×2 stone tiles to make the kitchen counter look like a vintage European stone counter and backsplash at about a tenth of the price. Using the old cabinet doors that we removed from the extra large closet-turned-bathroom and turning them into a headboard for the master bed and second bedroom.

Biggest Indulgence: Maple hardwood floors. Even though we got a screaming deal on the flooring (I asked the lumber yard if they had anything they wanted to get out of their warehouse and got a great price), hardwood floors still need to be sanded and sealed. Totally worth it!

What’s your best home secret? Finding deals is not as hard as you think. Think about what you want in your space and then think about ways you can get it—warehouse sales, vintage shops, floor models, returns, left-over from someone else’s project.

• Walls – Bright White, Sherwin Williams
• Cabinetry — Peppercorn, Sherwin Williams

• Flooring — Lathrop’s Maple Supply
• Lighting — Lighting House
• Couch — Modern Design
• Antiques — Vintage Inspired

• Picnic Table – Custom Made
• Rewired Antique Chandelier

• Kitchen Copper Hooks — Amazon
• Kitchen Wall Sconces — Savoy House
• Materials for Pot Rack — Global Industrial
• Tile — Best Tile
• Custom Cabinets
• Cabinet Paint Color — Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn
• Appliances — GE from Best Buy

• Carpeting — Milliken Inkwell
• Northern Feather Bedding
• Master Bed — Custom Throw Pillow, Etsy
• Bed Platforms — Overstock
• Headboard — custom made from the bathroom cabinet doors
• Headboard Color — Sherwin Williams Peppercorn
• Sealy Posturepedic Thayer Line

• Shower Rods — Signature Hardware
• Tile — Best Tile
• Tub — Lowes
• Vanity — Custom
• Lighting — Lighting House
• Faucet — Pfister Breckenridge Black
• Vessel Sink — Kohler Vox
• Stairwell — Feiss Chandelier

This submission’s responses have been edited for length and clarity.