Kaufman - Easy home makeovers: before and after transformations for any living space

Copyright 2007 Filipacchi Publishing USA, Inc.

First published in 2007 in the United States of America by

Filipacchi Publishing

1633 Broadway

New York, NY 10019

Womans Day Special Interest Publications is a registered trademark of Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

First eBook Edition: March 2010

ISBN: 978-1-933231-84-6

W hen we ask the readers of the remodeling and decorating magazines we produce at Womans Day Special Interest Publications to tell us what theyd like us to cover in our issues, one of their favorite topics is always before-and-after makeovers. These makeovers can take many forms, from giving a boring room a much-needed face-lift, to bumping out a wall to gain sorely needed space, to tackling a major whole-house renovation. Easy Home Makeovers covers this wide range of makeovers and is for anyone who is contemplating remodeling, updating, or simply refreshing their living space.

An essential remodelers guidebook, Easy Home Makeovers showcases beautifully transformed kitchens, baths, bedrooms, living rooms, family rooms, basements, and even attics. Each makeover presented includes before-and-after photos, floor plans and detailed information on exactly what was done. In addition, tips and tricks from the pros, advice on how to find and work with a contractor, and step-by-step instructions on important remodeling techniquesfrom tiling to wallpaperingwill see you successfully through the remodeling process.

Good luck with your remodeling endeavors! I know that Easy Home Makeovers will provide you with the ideas and inspiration you need to fill your home with your own personal style.

Olivia Monjo,

Editor-in-Chief,

Womans Day Special

Interest Publications

E asy is often difficult; even the simplest changes in the way a home looks and functions involve planning, a lot of head-scratching, and much detailed decision making. No remodel is ever as simple as just taking down a wall and merging two spaces, although the idea does seem simple enough. Questions arise immediatelyif not by an architect, then certainly by a contractor. Are there structural issues? Windows to be removed or added? What about traffic flowwill you be moving a doorway? Will you be satisfied just patching the floor where that wall once stood? Or will you want to redo the entire floor in what was once two rooms? Note that wiring, plumbing, heating, and cooling may also be affected when a wall is removed. Yet the task itself is relatively simple.

Many such tasks can be done by homeowners who are handy, experienced, and prepared to commit time, energy, and patience to the job. But at some point even they usually defer to professionalslicensed plumbers and electricians, for example. Dont approach any home-remodeling project as a need to prove yourself. If you know what you want and, basically, how to get the job done, your value may lie in keen discernment: determining which pro to hire and being able to oversee the work that person needs to do.

How often have you heard, from friends or crestfallen colleagues, the complaint, I couldnt be there all the time, so nothing was done right? The truth is even if you are on the scene every day, mistakes can be made, right in front of your eyes, unless you know the drill: whats to be done and how to do it. Dont compete with the pros you hire, but make your needs are known. Never assume they understand what youre after until it is absolutely clear that they do. You need a contract that embraces every aspect of the job. Whats more important, however, is to spell out, in writingstep by stepevery need and preference. You and your remodelers must work together to achieve a common goal: getting the work done right. When everything falls into place as it should, even the hardest jobs will seem easier.

In the section that follows, you will find whole-house renovations and elegant additions that represent different levels of difficulty. But you will also find that each presents a rich variety of ideas and decorating tips that will be useful in any remodeling you undertake.

The expansive new living room has high ceilings and a warm ambience.

Used as a ski chalet, this Beaver Creek, Colorado, duplex was really little more than a collection of boxy, low-ceilinged rooms that provided a stopover for sleeping and a place for storing equipment between runs. At first sight, homeowner and designer Sally Austen, owner of Sagebrush Design in Edwards, Colorado, was able to see a range of design possibilities. I wasnt really in the market to buy, Sally recalled, but I could see that the house had good bones. Although it was quite a challenge, I knew it could be exquisite.

Before she could consider the decorative elements, she had to open up the space and enlarge it. Sally began by turning the loggia that connected the house to the garage into a living room with a vaulted ceiling. She then turned a cramped 8-by-8-foot kitchen area into an L-shaped room that is pleasing to work in and great for entertaining. I wanted to create a place where people could gather, she said.

The space that had originally been the living room became a casual area for dining and informal get-togethers, warmed by a big stone fireplace. For larger gatherings, Sally utilizes the foyer, which has a faux French refectory table that, with leaves, can open to 10 feet wide and seat eight.

Major work was needed to turn the dark, low-ceilinged hunter-green bedroom into a master suite. When removing the dark wood beams, Sally was happy to discover that the ceiling was false, and proceeded to open it up to its true height of 15 feet. Uncommon in the West, French doors were used in several rooms replacing the solid interior doors that gave the rooms a cramped feeling. She also had the worn carpeting throughout the house replaced with antique-looking hickory floors, and had all of the wall areas repainted in light tones to visually expand the rooms. Many of the windows were also replaced to bring in light and open the rooms to the natural beauty and year-round view outside.

The Wish List

Increase the homes interior living space from 2,500 to almost 3,800 square feet

Add a formal living room, media room and study

Create a vaulted ceiling so the loggia would become the living room

Heighten the bedroom by removing crisscrossed beams and a false ceiling

Widen the door area leading to the master bathroom

Brighten and update all of the baths with marblelike ceramic or porcelain tiles

Install a series of stacked windows on one side of the new living room to take greater advantage of the view

At one time the living room, this cozy hearth room is now a place where informal get-togethers occur.