Table Of ContentCopyright
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
Woman’s 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
Contents
Copyright
Introduction
PART ONE: Timeless Transformations
Redefining Style
Beauty Restored
Elegant Additions
Rooms for Improvement
PART TWO: Kitchen Classics
Vibrant Revivals
Eat-In Options
Letting In Light
Space Considerations
PART THREE: Bathroom Beauties
Cool Glamour
Expanding Needs
Space Makers
Making Light of It
PART FOUR: Design Is in the Details
Above and Below It All
Outdoor Outlook
APPENDIX: How to Hire and Work with Contractors
Decoding the Codes
Giving a Home a New Face
Making Sense of Floor Plans
Dealing with Problem Walls
Beautifying with Faux Finishes
Glossary
Photo credits
Acknowledgments
Introduction
When we ask the readers of the remodeling and decorating
magazines we produce at Woman’s Day Special Interest Publications
to tell us what they’d 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 remodeler’s 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 techniques—from
tiling to wallpapering—will 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,
Woman’s Day
Special
Interest Publications
PART 1
Timeless Transformations
“Easy” 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 immediately—if not by an
architect, then certainly by a contractor. Are there structural issues?
Windows to be removed or added? What about traffic flow—will 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
professionals—licensed plumbers and electricians, for example.
Don’t 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 couldn’t 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:
what’s to be done and how to do it. Don’t compete with the pros you
hire, but make your needs are known. Never assume they understand
what you’re after until it is absolutely clear that they do. You need a
contract that embraces every aspect of the job. What’s more
important, however, is to spell out, in writing—step by step—every
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.
REDEFINING STYLE
The expansive new living room has high ceilings and a warm
ambience.
Unboxed
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 wasn’t 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 home’s 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
