Colonial Home Renovation: Balancing Design and Functionality

Renovating a colonial home requires a delicate balance between preserving its original charm and incorporating modern functionality. This can be achieved by carefully selecting design elements that complement the home's classic architecture.

To start, consider the typical colonial home layout, which often features a central staircase and symmetrical façade. This layout can be preserved while still incorporating modern amenities.

A key aspect of colonial home renovation is choosing materials that blend in with the original design. For example, using wood paneling, brick, or stone can help create a cohesive look.

If this caught your attention, see: Home Renovation Planning Software

When renovating a Colonial home, it's essential to consider the design and layout of the kitchen and bathroom. Clever ideas can make a big impact, like Amanda's Colonial home kitchen remodel, which featured a newly-created bathroom.

A well-designed layout can make a small kitchen feel more spacious. For example, Amanda's kitchen remodel included a thoughtful layout that maximized every inch of space.

In a Colonial home, it's not uncommon to find narrow hallways and small rooms. Amanda's bathroom remodel was a great example of how to make the most of a small space, with a clever layout that fit all the essentials in.

Curious to learn more? Check out: Home Depot Kitchen Renovation Cost

When designing a kitchen, it's essential to balance the layout to create a functional and beautiful space.

Infrastructural elements can greatly impact the design, as seen in the kitchen where the major waste line for three upstairs bathrooms runs along the exterior wall. This dictated the design, making it a challenge to incorporate.

Customization is key when working with existing cabinets, as demonstrated by the homeowners who custom-ordered the missing cabinet doors. This allowed them to maintain the original size and shape of the kitchen.

Symmetry is also crucial in creating a balanced look, which is why the homeowners decided to give the asymmetrically placed sheetrock box beam matching mates. This creates a sense of harmony and visual appeal.

Rearranging appliances can also help achieve balance, as seen in the kitchen where the cook top was removed from the island and replaced with a range. This created more space and a better workflow.

Intriguing read: Home Depot Kitchen Renovation

A well-designed backsplash and countertops can also contribute to a balanced look, as shown by the homeowners who installed a marble backsplash and butcher block countertops. The warm, cottage feel created by the stained provincial wood adds a cozy touch.

Incorporating built-in features, such as a baking station or a microwave shelf, can also help balance the kitchen layout. The homeowners' decision to install a built-in shelf for their microwave and cookbooks is a great example of this.

I've given a thrift shop desk a major makeover, and I'm excited to share my process with you. Painting furniture can be a great way to breathe new life into old pieces.

To start, you'll want to choose a paint that's specifically designed for furniture. This type of paint is usually formulated to adhere well to surfaces and withstand wear and tear.

I've found that a primer is often necessary to ensure a smooth finish. Applying a primer first can help the paint adhere evenly and prevent any unevenness.

For this project, I used a combination of a primer and a semi-gloss paint to give the desk a fresh, modern look. The semi-gloss finish is also easy to clean and maintain.

In the family room, a warm white paint color was chosen to create a light and bright atmosphere, despite the big bay window that still allows for some dimness.

A textured ceiling was scrapped and repairs were made from a previous leak. The fireplace mantel was sanded and repainted with a cream color that pairs well with the walls.

The built-in bookcase was painted and bead board wallpaper was hung on the back for added character.

A Colonial home kitchen remodel and a newly-created bathroom can be a great way to breathe new life into an old space. The homeowners in this example added a warm white finish to the walls and shelves in their pantry to create a cozy atmosphere.

For a small pantry like theirs, organizing with baskets and glass containers is key to keeping everything in its place. They added extra shelves and made the highest ones narrower for easy access.

If you're looking to create a functional pantry, consider adding bead board and painting the walls and shelves in a warm white finish. This can help create a sense of calm and make the space feel larger.

Amanda, the homeowner, has experience with small spaces, having previously lived in a walk-up apartment in Brooklyn. She knows that every inch counts, and that's why she opted for a Colonial home with a shorter commute and more social opportunities.

To make the most of a small pantry, prioritize organization and functionality. By using baskets and glass containers, you can keep everything tidy and easily accessible.

Worth a look: Home Renovation Ideas for Small Home

The kitchen is the heart of any home, and it's where we spend a lot of time cooking, socializing, and making memories. In this section, we'll explore some clever ideas for a Colonial home kitchen remodel, as seen in the project featured in the article.

To start, it's essential to work with what you already have. In this case, the homeowners decided to keep the existing cabinets and custom order the missing doors. They then sanded and painted the cabinetry to give it a fresh new look.

Expand your knowledge: Mobile Home Kitchen Renovation

Rearranging the appliances can also make a big impact. The homeowners removed the old cook top from the island and installed a range where the fridge was. They also built a custom hood and installed a new fridge where the old wall oven used to be.

A beautiful backsplash and countertops can elevate the entire kitchen. The homeowners installed a marble backsplash and butcher block countertops stained in provincial for a warm cottage feel.

Here are some key elements to consider when remodeling your kitchen:

By incorporating these elements, you can create a kitchen that's both functional and beautiful.

The Powder/Laundry room is a multi-functional space that can be a challenge to design. We combined two closets and some square footage to create a powder room that's become the most frequented bathroom in the house.

A pocket door with frosted glass saved space and allowed light to flow through, while Art Deco wallpaper, wainscoting, and paint in neutral tones added a touch of elegance. Manufacturers say you can install wood flooring over radiant heat systems, but wood isn't an efficient conductor of heat.

We replaced the old floor with a brick tile, which is a great option if you want a tile that doesn't appear cold or hard. Time moves slowly when renovating, especially when you're living on the second floor of your home and feeding a family from a makeshift kitchen in your bedroom.

Our city building department took three months to issue our permits, which was frustrating but not the fault of our contractors. The new space makes us feel happy, and we love the new millwork that feels harmonious with the rest of our beautiful old Colonial home.

Consider reading: Old Home Renovation

The Foyer is a space that sets the tone for the rest of the house. A dark, worn-out foyer can be a real turn-off, but ours was especially bad, with a terrible smell and a 40-yard dumpster full of trash and broken furniture.

We got rid of all that junk and started fresh with some new paint and light fixtures. Fresh paint can work wonders in a space, and it's amazing how a little bit of color can brighten up a room.

We also planked the ceiling with tongue and groove and painted it to match the trim and walls for a tone-on-tone look. This is a great budget-friendly fix that can really make a space feel more cohesive.

Painting the stairs was another clever move, especially since we removed the old carpet. It's a great way to save money and still get a fresh new look.

The living room is a space that can easily become a catch-all for clutter and disuse. We used our formal living room as an office and music room at first, but it's now converted into a TV/game room for our family.

To create a functional and inviting space, consider repurposing a room that's not being used to its full potential. We installed built-ins along the back wall for lots of storage and French doors to close off the space from the foyer when needed.

A fresh coat of paint can work wonders in a room. We painted the walls and trim in our living room to give it a bright and airy feel. Armchairs can add a touch of elegance and comfort to the space, as seen in our Ballard Designs armchair.

Ultimately, the key to a successful living room renovation is to create a space that reflects your family's needs and personality. By repurposing a room and adding functional storage and decorative touches, you can create a cozy and inviting space that everyone will love.

The family room is a space that's all about creating a cozy atmosphere. It's where we spend quality time together, whether it's reading, watching TV, or just hanging out.

A warm white paint color can help make a room feel more inviting, as seen in the family room where it was chosen to complement the antique oak mantel.

Textured ceilings can be a bit of a pain to work with, but they can also be a great opportunity to make a statement. In the family room, the textured ceiling was scrapped and repairs were made to a previous leak.

Slipcovered headboards can be a great way to add a personal touch to a room, and they're also super easy to clean. The author found a slipcovered headboard at a yard sale and used it in the family room.

Bead board wallpaper can add a lot of character to a room, and it's especially effective when paired with built-in bookcases. In the family room, bead board wallpaper was hung on the back of the built-in bookcase for a unique look.

The Dining Room is a space that can be easily overlooked, but with a little TLC, it can become a beautiful and functional area for entertaining and everyday use.

To create a cohesive look, consider painting the walls and trim in the same color, as seen in the example where the walls and trim were painted in one color for a clean tone on tone look.

A budget-friendly option for updating the floors is to paint them in a warm sage color, as planned for the dining room.

Area rugs can also help to add warmth and color to the space, as they did in the dining room example.

The back porch is a lovely retreat, perfect for spending evenings surrounded by lush greenery. It's a private space that's been cleared and planted with care.

We've put a lot of work into this area, and it's amazing to see how far we've come. It's a true reflection of our hard work and dedication to building and designing our dream home.

In the evenings, we love to sit out here and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. The greenery makes it feel like a little oasis in the midst of our busy lives.

We're planning to landscape the property and create a fire pit area and a vegetable garden in the years to come. This will give us even more reasons to spend time outdoors and enjoy the beauty of nature.

A fire pit will be a great addition, perfect for chilly evenings and cozy gatherings with friends and family.

Updating a 1960s Garrison House can be a challenge, but with the right approach, you can make the most of its unique features. The rooms in a Garrison colonial are smaller, have lower ceilings, and are more closed off than in modern homes.

One way to make the space feel larger is to open up the rooms wherever possible. We did this by removing walls and doors to create a more open floor plan. This can make a big impact on the overall feel of the space.

A key feature of Garrison colonials is the center entrance that opens into the main stairway. This can be a great opportunity to add some visual interest to the space. We added a decorative screen to the entrance to create a sense of separation between the front hall and the living room.

If you're planning a renovation, be sure to consider the layout of your home. In our case, we moved the laundry upstairs and added a rear mudroom to create more functional space. This can make a big difference in the overall flow of the house.

Here are some key features to consider when updating a 1960s Garrison House:

By understanding the unique features of a 1960s Garrison House, you can make informed decisions about how to update and renovate the space. With a little creativity and planning, you can turn this charming home into a beautiful and functional living space.