Back in May a friend of mine asked for my help with the design details of a home he purchased. He had plans of renovating this little house that needed a whole lot of love and turning it into a rental property. In about 4 months, Oscar and his crew completely transformed what became known as The Armstrong House from top to bottom with a new roof and siding, two decks added, a completely new kitchen and bathroom, flooring, paint, light fixtures, doors… basically everything except for windows were updated and replaced. If you’ve been following along with this renovation, you already know how bad of shape this house was in when we started with horrible smoke and nicotine stains everywhere. But if you need to catch up, you can check out these blog posts I’ve shared so far: 1 | 2 | 3
I want to share a few lessons I’ve learned while working on this project, and then I promise I’ll share all the pretty photos you’ve been waiting for.
- The power of paint is incredible. It’s one of the most affordable ways you can completely transform a space and give it a whole new look and feel.
- Sweat equity and a whole lot of elbow grease can save you thousands. It would have been easier to just hire out jobs like painting the entire house top to bottom, and some days that sounded like a much better option. But so much of this house renovation was done by Oscar and his circle of skilled tradesmen, which made a huge difference in the budget he was able to stay under.
- Nothing worth having comes easy. This renovation was a lot of long hours in the evening and on weekends. Everyone who worked on this house in any small way has a full time job or jobs they had to go to before starting on this project each day. We ran into problems, had to come up with solutions, and the end result is a beautiful new investment property that is ready for its first tenant… which happens to be my momma. 🙂
Without further ado, welcome to The Armstrong House…
Pictures speak a thousand words, but this video of the entire renovation start to finish says everything:
I had to put together these side-by-side comparisons of the before and after. Can you believe the difference?
I CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK!
My mom is officially moved in, and we are starting to make this place feel like home for her. And let me tell you, picking out furniture is a heck of a lot more fun than drywall dust and buckets of paint! The house is a beautiful (and very white) blank canvas right now, but just wait till you see how cozy it is all going to be after we get done decorating. Of course I’ll take you along for the next part of this whole process, and I have a HUGE announcement that will be coming soon, so make sure to keep an eye out for that. Thank you so much for being here and sharing in our excitement on this project. And thank you to Oscar for letting me be a small part of creating this house that my mom gets to enjoy. xoxo Liz
Amazing transformation. Being an avid gardener, I can only imagine some landscaping would send this jewel over the top.
Well, it was worth the wait. I’m just shaking my head, because I can’t believe it. What a beautiful transformation! I bet your Mom will be so happy there, especially since you did it for her. Well done!!💜
Wow what a transformation! Well done and thanks for sharing.
I love ‘before and afters’ and this one is amaaaaazing! Talk about making a purse out of a sow’s ear!! How fun that your mom gets to be the first one in, Liz! And you get to put your magic decorating touch on it! Can’t wait to see that! Way to go to Oscar and his team and all who had a hand in it!
Just a comment as I toured – change the swing on the refrigerator door?? and any pics of the little pantry area?
Oh, and please keep us updated when the landscaping goes in. Thanks so much for sharing – Blessings to all!
WOW! This feels, dare I say, Miraculous! There is this response watching the video, which speeds up all the hard work you did, that feels like a Sigh of Relief–you know it’s coming, but starting with the brown walls and years of neglect, you can’t wait to get to the end when all is put right, all is white and clean and new. It feels like a metaphor–in a world that is struggling to recover from many ills, this is a picture of Hope. I’m in the midst of my own journey of transition right now (my boys and I are recovering from the loss of my husband from cancer), and this visual was such an encouragement. Transformation doesn’t just happen, it is lots of Hard Work. But with support from friends and family (loved seeing your boys alongside you!), with Time and Patience, with a vision of what Can Be, it is possible to bring about Healing and New Beginnings. So Liz, THANK YOU! Thank you for sending out Light and Beauty at a time we all need it.
Gayle, you have absolutely moved me to tears. Your words are beautiful, and I can feel the journey you’re on right now. So many hugs, sweet friend. Thank you for being here!
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I just love how bright and cheery it is~~it looks spectacular!!
It looks fantastic. Great job to all
Absolutely beautiful. Bought tears to my eyes that this was done for your mom. What a lucky mom to have such a talented hard working daughter!
A beautiful remodel – your mom is a lucky gal!!!
Love, love it!! Can’t wait to see the next round!!
Just beautiful. Your mom must be thrilled. You and Oscar are a good team.
Beautiful! I can’t wait to see it with your moms furniture! Loved the video and side-by-side pics!
I love it Liz! What a great transformation. It is so beautiful!!
Colleen
Thank you for sharing this adventure! Your mom will make this sweet house a home. Can’t wait to see how you two decorate it.
I often think of the life that left a home and there was one~ And now the new life you have brought into a beautiful transition that your mom will live her life in. What a joy to watch this house turn into a tender loving home. It’s right in every way! Safe homesteading to your mom and what a joy it must be for her to feel such love and comfort.
What an amazing transformation! And what a lot of really hard work all y’all put into this adorable house! I hope your mom enjoys many years in the house her daughter “helped build.” Looking forward to the decorating now because you have awesome taste! 🙂