Project Highland House Remodel to-do List

In the days of Pinterest and Instagram, it’s easy to get completely carried away with your home renovation wishlist. We see beautiful images all day long that conveniently are not attached to a price tag so the dreaming stage of a home remodel can quickly bring a slap to the cheek when we realize what we want and what we can afford are two very different things.
Even as an interior designer my love for spectacularly spectacular custom designs had to be taken down a notch when planning the design for the Highland House Project (the one I’m so lovingly calling the There Can Be Only One Highland House). This, admittedly, has been a fine line to walk considering the facts that a) this is a home in a high end neighborhood AND b) I have to be able to keep my head above water and turn a profit with the sale when it’s finished.
Those things considered, here are the details about the home in case you missed it. The home is a 3540 square foot ranch home with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths plus a large home office and den. Soaring 11ft ceilings throughout really make it feel so much larger. The large master bedroom overlooks beautiful landscaping and as someone else put it you could host an aerobics class in the master bathroom. It’s a big’n.
Before anything else I wanted to make sure my headspace was right in the budget. I work with client to make sure their own expectations are in check when we start a home remodel or a furnishings and home decor project, to make sure that they have an understanding of what the things they want actually cost. When I crunched the numbers on my project, a few things were immediately taken off the list, and a couple other items became compromises that though I’m not crazy about, it’s best for the size and style of the home. On my original list, we considered adding a staircase off the foyer and creating a living space and bedroom in the attic. I was a little concerned with the square footage being in the 3’s (if you know this neighborhood, you know this is a smaller home compared to others). We found that the expense to do this wouldn’t be justified as the amount of footage upstairs wouldn’t really make massive strides in the total living space.
We also looked into changing out the garage door configuration to make room for a golf cart door (this home is in a very nice golf community). We nixed this as it didn’t feel like a priority since there is already a space for the cart it just has to travel though an existing car garage door. Good enough for me. The last thing I had to change from my original plan pains me to even type. We’re keeping carpet. I hate it. The bedrooms currently already have carpet, but we ARE taking that out to put in new, clean, updated carpet. Le Sigh. Here’s why…the size of this home and the layout leads me to think this home is perfect for someone of retirement age (or a very young family). As such, I think an older couple or single tenant would be much more open to something soft for their toesies. The main living areas do have hardwood and it is in my plans to have them refinished to an unstained natural wood. This has been a struggle for me to let go of, but I’m channeling my best Elsa and moving on. The carpet never bothered me anyway.

A view from the dining room off of the home entry. The wall facing the fireplace will be removed to open the kitchen to the living room and the fireplace will get a new look.

I firmly believe that the rest of the changes made will be so dang good. Here’s what they are:

The Project Highland House remodel to- do list

All new kitchen- you all I’m so excited about this one. I don’t want to blow any surprises, but this ain’t your everyday JoJo Gaines kitchen. There will be no subway tile or white painted cabinetry. The wall between the living room and kitchen will be (already has been) removed. A large kitchen island faces the living area, lots of drawers in the cabinetry, two appliance garage/pantries, and a 48” range with a stunning Honed Orion Black 3x4 riser over the range to go with the tops.

This kitchen is toast. The wall with the sink will be removed and a large island built in its place.

The paint- all walls will be painted in Benjamin Moore Dove Wing and the trim, doors, and windows will be painted in a contrasting trim of Benjamin Moore Baby Fawn. Mmm, mmm, mmm it’s going to be so drool worthy!
The home office- this room just off the foyer is going to pop. The built in cabinetry and trim will be painted in a deep smoky blue and the walls a shade or two lighter to give that tone on tone look that I can’t get enough of.
The interior (and exterior) columns will be replaced with a boxed post. Outside the Grecian columns will be boxed and painted a nice greigey tone (along with the gutters, windows, and facias) to soften the current stark contrast to the brick. The brick will not be painted. I am a believer that there is a time and place for painted brick and some brick is just fine the way it is. Exhibit A.
All bathrooms will be brand new. The master will feature a large freestanding tub and a walk-in shower. I’m so excited for the hardware, fixtures, and tile combinations in this room. He & she will have their own vanities and each with the prettiest mirror flanking sconces you ever did see.
The Jack and Jill bathroom will feature a unique and totally unplanned vanity/sink situation. During demo, the vanity was supposed to be saved and it was to be painted with a new top and faucets. Demo was completed and the vanity had been chucked. Whoops! Never fear it’s going to be great! You’ll be in for a pleasant surprise.
All new lighting throughout. No words can describe how excited I am about the new fixtures for this home.

At the time of this post, most of the demo work has been completed, 92.75% of materials have been ordered and most are on the way. Next on the list is interior painting. I can’t wait to share. In case you missed it, below is a BEFORE home tour of the There Can Be Only One Highland House before any changes were made.

Before Home Tour

What do you think about this Project Remodel to-do list?

What do you think of some of the changes I’ve mentioned. Have you ever heard of a designer doing a house flip as a personal project? Would you feel better about buying a house that had been professionally redesigned by an interior designer rather than a DIY house? What more could I tell you about doing a remodel project with me as a designer?