Home Renovation Part 1- Parlor

When we bought this old house in April, we had some quick fix plans.  All it needed was some new paint,  cabinets, and floor refinishing.  Impressed by magazine articles featuring interior designers own tiny, once ramshackle homes, that are transformed via a coat of paint and nice throw pillows, I thought we could make it charming. 

Everything original to the house, which could have been redeemable, had been stripped over the years, and details like wood paneling, ceiling beams, wall-to-wall carpeting, and factory finished cherry floors were added in the 80s.  Instead of trying to recreate its colonial roots, we decided to embrace our love of  contemporary.

BEFORE

 AFTER

I still haven't decided whether to add window treatments.

The home lacks a proper foyer and the parlor acts as entrance and pass through to all of the other rooms on the main floor.

Light fixture from Shades of Light

An antique store purchase gives a nod to Red Riding Hood.

Chelsea Gray - I'm addicted!

We repaired, sanded, and stained the original Douglas Fir floors and painted the walls Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray and paneling Wisp White (white with a hint of gray).

Unsure how to treat the wood ceiling beams, we eventually decided to paint them white.  Purists would likely disagree  with some of our choices, but I think it made our mid-century furniture feel more at home.