My Houzz: An Untouched 1970s House is Beautifully Transformed
Avid DIY-ers have brought this 1970s home back to life with midcentury and bohemian décor, as these before and after photos show
Although the interior was dated and dark, interior stylist Anna Smith of Annabode + Co knew what a little love and light could do for her family’s new home in Denver, Colorado. She and her husband, Austin, were moving from Washington, DC, with their son and wanted to buy a neglected property that had to be completely redone. Since they couldn’t make it out to Denver before the move, the couple could only “step inside” the house by FaceTiming with the estate agent, and they made an offer without seeing the place in person. Once they moved in during the summer of 2015, they knew they’d made the right choice.
Except for the plumbing and electrical work, the couple did everything themselves, from installing plasterboard to laying the floors to framing the windows. Anna used a minimalist design approach and a neutral interior palette accented with warm colours and brass, wood and potted plants. Even with no experience in renovation and a tight budget, the Smiths created an open, light-filled, modern space for their family of three.
Except for the plumbing and electrical work, the couple did everything themselves, from installing plasterboard to laying the floors to framing the windows. Anna used a minimalist design approach and a neutral interior palette accented with warm colours and brass, wood and potted plants. Even with no experience in renovation and a tight budget, the Smiths created an open, light-filled, modern space for their family of three.
AFTER Instead of following a traditional approach of designing each room separately and distinct from the rest of the house, Anna wanted to create “one giant living space. I love it when dining rooms unexpectedly have bookshelves and feel like a library or just another part of the house,” she says.
Because the house had a living room and a family room close to each other, the original living room was transformed into a dining room. A bohemian-style rug adds colour here and is also practical and functional. “It’s entirely synthetic, so it repels pretty much any stains,” Anna says.
After ripping out the carpet, the couple installed wood flooring themselves and added skirting boards and trim. They also replaced the original aluminium windows and added overhead lighting. The previously off-white walls were given a fresh coat of white.
Walls painted in Simply White, Benjamin Moore. Chandelier, Harlow Smoked, Triple Seven. Chairs, Homestead Seattle. Sheepskin throw, Black Sheep (White Light). Hardwood floors, Southern Pecan Natural, Home Depot. Rug, Sonoma Jewels, Abacasa.
Because the house had a living room and a family room close to each other, the original living room was transformed into a dining room. A bohemian-style rug adds colour here and is also practical and functional. “It’s entirely synthetic, so it repels pretty much any stains,” Anna says.
After ripping out the carpet, the couple installed wood flooring themselves and added skirting boards and trim. They also replaced the original aluminium windows and added overhead lighting. The previously off-white walls were given a fresh coat of white.
Walls painted in Simply White, Benjamin Moore. Chandelier, Harlow Smoked, Triple Seven. Chairs, Homestead Seattle. Sheepskin throw, Black Sheep (White Light). Hardwood floors, Southern Pecan Natural, Home Depot. Rug, Sonoma Jewels, Abacasa.
Plants fill the room, adding to the organic look and feel. “My dining room is my favourite room in our house because it’s the most ‘me’,” Anna says. “I wanted it to be unfussy and functional, but still have the midcentury lines and slightly rustic elements I love.”
She also loves the framed print by Boston photographer SL Bird. “It reminds me of my childhood home, on another New England lake.”
Artwork: The Island by SL Bird, Minted.
See how to get the back-to-nature ‘Brooklyn’ look
She also loves the framed print by Boston photographer SL Bird. “It reminds me of my childhood home, on another New England lake.”
Artwork: The Island by SL Bird, Minted.
See how to get the back-to-nature ‘Brooklyn’ look
The dining room shelf includes a bookshelf Anna built from reclaimed Colorado barn wood. Here she displays an eclectic array of plants, books and daily essentials, including wooden bowls made by a family friend, a large dish that belonged to Austin’s grandmother and a Poketo brass trivet given to the couple as a wedding gift.
Check out the 11 lessons minimalists can teach untidy people
Check out the 11 lessons minimalists can teach untidy people
A second-hand sideboard adds storage to help keep the room clutter-free, especially important as this space is next to the main entrance.
“One of the most important things my husband and I strive for is furnishing our home with used, vintage or antique pieces as much as possible,” Anna says. “It’s less wasteful and often so much less expensive than buying a newly made piece.” The sideboard, dining table and bench were online finds and the houseplants were also obtained second-hand. The chairs are vintage and the Smiths had the rug and mirror in their last home.
Mirror, Stockholm, Ikea.
“One of the most important things my husband and I strive for is furnishing our home with used, vintage or antique pieces as much as possible,” Anna says. “It’s less wasteful and often so much less expensive than buying a newly made piece.” The sideboard, dining table and bench were online finds and the houseplants were also obtained second-hand. The chairs are vintage and the Smiths had the rug and mirror in their last home.
Mirror, Stockholm, Ikea.
Anna and Austin added their own little design hack to the dining table. They wanted it to have an extra leaf, so they had a worktop-maker cut leftover marble from their kitchen project to size.
AFTER The kitchen was the couple’s first home renovation project. “We created an entirely new space by taking out the wall that separated the old dining room from the original galley kitchen. [The wall was between the two windows.] We resized the window on the right so we could fit cabinets underneath it,” Anna says. They took six months to put in recessed and pendant lighting, add all new plasterboard, redo the plumbing and install hardwood flooring.
After reconfiguring the layout, they installed new white cabinetry, wooden shelving and a hexagon-tiled splashback. They also replaced the appliances. “Basically, we touched everything we could,” Anna says.
Cabinets, Veddinge, Ikea. Sink, undermount deep single-bowl, Zuhne. Tap, Ringskär, Ikea. Range hood, Luftig, Ikea. Dinnerware, Coupe line in Opaque White, Heath Ceramics. Pendant lights, Luna, Schoolhouse Electric.
After reconfiguring the layout, they installed new white cabinetry, wooden shelving and a hexagon-tiled splashback. They also replaced the appliances. “Basically, we touched everything we could,” Anna says.
Cabinets, Veddinge, Ikea. Sink, undermount deep single-bowl, Zuhne. Tap, Ringskär, Ikea. Range hood, Luftig, Ikea. Dinnerware, Coupe line in Opaque White, Heath Ceramics. Pendant lights, Luna, Schoolhouse Electric.
A combination of kitchenware either purchased from local markets or given to the Smiths by friends sits on the shelves and worktop. “I love collecting beautiful kitchen objects – functional and otherwise,” Anna says.
“I’m so happy we did everything ourselves, because it saved a great deal in labour costs. It allowed us to spend more money on higher-quality appliances, hardware and furnishings, which was important to us,” she says.
Reclaimed wood shelving and brackets, West Elm. Splashback, Retro 2 x 2in hex porcelain mosaic tiles in Glossy White, EliteTile. Hardware, Edgecliff pull in Natural Brass, Schoolhouse Electric. Worktop, Carrara marble, The Stone Collection.
“I’m so happy we did everything ourselves, because it saved a great deal in labour costs. It allowed us to spend more money on higher-quality appliances, hardware and furnishings, which was important to us,” she says.
Reclaimed wood shelving and brackets, West Elm. Splashback, Retro 2 x 2in hex porcelain mosaic tiles in Glossy White, EliteTile. Hardware, Edgecliff pull in Natural Brass, Schoolhouse Electric. Worktop, Carrara marble, The Stone Collection.
BEFORE Dark cabinets over the original kitchen’s peninsula created a visual barrier to the adjoining living space.
“The most important thing to me in designing our new kitchen was to make it less of a separate, utilitarian kitchen space and more of another living area that happened to be where we cooked,” Anna says. “I have a secret pet peeve about kitchens being separated like that. So I knew going into it that I didn’t want wall cabinets and I wanted it to flow as effortlessly as possible between the dining and living rooms.”
“The most important thing to me in designing our new kitchen was to make it less of a separate, utilitarian kitchen space and more of another living area that happened to be where we cooked,” Anna says. “I have a secret pet peeve about kitchens being separated like that. So I knew going into it that I didn’t want wall cabinets and I wanted it to flow as effortlessly as possible between the dining and living rooms.”
AFTER The redesigned space features a simple neutral palette accented by warm brass fixtures and woods. The unexpected green base of the bar adds dimension to the timeless waterfall marble worktop.
Paint colour under bar, Cushing Green by Benjamin Moore, lightened with Simply White by Benjamin Moore. Stools, West Elm (no longer available).
Paint colour under bar, Cushing Green by Benjamin Moore, lightened with Simply White by Benjamin Moore. Stools, West Elm (no longer available).
Anna’s design philosophy meant placing the microwave below the worktop and moving all of the small appliances into the pantry. These moves reinforced the couple’s favoured minimalist style and kept the view into the living room open.
BEFORE The living space next to the kitchen was originally covered in dark, faux-wood panelling, common to suburban homes in the 1970s. Anna and Austin started the renovation in this room by skim-coating the textured ceiling, as scraping wasn’t an option. They converted one of the windows into a doorway to let in the light and the view. They then added a pair of sliding doors, laid flooring, removed the fireplace insert and repainted all the walls, including the brick surround on the fireplace.
AFTER Anna now calls this the “work-in-progress” living room. “This room is far from finished, but it’s heading in the right direction. Mostly I want it to be calm, organic and cohesive with the other rooms.” She started with the sofa, which she had fallen in love with six months before their move, and has since been adding pieces here and there.
Morten table lamps; Hamilton leather sofa, all West Elm. Sofa cushions, Susan Connor. Round mirror, Craigslist. Switch coffee table; Mason side tables, all Crate & Barrel. Rug, West Elm (no longer available).
Morten table lamps; Hamilton leather sofa, all West Elm. Sofa cushions, Susan Connor. Round mirror, Craigslist. Switch coffee table; Mason side tables, all Crate & Barrel. Rug, West Elm (no longer available).
Many pieces in the home are vintage and second-hand finds, such as this classic radio. “I scored that radio for $20 [around £16] the day we moved from the East Coast to the West, after my husband had spent hours packing our tiny U-haul [moving truck] perfectly. He nearly killed me when I brought it home! It also weighs a ton. Now it’s kind of a running joke with us, but I’ve never regretted it!” Anna says.
“Both my husband and I can get very stressed, so we’re happiest when the spaces we’re in are subtle, quiet and simple,” Anna says. “You’re never going to see bright colours or bold patterns in our house.” The family loves cosying up near the fireplace during the cold Colorado winters.
Design magazines, books, plants and some other decorative vintage finds decorate the new mantel.
Chair and pole lamp, Craigslist.
Design magazines, books, plants and some other decorative vintage finds decorate the new mantel.
Chair and pole lamp, Craigslist.
BEFORE Before its redesign, this bedroom had aluminium windows, blue blinds and brown shagpile carpet. Austin and Anna laid hardwood flooring, removed and replaced the window treatments, replaced the room and wardrobe doors, repainted, added skirting board and installed overhead lighting.
AFTER When it came to the look and feel of their son’s room, Anna had a clear design vision for a minimalist aesthetic. The room also had to be able to “grow up” with Clinton, so she didn’t want anything too cutesy, wild or crazy. Still, the room needed to be fit for a kid and bounce with a bit of childhood energy.
Patterns and geometric shapes, from the floor’s bohemian wool rug and the mud cloth layered over the bed’s army blanket add subtle energy. The vintage indigo cushion is one of Anna’s favourite pieces because of its subtle stripes and muted, denim-like colour.
Painterly Stripe pillowcase, Schoolhouse Electric. Cushion, BohoPillow. Mud cloth, Objektum. Rug, EcarpetGallery.
Patterns and geometric shapes, from the floor’s bohemian wool rug and the mud cloth layered over the bed’s army blanket add subtle energy. The vintage indigo cushion is one of Anna’s favourite pieces because of its subtle stripes and muted, denim-like colour.
Painterly Stripe pillowcase, Schoolhouse Electric. Cushion, BohoPillow. Mud cloth, Objektum. Rug, EcarpetGallery.
Because Clinton has asthma, Anna designed the space to be easy to dust, vacuum and mop. The bright walls and open layout are in keeping with the rest of the home’s light and airy feel.
To keep the room from feeling too crowded, Anna wanted hidden storage. “I don’t know if it’s kids in general or just Clinton, but he’s a total magpie – I feel as if his room just collects and collects and collects. So a bedside table with drawers was a given, as well as some kind of storage for toys and books,” she says. Clinton keeps his rock collection, postcards and other small treasures in this bedside table.
Walls painted in Simply White, Benjamin Moore. Brass task lamp, Target. Bedside table; bed, both Craigslist.
Walls painted in Simply White, Benjamin Moore. Brass task lamp, Target. Bedside table; bed, both Craigslist.
A hanging plant adds to the organic feel of the room’s warm woods and neutral palette. Lego and blocks stay hidden in the toy chest, while stuffed animals hang out in the seagrass basket.
Seagrass basket, TalaHomeDesign.
Seagrass basket, TalaHomeDesign.
Anna is pictured here sitting in the living room on a bamboo chair she reupholstered herself. While her husband and son are at work and school, she manages her own successful e-design business from home.
“My husband is a self-starter who likes a challenge – that’s where he gets most of his enjoyment from in these projects,” Anna says. “We’ve gained a lot of confidence in our ability to learn and do home renovation on our own. It’s been fun and amazing to see how much you can learn from the Internet. All our skills came from YouTube videos and home DIY blogs.”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them.
What do you think of this organic, minimalist home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
“My husband is a self-starter who likes a challenge – that’s where he gets most of his enjoyment from in these projects,” Anna says. “We’ve gained a lot of confidence in our ability to learn and do home renovation on our own. It’s been fun and amazing to see how much you can learn from the Internet. All our skills came from YouTube videos and home DIY blogs.”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them.
What do you think of this organic, minimalist home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here Austin and Anna Smith, their 5-year-old son, Clinton, and their dog, Ruby
Location Denver, Colorado, US
Size 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Year built 1972
BEFORE The house, purchased from the original owner, had hardly been touched before the Smiths moved in. The couple removed the brown shagpile carpeting used throughout the home, as well as the faux-wood panelling, yellow lino and kitchen wall cabinets.