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November 17, 2015 14 Comments

That one time we bought a house… the before

Filed Under: DIY, Florida House 14 Comments

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Matt and I were pretty sure the moment we moved to Florida that we wanted to purchase a home here. The houses are affordable (wayyyy more so than where we just left, San Diego), we needed a yard, and we love a project. We weren’t new to the whole buying a foreclosure thing – we had done it once before and it turned out great for us. This house though, was a totally different ball game. When we first saw it, I knew it had potential but you really had to see pass the disgusting, stained carpet, and wild wall color. We put in an offer the day we saw it and have been dreaming of what it could be every day since.

I thought it would be fun to put up some before pictures here that way as we change it and make it our own we can see how far we’ve come. I wish I would have been more diligent about taking good pictures of the before but really I was too anxious to get to work. We spent nearly three weeks just getting it to a livable state and now that we are in here it’s already hard to remember how bad it once was, and we aren’t even close to being done!

Brace yourselves, guys!

Florida House-24

The purple was purple. PURPLE. Now, I’m not afraid of color but after buying this house – I wanted everything to be neutral, a blank slate!
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Another view of the purple walls. Here you can see the entry way.

Florida House-3

One of the things I loved about this house is that it has a fireplace, albeit a dated one. The house was built in 1996 and there are quirks that totally reveal it’s age. This fireplace, the niche above it (and the one in the entryway), plus brass and gold fixtures to name a few.

Florida House-4

Here’s a view of the kitchen. This is about it. On the wall that you can’t see which would be to the right of this photo is the pantry, fridge, and another set of cabinets and a small countertop. It’s not a big space and it felt very closed off from the rest of the house.
Florida House

Here you can see what I called the drive thru window. This cut out over the sink that opens to the living room is a wannabe breakfast bar but really it’s just way awkward.

Florida House-6

And hello, the laundry room (can you call it that? Or should we go with laundry closet?) is basically in the kitchen. This was probably the biggest con for me. I’ve always had a dedicated laundry room. I’m looking for some ideas and tips to make this small space functional. Florida House-20

The crazy color selections don’t just stop at the purple living room – this bedroom was an orangey pink.

Florida House-23

And the master – oh the master was crimson red and gold.

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And then there’s this gem, the flower power wallpaper in the bathroom. I can’t even.

Florida House-2
Literally the day we closed on the house I brought over eight samples of neutral paint so we could get started.

Florida House-25

I ended up choosing the color Crisp Linen, a Behr color on their Marquee line. It’s a warm neutral that would be considered a “griege.” I absolutely love it – it completely brightens the space.
Florida House-14

Other than painting, my other priority was to open the kitchen up a bit more. Having two small kids – I need to be able to see what’s going on in the living room while I’m preparing meals in the kitchen. Besides that, the drive thru window drove me batty. Florida House-17

Opening the kitchen completely was out of our budget, but we are still opening it up. I can’t wait to share more about that later!

That gives you a pretty glimpse at the before project. I have an incredibly long wishlist for this house but we are taking it one day at a time. I can’t wait to share!

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About Chelsea

Chelsea Coulston is the resident decorator, baker, and pillow hoarder around these parts. A wife to an active duty Sailor and mom of two girls, Chelsea's got a knack for decorating even the most challenging spaces (just see her military base house!) She's inspired by cool beach tones and warm natural elements that remind you of a day at the beach. After living in a half dozen rentals, she's enjoyed spending the last few years in a cute ranch style home that she and her husband have almost completely renovated themselves. Chelsea lives in sunny Jacksonville, Florida with her husband and two daughters.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah says

    November 17, 2015 at 10:33 pm

    I love it so far! And your new paint color is perfection! I’m excited to follow along as you transform the spaces.

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      November 18, 2015 at 7:17 pm

      Thank you Sarah!! I check in with you and your watch list every week for inspiration!! xo

      Reply
  2. [email protected] Stroll Thru Life says

    November 18, 2015 at 6:48 am

    Congratulations on the new home. Love your paint color and looks like you have great bones to work with. So exciting and can’t wait to follow along.

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      November 18, 2015 at 7:17 pm

      Thanks Marty! Can’t wait to get it dressed up for the holidays 🙂 xoxo

      Reply
  3. Debbie Fitch says

    November 18, 2015 at 7:56 am

    I can’t wait to see what you folks do with your home Chelsea! It’s a huge undertaking, but I know you will handle it with grace and good taste!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      November 18, 2015 at 7:16 pm

      We are loving every bit of the renovation process! Thanks for your sweet words! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Cheyanne says

    November 18, 2015 at 6:26 pm

    CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Also, Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow that wallpaper! Can’t wait to see what you do with the place! 🙂

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      November 18, 2015 at 7:16 pm

      Thanks Cheyenne! It’s a fun project so far!

      Reply
  5. Margie cooper says

    November 19, 2015 at 5:38 am

    Congratulations in your new home! Yahoo!!!!

    Reply
  6. Willa says

    November 19, 2015 at 2:19 pm

    Congratulations ! I love what you guys are doing to your new home, can’t wait to see the finished project

    Reply
  7. Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says

    December 13, 2015 at 7:42 pm

    Loved your “I can’t even.” regarding the flowery wallpapered bathroom! If only I had before pictures of *my* bathroom when we first got our house — you would be apologizing for complaining about yours! 😀 I mean, it was BAD! Avocado green everything. I can’t say anything else — the memory is still too jarring! 😀

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      December 14, 2015 at 10:55 am

      haha!! So funny! We went on a walk last night around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights – one of our neighbors had their blinds open and I could see the offensive wallpaper in their house too – so apparently it wasn’t just one person’s bad idea – it was probably an “upgrade” from the builder! YIKES!

      Reply
  8. Emily says

    February 2, 2016 at 9:20 am

    So excited to see how you transform this space! My husband and I just had our offer accepted on a house here in Jax too!! It’s our first home & I’m so happy to have a space to decorate to my liking finally.

    But oh boy looking at these pictures I can just feel the outdated Florida-ness of the home. I feel like most of the houses here (minus the big, beautiful, millon $ ones) are soooo 90’s builder grade models. Thank goodness for bloggers who see the potential in ’em 😉

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Chelsea!

I'm Chelsea. Wife to Matt, and mama to P and Millie. I'm a fan of making and decorating things and everything blue + white. I believe that there is no such thing as too many throw pillows. Lover of iced coffee and cocktail Fridays. I'm glad you're here.

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Removable wallpaper is a game changer! A couple mo Removable wallpaper is a game changer! A couple months ago Matt and I spent an afternoon slapping this up on our bedroom wall and it completely transformed the space. It can be super hard to put your stamp on a rental but I’m pretty pleased with the way this room turned out! #rentalfriendly #bedroom #milspouse #diyprojects #removablewallpaper #coastaldecor 
Download the LIKEtoKNOW.it shopping app to shop this pic via screenshot http://liketk.it/36TCW #liketkit @liketoknow.it @liketoknow.it.home
#ad Homeschool/General parent “pro” tip - buy #ad Homeschool/General parent “pro” tip - buy a shower caddy and stuff it full of art supplies to keep your kids from having their markers and crayons all over the place. For real though, this was a game changer. Previously, I had one hard and heavy caddy for all of our supplies that I would plop on the table during our school day but I found my kids constantly getting up to grab a pink crayon or the blue marker. Or at the end of the day things weren’t getting put away properly and the next day we couldn’t find the glue or the scissors. Now, they each have a caddy that they are responsible for. I’ve partnered with @walmart to share this simple organizing solution. The girls keep their supplies together and carry the caddy around to wherever they choose to school that day/minute. I used my Walmart+ membership again to pull this off. I was able to order all the art caddy necessities online using the W+ free shipping, no order minimum (excludes oversized/freight & Marketplace items) benefit so I can limit my time in stores. #walmartplus
Sitting here thinking about everything that’s go Sitting here thinking about everything that’s gotten me through this last year.
1. My family - having my girls home has been everything I never knew I needed. 
1a. My mom - in those early pandemic days, when we didn’t leave the house, she would meet me halfway between here and Vegas. We would sit in the middle of the desert with our masks on and just visit. I needed that so much and I know she did too.
2. My friends - it’s hard to imagine making it through this year without the friendships I have. They’ve carried me. A small group of neighbors here that would meet at the park for some outdoor fellowship and our weekly dinners made life feel a little more normal. Having regular calls with my best friend in FL was gold especially since we can’t see each other. And regular chats with @bykaithanson got me through especially in those early days.
3. Regular therapy - if I wasn’t already going before all this happened I surely would need to now. This all is very heavy stuff and having someone that is outside your circle to talk to is so important. This saves me again and again.
4. Making bread. I started making last year so when it blew up during that first quarantine I was so excited that we all were baking together. Whenever I’m feeling anxious making dough helps.
5. Exercise - this was the year I finally made exercise a priority. I love how much better I feel when I move my body each day. I’m less anxious and I’m more at peace.
6. All the technology that connects us. Marco Polo, FaceTime, texting, FB Messenger, all of it. Being able to reach all of my loved ones with the tips of my fingers has made it a lot easier when I can’t see them.
7. Television - how many shows have we binged this year? I don’t even know but I remember tackling Friday Night Lights in the beginning of the pandemic and being so sad it was over. 
8. This community. One thing I wanted in 2020 was to CONNECT with you all here and that has happened and its been wonderful getting to know each of you!
💙
We’ve been through a lot this year what has carried you? Tag a friend that’s gotten you through. 
Hoping and praying for a truly happy new year. 💙💙
Merry Christmas from our home to yours! I wish you Merry Christmas from our home to yours! I wish you everything good this Christmas and in the new year. 🎄
#ad Fun festive morning with the girls! My girls l #ad Fun festive morning with the girls! My girls love making and baking anything! We made cinnamon roll Christmas trees then decorated them with m&ms and sprinkles. I bought everything from Walmart, used canned cinnamon rolls to make them quick and easy so we could focus our energy on decorating them. Holiday memories made! How are you making memories with your family this season? @walmart http://liketk.it/34rdO #liketkit @liketoknow.it #walmart
I want to hear about your collections!! I don’t I want to hear about your collections!! I don’t collect much but I do have a few Christmas things that I’ve been collecting over the years. These nutcrackers are one. The girls pick out a new one each year. I have a small collection little white village houses and since the first year we were married we bought a peace dove ornament from Pier 1 (Li Bien brand) - they quit selling them so this will be the first in 14 years that we don’t get one of those. What do you collect???

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