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Drew and Jonathan Scott have a ton of experience freshening up old homes, but on the latest “Property Brothers: Forever Home,” they find that change is hard to pull off when the homeowners refuse to let go of the past.
In the “Family Heirloom Home” episode, the Scott brothers meet a family who have been in their Toronto house for three generations. According to the owners, Nicole and Graham, Nicole’s grandfather designed and built the house. They love the history of their home, so the brothers need to find a way to update it without removing the outdated features that remind Nicole of her grandfather.
Read on to find out how the brothers make this old space look fresh without erasing its history—and how you, too, can update your home while holding on to the memories you cherish most.
Replace a kitchen peninsula with an island
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While Nicole and Graham’s kitchen is large, it feels horribly outdated due largely to the peninsula, which makes the space feel closed off. So, the brothers decide to turn the peninsula into an island big enough for this family of five. They top it off with lovely white countertops for a clean, modern look.
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“Before, the peninsula was actually a bit of a divide,” Graham says, admiring the kitchen’s new layout. “Now, it just flows so nice. We all feel like we’re part of the same room now, which is phenomenal.”
Plus, Nicole is impressed with how spacious the island feels.
“This is so beautiful,” she says. “We can all fit around this massive island.”
Wood tones can soften white cabinets
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Nicole and Graham love the fresh look of Scandinavian design, so they want their kitchen to have lots of clean lines and bright white materials. But the brothers know that too much white can make a kitchen look sterile.
“Going all white with the cabinets and countertops and backsplash can feel cold,” Jonathan explains, “So, I love to introduce elements of wood on the island or in the range hood to ground the space, and just make it feel less like a showroom kitchen and more like a home.”
He ends up installing the white cabinets Graham and Nicole love, then using light wood tones for the island. This balance gives the space a little color without seeming too cold.
Smaller windows leave room for more storage
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One big problem with this house is the outdated breakfast nook—and the windows behind it.
With a whole corner of the kitchen taken up by one small breakfast table, the brothers know this isn’t a good use of space. Plus, the old, leaky windows on the wall behind it need to be replaced.
So, the brothers replace the windows with smaller frames, leaving room for cabinets underneath. Suddenly, this awkward space is a functional part of the prep area, making the kitchen feel much bigger.
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“This was kind of dead space before, and now it’s such functional space,” Graham says, looking around the new kitchen. “This is exactly what I was hoping for.”
Update a brick fireplace with a new mantel
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Another feature in this home that looks sorely dated is the brick fireplace. Problem is, Nicole’s grandfather built it decades ago and the feature is important to her. She doesn’t want to replace the brick, but she does want to update it.
So, Drew and Jonathan take down the three small original brick shelves and replace them with one large mantel, made with leftover wood from the new hardwood floors. They also paint the brick white, brightening up the look.
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“I can’t believe the fireplace; it is absolutely gorgeous,” Nicole says when she finally sees the finished product. “It’s so modern and fresh, but still has the memories of our family here.”
Refinishing old floors can make them feel new again
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While this home has many outdated features, the most glaring eyesore of all was right under their feet, and therefore all too easy to overlook: the living room’s dark-brown, herringbone-patterned floor.
Although beautiful, the dark color makes the space look dated small. Plus, keeping the flooring in just one room ruins the brothers’ plan to give the whole living area uniform hardwood.
Yet Nicole stands firm: She doesn’t want to remove the floor. What will the Scott brothers do?
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In order to keep the original herringbone pattern and also match it to the new hardwood in the kitchen, they decide to merely refinish the living room floor, lightening the color so that the transition between the living room and kitchen isn’t too severe.
In the end, the refinished floor works perfectly with the new hardwood in the other rooms. With a lighter tone, it looks brand-new!
Do the Scott brothers deliver?
Nicole and Graham have a healthy budget of $175,000 to renovate their kitchen, dining area, and living room, but their list of demands is long. The brothers have to figure out how to incorporate the old floors and outdated fireplace into the new design. They quote the project at $160,000.
It takes a lot of hard work, but the brothers are able to create a living room look that works with the classic fireplace. Plus, they manage to get the old floor to flow with the new hardwood in the rest of the house.
Amazingly, the brothers don’t run into any surprises in this old home and they finish the project right on budget at $160,000. Now, this home is all ready for a fifth generation!
The post The Property Brothers Reveal a Home Decor Eyesore That’s All Too Easy To Miss appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
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