Saturday, February 11, 2017

Vista



OUR FIRST FLIP!
 
Boise beckoned with a hot market and
opportunities for adventure and a fun lifestyle change.
The setting is beautiful with a backdrop of mountains
and a river that runs through, bringing life-giving water
to this high-desert oasis.
 
Flipping was an opportunity to find
"the worst  house in the best neighborhood"
and breathe new life into it, flex our creativity and muscles,
and we turned a diamond in the rough:
 
 
into the home of someone's dreams!
 
 

It started with the exterior.  There were those wings...
We called her the Flying Nun:
 
 
The back deck (window-washing walkway)
wasn't even accessible from the house. Scott began scheming...
 
 
and that color combination ???
 
The napkin drawing created over coffee one morning
grew into a 3-tier pergola which Scott felt would
minimize the impact of that huge front gable:
 
 
(and yes, we bought the house with the front siding mysteriously missing)
 
 
 
 
Yep, those end gables got a trim, too. No more tips.
 
The front door went an energetic orange which became a bit of a theme :)
 
 
 
Love those lanterns with the Edison lightbulbs!
 
 
 
After reclaiming the wood siding off the back of the house, 
we re-installed it as board and batton on the front.
A warm gray compliments that amazing original rock siding!

BEFORE:



 
ENTER:
 
 
The original entry featured... a spiral staircase!
This area also served as the dining room, so the staircase placement
was a little strange.
 
 
 
 
Entry view, BEFORE:

 
 
 
DURING:
 
 
 
 
 
AFTER:

 

 
 
ABOVE:  With the spiral staircase removed (whew! that was a fun job!!!)
 
there was a lot more space for a dining room table (BELOW):
 
 
 
 

The original kitchen made us cry.
Although that carpet is kind of groovy.
 

DURING:



AFTER:
 
The kitchen features expresso, shaker cabinets
(with modern bar pulls installed after photos :)
 
We love how the tumbled chiaro backsplash plays off
 the original fireplace rock.
 
 
 
... and that rock-inset 1971 oven would have to become
a wine cooler. Of course!
 
 
 
 




 

 
DONE:




The Living Room:

BEFORE:

 
 
AFTER:

Loving those pops of orange!!!


 



The first floor also housed three bedrooms and two baths.
 
 
 
Down the hall, 3 bedrooms became 2.
We took out the wall between the master and other and
created one grand master suite!

 
The Master BEFORE (above)
and
AFTER:
 
 
The second bedroom which we incoorporated  into master:

 
Above:  framing in the master closet on left.
Below: creating a walk-out to new deck.


And our solution to that red velvet wall-paper:
an Accent Wall of pine, white-washed.


 

 
The spacious walk-in closet:
 
 
Turning two bedrooms into one; worth every ounce of sweat!
 
 
 The Master Bathroom:

BEFORE:
(the vanity was a nice bonus in the purchase of house :)

 
We went with a simple 12x12 tile in the large shower;
ran the accent mosaic vertically this time.
 
 
 
AFTER:
 

 The HALL BATH got a make-over:

 
 AFTER:




 
The flooring is an engineered floor;
a versatile gray plank.
 

Leaving a message for future flooring crew to find in a few decades.


 
And we'll head on downstairs.
Scott installed a wooden tread
which Carol gave a gray wash to match the flooring.
 
 
 
So. The DOWNSTAIRS.
We found it like this. Thankfully, the new plumbing
which was trenched into the concrete floor was permitted. And working:

 
 
 
The Laundry Room, BEFORE:
 
 
 
AFTER:
 
 
 
 
The downstairs bathroom came with a toilet and shower pan.
But  that was it.
 
 
BEFORE:
 
 
AFTER:
 
 
 
BEFORE:

 
AFTER:
 
 

The downstairs basement was a spacious REC area with
a wood-burning fireplace.
 
 
And that spiral staircase by the front door upstairs?
Here's the other half :)
Vintage 1971
 
 
Spiral staircase leaving:  (thank you Craigslist)
 
 
 
AFTER:
 
 
 
DOWNSTAIRS BEDROOM #1
BEFORE:
 
 
AFTER:
 
 
Basement Bedroom #2
came in an unfinished state:
 

AFTER:
 

 
 
Enjoying an afternoon break on the unfinished back deck.
 


The backyard happened in stages:

(this is how it came)



from grading and removing a lot of dirt and debris...


 
to installing irrigation and laying sod...
 
 
 
 
 
 
to building a retaining wall and installing a French drain.
 
(which required some fun equipment; this is Scott having a great time!)
 
 
 
 The original "window-washing" deck was a liiiittttle scary
(as in, it felt like you might fall through at any time):
 
 
So it got replaced:
 
 
(this is Scott telling me to put down the camera
and go and get another board  :)
 
 
 
 
We installed cottage lap siding on the back of the house:
 
I know some of you are feeling sorry for Scott
right now, since it looks like he is the only one working.
 
He is a hard worker, and incredibly talented.
But I am taking credit for painting this house.
It had to be done. It didn't want to be red and yellow;
not one more day!!!
 
BEFORE:
 
 
AFTER:


THE DECK:
 
 
We truly hated to see this renovation job come to an end!