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Is it bad to admit I cared about this house way more than my wedding?!! After a whirlwind June of finishing up the Sophomore House, moving into it and then out of it, getting married, and then going on our honeymoon, it is finally time for The Sophomore House reveals!
This house was such a different experience from the Go Big or Go Home House. We completed this entire renovation in just 6 months, which was an insanely tight timeline!
My favorite part of doing these restorations is being open and honest with you about costs, where I bought things, and more. I feel like a lot of people try to keep that information a secret, but if you know anything about me, you know I am an open book.
This post will serve as a “bible” for this house. We will be revealing one or two rooms per week(!) and every time a reveal happens, we will add it to this post. That way, you have a single place to go where you can easily find the information you are looking for, like links, and how much we spent.
tour the house reveals
Exterior Before & After:
BEFORE
Restoring a home requires a constant balancing act in my mind. On one hand, I want to enhance every surface and create a beautiful space. On the other hand, I must keep in mind that I am selling the home, so I do not want to over-improve it without seeing a return on the investment.
The exterior of this home is a prime example. The previous owners took incredible care of the yard and house, so from an “I’m falling apart” perspective, it didn’t need much work. As a result, I made careful choices about the work we did on the exterior.
AFTER
It looks so much better, but we really only touched on a few key pieces.
I had custom shutters designed that are stunning! I found old shutters online that I loved and tried to source them. The only place I found that could make them was charging $1,500 per pair! That is ridiculous. I reached out to a local company (The Finishing Room, for all you locals) and they were able to make exactly what I wanted for under $600 for everything.
The copper gutters are the highlight. To be honest, they are a little overpowering right now. I love the look of new copper, but they need to age for a few years. Once they age, they will be perfect and look natural with the house.
The most recent improvement to the house was the replacement of all doors, including the front and back doors. This upgrade made a significant difference. I always get my doors from Zuern Building Products, a local Wisconsin company that ships nationwide. I particularly appreciate that I can send them an inspirational picture of the desired door, and they will either source an exact match or create a custom solution.
Amidst the myriad of home improvements, maintenance is key to preserving the beauty and functionality of our living spaces. As the seasons change and debris accumulates, ensuring the proper upkeep of our gutters becomes essential. Recently, I stumbled upon a service for gutter cleaning westchester county, offering a solution to maintain the pristine condition of our home exteriors. With their expertise and attention to detail, they ensure that our gutters remain clear of debris and function optimally, safeguarding our home from potential water damage. In the tapestry of home maintenance, their services weave a thread of reliability and peace of mind, ensuring that our abode stands as a testament to both beauty and functionality.
BEFORE
Above is the old door (obviously) and below is the new door! Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a picture of it without my body covering it, but you can get the idea.
AFTER
One of my favorite aspects of the door is the hardware. All of the hardware in the house is made by Emtek, which is the same brand we used at the GBOGH house and what I use for all of my client’s door hardware.
Emtek is an incredibly high-quality product that will last for a very long time. It is also available in a variety of great finishes. For this home, we chose polished nickel, but I also love their unlaquered brass and regular brass options.
SHOP THIS LOOK:
I loved the porch decor at TSH so much that I literally copied it on my porch at home, haha. The great thing about these decor pieces is that they are all super affordable. You know I love a high-low mix, but these are really all low.
Here is links to everything…
Other random photos from The Sophomore House…
The entire process of setting up this house was a “pinch-me” moment for me because I had so many people to rely on, unlike the GBOGH house where it was basically just me (but I want to give a shoutout to Sarah for the GBOGH house because she had to handle some really unpleasant things there).
It was a lot more enjoyable and really felt like a family effort to put it all together.
The BSL Studios fam 🥹. It really was a labor of love and the first project we all worked on together that finished up!!
That wraps up the exterior reveal…tomorrow is the living room reveal you will DIE. I think its my favorite spot in the whole house!!!
