Category: open concept

  • Real small houses: Ranch Renovations

    Real small houses: Ranch Renovations

    I’ll take my small 50’s rancher over a 90’s McMansion any day – who has time to clean all that anyway? Okay, maybe I am envious of the storage space – we have no garage or basement, just a hard to access attic and a scary crawlspace. My point is, there is something nice to having the family all on one floor and in a home that forces you to keep your possessions in check.

    However, while Ranch houses can be described as a blank canvas, or family friendly, I don’t completely agree with that.  Especially if your ranch is from the 50/60’s it’s probably partitioned off into extremely small rooms that don’t really suit today’s lifestyle.  We knocked down several walls to make our living room, dining room, and kitchen one great open concept space.  We lost a hallway, which as our realtor cleverly spun as “making the home feel like a large sprawling estate,” but the open space and light is worth it. There is a breakfast bar dividing the kitchen from the dining room, but the open layout allows me to keep an eye on little Leo playing in the living room area while I’m making a bottle in the kitchen.

    Below are some other ranch remodels (undoubtedly all with much larger budget’s than ours) that I think really make the most of the square footage. If you’re looking for a qualified local contractor to take on your ranch renovation, check out the Get Assist app.

    I have a weakness for exposed beams…and wide plank wood floors..and built ins…

    Love the contrast of the rustic/industrial stools with the sleek white kitchen.  A lot of people are making statements with lighting these days, but I actually like how understated these pendants are.

    The blue vanity is so pretty.

    3 above via Pneumatic Addict

     

     

    In the house featured in the image above, as well as the photos below, several wall were taken out to turn a small kitchen and den into one large open kitchen.

    Recessed lighting is also a great way to visually expand a space!

     

     

    The vaulted curve in the ceiling makes this home look even more spacious and open after it’s remodel!

    Do you now or have you ever lived in a ranch house?  Did you ever remodel it, and if so, how?

    images above via Style Blueprint

    *Thanks to Get Assist for partnering on this post!
  • Embrace your small space!

    Embrace your small space!

    Most of the homes you see in magazines are probably at least three times the size of our 50’s rambler. I actually have no problem with the size of our home, though a basement or a garage would be great for storage, but it would be nice to find more inspiration for small (and probably the average size) homes. I did find some examples, which I’ve included below to help you embrace your small space:

    Keeping your space uncluttered and making the most of your light source is a great way to start – mirrors do amazing things!

    This space is a little too cottagey for me, but I love the built in bookcase, which adds vertical storage, a commandment of working with a small space.
    via Decoholic

    Notice a trend?  Mirrors, light, and order.
    via My Home Ideas

     
    My amazing husband turned our dining room, kitchen, and living room into a gorgeous open concept area, similar to the one above.  Like ours, this great room isn’t the size of a gymnasium, but it’s functional and beautiful.
    via HGTV


    Painting a wall in an accent color helps push walls back.
    via Sunset


    Another issue those of us with smaller homes run into is that furniture is so big!  It can be a little bit harder to find furnishings for small rooms, but scale is really important, so it’s worth the effort!
    via Home Edit

  • Open Concept Love

    Yesterday 3 walls in our house were taken down.  Our kitchen, living, and dining room will not all be one great room.  I haven’t seen it yet, but I can’t wait to start setting up our new space.

    In the meantime, I’ve been gathering all the inspiration I can for open concept layouts.  Here are some of my favorites.

    via Pinterest via BHG
    via Pinterest via BHG

    Love this palette!

                                        via Pinterest

    via Pinterest via Decor Pad

  • A Look Back at August

    August was such a great month! With cool but still sunny warm weather, a few showers to keep everything green, and the subtle hints of fall around the corner – we wanted to make sure you didn’t miss a thing! Here’s a look back on what all we posted about in August:

      

    Chic & Unique Living Spaces that made me want to call it my own as well as some Gorgeous and Functional Home offices that will make you want to redo yours!

     

    The Swedish Style I adore and trying to find the perfect shade of peach for my office!

     

    Street Art meets home decor and fresh and airy spaces that make me want to declutter and start new!

     rdeco_industrial chic with colour

    A look at Stephanie Bradshaw’s gorgeous apartment and Rdeco showing off some great ways to add industrial to chic!

    Style At Home: Kilee Hughes | theglitterguide.com 

    Gold accents to make your space luxurious and a look at New York loft life!

     

    Barn Style inspiration and some great finds from Etsy you wont want to miss!

    Really like some of the elements used in this photo/wall collage. 

    Gallery Style wall design and a look at open concept living.

     

    Gorgeous floor inspiration and a look at different calendar wall systems to organize your life!

    What was your favorite part of August?

  • Considering the Open Concept Layout

    Now that hubby and I are not longer spending every spare moment wedding planning, we are finally thinking about improvements that we’d like to make to our home.  Our house it a 50s rambler, and while it doesn’t have the bones these amazing spaces do, we are still thinking about knocking down some walls to create a more open and modern space.
    Has anyone here remodeled for a more open layout?  Were you happy with the results?
  • Holiday Kitchen Inspiration

    Holiday Kitchen Inspiration

    With most homes these days catering to the open floor plan, decorating for the holiday’s might not always stop by the Christmas Tree or dinning room! Here are a few ideas for bringing some holiday fun to the kitchen: