Check out this traditional one-story house for sale in Long Beach, California. The listing says it’s been “well maintained,” which seems to be code for “has remained in a time warp since 1950.” Not that that’s such a bad thing. But the new owner will probably want to update it.
Take a look and then tell us–if you bought it, what are the first 5 changes you’d make?
The house has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. It sits on a large corner lot and has an in-ground pool. Asking price is $660,000.
The listing specifies that there are hardwood floors beneath the wall-to-wall carpet, so I would love to see them exposed.
I love all the big windows.
The master bedroom looks a little sad right now. But it wouldn’t be too hard to cheer it up, would it?
One of the houses I lived in as a girl had the same wallpaper in the kitchen, so this really brings back nightmares memories. I’ll have to dig out an old photo of it to show you sometime. It was like that when we moved there, but it was a long time before we got around to changing it.
I would love to see this kitchen given a retro-cool vibe that fits the style of the house–no cherry cabinets or granite countertops, please. Oh, and I think that rounded peninsula with the shelves needs to stay, although I’m sure some of you will disagree.
If you could make 5 changes to the house, what would they be? How would you make this California ranch cool again? (Thanks to Cindy for sending me the listing!)
To See More Houses That Need Your Help: 5 Changes.
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1. Rip up all the carpet to expose the hardwood floors. Depending on the condition, restain them for a newer look.
2. Paint the wood paneling in the living room white to reflect the light from the window.
3. Remove the wallpaper in the kitchen and add bead board then paint.
4. Replace the awful flooring in the kitchen with new tiles.
5. Repaint all the kitchen cabinets to get rid of the two-tone look. White is always a good option.
It would be hard to pay full price for this listing without the owner making some updates. The house needs a little TLC.
.-= Samantha´s last blog ..A White Kitchen Love Affair =-.
If I hadn’t been for the TV. I would have thought you had pulled the pages out of a 1970 better homes and garden. The house that time forgot.
I’d rip up the carpet to expose the hardwoods, add built-in bookcases/cabinets in the living room, re-do the kitchen (no wallpaper, tile floors, new cabinets and countertops), add a door to bathroom area in bedroom, re-do bathroom.
Do NOT lose the kitchen cabinets. Perhaps replace the countertops with period materials. (Formica’s re-issued boomerang, eg.)
.-= Joe Shoemaker´s last blog ..Three Things You Can Do to GUARANTEE your home won’t sell =-.
I LOVE this little house. My thoughts…
1. Lose every stitch of carpeting and refinish hardwoods. If there aren’t hardwoods in place, install period-appropriate materials – matched hardwoods, cork or parquet.
2. Lose every curtain in the place.
3. Lose all of the wallpaper & paint the walls white.
4. Replace kitchen flooring with a more neutral, period-appropriate material – cork or marmoleum.
5. Fill it with period furnishings.
.-= Joe Shoemaker´s last blog ..Three Things You Can Do to GUARANTEE your home won’t sell =-.
Carpets out.Popcorn ceilings gone. Kitchen updated. Paint,inside and out.Landscape.I think that is five however I could go on. I has a lot of potential.
1. Remove all the carpeting to show the hardwoods.
2. Remove wallpaper throughout the house and fresh paint throughout – esp. in the kitchen and over the wood paneling/bookcases.
3. New flooring in the kitchen.
4. Update appliances in the kitchen.
5. New cabinets in the kitchen – agree with you on keeping a retro vibe. I like the layout, but I would make the peninsula bigger.
I would also take down all the heavy draperies.
.-= Melanie´s last blog .. =-.
Hmm….
1) Take out the schrubs in front and replace with easy flower gardens.
2) take out the old carpet and vinyl flooring and refinish/replace with hardwood
3) paint throughout
4) take out wallpaper and paint
5) replace/take out the wood built ins with more neutral alternative
*I would work on updating the kitchen…
.-= Tami´s last blog ..Serenity Sundayweek 65 =-.
Now there’s a house with great bones. For relatively little money, this house could sing. The first 5 changes I would make are:
1) Rip out all the carpeting and refinish the hardwood in a nice medium wood tone.
2) Pull down all of the heavy draperies and expose the windows
3) Paint the kitchen cabinets white, add some retro light fixtures and a white Saarinen tulip table with modern white chairs.
4) Paint the built-in bookcases white
5) Reface or replace the fireplace tile and hearth
.-= eyeseepretty´s last blog ..Happy Blogoversary! =-.
I love this house, with some TLC , it would be perfect for a retired couple..like us!
1. Replace kitchen floor with black and white tiles, put in a built in breakfast nook, save the shelves and lots more.
2. remove ALL carpeting.
3. Reface fireplace and mount TV over it
4. Remove all heavy formal drapes.
5. Paint and landscape exterior.
.-= Pat´s last blog ..Beans- Re-Purposed =-.
Fun!
1. Remove Flooring – use existing hardwood and put tile in kitchen & (what I think is) the master bath.
2. Paint EVERYTHING, including paneling & remove wallpaper…. would consider leaving the built-ins (in the den/LR) and paint them the same as the walls w/ some contrasting backs? Prob paint the fireplace too… that or re-surface the brick.
3. Kitchen. I agree keep the retro. Would think white walls with a bold red & turquoise/bright blue color scheme would be awesome. Would love to see color on the cabinets (just one… no two-tone).
4. Replace window & lighting fixtures
5. Hmmm… maybe landscaping? Would love to expand the front patio… Or update bathrooms (I’d be willing to bet my house those bathrooms are a time warp!)
5.
.-= Candace´s last blog ..twist and shout- black pepper & parm twists =-.
I agree with all the suggestions re carpet, wallpaper and kitchen flooring. With a house this vintage, you really have to stay with retro furnishings. I’d love to see it after the reno.
I can’t get over the bed blocking the door to the bathroom. What a pain that must have been!
Oh Yikes! If I could pick 5 things to do to this house, it’d be:
Rip out the carpet/linoleum and replace
Paint the fireplace/wood paneling
Take down the wall paper
Reface kitchen cabinets
Replace those light fixtures!
Thanks for sharing!!
.-= Amanda@The Hand Me Down House´s last blog ..Shamble Ramble Fall Earings Giveaway! =-.
Long Beach is my hometown!—I sold our 50′s ranch 10 years ago – I still miss that cute little house!
Changes:
1. remove all carpet and refinish the hardwoods underneath
2. remove all draperies and shutters and replace with something in this century!
3. kitchen changes: replace the 70′s linoleum with tile, get rid of the wallpaper and paint, replace the appliances, paint the cabinets and replace the countertops with stainless steel(which many of those houses originally had)
4.Replace the cabinetry in the family room to fit my tv
5. Replace the metal awnings & supports (backyard & front porch) with wood.
Oh there are so many more changes I would do to that house!
.-= Pam @ diy Design Fanatic´s last blog ..Some Vignette Changes =-.
1. Hardwood floors everywhere
2. Fresh paint, crown moldings & new light fixtures (strip all wallpaper, paint wood paneling, and I am also guessing this place has the dreaded popcorn ceilings – resurface and paint with actual color!)
3. Reconstruct front and back porches with materials other than cast iron and aluminum, also new landscaping (at a smaller scale) around said porches.
4. Update kitchen (lose shutters, rounded counter end and add small island)
5. Update bathrooms (we didn’t see them, but you know they need it!)
Curtains out.
Carpet out.
Landscaping redone.
Wallpaper down.
Please DO NOT paint the paneling!
.-= Courtney´s last blog ..Mid-Century Mindyourbusiness =-.
1) remove carpeting to expose the hardwood floors
2) remove old drapes/curtains
3) remove old wall paper; new paint everywhere
4) paint the kitchen cabinets – new counters – new appliances
5) update curb appeal
The house has good bones and love the living room window!
.-= Teacup Lane´s last blog ..Pretty in Purple Ladies =-.
Whoa! Are these new pictures?! They look straight out of the 60s! Amazing –this house screams “The Wonder Years”.
I’m definitely with you on a few points: Expose the hardwoods and leave the peninsula in the kitchen (it would be a crime to do away with that). Love the idea of a retro vibe/redo in the kitchen as well. And the windows are great. Not sure what I would do with the paneling above the fireplace; either remove it or maybe paint it. But, I would build another built-in on the left to match the right. Regardless, I would keep the masonry as is. I love that kind of fireplace.
Where do you see the bathroom? I’d bet it’s fabulously fifties–and I wouldn’t touch it! Ditto for the kitchen. As much of a Craftsman girl that I am, I love that this house has kept its retro charm. Whatever the period, don’t make the house something it’s not!
I agree with you! I think when you try to make a house into something that it naturally isn’t, it loses so much of its charm!
.-= Kate (Little Beach Bum)´s last blog ..Key Biscayne =-.
Ok…
1.)I think it’s a given that all the carpets would have to go and the wood floors restored and all the window treatments removed… except the cute shutters in the kitchen.
2.)I think you could work with the kitchen… painting the cabinets white… white subway tiles, light soapstone countertop and I’d love to see a tiled white floor.. the vintage style small tiles with small black ones in… probably has a fancy name, but I don’t know it.. Oohh and I love the shutters (again paint white though).
3.) In the living room, paint the wood panelling white or even remove…
4.) Replace the huge window with French doors.
5.) The fireplace is just begging to be either painted or famed too.. I know some people hate painting brick, but I think it would look cool.
This house has so much potential and there are elements here that could very easily be worked with!
I love giving my 10 cents!
Lx
.-= Laura´s last blog ..Coffee and a sidewalk sale =-.
I agree about the floors and drapes. I would also replace that big window in the family room with solid glass doors and replace the aluminum awning for an indoor/outdoor room out to the pool. Then put an outdoor sofa and chairs that coordinate with the furniture indoors. In Long Beach, you could keep the doors open 6-8 mo. out of the year.
1. I would lose whatever faux finish is happening on the dining room walls…Is that sponge painting, or some kind of stucco, or what?
2. Carpets gone and hardwood floors exposed is an obvious choice, but I’d also like to look into some classic mid-century flooring options to remain true to the style of the home.
3. Paint the wood paneling. And remove the faux wood paneling in that space off of the living room…Yikes.
4. You are absolutely right about that peninsula in the kitchen. It stays. The wallpaper and linoleum go, and paint with tiled floors and back splashes arrive. This counts as one big change, right?
5. Big Chill appliances in the kitchen. Classic, clean, and mid-century modern furniture throughout the house.
.-= Jenna Sais Quois´s last blog ..Cake of the Cup Persuasion =-.
Love the Big Chill appliances. Those would be fun! -Julia
Floors
counter tops
appliances
some wall colors
THAT’S IT!
(The dinette wallpaper is AWESOME!)
.-= lindsay´s last blog ..Who are you calling Stinky =-.
Woah. That kitchen is scary.
1. Install hardwood floors throughout (a given)
2. Paint paneling
3. Remove wall paper and paint walls
4. Replace overhang in back yard
5. Install all new lighting… yikes, that stuff was BAD
6. ( I had to take another cuz this house is pretty funky) I’d do a total reno on the kitchen and make it look like Martha’s. Open shelving, lots of drawer storage, grey cabinets, stainless appliances. Love
I would probably want to change more than just 5 things but the first thing to go would be the carpet to expose the hardwood floors underneath! Next would probably be the kitchen and on and on…………………
Kristen
.-= Kristen´s last blog ..Dortois and old Belgian basket =-.
1. Rip out the shrubs in the front yard.
2. Rip out the carpet throughout.
3. Take down the heavy draperies on the windows.
4. Paint the paneling white.
5. Rip out the linoleum flooring in the kitchen.
.-= Barb´s last blog ..Redecorating =-.
New Windows.
New Floors.
New Roof.
New Kitchen.
Plant Trees.
.-= pamela´s last blog ..Cairo Time =-.
Hello Julia! If I was buying the house, and had extra $$ to make a few renovations, it would include: 1) Update the flooring, expose the hardwood and change the kitchen tile 2) fresh coat of paint, neutral color palette 3) remove the wallpaper and paint over the wood paneling 4) update the kitchen cabinets/appliances 5) update porch and backyard’s white iron column to something modern….overall it’s a nice house, with some tender love and caring
it will be charming!
This looks like Kevin Arnold’s house from The Wonder Years! WOW! Maybe a museum should purchase it!
Ack! That is the same linoleum my house had when I was a child. Also brings back “memories”. Although, it did make a good road for our toy cars to drive on!
#1. Invite Don Draper over for a cocktail
#2. Play a little Erroll Garner on the baby grand
#3. Get Don Draper to help me rip out the carpeting
#4. Have another cocktail
#5. Play a little Henry Mancini on the baby grand
.-= ONEWEIRDWORD´s last blog ..X 47 =-.
Any reason to invite Don Draper over is a good one in my book! Loved your list. -Julia
yikes. what wouldn’t i do?
first, rip up every carpet and repaint every wall.
add, a sweet covered porch and landscape around
it.
wish we could see an ‘after’ pic!
.-= lea´s last blog ..thank you! =-.
1. Rip up the carpet
2. Change the tile in the kitchen floor and get rid of that linoleum! (ick)
3. I am with you – keep the peninsula and give it a retro chic vibe in the kitchen.
4. Get rid of the carpet in the master bath
5. Lose the wood paneling above the fireplace and paint the wall a deeper tan/grey and paint the fireplace white.
That’s my list – but it is really adorable!
.-= Jess @ Frugal with a Flourish´s last blog ..Fall is Cozy =-.
Remove all carpeting.
Remove all wallpaper.
Put in new floors.
Add new cabinets to the kitchen.
.-= Juju at Tales of Whimsy.com´s last blog ..Christian Historical Fiction Contest- Pearl in the Sand =-.
This house is really charming and has a lot of potential. It needs the right person to come along and update it, but don’t make the house too nice.
Here’s my list:
1. Take out the wood paneling
2. Expose the wood flooring
3. Update the kitchen, but I wouldn’t make it too nice.
4. Put in some nice curtains
5. Update the bathrooms because they will need a lot of work too.
I think it’s a cute little house!!
1. Rip up carpets and refinish floors. All of them. Especially the linoleum. It’s giving me a seizure.
2. Fresh paint on the walls—including the wood paneling!
3. Paint the brick fireplace.
4. Updated kitchen cabinets.
5. New light fixtures.
.-= Amanda @ Serenity Now´s last blog ..Coffee Break =-.
1. Rip out the carpet and re-finish the hardwood floors.
2. The kitchen would have to be completely redone. Take the wallpaper down, stain cabinets & add new hardware, new countertops (no granite though), new appliances, etc.
3. Paint the walls, get rid of the wood paneling, put in crown molding.
4. Paint the brick on the fireplace
5. I’m sure the bathroom would need to be completely redone as well.
1. Rip out all of the wall to wall carpet to expose the floors.
2. Paint the paneling, bookshelves & brick in the family room a white or very light warm neutral.
3. Replace the huge window in the family room with French doors.
4. Put Carrera marble on the countertops, put in a farmhouse sink, paint the cabinets black, get rid of the wood shutters, replace the linoleum with slate & rip out the wallpaper & either find some great wallpaper or paint. I love the rounded peninsula, I’d leave it. Update the appliances.
5. Warm up the paint colors in the living room & master bedroom, replace the shower in the master bath with a soaking tub and put in Carrera marble countertops in the master bath.
Definitely rip out the carpet. Put dark wood floors down. Paint trim white. Obviously change out the curtains, putting up maybe roman shades…remove wall paper. Cheery up the kitchen with white cabinets…cool backsplash. Obviously it’s all cosmetic. Good bones. Can’t imagine that price tag for THAT house though. YIKES!!!
.-= Becky @ Farmgirl Paints´s last blog ..Poetry people =-.
1) I’m a fan of carpet, so I’d say to replace all the carpet
2) Remove kitchen linoleum-replace with tile
3) Remove kitchen wallpaper and paint the walls red
4) Paint kitchen cupboards white to match the appliances
5) Add dark wood trim throughout
I’d add color to the walls, but that is a start anyway! We bought a house a year ago, and replaced some of the carpets and linoleum, and it really does make a big difference!
.-= Josanne´s last blog ..A New and Simple Chocolate Bouquet! =-.
This is the perfect house to take advantage of the retro/vintage feel. There really is not that much work needed (mostly removal and paint!) what a GEM!
1. Take all the carpet out. Replace floor in kitchen with soap stone or even retro black and white linoleoum if money is an issue.
2. Take down wall paper and all drapes and small brown shutters.
3.Replace dated lighting fixtures.
4. Paint Kitchen Cabinets or replace doors
5. Paint wood panelling white until or remove panelling.
The outside is adorable.
.-= Kristen´s last blog ..I want a Zoila! =-.
I don’t think I could touch this place – it’s a museum! And it kiiinda explains my grandparents’ houses – twin beds in the master bedroom – yesssss.
Not sure about that newfangled TV though, fingers crossed it’s not a colour TV.
Changes I’d make to myself – not the house –
1. Add beehive
2. Adopt mild-mannered housewife ways, cook boyfriend dinner
3. Purchase Chevrolet with appropriately shiny fenders
4. Befriend Lucy, Ethel, waspy neighbours
5. Cross legs at the ankle, read Life magazine, repeat.
Love it! You had me at “beehive.” -Julia
LOVE your answer-very, very cute!!!
.-= Josanne´s last blog ..A New and Simple Chocolate Bouquet! =-.
1)all carpet out
2)paint paneling in family room
3)landscaping and front porch improvements
4)counter tops
5)remove wall paper (wish I could say kitchen floor too)
oooh double wish…appliances!
Pull out the carpet. Period. This is one of those houses purists love….it has remained unmuddled. It purely reflects the time in which it was built. There are plenty of ranches out there that have already been pulled apart….feel free to remodel them
.-= stuccohouse´s last blog ..How It all Started =-.
We have a house that WAS .just. like this when we moved in! Here’s what we did…
1. paint kitchen cabinets & paneling white
2. remove carpet to showcase beautiful hardwoods
3. rip out bushes and add porch with railing
4. paint walls, remove wallpaper
5. take down those drapes!
Fun little house with great light & lots of potential to be loved
.-= Julie´s last blog ..Taking Laura to Church Camp =-.
Whenever I see a retro house, the first thing I think is : what would I NOT change : ) In this house I would def keep 1) That fabulous chandelier 2) those big bright windows 3) the built in shelves around the fireplace (although I would probably paint everything white) 4) the hanging lamp in the bedroom (with a little spray paint…) 5) the original cabinets and rounded pennisula- I loooove retro kitchens. Mine was remodeled in the 80′s. I wish it had that original retro vibe- that I could work with!
.-= Melanie @ The Tiny Tudor´s last blog ..Fall Fireplace =-.
My kitchen has that same rounded peninsula with shelves, but the rest of it is not nearly as cool.
My five.
1. Flaunt those hardwood floors.
2. Ditch that wallpaper.
3. Paint all walls and ceilings!
4. Get a door on that bathroom in the master bedroom.
5. Paint the fireplace (I know, I know, but I think it would look so much fresher).
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Preoccupied =-.
Hi Julia – I love this house – I agree with you on the kitchen – lino must go wallpaper must go carpets must go and then paint the walls with some beautiful colour then worry about what to do with the wood panelling and fire place. Oh must not forget the curtains gotta go… Next the garden rip everything out start from scratch this will take a few years because we all know we tend to rip things out of the garden and replant this takes forever…My daughter just came back for the States she loved San Francisco Santa Barbara San Jose and of course N.Y. (I have family over there ) she also loved Crate & Barrel N.Y. Anyway enough talking for now …till next time hope you have a great weekend Regards Esther from Sydney …..
1. Rip out carpet
2. Rip out the Kitchen
3. Replace the windows
4. Spruce up the landscaping
5. Paint
.-= Sunshine´s last blog ..Happy Fall Yall =-.
The kitchen is smaller, but has the same layout (and curved shelf) as my paternal grandparents’ mid-century home in MN. I’d DEFINITElY keep the curved shelf cupboard end. : ) I’d probably also vault the ceiling, lose the carpet and possibly open up some walls. I’m not always one for painting over walls and masonry where others are…but in this case, I’m fairly certain that I’d want to slather on some ol’ Sherwin Williams paint (I have a mid-century SW catalog) in that den.
: )
Julie M.
.-= The Little Red Shop´s last blog ..On This DayI Thee Help Decorate! =-.
Wow. This same house where I live (Mississippi) would be on the market for about 80K. That’s amazing!
If I go with Modern Style I would:
1. Remove all drapery and go with a floor to ceiling drapes
2. Remove all flooring and replace with hardwood and tile in appropriate rooms
3. Repaint all walls and ceilings and remove the wall panels as well.
4. Completely update the fireplace by removing all brick and replace it with fire rated products. Dress it up with a fixed in place gas fireplace or an eco friendly ethanol based fuel i.e a portable indoor fireplace/fire pit that offers you greater flexibility.
5. Completely redo the kitchen with quartz countertops and simple contemporary style cabinets as this will give you the biggest bang for your buck upon resale.
Publisher, familyfirepit.com
.-= Karen Ho Fatt´s last blog ..Landmann Super Sky Fire Pit =-.
Absolutely amazing, I would love to walk through this home just to get the feeling that I’ve teleported to 1957.
I just moved into my own mid-century ranch last year so this is close to my heart and home.
1. I would of course rip up the carpet and the tile throughout the house. The wood floors would be re-stained if necessary and the bathrooms and kitchen would have new tile floor.
2. I actually like the wood in the t.v. room (it looks better than the paneling we found in our current home) but the carpet and the wall color do nothing for it, so I would paint that room with something to really bring out the beauty of the wood. I’m thinking a color with some pop to it, like an aqua since this is a fun room to relax in.
3. I would destroy the wall paper and paint as quickly as possible.
4. I would tear out the window in the breakfast nook and put in a door to the backyard deck that I would also build.
5. I would expand the front stoop to create a porch running at least the first large window and replace the iron support column with something else.
.-= Holley´s last blog ..Everything is new =-.
All I can think about is the epic battle raging between the linoleum and the wallpaper in that kitchen. Talk about a bloodbath.
.-= Cassi @ Miles from Suburbia´s last blog ..What Lex Luthor and half-empty moving boxes have in common =-.
Ha, I have exactly the same reaction but couldn’t have worded it as well as you!
I’m sorry, I must have made a wrong turn. I seem to have stumbled into my grandparents house. What IS this place? It really is frozen in time. OK, only 5 things? Here goes:
1. Rent a huge dumpster and park it at the curb as it will come in handy.
2. Hire burly men to help me demolish the kitchen counters, cabinets, trash the kitchen appliances, rip up all the carpeting, remove all the dated wallpaper, dig up the sad and sparse landscaping out front, remove the old iron detailing on the porch, and take down the wood paneling inside-all of it. Need to exorcise the demons of 50′s past.
3. Spend hours upon hours selecting paint colors at Benjamin Moore while sipping Pumpkin Spice Lattes.
4. Peruse the Anthropologie site and catalog for vintage inspired, kitschy finds to add SOME retro flair to the house.
5. Scratch my ideas and call and hire Jeff Lewis so I can watch his face, in his attempt to pucker his voluptuous lips, when he sees photos of the house in its current state.
.-= Bre´s last blog ..BreBeauty Makeup Pet Peeve- Sponge Applicators =-.
I’d only do two things for sure. Thinking about the third.
1. Remove carpeting (if hardwoods are underneath, they aren’t original anyway).
2. Replace the LCD tv with a zenith console.
3. Not sure about dishwasher, can the cabinet that was lost be replaced?
But, then again can we ever really go back?
Honestly, my first instinct only had two step….Bulldoze and start over but let me put my Realtor hat on now.
1. By popular demand that carpet MUST GO. Expose those hardwoods. They are buried treasures.
2. Wallpaper is OUT. It is too taste specific and dates the property. Get rid of all of it and get some neutral and earth tones in there. It doesn’t have to be a blank canvass but no bold colors or patterns.
3. The sellers need to do something with that kitchen!
I. Offer a big allowance to update the kitchen.
II. Take it off the market and do a major renovation.
4. Hire a team of people to come in a paint, paint, paint.
5. Stage that house with rented modern furniture. Put all that outdated furniture in storage.
Good Luck!
I am quite familiar with this area since I grew up a few miles away in Lakewood. I also have just updated my parents house in which they had lived since it was new in 1952. My suggestions:
1. Curb appeal. Tear out the bushes that totally date the house and put in some low and colorful flowering plants and bushes.
2. New carpet. We have oak floors under the carpet but for my mother’s sake (she’s 88) she could fall on slick floors, I opted for new carpet for safety and warmth reasons. The oak flooring is great looking if it is not damaged underneath but those houses were not insulated in the sub-floor and it can get cold.
3. Take down the drapes and take off the wallpaper. Bye Bye kitchen shutters. Then re-paint.
4. De-clutter OR as I like to say “de-crapify”.
5. I like the kitchen, I even have the same floor and decided to keep it because they are indestructable but the cabinest are a bit busy with the flooring so I would make the cabinets all one color.
OR you could just price it to sell as it is and forget the rest, as it is a clean house in a good neighborhood and let the new owners remodel to their own taste. Maybe a credit back.
I’m not too familiar with the prices in the Bixby Knolls area but it does seem to be a bit high…
I’m in the “keep the kitchen cabinet” camp. paint them white. new formica countertops, new linoleum floor, remove the scary wallpaper and paint it a cheery upbeat color, like yellow.
expose hardwoods
paint the paneling
new window treatments
all new white appliances
This house looks to have been built in the late 50′s — if it hadn’t been changed since then, that might be really cool. But these folks did it up in style somewhere in the mid-70′s. That’s what needs to go.
1)lose the carpet
2) refinish hardwoods in redwood tone
3) lose the bits of scrollwork in the kitchen, if you can’t redo the cabinets
4)Remove or the paint the paneling.
5) Wallpaper must die!
.-= Don Corson´s last blog ..2010 Columbus BIA Parade of Homes – Ackerly Park- New Albany- OH =-.
That’s a good point. The ’70s updates seem to be the worst offenders here. -Julia
1. Turn the hope chest into an extra bed.
2.Hire a Liberace look-alike to play the piano in the living room.
3.Remove the two white lights in the kitchen. They look like a cross between boobs and eyeballs.
4. Put some velvet paintings on the walls.
5. Attach foil covered rabbit ears to the flat screen TV.
.-= Romi´s last blog ..Martha Stewart- my sister and me =-.
I especially like the idea of the foil-covered rabbit ears! Ha. -Julia
Paint kitchen cabinets white and change out doors to glass/pane style. Redo kitchen floor (maybe black and white square tiles). Get rid of wall paper. Update the colors in the house. Buy new windows.
Julia,
I LOVE that house. I would definitely keep the retro “Brady Bunch” feeling however I would…
1. Wood floors througout
2 Except the kitchen, I would put a nice piece of vinyl to keep with the period of the house.
3. maybe update the lighting abit in the kitchen(I love those shutters!)
Keep the island, I love it, but replace the countertop. Maybe tile…
I love all the wood in the family room/living areas. Just polish it up!
Great post!!!
.-= Robin´s last blog ..A New Blog to Visit! =-.
Only 5? hhmmmm…… Well,
1. Major Landscaping
2. Cork flooring thru-out the house
3. Plantation shutters instead of curtains
4. update the kitchen, but keep that cute little cubby thingy…
5. repaint the outside of the house a different color
Interesting enough, this look was quite “happening” in the early 70′s……..They had it going on!
Oh if I could buy this house aka had a job there I would!!!! I know exactly where it is. I could walk to where my mom is in asst living and see her every day if I lived there.
This house doesn’t need much at all…
1) All current carpet/wallpaper go – expose hardwood
2) Paint everywhere including all cabinets/built ins – complete shelves as needed. I like painted paneling. It adds texture and a cottage/beachy feel.
3) Add cabinet/built-in micro over stove — would update stove (looks like it needs a 36″) but doesn’t need to be done right away. My counter depth fridge will fit perfect. Leave layout cabinets/counters. (I am so *sick* of seeing the standard home depot cabs/granite kitchens ruining the charm of older homes. It’s hard to find a home without them.)
4) Update floor in kitchen/baths (I expect it would need it in baths too)
5) Update lighting/fixtures/hardware throughout.
Later I’d update the patio cover to get rid of the aluminum. I like the garage is off the alley and that it has a pool. Landscaping is a nice fit for the style and fits with the neighborhood (which is lovely). Plus it’s close to everything. I’d love to call this place home.
Oh and I’d keep the current tile but now that I look closer it appears the backsplash goes all the way up the wall behind the stove so some would likely need to come out to make the cabinet fit. I have the exact same tile layout (diag center) in my house. Rare that you get lucky in a 50′s hose to have such neutral tile color as this.
Wouldn’t it be cool to give this house a mid-century modern vibe as it no doubt had in its glory days?
Heavens, yes, those hardwoods need to be exposed ASAP. Then, since it’s in California, I’d set about opening everything up to the outside. Window treatments–gone!
I love having lots of color in my own home, but with a ranch like this, I’d be tempted to go with one neutral color throughout the living spaces. Which means the kitchen wallpaper would have to go. I’d send you a piece of it, though, for auld lang syne.
That’s just three changes, but I think I’d make those before I even decided what to do next. These posts are a lot of fun!
.-= Richella at Imparting Grace´s last blog ..Greeting autumn at the front door =-.
For starters I would paint the outside of the home a creamy light yellow, with white trim and white shutters. I would then change the landscape and add hydrangeas along the front. Oh and I’d paint the front door pink!
As for the inside of the house I’d paint the walls white…I love white spaces! I’d remove the carpet and expose the hardwood. I think I’ve mentioned more than five things! This home has a lot of potential! I would love to see how the new owner remodels it
1. OMG!!! That ugly kitchen floor was in our 1970s house when we bought it 20 years ago. Ripped it out before the last box was moved in. Same with the mustard colored carpet. Can’t believe they are still in use somewhere!! Okay – deep breath. Replace kitchen floor with checkerboard tile, restore or replace hardwood in others.
2. Complete kitchen overhaul. White appliances and the curved shelves can stay, but those shutters and the cupboards gotta go! Would flip the stove and refrigerator, other tweaks to make it more efficient. Shiny formica countertops. Put office in the breakfast area and plan to eat in dining room.
3. The paneling has to go – there are so many other period appropriate wall finishes. Same for popcorn ceilings. The shelving next to the fireplace needs to go all the way to the floor. Reface fireplace and mount tv above it.
4. Play up the windows. Get rid of the heavy draperies and use period type curtains. Change out the big window for French doors.
5. Dress up the outside. Replace shrubs with more casual looking plants (spirea, snowballs, other 50′s types), create flower beds in front. Lose the metal components in the back for an updated covered patio.
Oops — more than five but just like real life, one thing leads to another. Great potential – unbelievable price!
I agree with many other posters re: expose hardwood – eliminate curtains & light fixtures – paint — and that would probably be enough to make it reasonable to live with for awhile.
What excites me the most is the landscaping possibilities (dealing with the front only to start with since the back is nice and secluded w/ pool). It begs for the horizontal lines to be accentuated. I would build additional raised beds (as seen at left of picture) in different heights around the foundation — of course existing evergreens would have to go first. They’d be stuccoed and painted a slightly deeper color than the house, which would be repainted — am thinking in the taupe family. (According to the listing the roof is only 3 years old so it makes sense to work with that). In the raised planters, different colored foliage and textures and shapes would provide the interest, rather than flowers. The scrollwork column and other like doodads on the porch would have to go. The porch and steps would be widened to the left of the door so that replacement column (substantial but plain square wood) would center the front door between the column and the wing on the right. There would also be low beds in front of the raised planters to create a layered effect. A new (or repainted) front door that is colorful — maybe in the blue-green range — would be a good addition. I believe all of these changes would make this house a modern knockout without losing any of the 1950 features.
Wow! This could have been the house that I just bought a year ago! We bought it because it was the right price and the right size and layout we needed. But alas it was built in 1957! And boy did it look it! So thankful that you decided to post this…loved reading through what everyone suggested. I often wonder if I picked the right things to renovate myself at the beginning and apparently I did because it was a lot of what people are suggesting here. Here’s what I actually did to ours and I based the decisions on what would offer great improvement most quickly and what was easier to be done prior to moving in (rather than waiting for all of our stuff to be moved in and have to work around it).
1) REMOVE POPCORN CEILINGS! (those things are hideous!)
2) Painted the entire house inside, from molding to cabinets to doors and added crown molding and recessed lighting. Huge improvement. Painted all built ins a nice white. Drywalled or painted any paneling. I realized that painting paneling a light color actually improves it drastically if it’s not in your budget to drywall.
3) Re-do hardwood floors: Ours had all hardwood as well and although it had no carpet over it, it was in dire need of buffing and staining.
4) Install all new kitchen appliances (stainless of course) and install all new light fixtures in every room (yes the bathroom ones were the worst! It’s as bad as you think…trust me).
5) Landscape backyard. (because it was in worse shape than front yard)
And here are the next 5 improvements we plan on working on:
1) Replace large windows and/or sliders with french doors.
2) Replace kitchen floor (mine is no where near as bad as the one in these pictures – so I was able to wait a bit)
3) Renovate 2 out of the 3 bathrooms
4) Re-landscape front yard
5) Add jacuzi to pool and re-plaster and tile pool.
Thanks again for posting this. Makes me think I’m definitely moving in the right direction. It so hard sometimes when you have a house like this…you just want it all done at once! Ugh. But worth the wait…I hope!
Five Changes:
1. New Landscaping — Urgent
2. Remove the carpet and refinish the wood floors, new flooring in the kitchen
3. New lighting
4. Ditch the wallpaper in the kitchen
5. Repaint walls throughout
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