Expectant parents Jen Migonis along with her husband, AJ, purchased their home three decades back, wanting room for their son to play and develop in. The location, only a 15-minute walk to the beach, and a good college system are just what convinced the couple to see the chances, despite a less-than-ideal inside. The home had dated and dark rooms untouched for years, zero insulation and flooring suffering from exactly what Jen explains as “nauseating linoleum,” but the industrious couple knew that using a great deal of DIY patience and love, they could create a bright location for their loved ones to call home.
in a Glance
Who lives here: Jen and AJ Migonis and their son, Drew
Location: Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
Size: 1,600 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
That’s interesting: Although it’s located on chilly Cape Ann, the home had zero insulation when the family moved in.
Theresa Fine
The couple removed an present nonload-bearing wall that separated the initial bloated kitchen in the dining area. They added an island with a Carrara marble top, maintaining a bright and open-concept kitchen in mind. New stainless steel appliances plus a Maytag convection stovetop replaced the very outdated stove. “It was rather rough before. The 1950s stove took nearly an hour to boil water for pasta,” says Jen. “The brightness of the room today makes me happy every time I’m inside.”
Before Photo
When the couple moved in, the cabinets were painted a dull ” [The kitchen] was our first major renovation, because we’re going to have our first child, and we understood that it would be a key spot,” says Jen.
Theresa Fine
A silver faux pressed-tin backsplash gives the sink area a classic feel. “We ordered semicustom cabinets to fit our room but were cautious to not need to move windows and pipes in order to keep down the cost,” says Jen.
Backsplash: Shanko 309 Lacquer End Steel, Home Depot; cupboards: Thomasville; appliances: Home Depot; countertop: Bianco Carrara marble, Doyon’s Appliance; sink, faucet: Franke and Moen, Home Depot
Theresa Fine
Theresa Fine
The kitchen flows into the dining area, located to the right of the entrance. A turned-leg pine dining table found on Craigslist was stripped of its own glistening orange coat and awarded a black, distressed finish. The linoleum flooring went outside, and new hardwood floors were painted a dark warm walnut colour.
A classic window and inherited vintage lamp accent the dining buffet. “Like many people I love the gray-blue colour palette and think it perfectly reflects the sea,” says Jen. “I’m a huge fan of calming colors on the walls and using the rooms readily flow to each other.”
Rug: Malika, Pottery Barn; seats: Overstock.com and Harry, Ikea; deaint: Driftwood Gray, Martha Stewart Living and Ultra Pure White, Behr
Theresa Fine
To the left of the entrance is your living room, featuring many of Jen’s budget-friendly DIY projects. The blue and white drapes are actually shower curtains from Target which she cut in half and adorned with a white band of fabric to produce affordable window treatments.
Before Photo
The living room’s focal point was a outdated wood-paneled wall. The couple pumped out the far corner of the wall, adding access to the kitchen, opening the space up and generating flow in the downstairs space.
Theresa Fine
The few whitewashed the paneling, trim and brick fireplace, making what was a dark area feel open and cheerful.
Paint: Vanilla Ice Cream 2154-70, Benjamin Moore; armchairs: Tullsta, Ikea; pillows: HomeGoods
Theresa Fine
This door off the kitchen contributes to the basement, decorated for the coming of spring with a moss wreath. A glittery coral-colored “M,” another one of Jen’s DIY projects, stands to your household’s last name.
Theresa Fine
Upstairs, one of three small bedrooms has been turned into son Drew’s sea-inspired nursery. Jen credits her inspiration and style for her mum and her love of browsing magazines. “My mother has always loved decorating and shopping comparatively frugally,” she shares, “therefore I think that is partially where I get that gene from. Subsequently marrying AJ was like a continuation of how I grew up, just he had been renovation minded as well.”
Wheel: Christmas Tree Shop; bedding, carpet: Pottery Barn Kids
Theresa Fine
Seat: Ektorp, Ikea; stool: HomeGoods
Theresa Fine
Jen’s dad made Drew’s sailboat mobile by hand in main colors, adding a personal touch to the nautical design plot.
Lamp: Fisherman Table Lamp, Pottery Barn Kids
Theresa Fine
Baskets, buckets, along with a vintage red wagon corral Drew’s toys and books. Jen made the Migonis family plaque.
Before Photo
BEFORE: The master bedroom had low ceilings, aged walls along with the dreaded linoleum flooring. This chamber was the brainchild of AJ, that came up with the thought to vault the ceiling and did all the work himself. The transformation took nearly three decades and $3,000 to complete.
Theresa Fine
AFTER: The finished master bedroom.
Theresa Fine
The couple opened the bedroom ceiling to include stunning lines and make the room feel bigger. Jen repurposed shower curtains into window drapery as well as pillow shams. The tufted headboard is a DIY project that Jen made from pegboard.
Jen also whitewashed the mantel around a newly installed electrical fireplace and created a small sitting area. The once-gold mirror has been painted and washed white to fit the house’s neutral colour palette.
Paint: Moonshine 2140-60, Benjamin Moore; drapes: Feather Gray, West Elm; flooring: stained with Jacobean, Minwax; fireplace: Home Depot
Before Photo
The upstairs bathroom is the only one in the home, so the few needed to liven it up right away. It had old tiles, wallpaper and cheap shelving, and the toilet was sinking to the ground. The shower also had a mysteriously stubborn mildew no matter how many times they washed it.
Theresa Fine
The newly tiled shower, mirrored in the mirror, is outfitted with neutral variegated cent tiles. A white beadboard ceiling adds personality. The few came in under budget at $2,500, getting members of Overstock.com to obtain a 7 percent reduction on tiles.
Shower tile: Overstock.com; Paint: Harbor Gray AC-25, Benjamin Moore
Theresa Fine
Jen covered a kid-friendly security gate at the peak of the stairs with old maps.
Theresa Fine
Connected to the wall beside the entry is a handmade giant ruler for charting Drew’s height.
Before Photo
The house was hidden by big shrubs and painted blue.
Theresa Fine
While it’s snowy today, Jen enjoys that they reside within a mile and a half of the beach. “It’s amazing to run or walk from the sea whenever we want to. Our neighborhood is composed of largely capes or tiny ranches that people are gradually renovating or tearing down,” she says. “There is a good mix of kids and older folks who only love talking and turning to Drew.”
Paint: Cumulus Cloud MSL260, Martha Stewart Living
Theresa Fine
Here Jen presents for a picture with an energetic Drew. In terms of the household’s future renovation programs, Jen says, “We are starting the process of producing a nursery for our little girl, due on April 5, and turning the guest room into a more grown-up room for Drew.”
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