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A Before & After Home Tour (5 Years in the Making)

My favorite type of post to read and write is a before & after. Can you believe we’ve now been in our home for 5 years!!! Those years just flew by. A lot has happened and changed so I thought it would be fun to do a Before & After Home Tour.

A Before & After Home Tour (5 Years in the Making) - Finding Silver Pennies

If I’m honest, it’s actually been slightly over 5 years. We moved into our home May 23, 2013. The kids were in a flurry of excitement running around the house. My parents brought us take away from Maria’s and we ate under the wisteria on the back deck. I remember all of it like it was yesterday. You can see the very first home tours I shared of our house here and here.

Three years ago I shared this post, another before & after tour.  A LOT has happened since then – new ceilings, makeovers in the bedrooms, updated the living room, a fireplace makeover and a pool this year!

A glimpse of our dining room and a tour of our home through a 5 year period - Finding Silver Pennies

This is our forever home. The decisions and changes we’re making are not for resale. Everything we’re putting into this is for our family. We want our home to feel comfortable and inviting because this is our favorite place to be. I’m sure in another 5 years there will be more changes…

I’ll try to include links to other posts and sources as I know it’s helpful for your own homes.

So let’s start the tour!

Before & After Home Tour (5 Years in the Making)

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Exterior

Before & After Exterior of a Coastal Home - Finding Silver Pennies

The minute we saw the home, we knew we wanted it to be our home. One of the first projects we did was paint the trim white and change the color of the doors and shutters. EVERYONE wants to know this color blue. While weeding someone asked me. It’s Buxton Blue by Benjamin Moore in high gloss. I love it and so glad we did blue. It is such a happy color and works in every season. In summer it looks beachy and in winter the red holly looks so pretty in the window boxes.

Our Home the Day we Moved In - Finding Silver Pennies

This is how the exterior is looking now:

Our Home 5 Years After Moving In - Finding Silver Pennies

We added the front bed and planted boxwood and white azaleas. Antique urns are filled with leafy Boston Ferns and we’ve added a flag to our entry. Last year, we reseeded and the lawn has really grown in nicely.

Source List

Shutter and Door Color – Buxton Blue by Benjamin Moore in high gloss

Living Room

This room has undergone many changes over the passed 5 years. We’ve gone through three couches, replaced the ceilings, added recessed lighting, updated the fireplace and created two seating areas.

Updates we've made to our coastal home over a 5 year period. This is the living room - Finding Silver Pennies

We added this white sectional last November and many were worried about white with kids and dogs but we’ve loved how this brightened up our room. We have dark woodwork which I love but all dark furniture can make it look cave-like in here. You may remember the chesterfield we had previously. I LOVED that couch and it was such a bargain on Craigslist but as the kids grew we couldn’t all fit on it. Sigh.

Here’s the Chesterfield if you don’t remember it:

 

Chesterfield Sofa and views of the living room - Finding Silver Pennies

Here’s a before and after photo from when we moved it:

Before & After in the Living Room - Finding Silver Pennies

I’m still waiting for Luke to build me a new coffee table. I’m thinking round and a little modern, but maybe this fall he’ll be able to get to it.

We replaced the ceilings in here which took about a month. You can see the room without ceilings:

Repairing the Ceilings - Finding Silver Pennies

Here’s how the other side of the room looks:

Before & After Living Room - Finding Silver Pennies

The room feels so inviting now as it’s layered with different textures (baskets, fur throws, linen, cotton and oriental rugs) and soft decorative items.

One area I wasn’t in love with in the living room was our fireplace. It had dark orange bricks and ugly floor tile. Finally, we updated the fireplace over the winter.

Before & After Fireplace Makeover - Finding Silver PenniesI painted the interior of the fireplace with oven paint and we refaced the fireplace with fossilized ocean flooring and bluestone on the floor. A gas fireplace was added to the interior. Even in the summer I’ve flicked the fireplace on. It’s made this part of our living room so enjoyable.

Cozy fireplace. Can you believe it's faced in fossilized ocean flooring? - Finding Silver Pennies

Living Room Source List

Shop the Living Room Look

Dining Room

This room also got new ceilings along with the living room. Last year, we found a beautiful Welsh Dresser on a yard sale site which made me want to redo the entire room. This happens from time to time around here. This is the beautiful Welsh Dresser:

A mix of antiques and vintage finds in the dining room - Finding Silver Pennies

When we first moved in a I dreamed of having a French dining room but the more we lived in the house I wanted a cozy English style dining room with a long farmhouse table and slipcovered furniture. Luke created a stunning farmhouse table with reclaimed heart pine.

English Coastal Dining Room - Finding Silver Pennies

It truly is a family heirloom and we love to spend time in this room. The boys play chess and build lego here. We love to eat family dinners here but I also love sitting and reading the paper with a delicious omelette.

I guess I should share a before and after of this room:

Before & After Living Room - Finding Silver Pennies

Dining Room Source List

Shop the Dining Room Look

The Kitchen

One day we’ll give our kitchen a huge renovation but for the passed 5 years, we’ve tried to update it affordably. You can read this post where I share a few ways to update your home without doing a full renovation.

Coastal Kitchen - Finding Silver Pennies

The updates we’ve made included: painting the walls a dreamy gray, painting the cabinets bright white, adding stick on subway tiles and using woven plastic rugs on the floors.

I look at the kitchen and see so many things I want to change. I don’t love all the cabinets and don’t love the dark wood floors. I also wish our fridge was in the kitchen rather than that hall.

This is how the kitchen looked when we first moved in:

Before & After Kitchen - Finding Silver Pennies

I’ve also added some sunflowers Conor drew. Every time I look at his artwork it makes me smile.

Framed kid's artwork can be whimsical and fun in the kitchen - Finding Silver Pennies

I also just made this Fresh Oysters sign for above the door:

New and Vintage finds along with a DIY stool and sign make this kitchen fun and inviting - Finding Silver Pennies

Kitchen Source List

Shop the Kitchen Look

 

Sunroom

This room was one we did early on in owning the house. Poppy got sprayed by a skunk, so the room smelled horrible and the rug got ruined. You can read all about the makeover here:

Coastal Sunroom Makeover - Finding Silver Pennies

The room is a mix of Ikea and upcycled finds and it has a wall of windows which makes it an enjoyable spot for three seasons of the year. It isn’t heated so usually too cold out there in the winter.

We’ve added a few updates over the years. Like adding my childhood toy chest for more storage:

A Saltwash Trunk with pretty plants - Finding Silver Pennies

 

We created a hanging succulent wall:Wall succulents and painted oars - Finding Silver Pennies

We also built and painted this scalloped bench with a salt sprayed texture:

DIY Scalloped Bench - Finding Silver Pennies

Here’s a before and after photo of this space:

Before & After Sunroom - Finding Silver Pennies

Everything looks just as nice as when we painted it four years ago, although, there are some spots on the floor that could do with a touch up.

Sunroom Source List

Shop the Sunroom Look

Guest Room / Multi-Purpose Room

This space got it’s second makeover since we moved in. This was originally our guest room but since Luke started working from home I thought I really needed a creative space so this became my office / multipurpose room. We brought up a day bed from the playroom that can be pulled out for guests. I shared all the details in this post.

Multi-Purpose Creative Space - Finding Silver Pennies

Max is usually following right behind me.

Pretty Stenciled Wall - Finding Silver Pennies

We stenciled this wall as part of our guest room makeover.

When we first moved in this room was a bright purple blue.

Before & After Multipurpose Office / Guest Room - Finding Silver Pennies

Creative Space Source List

 

Shop the Multi-Purpose Creative Space

Kids’ Nautical Bedroom

This room looks completely different than when we moved in. In fact, there used to be a faux wall up separting both rooms. When the boys were younger this was fine but as they grew we wanted to open the space up.

Boys' Nautical Bedroom - Finding Silver Pennies

Our kids love sharing a bedroom and a dedicated work space. They are little sailors so I created a hook for holding all their sailing gear too:

DIY Nautical Hooks - Finding Silver Pennies

Here you can see a before and after:

Before & After Boys' Nautical Bedroom - Finding Silver Pennies

We replaced the ceiling in this room and had some new wiring run. Our books were so excited about the cool Ikea light.

Here’s a look at their industrial work area:

Workspace for Kids - Finding Silver Pennies

Boys’ Nautical Bedroom Source List

Shop The Nautical Boys’ Bedroom Look

Master Bedroom

We completely redid our bedroom last summer. Our bedroom makeover was also inspired by a trip to England. I fell in love with the old wide plank flooring abroad which is oiled and isn’t as shiny. While in England I found a photo in a magazine of board and batten walls. Our bedroom isn’t huge but I wanted to make it appear larger.

Coastal Bedroom Makeover with board and batten walls and hardwood floors - Finding Silver Pennies

Linen bedding, woven blinds and paneling on the wall all work together for a serene coastal bedroom.

We created the sea fan wall art above our bed and installed the hardwood flooring ourselves.

DIY Sea Fan Art - Finding Silver Pennies

The flooring adds so much warmth and character to the space.

Warm Wood Floors and Chippy Furniture - Finding Silver Pennies

Before there was dark brown wall to wall carpeting and blue walls.

Before & After Coastal Bedroom - Finding Silver Pennies

Master Bedroom Source List

Shop the Look of Our Master Bedroom

Oooooh, this is a long post! Are you guys still with me????

Since buying the home we also updating the back deck, you can read those posts here and here. It’s my favorite spot in the summer for family meals.

Romantic Evening on the Deck - Finding Silver Pennies

One day we’ll redo the deck, as the wood is starting to splinter.

When we moved in our yard looked like this:

The day we moved into our home, this is a view of the back yard - Finding Silver Pennies

Since then we’ve added a She Shed:

Coastal She Shed - Finding Silver Pennies

Here’s a look inside:

Inside my She Shed - Finding Silver Pennies

This whole area is a work in progress now though as we’re working on a beautiful pool area which was a dream for our family.

I’ll be sharing a full reveal of the pool area soon. You can see the pool progress here, but here’s a peek:

A Preview of Our New Pool - Finding Silver Pennies

I hope you enjoyed seeing the journey of our home as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you.

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Eunice Iseley
Eunice Iseley
5 years ago

Beautiful and inviting. Thanks for sharing. Would you mind telling me the dimensions of your living room? I like the way you have it divided into different areas. I would like to try this in my home.

Cheryl Linnegar
Cheryl Linnegar
5 years ago

Stunning Danielle, our tastes are the same! It is all so beautiful, well done.

Design Chic
5 years ago

So warm and inviting, Danielle! I adore a shingled house and the color you painted the shutters made such a difference. What a beautiful transformation inside and out!

Laura Harrie
Laura Harrie
5 years ago

You and your husband have worked hard over the last five years to make your home a wonderful place to be at Home! It is very welcoming and comforting. What a great place for your sons to grow up in.

Judy Coggins
Judy Coggins
5 years ago

Your home is spectacular, Danielle. Thanks so much for the tour and all the wonderful ideas.

Judy

Pat Metzer
Pat Metzer
5 years ago

Beautiful transformation, in just 5 years, I really love the wide plank flooring in the master bedroom.
Pat

Susan S.
Susan S.
5 years ago

What a fabulous post!!! Even thought I follow you regularly, it’s so nice to have all of your work and creativity in a summary post every so often. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for your family in your home, with the wonderful blue shutters/door, by the harbor!

Carol Heartfelt Whimsies
Carol Heartfelt Whimsies
5 years ago

What an absolutely and incredible job you’ve done!!
I can see the LOVE you’ve poured into each space!
Thank you for sharing! I can only imagine the work involved!