A Million Little Projects At 3 Oaks

A couple of weekend warriors going to war on the weekend... with DIY projects and home renovations  

[3oaksacre]

go green or go home

project 3: the kitchen

The kitchen was easily the worst looking room in the house. It’s also the first room we walked all the way into. Most might have walked in and immediately walked out. The ceiling was discolored where pipes had previously been repaired. The light over the sink was gone and the light over the eat-in area of the kitchen was dated. The cabinetry was a faded white at the top and a beat up green on the bottom. Fruit-bordered wallpaper adorned the walls while overly ornate chair rails framed the room. It was by any definition a total gut.

While the intent was (and still is) to eventually do a total renovation, we decided to do a temporary makeover by beautifying it and making it functional. So we replaced the cruddy stove with an induction cooktop, swapped out the ugly faucet and handles for gold ones and added a subway tile backsplash. 

We painted all the cabinets and replaced the hardware. We broke out the wine rack over the fridge to make storage for our cookbook collection. We took down the wallpaper and trim and painted the entire room. We added recessed lighting over the cooktop and created a coffee bar in what was a previously undefined open space. 

We also  refreshed the chalkboard, replaced the light over the eat-in area and created a picture wall that memorialized the family and friends who frequent our home.

Now our kitchen is defined by functional moments and vignettes. And while we look forward to renovating the space at some point in the future, the transformation to date has made the kitchen a gathering spot for friends and family.

[3oaksacre]

new kids on the block

project 2: the kids rooms

We had a two-month window from closing day to moving day and we took advantage of every bit of it. We planned to complete the 5 rooms that would make the house functionally livable on our first day in the house. Those were the Family Room, The Kids Rooms (2), The Kitchen and the Master. With the kids rooms, we wanted to make sure they were completely comfortable moving into their new home, so we included them in the design process of their own rooms. It was soon apparent that all of our style-loving, HGTV-watching and DIY-ing had rubbed off.

Our oldest daughter, a bit of a renaissance woman, is the kind of person you meet and think “wow, you must’ve been here before.” She has a record player on which she listens to the greats (think Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, etc.); she’s teaching herself the electric guitar; has started a blog; and is a voracious reader. She also loves Harry Potter and all things STEM. Her choice of color palette was a very sophisticated navy and gold.  So we accented her room with things that leaned towards her interests- a reading nook with a space for her records; bookshelves; and even a pair of oversized DIY Harry Potter glasses over her bed. If she ever cleans the room, we’ll post pictures of the entire thing. #preteens

Our youngest daughter, having more playful sensibilities, opted for a teal room with a varied blue striped wall. She likes word art, so we accented her room with pieces that encourage her to be her best self. She also wanted a hanging chair where she could read and an area to play. In lieu of a desk, we went with a table complete with sunken cups for holding art supplies. We also put LED lights in both kids rooms to give them a cool night time feature.

follow us on Instagram @3OaksAcre to see the full transformation and more of our DIY renovations

[3oaksacre]

like it’s golden

project one: the family room (wet bar)

We love to entertain and a wet bar in a nook off the family room was the perfect opportunity for us to add some flair. The nook is kind of hidden as you enter the family room- especially as your focus is likely on the black built-ins and fireplace. So this gave us a chance to add another layer of impact. Whereas the matte black fireplace and built-ins draw you in subtly, the wet bar screams “look at me!” 

We went with a gold and black mid-century, hexagon-patterned, peel and stick wallpaper. By putting the paper on all four walls of the wet bar, we created a luxe looking space that played well off the black built-ins and the gold accents throughout the family room. 

Lining up the hexagon pattern took a lot of patience, but once we found the groove, getting the wallpaper up wasn’t difficult at all. We did hit a snag when the last box in our order contained a white and gold leopard print wallpaper and we had to wait for the company to send a replacement. 

We lined the back of the cabinet with the wallpaper to give the illusion that the cabinet had an open back, which provided a much more interesting backdrop to our glass and drink ware. 

Now... it’s gotta be 5 o’clock somewhere.

[3oaksacre]

head first into blackness

project one: the family room

From the moment we first saw the family room, we had a vision. We wanted the fireplace to be the focal point of the room- moody, yet inviting. Pulling visitors into the room from the foyer with ease. We were so committed to this vision that on closing day, we got the kids off to school, did the final walkthrough, closed on the house and began painting the built-ins.

We used Benjamin Moore’s Advanced Paint in Midnight Black with a matte finish to make the fireplace and built-ins a dramatic focal point. Not only did the black provide the impact we were looking for, but it also made all the details pop.

We carried the black color over to the French doors to better tie the sunroom to the family room, but we used a satin finish to make it easier to clean, given it’s a high-traffic, high-touch area. Then we framed the doors with bright white curtains and matching artwork.

The moody fireplace and built-ins provide a perfect backdrop for white, gold, natural and wood toned accents and we often swap out accent pieces and decor from other rooms in the house. 

To see more of the work we’ve done on the Family Room, check out the Project 1 highlights on our Instagram feed.

[3oaksacre]

i bet we can make that

us

[3oaksacre]

finding forever

We were in that space of "not looking, but looking" for a house. You know the space where you endlessly scroll realtor.com, watch hours of House Hunters on HGTV, or kill time by going to open houses in your neighborhood just because? That's where we were. Except on this particular Sunday, we noticed that a house listed as a "foreclosure" was having an open house- and that's highly unusual. So to kill time after church on our way to pick up one of our kids, we stopped at this open house with a half-hour left.

As we entered the house the detail in the foyer immediately caught our eye and we looked at each other puzzled. We made our way to the ugly, battered kitchen, spoke with the agent and signed in- noticing that there were only two other names on the list. 

Then we walked into the family room and the end-to-end built-ins flanking the wood burning fireplace caught our eye. That was the moment we knew.

Nothing about the house scared us off. Not the green cabinetry or fruit-bordered wallpaper in the kitchen.

Not the pink master bath. Not the brown guest bath. Not the patched-but-not-painted ceiling in the dining room.

When we got back in the car, the only thing that was scary at that point was the possibility of us not getting the house. Eleven rounds of negotiation later, we had a deal on the ugliest house on our block...

[3oaksacre]

serendipity

Serendipity is defined as the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

We're Jeff & Taneise, a couple of creative, self-taught, self-determined DIYers who love good design and have a knack for saying "I bet we can make that." Our purchase of this house was a fortunate stroke of serendipity. So the work we are putting into it is done with gratitude and love. And this blog is meant to be a reflection of that. We hope our DIY journey inspires you to jump in, think of your spaces differently and push yourselves to the limits of your comfort.