Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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A Crisp & Classic House Tour

This house crashing adventure in Northern Virginia had us drooling over materials and finishes, especially in the kitchen and the bathrooms. Talk about a gorgeous place to come home to. And here’s Melissa The Homeowner now, so let’s go in.

Hc Meet Owner

Her house was actually built in 1940, but she and her husband Jim added an awesome addition to the back of the house in 2009 which included a new kitchen. And it just happened to be one of the most amazing ones we’ve ever been in. So we’ll cut right to the chase. You can see it down the hallway near the front door…

Hc Kitchen Hall

… and it’s glorious. Is it not? Everything from the thick crown molding and the vintage-esque lights over the island (from Amazon) to the crisp subway tile and gorgeous glass fronted cabinets had us at hello.

Hc Kitchen Shot

We also really loved the black honed granite counters paired with the white cabinets and the stainless steel appliances. And that hood was amazing. Jim actually made it. Yes, it was fantastic. And the pot filler was snagged for around $75 on clearance when Home Depot Expo closed. I think hoods and pot fillers like this are what dreams are made of.

Bc Range Detail

The kitchen opens up to a family room on the other side of the large multifunctional space. And yes, you can watch TV on this flatscreen while cooking. Life is good for Melissa. We especially loved the striped tone-on-tone drapes (from JC Penney) and the cozy gas fireplace. This is one of those awesome family homes where people really live (see the toys tucked into that corner on the right and all the books on those built-ins on the left?).

Hc Family Room

The back of the house shows the 2009 addition that we mentioned (the kitchen and that family room were added along with a main bedroom and bath upstairs). Which means Melissa and her husband got to create this gorgeous back patio with nice wide steps leading out to a grassy play area for their son and daughter.

Hc Back Patio

There’s also a more formal living room in the front of the house, and the fireplace was especially lovely thanks to the crisp lines of the mantel.

Hc Living Room

Here’s another little stolen detail, just a quick shot of a frame arrangement on the stairs leading up to the second level (she got the M at Ross for $6). So personal and sweet.

Hc Stairway Frame Collage

Here’s their son’s room which had custom floor to ceiling built-ins that Jim actually made himself. Talk about getting tons of function out of one wall. And the rocking horse was DIYed by Jim’s father (handiness runs in the family).

Hc Sons Room

And here’s their daughter’s room with a charming cherry branch mural on the wall (from ebay) and a DIYed nightstand by Melissa (don’t you love the large white stripe down the center?).

Hc Daughters Room

Their main bedroom is airy and welcoming with a nice peaked ceiling and lots of windows.

Hc Master Full

The bed even had sort of an exotic vacation vibe going on. Ooh la la.

Hc Master Bed Detail

But that bathroom is really what brought me to my knees. Look at that gorgeous giant sink vanity topped with more black honed granite (just like the kitchen countertops). And the floors. They killed me.

Hc Master Bath Full

Here’s a closer look. Marble basketweave (from The Tile Shop). I was in heaven.

Master Bath Detail

There’s also a basement with a giant playroom that was in progress when we crashed. But it has since been officially finished and it. is. awesome. Check it out here. And here’s the sweet little basement guest room (complete with a headboard that Melissa DIYed and bedding from JC Penney)…

Hc Guest Room

… and an equally charming and cheerful guest bathroom (with towels from Bed Bath & Beyond and art from Target).

Hc Guest Bathroom

So thanks a million to Melissa and Jim for inviting us in and letting us snap away! There’s not much that we love more than snooping around a lovely house like hers! And since we definitely didn’t capture every detail (or even every room) be sure to head over to Melissa’s blog for more photos and details. Hooray for hump day house crashings!

Psst- Wanna virtually poke around a ton of other awesome casas? Click here for eye candy galore.

Comments

  2. Emily says

    Love the kitchen. Since the kitchen was an add-on, do you know how the homeowners were able to match up the hardwood floors to the existing floors? Our house was built in 1951 and has the original hardwood floors, however, our kitchen was an add on too. We’d like to put hardwoods in the kitchen, but don’t know if we can match the wood. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Melissa @ HOUSEography says

      Yes! They are new hardwoods which are matched to the old ones. We had all of the old ones refinished as well so they all match perfectly. The ones in the kitchen are feathered in with the old (John took the second picture standing in our “old house” looking into our “new house”). Our new and old floors come together in four different places in the house and all are perfect. You need to get a company who really knows their stuff and it won’t be cheap but it will definitely be worth it! Look for one that specializes in restorations because they will know what to do. Our contractor certainly did!

    • Melissa @ HOUSEography says

      Straight into the recycling!! Actually, our island usually has a lot of stuff on it. I do need to post about my paper organizing system which is not perfect but definitely keeps the clutter down!

  6. barbie says

    Another great house crash! I love how the hardwood floors were laid out in the kitchen, which was my favorite room in the house. My #2 is that cute guest room!

    Reply

  7. reyanna says

    Wow! Beautiful house! I love when you guys house-crash! SOOO much fun! :-)

    p.s. You guys are getting pretty huge… have you considered having a copy editor/proofreader for your blog? Just curious. And if so, let me know. ;-) I mean, I’ve only done a cookbook and worked for a small-town magazine and college newspaper, but hey, I’d be super easy to work with as far as “cheap” goes. LOL. And it’s not my day job or anything… I just stay home growing our first baby. ;-)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, you’re sweet! Back when we started this blog it was just for friends and family, so even though lots of people read it now (no one is more surprised than we are!) we’re committed to staying small and keeping it real without other contributors or editors. Typos be darned. Haha. Thanks so much for the generous offer though, we appreciate the thought! And good luck growing that baby of yours.

      xoxo,
      s

  8. Sarah says

    I love this house! I especially like how they arranged the mantle…I’m using that as inspiration for my bookcase. Can anyone please give me more information on the guest room bedding? I know it’s from JC Penney…when did they buy it? Is it a duvet cover or a comforter? It would be perfect in my room! Thank you!

    Reply

  9. Martha says

    I had to come back for a second look. This is house is what I dream our house will be some day. Good think we’re committed to our place for a LONG haul.

    Reply

  10. heather finn says

    oh man i have been looking for a light fixture forever and am in love with the one over the island. i looked at the site but the one they posted that’s similar is a) sold out and b) brass. if anyone else finds it please please please let me know! i don’t even know how to google search it.

    thanks!

    love the house!

    Reply

  11. Karina says

    Hey, love the house – it has nothing to do with it, but I am just wondering why the sponsors tap is empty these days? Are you planning to do something different :(? love from germany, Karina

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      You must have ad-blocking software on. Haha. It makes our sponsors invisible! I think you can turn it off in “preferences” though. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  12. gk says

    i love this house. not only b/c they did a gorgeous job on the renovations, but because it’s almost identical to my FIL’s house in falls church (see link in my name). granted, there are a lot of houses that look like this from the outside…but i had a good time looking at the pre-renovation photos and seeing the differences in the original floor plan of this house vs my FILs. my husband’s grandfather (and great-grandfather) built the house themselves in the late 1940s. over the years, i’ve definitely developed a fondness for that house (and ones that look like it, apparently!).

    Reply

  13. Shelley says

    So glad you posted this. I have that same Target bird print in our newly finished powder room (snagged for $4.98 on clearance last week!)…I’ve been looking for hand towels with a pop of orange and haven’t had any luck. I just checked the BB&B website and her Amy Butler hand towels are still in stock. Perfecto!

    Reply

  14. heather finn says

    ok i hope it’s ok to post this. i found some similar light fixtures to the one over the island. i am completely new to all of this- can anyone tell me the differences, if one is better or brighter than the others? the only lighting i have in this room is a side halogen and this light over my dining room table. trying to keep it as cheap as possible but i want something nice and good. thanks!

    http://www.lightinguniverse.com/large-pendants/hudson-valley-212-palisades-large-pendant-light_g197485.html

    http://www.lightinguniverse.com/large-pendants/savoy-house-7-9346-1-69-classic-schoolhouse-designs-large-pendant-light-fixture_g397128.html

    http://www.lightinguniverse.com/large-pendants/hudson-valley-9119-ob-independence-large-pendant-light_g161412.html?isku=963098

    http://www.lightinguniverse.com/large-pendants/hudson-valley-3416-pn-petersburg-hanging-large-pendant_g161149.html?isku=961868

    http://www.lightinguniverse.com/large-pendants/world-imports-9009-luray-hanging-large-pendant_g495259.html

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      They’re all by the same company, so they should hopefully all be similar when it comes to quality/brightness, etc. It just seems to be about personal preference and material so just go with the one you like best that works with your budget. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  17. Nikki says

    Hey i was wondering where you purchased that yellow bench/ottomen in front of the fireplace. Its a beaut:)

    Reply

  18. Catrina Gomez says

    Love the lights above the kitchen island and the basket weave floor, which would look perfect in our similarly colored master bath that currently has pinkish colored tile floor that really needs to go.

    Reply

  19. Stephanie B says

    I think this is my favorite crash ever! The nursery built ins, the kitchen, the clean, crisp lines, and the master bathroom… goodness me. I officially have house envy!

    Reply

  20. Melanie says

    So this has nothing to do with your post which I loved but I was looking on Walmart.com and they have kiwi green chairs like you were looking for and they are only $89.00 and I think you can have them shipped site-to-store for free! Just thought I would pass that along!

    Reply

  21. robin says

    Hi John and Sherry,
    Any idea where Melissa got her sconces on either side of the master bed? They look like they are hard wired and I have been having trouble finding any. They all seem to be “plug in”.

    Thanks a ton,
    Robin

    Reply

    • Melissa @ HOUSEography says

      Hi Robin,
      Those are actually plug-in but the wiring is the same so you strip the wires and mount them like any other fixture. Ours are from Home Depot but probably 8 years ago.

      Thanks for stopping by!

  22. Shirley says

    Really beautiful – love it!

    We have similar architecture in our master BR. We have a vaulted ceiling as well. However, our room is larger and is currently painted a greenish-blue and has some granny wallpaper. Would have loved to see what they did with the tall wall.

    Reply

  24. HudsonHero says

    Love the house crashing. Wish someone would crash my house but to fix it!
    The Cherry Branch Mural was my favorite house “touch” of everything I saw but it all pretty much rocked.
    Melissa – love your boots!

    Reply

  25. Tiffany says

    I loved this house tour! Do you think they’d give a tutorial on how to make the hood over the stove? I know that’s asking a lot… :)

    Reply

    • Melissa @ HOUSEography says

      Tiffany, I wish we could say it was easy but it was not! It was a lot of trial and error with the angles on the front. the bottom and top parts are just a square box made with furniture grade 3/4″ plywood. Installing the fan was easy. The middle part was not! Here’s a short post on my home addition blog, but it’s not super helpful. I’ll try to convince Jim to do a post! http://www.arlingtonhomeaddition.com/ (see Sept. 30, 2009 post)

  26. Jaime says

    So sorry to hear about your decor dog accident. But, perhaps try this… glue as many pieces back together as possible, then fill in the crevices with white tub and tile caulk. Go over it with a fine damp rag to blend it in. If it still looks funny to you, but is back in one piece, break out some paint and give him a new color. This should conceal any of the remaining cracks.

    By the way, love your blog.
    ~jaime
    http://okla-home-a.blogspot.com

    Reply

  28. Starling says

    The nursery? Please, please, please, Melissa, tell me that’s the Benjamin Moore Raspberry Truffle–I recently started painting my living room red, and the color was terrible. This Raspberry Truffle may save my sanity.

    And–if you happen to be around–could you tell me how many coats of paint we’re talking about? Because I really need to know.

    Reply

  29. katy says

    My daugher has that same rug as her daughter. So adorable but a nightmare to vacuum. It always looks worse after I vacuum it! Is it just me and my vacuum?

    I really love this house crash!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We actually stopped doing custom mood boards around the time that Clara was born (if only there were more hours in the day!) but we have a gallery of over 125 of them that you can reference (and search by room/color) by clicking the Mood Board tab up under our blog header. We hope to get back to making random just for fun ones every once in a while though – just because I miss them too! Haha.

      xo,
      s

  32. Charise says

    LOVE that kitchen! My husband is anti white cabinets and subway tile for a house, which I reallllly want to do – maybe this will convince him!

    Reply

  33. Tad Davis Photography says

    I really love this house!
    Just wondering where the bathroom towels came from?
    We have been looking to add a “pop” of orange to our half bath.
    Thanks.
    BTW- Nice job photographing the house! (whoever that might be)

    Reply

  34. Felicity @ Our Little Beehive says

    Love the house! Houses like Melissa’s (which is just down the street from us, how cool!) make us pinch our pennies even harder so we too can afford to “build out” like so many of the renovated colonial homes in Arlington. I think we’re the only ones on the block without an addition, but we certainly do have plenty of gorgeous inspiration. If our stove weren’t one step from the sink in our original-footprint kitchen then I’d be planning ways to get a pot filler. Ha! Thanks for sharing, can’t wait to see Melissa’s house IRL very soon!
    xoxo

    Reply

  35. Heather with a C says

    I looked at those towels in the bathroom in the last pic and thought, “Gee those look familiar…” Then I realized that my mother made a bib out of them for my baby. There’s a crafty DIY for you!

    Reply

  38. heather says

    thank you so much melissa and sherry!

    but really? all those light fixtures are made by the same company? wow. i thought they were all different! thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      They might be made by different manufacturers but the same site sells them all so they’re probably pretty similar when it comes to quality (the prices just probably vary due to design/aesthetic, number of lights, material costs, etc). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  40. karen says

    sorry if someone already asked this, but do you have any idea where she stores the cable box? i have my tv mounted over the fireplace and i am struggling so hard to find a place to put the cablebox. i should also note that my fireplace is flanked by 2 french doors, so built ins are, sadly, not an option.

    beautiful home!!!!!

    Reply

  42. Christina says

    As others have said the master bath is fabulous…my eyes are crossed from looking at gray paint decorating pictures on the web…and the amout of people who do the yellow and gray trend is surprising…It was lovely to see it done well with Melissa’s choice of window treatments…complementing the tile and paint…in such a NON trendy way. Too beautiful. What a gorgeous house through and through.

    Reply

  43. dee says

    i would like to know if anyone can help me find the 3 barstools in the kitchen picture. Not familiar with this site but I thought it was to find items but doesn’t inform how to do such
    ]thanks

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      There’s a link in the last paragraph to Melissa’s blog that you can follow for that info (you can see if it’s listed there or just comment there to ask her directly). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  44. Janet says

    This home is lovely from top to bottom.

    The white stripe on that pink chest/table is something I would have to see in person to fully “get,” but frankly, there isn’t anything amiss in the entire enchanting house. Wow.

    Having a carpenter living in your own home is akin to having an excellent baker, or a talented seamstress, or a 5 star chef. Fabulous.

    Reply

  45. Jamie says

    Love, love, love this post. I have black granite countertops in my kitchen and have been wanting to paint my cabinets white and the walls yellow. This is perfect! The layout of the family room is very similar to mine also so this gave me some great ideas. Love the built in in the family room

    Reply

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