Bruce Before and After

It's Before and After time for Bruce! But before I get to the parade of pictures I feel I must clear something up........ Y'all.... Bruce is not a real person..... I made him up. (I'm going to give you some space to let that sink in)

I promise I was not trying to mislead you. I never dreamed people would think he was real. I thought it was understood that my stories are fiction. But when some of my closest friends asked me if I would introduce them to Bruce the Bohemian I knew it was a problem. You know how a tiny light seems to fizzle from your child's eye when they first learn the truth about Santa or the tooth fairy? Well that was what I witnessed over and over again in the eyes of my middle-aged friends when they learned the truth. It was painful to watch. So I thought it was necessary to get on here and set the record straight. I sure hope knowing that Bruce only exists in my head and on this blog does not diminish the message of his story. 

I can sense the disappointment thru my computer screen.... I tell ya what! To cheer you up, I'm going to dive right into the Before and After Pictures!

Starting with the Exterior:

Just a few small changes went a long way to transform the outside. To bring this 1960s home to the current decade we first enclosed the laundry room to the main house.

Before:

 During:

After:

Please excuse the pile of sod in the corner there.

Next, we replaced the wood siding under the carport and on the gable with Hardie Board and gave it a modern flair by running the batton strips horizontal and narrow.  

Before:

After:

Those horizontal narrow strips ended up inspiring the design of the window box and address plaque as well as the vent hood in the kitchen. 

But to me, the transformations that made the biggest impact on the exterior were the powder coated windows and cutting out those darn swirlies in the columns.

Before:

And Ta-Dah:

ahhhh.

Ok, Let's move on inside.....

Not much happened in the Living Room except new paint, ceiling fan and we removed the window unit but I LOVED and ADORED what Waterhouse Market did with the staging in the Living Room. Every project we do they seem to step up their game!

Before:

After:

If you were unable to attend the open house, let me just tell ya the staging of this house set the perfect mood to illustrate the story and tickled every sense- from the sounds of Johnny Cash on the old-timey record player to the slightly masculine whiffs of the burning candles and the taste of Round Mountain coffee brewing in the kitchen. I could not have been more pleased. 

Then from the other corner of the Living Room you can see where we made some changes to the floorplan. 

Before:

The kitchen was closed off from the dining and living areas.

During:

And after:

Now let's take a closer look at that kitchen transformation

Here is what we started with:

And here is the kitchen now:

There is a track on the ceiling and in the granite that allows the chalkboard to scoot from left to right. The chalkboard is not only a great place to write a note or grocery list it also serves as closed off storage for the new homeowner's noncute kitchen wares. 

Our usual cabinet guys were busy so I tried out Jeff Perry, of Perry's Custom Cabinets, and I was thrilled with the results. The quality is superb and he delivered right on time as promised. And Y'all, he even surprised me with a BUILT-IN SILVERWARE ORGANIZER! It made my little OCD heart flutter.

Ok, let's go ahead and talk about it. Chartreuse. I chose to paint the kitchen cabinets chartreuse. Annnnnd that right there is what separates us from other flippers- we are not trying to please the masses we are just hoping to attract 1.😜  

No really, I knew the color might offend some people but I had written a post earlier last year about not fearing paint colors and the story called for a fun color so I decided to put my money where my mouth was and go for it. And guys, I gotta tell ya, I LOVE it! I think it just breathes life into the whole space. 

If you love it too, let me spare you a lot of time and money on Chartreuse paint samples and tell you this one is Benjamin Moore's Sweet Vibrations

Ok let's keep going... down the hall is the guest bathroom.

Before:

After:

I'm not a fan of a window at chest level in the bathtub, so we got rid of that and updated everything else.

And how about that hall.

Before:

After:

We kept the wood paneling. I had thought about painting it but my friend Donna suggested that the wood was more Bohemian and I could not agree more. And check out that ART!!! How fun are those Stick Men Walking down the hall! That idea just hit me one night while I was trying to get to sleep and even though stick figures are not the norm for my friend and professional artist, Sarah of Redeemed Home Goods, she did not hesitate to humble her skills to deliver. Sarah also made some very Bruce-like inspirational wall plaques special for the open house. 

Dream big. Work hard. Make it happen.

And last on our tour is the master suite. 

Remember the bowling alley? That looooong room

Well, we borrowed half of that space to create a master bath.

Big thanks to my Dad for building the vanity. And speaking of my Dad.... remember that feature wall he helped me with?

Well..... here it is in all it's flat black painted glory!

And another fabulous custom platform bed and staging by Waterhouse Market.

Well, there he is. Before I close this chapter, I just want to give a few more shout-outs to those that helped get us to the "after" portion of this blog.

Of course, we had our tried and true favorites: Nicolas leading up the Paint,  Travis Thessing on the landscape and this was Marcos farewell job on the tile, sniff sniff.

And returning after being absent from a few jobs we had:

Robert Shearer for Plumbing

Cole of Donaco Electric for Electric

Big thanks to David from Arc Welding for custom crafting most of the metal items you see in the house; like the shower grid, the shelf brackets in the kitchen, and even the legs for the dining room table (which is for sale by the way😉 )

And last but not least one of the biggest treasures we discovered with this project was All Wood Floors LLC. Y'all, they can repair old hardwood floor damage and..... are you ready for this..... they can feather in new hardwood to match the old! You have no idea what a game changer this is! In the past, I have had to replace entire rooms of hardwoods because I could not find anyone who could or would REASONABLY patch an area if it was not near a wall. These guys came in and seamlessly feathered in brand new wood in the kitchen to match the almost 60-year-old wood in the rest of the house. They patiently worked with me to find the perfect stain color and then used a new product that cut the refinishing time in half. They literally sanded and stained the entire house and returned it to me ready to walk on in 48 hours! And I LOVED the natural matte finish. Nicolas was even impressed with how little touch-up he had to do after they finished. They tell me they have never met a hardwood floor they couldn't save..... I'm thinking I'll be testing those words with our next project😉

Speaking of our next project. Here is a peek at where the next story takes place:

Any guesses where in the 72034 this is located?

2017 Year End Review & 2018 Outlook

Happy New Year!!!! I know I need to post Bruce's "before and after" blog but I can't NOT do a New Years post...It's my FAVORITE time of year! I literally have the goofiest smile on my face right now while I'm typing- I'm just giddy about the fresh start this year and every new year brings. Right now, where I stand, the possibilities are endless and I haven't done anything to mess it up... so far.

So anyway, I thought it would be fun to review last year's Goals and Resolutions to see how I did. But first, in keeping with last year's tradition, I wanted to do another "favorites section" to highlight our 2017 projects. BUT this year, instead of me picking my favorites, I would LOVE to hear from you! So with the help of our resident techy, Colby of Colby's Creations, we have set up a quick survey after each category for you to select your favorite.... please and thank you.

We completed 3 homes in 2017.

846 Donaghey

1917 Caldwell

1406 Bruce

What was your....

Favorite Exterior

A) Donaghey

B) Caldwell

C) Bruce

Favorite Kitchen

A) Donaghey

B) Caldwell

C) Bruce

Favorite Master Suite

A) Donaghey

B) Caldwell

C) Bruce

Favorite Story

A) Donaghey- The Irish Sheepfarm with English and French Roots

B) Caldwell- The English Manor/Downton Abbey

C) Bruce- Balanced Bohemian

Man, just looking thru those pictures I'm reminded of all the people who skillfully worked their trade to make each home come together. Seriously, couldn't have happened without them. 

And now I will honestly evaluate how I did on the 6 Rehome/Storybook Goals/Resolutions I set for myself this time last year:

2017 Goals and Resolutions End of the Year Evaluation

1) I will make AT LEAST minimum wage on all projects.  

Evaluation: ummmmm no. Financially it was not a good storybook year. HOWEVER, while I may have not collected minimum wage (or any wage) in 2017, I am proud to say we did hire our first official Storybook Employee, Cole, and managed to provide a weekly paycheck to this fella for the last 7 months. 

2) Live out James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, 

because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and 

complete, not lacking anything.

Evaluation: Not so much. Oh, I started out strong, but guys, I'm not going to lie, Caldwell nearly did me in. Every day was a new trial with that project and the financial burden nearly crippled me. Hindsight, I was able to look back and see how God carried us thru the valley and had us in his grip all along BUT I can hardly call my reaction or attitude toward this trial "pure joy." 

3)  Update rehome FB/blog weekly.  

Evaluation: Fail again. I am the slowest writer in the world, so blog posts take me FOREVER to write. Proof of point- I started this post on January 1st. HOWEVER, in my defense, we are no longer rehome....so this resolution is null and void and can't be held against me. 

4) Re logo rehome! 

Evaluation: Hot diggity! I did this one! We have been operating as Storybook Homes since last March. 

5) Get on Instagram.  

Evaluation: Guys, I tried. I really did. I just don't get it. I'm not giving up, but I've got to get a tutor or at least see if there is an "Instagram for Dummies" book. Those hashtags just stress me out.

6) Complete 5 homes! 

Evaluation: Personally I think the Caldwell Manor should have counted as at least 3 homes so I think I should get partial credit for this one.


So 1.5ish out of 6 goals met. Hmmm, not the greatest But hey, I proved I could meet one goal and surely the experiences I had in 2017 will help me meet ALL my goals and resolutions for 2018. So in addition to the 42 personal resolutions (down from 56 last year) I have set for myself here are the goals and resolutions I have for Storybook Homes in 2018 (1-5 are repeats from last year's failures with some small changes):

2018 Storybook Homes Goals and Resolutions

1. Make a PROFIT or keep the property as a rental. We have always had the backup plan to rent if we are unable to sell but this year Rory and I have decided that if I overspend to the point I can't get a paycheck we will just keep the house as a rental. So if you are looking for a high-end custom rental with a story- this just might be your year!

2. Live out James 1: 2-4! Or at least try to make it thru 1 project without crying.

3. Update Storybook Homes FB weekly. I might not blog weekly but surely I could snap a picture and post it on Facebook weekly. I'd love to think I would get back to posting about Rory and I's WWYWW (Work with Yo Woman Wednesday) projects.... yes I should do that. Of course this week he is going hunting on Wednesday.... but next week...

4. Instagram. Yes! I'm going to do it. I might not do it correctly but I'm going to do it. #try, #justdoit, #whatintheworldarethesehashtagsfor

5. Complete at LEAST 5 homes. I'd really like to start working on more than 1 home at a time and complete each home within a 3-4 month period.

6. Launch a new Storybook Homes website. We think we have found a sweet family to adopt Sister (our current home) and therefore will be moving sometime this year. Since this blog, Two Story Sister, was originally started to chronical our own home renovations (before I highjacked it for Storybook Homes) it just makes sense to reformat once we leave Sister behind. I'd LOVE to leave the blogger format and have a more professional looking website that has links to our FB and Zillow..... but who am I kidding, I can't even figure out Instagram.

7. Hire a jack-of-all-trades handyman. I think one of the reasons we can not seem to turn a profit in this business is because I'm not handy and Rory has a full-time job so we have to sub out EVERYTHING. If we had our very own handyman I think it could potentially save us money and a ton of headaches. Someone who has knowledge of most construction trades would be the dream BUT I would settle for a carpenter who could frame and trim and be an overall problem solver.

8. Take a two-week break in the summer and at Christmas to spend quality time with my family. One thing the story of Bruce taught me was the importance of balancing out work and play time. I am a workaholic. I LOVE what I do and because of that, I have a hard time turning off my work brain when I'm home with the family. It was sooo nice finishing up our Bruce Street project just in time for Christmas last year so I could be fully present with my family during the holiday break. I'd love to think I could time our projects to allow for another break during my boys summer break.

So there they are. I'm ready! Bring on 2018!!!

The Story of Bruce

Well, friends, we are just hours away from sticking a storybook sign in the yard at our Bruce Street Project so that means it's time to tell you it's story. But before I do, I have to admit that this project came dangerously close to being storyless. Let me explain.

Usually, something will catch my eye and start the narrative rolling in my head the first time I visit a new project site. This narrative will then form the story and foundation from which the entire project is built. But for some reason, no matter how many times I visited 1406 Bruce Street, I could not find the story hidden within its walls- the house just refused to speak to me. Now normally I would have taken this lack of inspiration as a sign that this house was just not meant to be storybooked; but I gotta be honest with ya, after our last 3 projects I was craving an easier renovation and this little house was clean, solidly well-built and ON A SLAB! PTL! So I convinced myself that if the house refused to tell me it's story I could simply make up a story and retrofit the house to fit my tale. Seemed like a reasonable plan to me!

So I told myself a classic farmhouse story. Afterall, I wanted an easy flip, and farmhouse design is the style that comes most naturally to me. I drew up a plan that included all the classic farmhouse elements: shiplap, farmhouse sink, galvanized buckets and chicken wire. But despite having all the right ingredients I just couldn't seem to bring the farm to Bruce Street. The whole design just felt forced. I feared the end product would not pass for a real farmhouse but rather it would look like the house was playing farmhouse dress-up. So I scratched the story. I ended up trying out two other storylines on the house before I concluded this subtle change in strategy just wasn't going to work. 

By this point, the clock had started ticking on our construction loan and I knew I couldn't afford to keep the project on idle so I decided I would just have to attempt my very first story-free renovation. I reluctantly drew up plans that ticked off all the necessary boxes to result in a nicely updated flip house that surely someone would appreciate and set Cole to work on it's demolition. And then something happened..... the house decided to talk. It was like the first wack of the sledgehammer woke the house up!

Here's what happened: I had just walked up to the house to check on Cole's demo progress when these metal posts caught my eye.

Now, I had passed by these posts at least 50 times over the past month and the only thought I had EVER had in regards to them had been "these posts have got to go." But for some reason, on that first day of demolition, these 63 year old metal posts decided to speak up and I was able to see them with fresh eyes. For the first time, I pictured the posts renovated rather than ripped out or covered up; and all of the sudden, I found my design inspiration. I realized the only thing that dated these 60s style posts were the swirly designs in the middle of them. Without the swirlies, the posts could actually read quite industrial modern. And then, just as that thought crossed my mind, the windows decided they were ready to break their silence too. 

Now, unlike the metal posts, I had ALWAYS loved these windows. From the first time I met this house I had been enchanted with the fact that they cranked out verses rolled up.

In fact, I  had even tried out a Snow White storyline on the house because I could soooo picture the Disney princess throwing open those windows every morning for a chat or a song with the neighborhood woodland creatures. 

But again, it was my story, not the house's, so I just couldn't make it work.

But now I noticed these fabulous windows were not only unique in how they opened but also in that they were made of steel. A fact that totally meshed with the industrial vibe my newly envisioned posts were emitting. 

Once I finally made it inside to check on Cole other aspects of the house were ready to speak up and the entire story just seemed to fall into place. This house may have been slow to share its story but once it did, it held nothing back.

I've got to tell ya, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the protagonist of this story over the past 3 months. My time with Bruce not only inspired renovations within the house but also within myself. In fact, "be more like Bruce" is totally going on my 2018 New Years Resolution list. I bet once you meet him, you'll want to be more like Bruce too. 

And now the story of Bruce.......................

You know how some dog owners resemble their dogs?

Well, in that same way, 1406 Bruce Street has an uncanny resemblance to its owner, Bruce. (Yep, that's right, Bruce is not only the name of the street but also the homeowner- How Crazy is that?!?!) That being said, I feel like once I introduce you to Bruce the owner you will have a good idea of what to expect from the finished project on Bruce Street. 

My first impression of Bruce was that he was the most laid back, carefree human on the planet. He just had this Bohemian Vibe about him.

SIDEBAR: I should clarify that when I refer to Bruce as "Bohemian," It is totally just my interpretation of Bohemian. Prior to writing this post, I didn't even know what the true definition of Bohemian was or how real designers define BoHo Style. To me, it just represented a carefree, laidback, unpretentious style with a side of funkiness and a Jamaican accent. So when I sat down to write this story, I was super pumped to find that Google's definition of Bohemian Style was pretty much spot on to my interpretation.  Here is a direct quote from Google:

Bohemian decorating is for those who want their homes full of life, culture, and interesting items for all the world to see. It flies in the face of modern sensibilities and embraces the carefree, the relaxed and the unusual.

Boom! Now, I'm not exactly sure where the Jamaican accent comes in, but for some reason, this house has always spoken to me with a cadence resembling that of the Jamaican bobsled team on Disney's "Cool Runnings" 

I really can't explain it. Jamaican influences don't even show up in the design of the house. The only other hint of Jamaican in the story is that I'm pretty sure if Bruce had not suffered from early balding, he would have had dreadlocks like the guy on the far left. But I digress... Back to the story. End Sidebar.

Bruce's door is always open. And there is always a fresh pot of coffee brewing for when his friends and neighbors drop by- and drop by they do. I don't think I have ever been to Bruce's house when he  was home alone. The place almost feels like a coffee house. People just walk in without knocking, pour themselves a cup of coffee and plop down on his vintage leather couch like they own the place. Or you might look over and find a couple of neighbors sitting around the kitchen table playing cards or dominos while Bruce is on the floor coloring with his favorite 6-year-old neighbor. That's just Bruce. He has never met a stranger and everyone is welcome and feels welcome in his home. You can't help but feel content with the world when your inside those walls. 

Fun Story: He let that 6-year-old neighbor pick his cabinet color. He asked her to pick out her favorite crayon, and then he took it to the local paint store to be color matched. His friends thought he was crazy, but paint colors are just not something he sweats. He told his friends he could always paint over them but nothing could replace the memory of the look on his little friends face when she walked in and saw her favorite color on display in such a grand way. Personally, I LOVE his cabinets and think it fits his personality perfectly. 

Bruce does own a TV but I have never seen it on. He would much rather be visiting with his friends. He is ultra intentional in his relationships. No matter if you have known him for years or just met him, you'll think Bruce is your best friend. You will never see his phone out while you are at his house and he doesn't believe in texting. Bruce seems to do more listening than talking but when he does speak his words carry a lot of weight. It's almost like he speaks in proverbs. It's weird, his words never seem very profound in the moment but, more often than not, I find myself thinking about something he has said long after I've left his home. 

For example, Bruce seems to always be operating at 110% and yet despite that extra 10% his life appears to be incredibly balanced. When I asked Bruce about this enviable trait he simply responded he decided a long time ago to heed the advice of his grandmother and "live life by the 8s." After he saw the confused look on my face, he explained that he was taught to dedicate 8 hours of his day to work, 8 hours to play, and 8 hours to rest. As someone who struggles to find any semblance of balance in her life, I found I could not get this simple recipe for life out of my head. I mean my current lifestyle looks more like 15/2/7 on a good day, so how could I possibly be productive if I  cut my work time down to 8 hours a day! And yet it seemed to be working for Bruce. I decided I needed to see how the full picture played out in Bruce's life, so I followed him to work one day- Oh yes I did!

When I arrived at Bruce's place of employement I found out that he works as a number cruncher in the administration office of a commercial welding company. Yep, let that sink in. A NUMBER CRUNCHER! You could have knocked me over with a feather! I had never given much thought to what Bruce might do for a living but NEVER, in a million years, would I have guessed I would find him sitting in a cubicle crunching numbers for 8 hours a day, but that is exactly what he was doing. 

While Bruce worked, I thought it would be fun to interview a few of his coworkers to find out what they thought of Bruce. Here is how this went down:

Me: Hi, My name is Niki and I'm working on a project for one of your coworkers, Bruce. I was hoping you could tell me a little about him.

Coworker 1: Bruce? I don't know any Bruce.

Coworker 2 (to coworker 1): You know Bruce. Bruce, in cubicle 3.

Coworker 1: Oh yeah.... Bruce. Yeah, he's a nice enough guy but kind of a recluse, if you know what I mean.

Me: No, actually this is quite surprising to me, what do you mean?

Coworker 1: Well, the guy lives in his cubicle. He is always the first one in the office and never leaves a minute before 5pm.

Coworker 2: Yeah, a bunch of us number crunchers will go out for lunch, but when we ask Bruce if he wants to join us he always declines. He says he is just going to eat a sandwich at his desk.

Coworker 1: I will say, at least once a week he does ask me if I want to come over to his house to hang out after work. But I've never gone.

Coworker 2: Yeah, he has asked me too. But, I got to be honest, I can't imagine Bruce's house would be any fun.

Coworker 1: Yeah, (chuckling) I bet we would just sit around discussing our favorite number or for a really wild night we might have a Soduko challenge. 

Coworker 2: Ha! That's a good one! Yeah, ummm no thank you..... Oh shoot, here he comes now. Let's get back to work.

Bruce: Hey, Niki, I see you were talking to the gang. (Gone is the Jamaican accent. So Strange.)

Me: Yeah Bruce, it was a very interesting conversation. They told me you hardly ever leave your desk. I gotta admit I never would have pictured you working behind a secluded cubicle. I would have thought you worked in a more social environment, like maybe as a barista or even a disk jockey. But a Number Cruncher?!?! 

Bruce: Ha that's funny. I know a lot of people would hate sitting behind a desk crunching numbers all day but I have always liked numbers. Don't get me wrong, I would love a job that allowed me to drink coffee all day long and visit with interesting people but this is the job I have so I choose to make the most of it.

Me: You CHOOSE to make the most of it? (there he goes making me think again)

Bruce: Yeah, the way I see it, it is this first 8 hours I spend each day at work that allows me the ability to afford the next two 8's in my day, so I choose to be grateful instead of miserable. Plus my parents drilled Colossians 3:23 in my head when I was old enough to get my first job. "In all the work you are given, do the best you can. Work as though you are working for the Lord, not any earthly master" So while I'm on the clock I give my best, I challenge myself to be the best number cruncher I can be.

Me: But why do you not go to Lunch with your coworkers?

Bruce: Oh that, well, first of all, I just really enjoy sandwiches. But secondly, I have noticed a lot of times my coworkers are late getting back from lunch so they end up staying late at the end of the day to finish up their work. I'm not willing to do that. I want to make sure my job is complete by 5pm each day so I can start the next 1/3 of my day. But I do hate that I am missing out on getting-to-know my coworkers, so I frequently ask the gang over to my house after work, but no one has ever been able to make it. I also make sure to get to work at least 30 min early every day to allow time to visit with my coworkers before I officially start my work day; unfortunately, most of the other number crunchers don't arrive until 8:30 or a little after. But that's ok because it has given me an opportunity to get to know the fellas working in the factory. Man those guys have interesting stories! And It is incredible what they can do with metal. They have even taught me some basic welding skills. In fact, the guys have helped me with a few projects around my house- like that metal grid in my master shower you love, and the table base on my dining room table- me and the guys made those.

Me: Oh Wow! very impressive Bruce. Well, I know you have got to get back to those numbers so I'll see you back at your house after 5.

Bruce: Sounds good. Oh and Niki?

Me: Yeah.

Bruce: You are not invited to watch my last 8 hours of my day (he says with a chuckle) so I'll just tell you what that looks like. I'm in bed every night by 12am. I sleep hard... like drool EVERYWHERE, it ain't pretty. Then I'm up every morning at 6am. I spend 45 min to an hour in prayer and reading my Bible and another 45 min to an hour exercising. I consider my quiet time and exercise rest because they help to refresh my body and soul. 

Me. Speechless.

end scene

Well, what did you think about that?!?! Personally, I'm in awe. What a great strategy for life. I truly feel like Bruce has figured out the secret to living the most meaningful, full life. I'm just sad my time at Bruce street is coming to an end. I feel like there is so much more I could learn from this Bohemian. 

There is so much more I'd like to tell you about Bruce, but you will have an opportunity to meet him for yourself this weekend. He is graciously opening up his home this Sunday, December 17th, from 2-4pm for all those who want to stop by. I guarantee he'll have some fresh coffee waiting for you. Hope to see you there!

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