Note: This post grew out of an updated Before & After page that some readers had trouble finding, so we’ve turned it into a standalone chronological post to keep a permanent snapshot of our progress. We’ll continue updating the live Before & After page over time, but this post freezes a moment in our renovation journey—fun to look back on. We wish we’d done one at six months and at the one-year mark too.
We moved into this 1,400-square-foot house in Northwest Florida in May 2020 after a quick but intense three-month, long-distance renovation. We wanted a simpler lifestyle for our family; you can read more about how and why we downsized on our site. Below are the before-and-after photos and descriptions of the changes we made.
NOTE: We put together a Shop Our House page to help you find the furniture, decor, and paint colors you see in the photos.
The Exterior
We kept the cedar siding, black metal windows, exterior doors, and metal roof, but refreshed the look by repainting white and upgrading decking, railings, and the front steps.
We layered tropical landscaping over time and the yard filled in nicely. We’ll share updated exterior photos and a full post on the process soon.
One important change was replacing steep steps to the upper deck and installing horizontal railings. It made the house feel safer and more inviting, and small tweaks—like removing guard rails that cut through wide steps—made a surprisingly big difference.
There’s more—fences, ferns, and a firepit—but let’s head inside for a quick tour and come back outside later.
The Kitchen
The kitchen needed both big and small updates. We repaired the floors, removed a soffit, added recessed lighting, and replaced the popcorn ceiling with new drywall. Those core changes opened the space up immediately.
We updated the room in budget-friendly ways: new lighting, DIY shelving, and painted cabinets. Later we found secondhand appliances and reconfigured the layout to relocate the fridge and build an Ikea pantry around it, which added a ton of storage.
Moving the fridge revealed a previously blocked side window and created space for a pantry. We also closed a wide doorway to create a cozy sitting area that serves as a second common space separate from the upstairs family room.
Having two distinct common areas—one upstairs, one down—makes a small house feel larger. One person can work or read in the kitchen sitting area while others watch TV upstairs without the sound traveling too much between the rooms.
The Stairs
The stairs had vertical planking and a bright window above, but the wood treads had finish problems. We painted the treads and installed a durable indoor/outdoor sisal runner to improve traction for our dog and tie the stairs to the rest of the house’s floors.
The Family Room
Upstairs is one large, multi-purpose family room used for TV, work, crafts, and virtual learning. It’s the biggest room in the house and became much more inviting after we refinished the floors and painted. Large windows and existing paneling give it a lot of character.
Adding furniture helped define the room’s scale—what looked sparse before now reads like a full, comfortable living area. It’s a flexible space that serves the whole family.
The Upper Deck
Outside the living room is a large upper deck that now functions as an outdoor living room. We replaced rotting decking and railings, removed a problematic chimney, and painted everything white. Adding seating, a dining area, and string lights turned it into our favorite hangout.
Our Bedroom
When we bought the house it was essentially a one-bedroom layout. We made this bright room our bedroom by closing a large doorway to the kitchen, refinishing the floors, painting, and adding curtains, furniture, and rugs to make it cozy. We also added significant storage and built a closet, which was a game changer.
We considered using the large upstairs family room as our bedroom but chose not to: we prefer to sleep on the same floor as the kids, we love sharing the big room as a common area, adding plumbing upstairs would be costly, and having two separate common spaces makes a small home feel much more livable.
- 1) We prefer to sleep on the same floor.
- 2) The upstairs room is the house’s largest shared space—better kept communal.
- 3) Guests accessing the deck shouldn’t have to walk through our bedroom.
- 4) Adding an ensuite upstairs would be expensive without existing plumbing.
- 5) Two separate common areas reduce noise conflicts and help the house feel larger.
The Bathroom
The single bathroom was nonfunctional when we bought the house—fixtures were missing, leaks had damaged the walls, and the toilet had no sewer connection. We replaced nearly everything before moving in, and now the bathroom is fully functional and cheerful, with a fun tile floor and reliable plumbing.
The Laundry Closet
We converted a double-sided closet near the front door into a compact laundry closet with new appliances, deep plywood shelves, and lots of hooks. It’s a hard-working, efficient small space that reminds us of the laundry nook in our first house.
Our Daughter’s Bedroom
In both kids’ rooms we removed drop ceilings and vaulted the ceilings to follow the roof slope. That simple change made the rooms feel much more open and bright. In our daughter’s room we also painted a large hand-drawn mural to celebrate the room’s colorful history.
Our Son’s Room
Our son’s room also gained vaulted planking and beams, plus built-in storage around the bed. The wraparound headboard and bookshelf make the small footprint much more functional and cozy.
The Outdoor Shower
The outdoor shower looked grim at first, but pressure washing, teak oil on the cedar, new fixtures, lights, and lots of plants transformed it into a favorite family spot—many of us prefer showering outdoors now.
We also rebuilt a screened porch area, replaced rotten flooring, installed modern horizontal railings, added a hanging daybed, and painted everything. A ceiling fan keeps mosquitoes at bay when we’re outside.
We created a private courtyard with a fence, added a cozy firepit area, and—after a lengthy permitting process—built a pool with a retaining wall and fountains. The new pool and landscaping have turned a previously unused patch of yard into a relaxing oasis.
That’s our progress about a year and a bit into living here. We’ll keep sharing updated photos and posts as the house evolves. For paint colors and sources, check the Shop Our House page. To read more about downsizing and how we made the house work for our family, see our other posts linked throughout this tour.
P.S. To view the full chronological makeover of this house, see the category dedicated to our Florida house on our blog.