Before and After: How We Transformed a 1940s House Without a Designer

Isabella Simmons, editor at Remodelista, shared her experience: she moved with her family into a 1940s-built house and started a major renovation. By the way, nothing had been updated for decades, so there was plenty of work to do.

At the time of moving in, Isabella had a newborn son and a daughter who was just four years old. This made the task even more challenging.

Living room before renovation

After renovation

When they bought the house, it was in terrible condition: Brandon's parents, Isabella's husband, even refused to enter the house. Everything was cluttered with belongings of former owners and smelled of mold.

The family hired a team of builders and got to work. Since the kids had no experience, the experiment was not easy and took about a year.

Isabella loves minimalist Scandinavian interiors, so she tried to recreate something similar at home. The walls were painted white, and the floor covering was left as is. The only issue was the tone—red oak. So they had to bleach the floors three times to achieve the right color.

The living room kept an open space—there's plenty of light thanks to panoramic windows and glass sliding doors leading straight into the yard.

Most of the furniture was sanded, repainted and reupholstered. For example, a steel coffee table was already there. They only stripped off the top layer of old paint. Decorative items were found at flea markets and antique shops. Some were made by themselves: for example, decorative pillows on the sofa.

In the dining area, a small reconfiguration was made: some partitions were removed and the space was connected to the library, living room and kitchen.

The gilded vintage mirror (you can see it in the photo) was found at a sale in Chicago. It was in terrible shape: the bottom had rotted, and it had to be restored. The dining table was also found in one of Chicago's attics and brought into order. The chandelier above the table was made by the girl herself.

The kitchen was decorated in black-and-white tones, and even the dishes were chosen to match. Closed storage systems were replaced with open shelves—this gives the interior a more airy feel.

One of the rooms was converted into a library and fitted with floor-to-ceiling shelves to avoid cluttering the entire space with bookcases.

Library interior before renovation

After renovation

Isabella bought a four-poster bed for the bedroom and asked a carpenter to make a new headboard. Brandon’s mom painted the frame herself. Isabella’s mother sewed curtains, and the cornices were made from copper pipes.

This is a vintage Swedish sofa made in the 19th century. It fit perfectly into the child’s room.

The attic was converted into Brandon’s home office, adding another 42 square meters to the living space. Here, they had to work hard and even install large panoramic windows to let in natural light.

Attic interior before renovation

After renovation

The exterior of the house changed: it was clad with siding, a porch overhang was added, the roof was replaced and outdoor lighting was installed. The yard was also transformed to match the house.

House facade before renovation

After renovation