Four years ago, I sold Scott and Aimee Heffernan a somewhat dated home in Bothell, that they lovingly referred to as "the cottage house." They recently invited me over to check out the transformation of their home. I am so excited to show you all that they have done for this month’s Before & After. During the buying process, the Heffernans had big ideas for updating— as most Buyers do. In just four years they have been able to make most of those ideas become reality, which as their Realtor makes me feel like a proud parent.
Q: The new kitchen is a major WOW when you walk through the front door, what is the best part of the new space & how does it improve the functionality of your home?
A: Oh, where do I start? The absence of fluorescent lighting and a drop down ceiling? The fact that more than two adults can fit in the kitchen? A disposal?! There are so many things! If you have to twist my arm I would say the best part of my new kitchen is how well it allows for conversation while eating and hanging out in there. I love people and food so being able to join the two in my home is truly the best for me.
Our kitchen is our most recent project, and also the biggest one yet!
We’ve pretty much been able to afford one big project a year.
We were able to get our house painted the summer after we moved in.
The bathroom was next on our list.
Q: This doesn't even look like the same house anymore. Did you see it's potential before you purchased the home?
A: Actually, Scott was the one that originally loved the house. It took me some convincing. I had a hard time seeing past the floral wallpaper and 1970s curtains. We bought when the market was very low in 2011 so the price was super compelling. And although it was very dated, it wasn’t gross, and was livable from the get-go.
We also loved that it wasn’t a cookie cutter house. The floor plan is unique and we were excited to mix our style with the Cape Cod-type home.
We aren’t DIY savvy so we knew we would slowly have to pay people to make our transformation happen.
There were "flipped" houses that we saw while house hunting, but we felt it would be more fun to have what we wanted in a house even though it would take longer to get there. Now I am so happy we didn’t buy a flipped house so we could really get exactly the feel we wanted.
Q: When you first bought the house, is there anything that was on your list to change, but now you love?
A: Scott wants to keep the vintage faux-wood linoleum in the upstairs bathroom. It has ironic appeal. I am coming around to the idea. I think it will stay and we’ll try and tie in some retro wallpaper to match when we update that space.
Heather Maddox really helped us work through all those hard choices. She was patient and kind in many marital conversations around this decision. I tease that she should really have an honorary marriage therapy degree in dealing with so many couples making big housing decisions.
Scott and Aimee would like to thank the following contractors who helped make their projects a reality:
Kitchen: Jeremy Hartmark with HBC Seattle.
They really appreciated his attention to detail and ability to make them feel heard. He was patient with all their calls, questions, and his team was fantastic to work with.
Painting: Einar with Bjornsson Painting did the interior and exterior painting. His team was efficient, fast, and incredibly clean. Einar was a huge help in helping them make color decisions.
Roof: Greg was our contact at Skyline Roofing. They were pleased with their responsiveness and the professional manner in which they executed the project.
Credits:
Heather Trimm Photography / Heather Maddox Homes