BEFORE & AFTER: Shenandoah River Cabin - renovation and decor
This home had so much going for it: 3 acres on the Shenandoah River, panoramic mountain views, lovely high ceilings. But it needed a little love, so we set about fixing it up, retaining some of its original charm and features (all on a tight budget, naturally) but updating everywhere for comfort and just a little style. First and foremost, this is a CABIN, so I wanted the finished product to still feel woodsy and cozy. Pine ceilings were added to this effect in the bedrooms, along with dark cozy walls and plaid bed linens. All the front windows — which inexplicably opened, despite their height — were replaced with black frame picture windows and two new windows were added at the far ends of the wall to take full advantage of the view. The floors were refinished, keeping the honey tone to tie in with the pine ceilings in the great room. The old gas fireplace insert was removed and replaced with a wood burning fireplace (this is a cabin, after all), and a faux stone surround (can you tell??) with a faux beam mantle (saving money everywhere) was installed as well. Every light fixture and every ceiling fan was replaced, but some of the window treatments were able to be repurposed in the new design. The dining room table was custom built for the space; the dining room chairs were dirt cheap. Until we want to spring for a new kitchen, we just did fast fixes: new counters from Ikea, new lights, new sink/faucet, new knobs and removed some decorative details. In the master bedroom, the bed was placed on a different wall to allow a king bed to fit. Similarly, twin over full bunk beds were placed in the two kids’ bedrooms on different walls to maximize the space. A brand new deck was built to replace wretched old one, utilizing steel cable railing system to maximize the views. No before pictures of the old deck cuz I am an idiot.
Photos are taken from roughly the same angle, in most cases. Click on each image to see photo full frame.
