House Tour: Rhode Island Bungalow

House Tour: Rhode Island Bungalow

This cheery 1,200 square foot home in Rhode Island didn't start out this way when the homeowners purchased it. A newly married couple, they needed a lot of vision to see beyond the rabbit warren of small first floor rooms that made up the original kitchen, a microscopic dining room and living room. In addition, the first floor also had two small bedrooms and a full bathroom. The second floor had one finished bedroom that they used as their master. There was no bathroom and the rest of the second floor was unfinished space. In the five years this couple lived there, they reconfigured the public rooms of the first floor into one larger kitchen and a separate living room, and after adopting a beautiful son, finished the second floor to include a nursery and a second three-quarter bathroom. The thoughtful upgrades over time, a lot of sweat equity, and fresh style by Massachusetts interior design company Chameleon Interiors resulted in a relatively fast sale in a very slow market. In this photo: This cute little home saw a facelift with fresh paint and window boxes, a green lawn and a new roof. The welcoming front door, that literally said "Welcome,” gave this modest little home some great curb appeal.

Living Room

Entering the front door, we are greeted with a warm and welcoming color palette of gold and red. The freshly painted fireplace and newly finished original floors made this room sparkle. Chameleon Interiors selected the furnishings for their small scale so as not to overwhelm the small room and the artwork enhanced the warm and welcoming feel.

Living Room

Here is the long view of the living room. Original to the home, the arched doorways and wooden floors are gems. The color palette of gold, teal and a rusty red drapery is sophisticated without being stuffy or overwhelming as is the mix of antique cabinet and white round table. In a small space, a round coffee table is a great choice as it feels lighter and softer than a big square table plunked in the middle of a walk-through space.

Rhode Island Remodel Kitchen

Entering the kitchen, we are treated to a lush, warm red wall. The large sunflower painting helps the eye transition from the gold to red walls. This eating space was the original kitchen, which the clients moved to the right. The floors are new, selected to match the original wood in the living room.

Rhode Island Remodel Country Kitchen

The wall separating the original kitchen and tiny dining room was removed and the new kitchen was re-located. This was clearly the biggest change in the home, and the most expensive. But, careful choices such as laminate counter tops and white appliances kept the price down. The new wide window makes this a fabulous country kitchen!

Rhode Island Remodel Display Box

Chameleon Interiors thought this short wall was the perfect spot for a display cabinet. Made simply from a pair of upper cabinets with glass front doors and lower cabinets, this looks like a million bucks. Note the sunflower theme carrying around the space.

Rhode Island Remodel TV Room

The small TV room was one of the original bedrooms and can be sold as such as there is a closet. The homeowners turned the room in to a cute little TV room with sofa, small scaled side tables and punchy throw pillows that coordinated with sofa and valances.

Rhode Island Remodel Master Bathroom

This small first floor bathroom is, in fact, the master bathroom of the house. The original ceramic tiles were deep pink, with the traditional black bullnose trim. The homeowners had the pink tiles glazed a clean white and had the bathtub resurfaced as well.

Rhode Island Remodel Child's Room

The colorful baby nursery was designed with the South American roots of their new son in mind. The window treatments were hung high over the window to reduce the squat feel created by the low window on the tall peaked wall. The new floor is laminate.

Rhode Island Remodel Back Porch

The homeowners enjoy and ice tea and a neighborly chat on the newly installed back porch overlooking the small private back yard.

Rhode Island Bungalow