Final Before and After Tour

If you’re here for the next installment of my photography tutorials, my apologies. You’ll have to wait a bit because…

We’ve done it. We moved into our new home yesterday. We said goodbye to our beautifully renovated 1940 colonial – aka Maison de Pax. It didn’t feel complete, though, without one final before and after tour. A tribute, if you will, to the original Maison de Pax.

What a lovely restoration!  A 1940 colonial is made beautifully modern and functional while maintaining its original charm: get the full before and after at maisondepax.com

As with my last before and after tour, I apologize in advance for the “before” pictures of many of the rooms. My second son was born one week after we moved in (and it was pre-blogging days), so taking pictures was not a priority.

Also, simply click on the links or the “after” images for more details of any of the rooms or projects.

We completely changed the facade: new paint, new landscaping, new driveway gate, and more.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

What a lovely restoration!  A 1940 colonial is made beautifully modern and functional while maintaining its original charm: get the full before and after at maisondepax.com

The entryway may be one of the least altered areas, but I sure have had fun decorating it. I love the classic stairwell.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

Beautiful classic summer home tour and decorating ideas | maisondepax.com

My office (aka the library) got paint and a bookcase makeover.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

eclectic office makeover at maisondepax.com #rustic #industrial #classic #chic

The powder room needed a serious facelift, but you’ll have to take my word for it because I can’t find a before picture 😉 .

beautiful renovation of a tiny powder room / half bath | maisondepax.com

The butler’s pantry and kitchen were our most recent remodels.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

Gorgeous butlers pantry and kitchen makeover with affordable sources | maisondepax.com

I just love the crisp, bright new look.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

gorgeous classic white kitchen renovation | maisondepax.com

Our laundry room was done in stages, but it was worth every single stage. It became not only beautiful but so very very functional.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

Functional ideas for a multipurpose laundry and mud room | maisondepax.com

The dining room got new lighting, crown molding, furniture, and french doors when we made over the back patio.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

Gorgeous, simple French dining room | maisondepax.com #diy #decorating #design

The sunroom / playroom (the red one through the double doors) got paint. Lots of it. 😉

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

Gorgeous, simple gray chalk paint coffee and side table makeover | maisondepax.com #diy #paint

The living room (our last stop on the circuit downstairs), was again largely cosmetic… but it really became one of my favorite rooms in the house: a beautiful mixture of antiques, diy projects, and memories.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

gorgeous neutral living room with blue and turquoise accents: mix of antiques, affordable pieces, and diy ideas | maisondepax.com

The boys’ room became fun, colorful, and cheery.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

Shared Boys Room (bedsides)

Their bathroom was redesigned not only for them but for guests, as well.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

gorgeous bath makeover at maisondepax.com

My daughter’s nursery is peaceful and serene. I couldn’t find a true before picture, but I think the transformation from sparse bedroom to welcoming nursery is still pretty significant.

nursery before

step by step EASY tutorial for a gorgeous linen look diy crib skirt from drop cloth | maisondepax.com

Our master received small touches (again, no true before, sorry)…

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

gorgeous neutral bedroom with a single pop of color | maisondepax.com

But our master bath was completely gutted.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

I love this bathroom! Gorgeous finishes and brilliant ideas for space-efficient solutions at maisondepax.com

My husband’s office also received a full makeover: new floors, built in bookcases, and some serious decorating help.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

Gray and white office with the wood desk and floors... and those built-in bookshelves! maisondepax.com

Quite possibly my favorite room in this house, though, was the attic (not the least because we did much of it ourselves). The stairwell with its built-in bookcase became so charming.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

Step by step instructions on how to paint stairs - amazing transformation! maisondepax.com #diy #tutorial

Totally transformed by paint! Gorgeous, simple black and white painted staircase | maisondepax.com

And the giant attic space held both our guest room and my second work space.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

great tips to prep your guest room to make your guests feel right at home via maisondepax.com #guestroom #overnightguests #holidays

Totally transformed by paint! Gorgeous, simple black and white painted staircase | maisondepax.com

Last, but certainly not least, is the backyard. The patio, especially, made all the difference: new doors, new stamped concrete and antique brick, new columns, and new flower beds. Definitely an improvement.

1940 colonial BEFORE... You've got to see the after! maisondepax.com

10 practical ways to freshen up your home for spring | maisondepax.com

gorgeous stamped concrete and antique brick patio | maisondepax.com

And those are just the things you can see (and I have pictures of). Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fences, a shed, more landscaping… The list (and the memories) goes on.

So here’s to the new owners and all the memories they will create there. May it be a home full of love, joy, and peace for years to come.

pin it imageWhat a lovely restoration!  A 1940 colonial is made beautifully modern and functional while maintaining its original charm: get the full before and after at maisondepax.com

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32 Comments

  1. I loved the tour of your home. I know the new owners are going to love it too and make their own memories. Thanks so much for sharing all that beauty. Anxiously awaiting the tour of your new home. fondly ~lynne~

  2. lovely and everything is so nice that even if the new owners had different taste a different style would still fit. Can not wait to see your new house and what you do with it.

  3. You have created an amazing home and will do it again because your love will shine through in all your ideas and projects. Wishing you the best of luck in your new home!

  4. Hi Rachel, you have made this house just perfect for the next family to enjoy! I love what you’ve done with each room and all of your upgrades make the house so much more inviting than it was. I’m not sure where you get your energy, but you have it in spades! Good luck in the new house and we’re all looking forward to seeing it transformed into another Maison de Pax!! now you have to unpack all of your boxes! I can’t say that i’m envious.

    1. Thank you so much, Julie! I had family visiting this week to help with the unpacking… It made it much more bearable. 😉 Hopefully I’ll have some new pictures for you all soon!

  5. What a great way to celebrat the 4th of July,in a lovely new home. You did an exciting transformation on the old house and i know this will be just as much of an adventure for you. Must admit i am excited to see the new one.

  6. That was amazing! WOW! I’ll bet your happy that you took the before pictures!!! Thank you for sharing that:) You guys did a fabulous job!
    Here’s to the new Maison de Pax:) So glad you guys got all moved in! Now it’s time to relax- for just a bit anyways:)

    1. Thank you so much, Cindy! Don’t you worry, I’ve been spending plenty of time by the new pool. 😉 In fact, it’s finally time to get to work!

  7. Just beautiful, each and every room!
    You are so so talented, thanks for sharing with all of us!
    Lisa

  8. AWESOME! Love the bath and ideas I can use for my small bath in my bedroom.
    You have a gorgeous home!

  9. You made a beautiful home! I know the new owners will love it as much as you did. Enjoy your new journey and making memories in your new “home”.

  10. What a beautiful home you created for your family. It was fun to see all of the before and after pictures, I love all of the changes you made and the new owners are so lucky. Congratulations on your new home, can’t wait to see!

    1. You are so kind, Lauren, thank you! Hopefully I’ll have some pictures to share with you soon. 🙂

  11. I am in awe of your talent! Thank you so much for all of your wonderful ideas for the home…just LOVE you!

    1. Janelle, you are FAR too kind… thank you!! I’m so glad you’re enjoying it. 🙂 xx

  12. I love this colour palette. You’ve magically solved my flow dilemma. Just one question – would you be able to recommend a compatible colour that has a buttery yellow tone? Thanks!

    1. I’m so glad to hear it, Heather! I did not use any yellow in our last home, but I have used a color in a previous home called Deep Cowslip 2 by Laura Ashley (I believe I bought it at Lowes?) – LA702. I don’t have any pictures in a room nor am I fully confident about its flow with the others, but looking at my paint chips, I think it just might work. I hope this helps or at least gives you a starting point! 🙂

  13. I was just about to call my mom and ask her about transitioning from Grays to Neutral Light Browns, our exterior is a battleship gray with a red door. I think I will not have to but her at the Fabric shop today. lol

    Pam

  14. Your website has been quite helpful, since we began remodeling both bathrooms in our 1930 bungalow. You are so talented! Thanks for sharing all you do.
    Deb

    1. Oh Deb, you are so kind! I’m so very happy to hear that it has been helpful. Thank you for following along!

  15. Love all the updates. Can you please tell me how you completed the color on your stamped concrete? We are getting ready to pour ours next week and I really like your color combinations.
    Thank you!

    1. Thank you so much! Unfortunately, I’m not sure what exactly was done to the concrete; we hired it out. We did choose two colors, though – one for the concrete and one for the “resist” (I think is what they called it?) – a powder they put down as they were stamping it. I chose a medium gray blue and a warm gray as my two colors. I hope this helps and good luck with your new project!

  16. I loved your home tour! One question-are the two, white columns, (for lack of a better word) on either side of the front door, camoflage for gutters?
    Thanks,
    Vickie

    1. Thank you! They are just decorative (and to my knowledge they’ve never been used to hide gutters). I think it was somewhat popular when the home was built in 1940 in our area because ours wasn’t the only house in the area that had that look. Hope this helps!

  17. Hi Rachel,

    I just found your house searching on how to decorate colonial homes. My husband and I love what you did, can you tell me your color paint you used?
    We just bought almost the exact same house.
    Thanks Cindy.

    1. Hi Cindy! You can see all the paint colors we used in this colonial home here. I hope this helps! Best of look with your new home!!

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