Historic Charm Mixes Modern Comfort in This Fixer to Fabulous Family Home

When a home has been in the family for five generations, it has lots of stories to tell – but it’s all too easy for it to stay stuck in the past. Brittany and Doug Brewer’s 19th-century home has been in the family since 1926, and decades of renos and re-touches created a mish-mash of styles that wasn’t working for the couple and their young children. Using their signature creativity and resourcefulness, Dave and Jenny Marrs were up to the task of updating the house with a functional, stylish transformation that suits the home’s current occupants – while still honouring the home’s historic character.

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white hallway with black-framed photos and documents

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A Family-Minded First Impression

First impressions set the tone for a home, so Dave and Jenny Marrs wanted made sure to create an eye-catching entryway that was bright and fresh – but still paid homage to the family’s history. They swapped the front door with a refurbished vintage piece that resembled the home’s original door, while adding light with arched windowpanes. In the front hall, a gallery of framed historical news clippings and photos makes a stylish statement, while offering a nod to the past each time you walk by.

living room with dark couch and white chairs

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Raise the Roof

Sometimes, small changes can make a huge difference in the feel of a space. Throughout most of the house, Doug’s grandfather had lowered the ceiling height about 50 years ago. By using part of the couple’s $150,000 renovation budget to restore the ceilings back to their 10-foot height, the Marrs used vertical space to transform the feel of the home.

living room with built-in wall unit and dining table

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Space for School

Because they home school their kids, the family’s living room needed to be multi-functional. To help, Dave created a stunning (and super-practical) built-in shelving unit – complete with fold-out desks and study areas that can be packed away and hidden when school time is over.

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Open Concept Kitchen-Living Room

Part of the problem with the home’s old-fashioned design was that it felt tighter and more cramped than its 1,320-square-feet of space. To enhance the flow between the living room and kitchen, Dave and Jenny opened up the dividing wall. During this process, Dave uncovered a unique historical feature (and a design bonus): old grooved exterior siding, which they painted white to match, adding a touch of texture and history to the new galley kitchen.

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Farmhouse Fabulous

In the kitchen, the Marrs created a modern take on traditional farmhouse style. The previous kitchen was tight and lacked counter space, so Dave and Jenny opened up the plan, rearranged the layout and installed new cabinets in a crisp white hue. For an extra ode to the past, they also added a refinished vintage hutch as a contrasting (and one-of-a-kind) cabinet.

white-tiled bathroom with floral wallpaper on ceiling and wooden dresser vanity

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Floor-to-Ceiling Style

Wallpaper in the bathroom is always a bright idea

– but Jenny took things to the next level with floral wallpaper on the ceiling in the guest/kids’ bathroom. As a special nod to the past, Jenny had a local artist custom design the print as a modern take on the home’s previous wallpaper patterns.

cozy white bedroom with ceiling fan and white bed

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Wooden Warmth

The master bedroom had already been remodelled, but it needed a fresh finish and a few personal touches to showcase its character. Bringing life to an old project, the Marrs found and installed a door that Doug had previously made – repurposing it as a custom sliding barn door to connect the bedroom with the master bathroom.

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Handmade Charm

When it came to decor, the Marrs worked with and enhanced many of the treasures that were already there. For example, Doug had handmade a beautiful, unique wooden bed for the couple – so the Marrs made his handiwork the star of the light-and-bright master bedroom.

bathroom with white freestanding tub in front of window

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Space to Soak it All In

Evening baths are central to Brittany’s self-care routine, so the Marrs made the master bathroom a true spa-like oasis with a stunning free-standing tub for her to soak in. They completed the transformation with luxe forest-green bathroom storage, elegant new flooring and a bigger window to let in more natural light.

screened in porch with dining table and chairs

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Outdoor Living in Style

The family loved spending time together outdoors, but bugs and mosquitoes took away from the backyard’s charm – and the time they could comfortably spend outside. The solution? The Marrs created an incredible screened-in porch to house beautiful outdoor dining and living areas.