A 70-Year-Old Outdated Home Transforms Into a Dreamy Retreat

When Beverly bought her childhood home after both her parents passed away, she saw it as a temporarily living situation not as her forever home… that was until she met the Property Brothers.

Jonathan and Drew convinced her that the boring brick bungalow she grew up in actually had just the right bones (and was in the right neighbourhood) to become the contemporary urban retreat she had been dreaming of.

Beverly asked for “light and bright” and that’s exactly what she got in the formal living room thanks to a white wood-panelled wall, soft cream-coloured furnishings and a large light-catching front window.

As an avid equestrian, Beverly appreciates this large, white-horse portrait, which hits just the right decorative note above the new mantle.

After Jonathan presented five different kitchen floor plans, Beverly ultimately chose this one – with its large, single-slab island and dual-coloured cabinets – and was thrilled with the flow and function.

Extra-long white subway tiles, formed into a brick pattern and fixed with a light-grey grout, run right round the edge of the kitchen to form an attractive and easy-to-clean backsplash.

Using a combination of blue-grey and bright-white cabinets to demarcate different areas helps to create specific stations around this small, thoughtfully designed kitchen.

Having enough sit-up space at the kitchen island for entertaining friends and family was of paramount importance to Beverly, so Jonathan opted for a single slab of grey granite to make as much level surface area as possible.

A compact workstation makes use of an awkward corner in the kitchen, providing a place to keep Beverly’s appointment calendar, store recipe ideas or even gift-wrapping tools.

Taking down the wall between the old dining room and cramped kitchen helped to give Jonathan the square footage he needed to design a crisp, contemporary kitchen with all the bells and whistles.

Spacious cabinets on either side of the new stainless-steel oven hood give Beverly the added storage she was desperate to find in her forever home.

This brand-new, modern master bathroom features a deep soaker tub, a giant waterfall shower head, and luxurious underfloor heating to help keep wet toes warm on chilly nights.

The original bathroom had brown-striped wallpaper and a dark vanity top. Now the new white subway tiles, vanity lighting and white ceramic sink all work together to reflect light and brighten up the once-dark and heavy space.

After long, cold days working her horse at the riding ring, this is where you’ll find Beverly (and five of her closest friends) in the evenings, wine glass in hand and a relaxed smile on her face.

When Beverly first stepped inside her new master bedroom, she knew exactly what she wanted to do: “I can’t wait to wake up in here! It’s fresh and bright and glittery.”

Since her late-father made sure his daughter knew her way around a workshop, Beverly actually took on the construction of this white-washed wood feature wall.

Transforming your recently departed parents’ bedroom into your own master bedroom does have an emotional weight to it, but Beverly knows they’d approve:”They’d be thrilled with it right now.”

While Beverly parted with many of the furnishings and accessories that used to fill her parents’ home, she did keep her grandfather’s antique mirror, which now has a place of honour above her large white dresser.

Jonathan really wanted to help Beverly break from the past and look to the future by making a special retreat where she could relax and feel completely at home in a space that was made just for her.

It was a hard decision for Beverly to stay in her family home, but after the seven-week renovation and $150,000 (on top of her $660,000 family-purchase price) it’s clear it absolutely was the right one.