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Houzz Tour: A Fixer-Upper Becomes a Labor of Love
A thrifty spirit and endless vision enable a hardworking Kansas couple to create a charming home on a small budget
Katherine Fugit and her husband, Conan, fell in love with their home upon first sight — even though the house was previously bank owned, without heating and riddled with black, liquid-oozing radiators. "My husband chanced upon the house on the way to lunch one day and was drawn in from the sidewalk. He didn't even want to mention the house to me because it looked like way too much work," says Katherine. A few weeks later, she chanced upon the house online; the rest is history. "It was just meant to be," she says.
They got to work quickly, she says: "We needed to do lots of cosmetic things before we had 50 guests at our house for our backyard wedding just three months after closing."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Katherine and Conan Fugit
Location: Wichita, Kansas
Size: 2,500 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms
That's interesting: The home was once a women's lodging house.
They got to work quickly, she says: "We needed to do lots of cosmetic things before we had 50 guests at our house for our backyard wedding just three months after closing."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Katherine and Conan Fugit
Location: Wichita, Kansas
Size: 2,500 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms
That's interesting: The home was once a women's lodging house.
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| A 1940 census enabled the Fugits to track down the granddaughter of the family that ran this former women's lodging house. "She was able to tell us interesting tidbits about the house," Katherine says. "For instance, she said that her grandparents actually slept in the dining room, and the upstairs bedrooms were entirely occupied by the lodgers." |
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| The Fugits tore out the old plaster and lath kitchen ceiling to reveal wood beams. "We painted everything fresh white, including the old cabinets," Katherine says. "We added new hardware, a vintage stove and made our own antique trouble lights. We also tore up several layers of linoleum and refinished the wood floors underneath." Cabinet hardware: Martha Stewart for The Home Depot; cage lights parts: Lowe's; cages: 1000bulbs; Edison bulbs: The Home Depot; saddle blanket: Atwoods Farm Supply |
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| They painted their old fridge with chalkboard paint and used an old floor joist from the basement as a shelf above the stove to add even more character and history to the space. The total cost of the kitchen update was a little less than $400. Next, see the kitchen before the update. |
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| BEFORE: Here you see the old stove and the plain fridge. |
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BEFORE: This shows the cabinet side of the room with old hardware, a pulled-off door, dirty floors and sagging ceiling tiles.
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| AFTER: "We kept costs down by not buying brand-new appliances, cabinets or countertops. We applied a fresh coat of paint and hardware and did a little dish organizing. Right now, the kitchen is perfect for us," Katherine says. |
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| A reclaimed basement floor joist was repurposed into an above-stove kitchen shelf. "We cut [the joist] in half, applied one coat of wax and used two brackets for around $3.50 each to secure it to the wall," she says. |
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| BEFORE: Here's a look at the Fugits' living room before the furniture was reshuffled. |
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| AFTER: "Conan and I agreed that his Natty G [National Geographic] collection would be a big part of the living room, because they were such a big part of his life; the shelves were designed specifically with them in mind," Katherine says. "I kept the wall color very muted because of all of the colorful books but very warm so that it looks cozy by lamplight. I wanted this room to feel like the inside of a little boy's cigar box: full of treasures and pretty pictures." |
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| She rearranged the furniture so that a newly purchased sofa now sits in front of the windows and shelving units. "The wall color picks up the yellow in the National Geographics and little touches of yellow here and there. And that sofa was quite a find at $25," she says. The couple also reglazed and recorded their double-hung sash windows, making them easier to open and close. "We can now open the windows and the back door and get an amazing cross breeze in the evening when the weather is cool." Wall paint: Crumb Cookie, Olympic |
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| BEFORE: Here's what the mantel and French doors looked like before the renovation. |
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| AFTER: They painted the mantel and the dining room (background), and added crown molding and a new light fixture in the dining room. "I was adamant about painting the French doors a black color," Katherine says. "We spent countless hours poring over blogs and scouring the Internet until Conan found Door Sixteen. I saw her pocket doors painted black, and I knew right then what had to be done." Door paint: Black Magic, Olympic |
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| The Fugits purchased this Eden pendant light from CB2. They went with a "pretty gray wall color," Katherine says, that looks a bit green in this photo. "Some day we'll capture the gray shade just right," she says. The table is from a yard sale, and the chairs are a Craigslist score. Wall paint: Ash Mist, Olympic |
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| "Our 1917 bathroom had lost its character somewhere along the way, and after the toilet and tub began leaking into the kitchen below, we knew we had to start working on it," Katherine says. They tore out the plaster and lath, the old tile underneath layers of linoleum and the builder-grade fixtures. "We re-created the tile pattern, added a subway tile shower where the closet used to be and refinished an antique claw-foot tub. The unusual sink was a Craigslist find, and the toilet came from our downstairs water closet," Katherine says. |
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| She purchased the claw-foot tub for $100 and refinished it with black paint. "If you're creative and patient and willing to do a little slow decorating instead of running out and buying a fixed set, you can do amazing things on a tiny budget," she says. Wainscoting paint: Montpelier Madison White, Valspar; wall paint: White Knight, ACE Hardware; tub paint: Black Magic, Olympic; floor tile: Merola, Home Depot |
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The scrappy DIYer initially repainted this TV cabinet a deep forest green with light blue shelving and backs; she quickly changed her mind when she saw that the dark color just didn't work with the rest of the bathroom's neutral theme.
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| "We found these shutters at a thrift store for $4. Two coats of paint and some hinges later and they're perfect for our vintage bathroom," she says. |
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The Fugits turned a third bedroom that was previously swathed in bright teal and neon yellow trim into a crisp and collected office space.
They started with bright white paint from Olympic and added a built-in desk and shelves with compartments for a printer, a scanner and other office materials. Book spines add splashy color punches and draw the eye upward, taking attention away from the smallness of the space.
They started with bright white paint from Olympic and added a built-in desk and shelves with compartments for a printer, a scanner and other office materials. Book spines add splashy color punches and draw the eye upward, taking attention away from the smallness of the space.
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| The guest room is a testament to Katherine's thrifty ways: The metal bed frame was a $10 thrift store find, painted with low-gloss black spray paint; the sheets, the lamp (painted with $10 cherry red spray paint) and the ship painting were also thrift store purchases. |
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| "Almost every piece of furniture in our home was bought at a thrift store or garage sale," she says. "We're not saying that everything you find at a thrift store is worth buying, but recycling items that still have plenty of life in them and just need a little love is probably one of the best things you can do for the environment and your pocketbook." |
Ideabook published on July 25, 2012.
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Brilliant your ideas !I love your works...
I have, by myself, done many of the same things with the same kind of "budget that doesn't budge" funding on my old 1860's house in Vermont. Reuse, reclaim, refinish and repurpose are elemental on a $15,000/year income but it can be done and the finished product is garnished with pride. Freecycle.org is a great place for local freebie finds from light fixtures to bathtubs to cabinets to furniture (and very budget friendly!)
These homeowners worked within a budget but did it with crativity and style! Exposing the ceiling and the wood floors, while I'm sure required lots of sweat and effort, vastly enhanced that kitchen! That stove is a gem! This home reflects their style, their life and their interests! WELL DONE!!!
I love that you preserved the windows with new glazing & cords. They add so much character & grace to the home that it would have been so sad to lose them. From working on our own fixer-upper, I know how much of a labor of love it is. Lots of labor that leads to lots of love for the house.
These old houses are indeed a treasure, My husband and I were lucky to find one with the original baseboard, window trim, maple floors, and quarter-sawn oak pocket doors intact. It looks like some of the leaded glass is still in this house, but I'm sorry to see that most of the trim and flooring had been replaced or painted over. What a travesty - but still a beautiful house. Congratulations to the owners on their find and good luck with the renov!