My Houzz: A Texas Ranch Finds Beauty on a Budget
Ingenuity, thriftiness and an eye for interior design turn a ranch home into a thoughtful, charming family home
A limited budget meant that there were no major renovations in this Texas house's future. But Steve and Kori Wydman knew they could still freshen up their family's home. "You can totally change a feeling of a house just by updating the paint colors and purchasing unique furniture, accessories and rugs," says Kori.
A collection of hand-me-downs, great garage sale finds and repurposed antiques helped the couple transform their 1963 ranch house into a unique space all their own.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Steve and Kori Wydman, sons Jonah and Finn, and cats Jeff and Pursie
Location: Richardson, Texas
Size: 2,200 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
A collection of hand-me-downs, great garage sale finds and repurposed antiques helped the couple transform their 1963 ranch house into a unique space all their own.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Steve and Kori Wydman, sons Jonah and Finn, and cats Jeff and Pursie
Location: Richardson, Texas
Size: 2,200 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
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| Kori used two different nightstands in the master bedroom to mix things up. "I really have no rules when mixing and matching, but I try to select pieces that are different enough so it's obvious the mismatch was intentional," she says. Bed, nightstand: Weir's; sconces: Nicole's Estate Resale; bedding: Pottery Barn; art: Home Goods; rug: Pottery Barn/Williams Sonoma outlet; paint: Throne, Ralph Lauren Home |
In the corner of the bedroom, another garage sale find creates a seating area and a natural segue to the master bathroom. Since the family chose not to renovate, they put extra thought into every purchase for their home. "Even small details like replacing cabinet pulls make a huge difference in updating the look," says Kori. The family replaced almost all of the home's original hardware.
Art: Happy Days Antiques, Breckenridge, West Texas
Art: Happy Days Antiques, Breckenridge, West Texas
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| Framed pages from the children's book Where the Wild Things Are decorate the wall of Finn's bedroom, and a sweet side table from Furniture Farm fits in perfectly with its new coat of white paint. "Our youngest son, Finn, loves to play in his room. One of his favorite things to do is sit in the blue chair under his canopy and look at his books," says Kori. Canopy: Ikea; lamp: Home Goods; paint: Glass Bead, Sherwin-Williams |
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| Kori offers this advice to other bargain hunters: "Try envisioning things in a beautiful room. Look at the lines of furniture, and if you love it, you can always refinish and reupholster it." She found these blue chairs for Finn's room at a garage sale. Crib, changing table: Babies 'R Us; rug: Pottery Barn Teen |
Both boys' bedrooms are outfitted with affordable storage units from Ikea. Kori made this side table for Jonah's room out of an Ikea bar stool and a glass top.
Low table: West Elm; drawers: Ikea; chair: Herman Miller Eames Chair; doll: Blabla
Low table: West Elm; drawers: Ikea; chair: Herman Miller Eames Chair; doll: Blabla
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| "Steve and I got engaged at Keuka Lake, and since Jonah is our first child, we really wanted to go with a nautical theme for his room," Kori says. "The boys love to drive the cars on the white table in this room." Bed: Crate & Barrel; pillows, oars: Home Goods; chair: Ethan Allen, circa 1970; paint: Softer Tan, Sherwin Williams |
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| Kori and the boys share this secondary bathroom, which features all the original millwork and tile. New hardware, paint and accessories gave the space a fresh update. Mirror: Home Goods |
For the Wydmans, beauty is everywhere — even in their neighbor's trash, which is where Kori found this unique chair.
Mirror: Home Goods; lamp: Target
Mirror: Home Goods; lamp: Target
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| The painting above the table to the right is a special wedding gift from a friend depicting Keuka Lake, where Steve proposed. Coffee table: Weir's; fireplace mirror: Home Goods; fireplace screen: Pottery Barn; table lamp: Chapman, prototype for the Hotel Del Coronado; paint: Crystal Chandelier, Ralph Lauren Home (no longer available); art: Soho Art |
Original to the home, the built-in bookshelves house all of Kori's old interior design textbooks from her days as a residential and hospitality designer.
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| Kori created the framed artwork that hangs above the dining room console — another garage sale find. "My grandma used to have a painting in her home that I loved, and that's where I got the inspiration for the artwork of acrobats," she says. Chandelier: Home Depot; dining set: gift from mother-in-law; paint: Heraldic Ivory, Sherwin-Williams |
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| While browsing vintage pieces at Again & Again, Kori spotted a man with two velvet armchairs strapped to the top of his car. "He ended up selling them to me for $60 each. After refinishing and reupholstering them, they're now my favorite pieces," she says. The couple replaced the existing carpet with wall-to-wall sisal in this living room to complement the '60s-style home. |
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| The couple wanted to bring something meaningful back from a trip to Italy together but didn't have the budget for new artwork at the time. Kori purchased these postcards, reprints of watercolors the couple loves, for 50 cents each. Sofa: Urban Home by Cisco; chair, coffee table: Terence Conran's Storehouse (now closed); side table: Target; lamp: Jeff Hamlin Estate Sale; sofa pillows: prototype for The Ritz Carlton Maui, fabric by Clarence House |
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| Kori stays true to her favorite designer, Terence Conran, who abides by simple and functional design philosophies. Kori believes a fresh coat of paint is one of the simplest ways to transform a space, and she used a fresh white to paint the home's previously brown wood paneling. |
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| A kitchen renovation is next on the couple's list of home design projects, with a Viking stove and range at the top of their want list. "We would also love to put French doors off of our kitchen and build an outdoor fireplace and patio," Kori says. Chairs: Furniture Farm |
Ideabook published on Sept. 22, 2012.
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I actually LOVE both the bathroom AND the kitchen! I wouldn't remodel the kitchen, except for new countertops and sink. The cabinets are fantastic and fit the home AND your style so well.
Richardson has some great older homes. I'm glad they updated some of the home's original character instead of ripping everything out.