Month: March 2019

Curb Appeal Exterior House Makeover

Written by Jenna on March 27, 2019. Posted in Exterior.

Exterior Renovation with new paint color, yellow dutch door, and screened porch. Remodel designed by Jenna Burger Design, www.JennaBurger.com

Happy Spring!

No more snow. No more cold. I am thrilled! March is always a tough month but as the snow slowly melts (it’s almost all gone – yay!) and the temps get warmer, I can feel the signs of Spring approach.

As this new season begins, it dawned on me that I never shared an exterior makeover project that I worked on with a Client that started over two years ago. Admittedly though, it took a good year to complete after the planning process and the full remodel.

Check out where we started…

And the result…

What a difference, right?!? It’s amazing how paint can transform!

When we started the project (2+ years ago), the objective was to update the exterior with a new paint color, new front door, new garage doors and to enclose the existing porch to create a screened porch. The roof, windows, and trim were to remain.

The front entry of the home also needed to be reconfigured with a new front patio and path from the driveway.

Here is how it looked before…

And the new front entry…

The existing stone patio was removed that led visitors from the driveway to the entry. In it’s place a new stamped concrete-style path (to match the driveway) was installed with new garden beds on each side. By removing the large patio area, a more organic entry to the front door was created.

To give an unexpected splash of color to the entry, I chose a vibrant yellow color for the front door, which is a dutch-style door. So fun!

Along with the front entry, the Client also wanted to create a screened porch space using the existing covered porch at the front of the house.

Here’s how it looked before…

And here’s the result…

The existing columns were sanded down to reveal the natural wood and then stained with clear polyurethane. Using cedar wood, panels were constructed between each column, then painted white. A new screened door was added that leads to the new oasis.

And guess what the interior entry is just as exciting + inviting as the exterior. Here is a peak at the updated front entry with a new built-in…

So fun, right?!? Would you love to come home to a space like this?

Bathroom: Green With Envy

Written by Jenna on March 18, 2019. Posted in Bathroom, Bathroom Makeover, JBD Client.

As an ode to St. Patrick’s Day yesterday, I have to share this recently finished spa-like bathroom that I designed for a Client. The overall space is filled with lots of varying shades, but to make it unique + unexpected, we added a major splash of color to the vanity…

GREEN!

Bathroom Renovation with neutrals and a pop of color for the vanity. Wall Paint Color - Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter; Vanity Paint Color - Benjamin Moore Green with Envy; Design by - Jenna Burger Design, www.JennaBurger.com

The pop of green was a request of the client and I was all for it. When she mentioned wanting to introduce a fun color for the new 7′ long custom vanity, I was on the hunt for the perfect shade.

In the end we chose Benjamin Moore Green With Envy 2036-30. It’s a fabulous color that is a true green with a slight blue undertone instead of yellow like a typical kelly green color would be.

Here’s a Benjamin Moore color chart for greens and you can see where Green With Envy falls compared to other greens…

On to the rest of the bathroom space…

The existing window had to be moved because it did not work with the proposed shower / tub configuration. We reused the existing window and positioned it to be centered over the new soaking tub.

The tub is an undermount style and we had a quartz top templated for the tub deck, which extends into the shower to create a bench to sit on. The design when the deck continues into the shower is such a modern, clean look.

Once the slab was in, the glass enclosure was templated and created the needed separation between the tub space and the shower.

Check out that detail here..

At the tub face, we added in a mosaic tile in shades of grey and positioned it vertically. The tile continues on to the face of the bench and is also used at the sides + back of the vertical niche.

Shower Niche with vertical layout; Mosaic accent tile at the niche back with a barliner surround; Design by Jenna Burger Design, www.JennaBurger.com

The walls are complete with a simple + modern 4″ x 12″ white subway tile that runs floor to ceiling in the shower and continues partially up the wall at the tub space.

Wouldn’t you love to get ready in a space like this every day?!?

DIY: Painted Brick Fireplace

Written by Jenna on March 15, 2019. Posted in Brick Ranch Fixer Upper, Do-It-Yourself.

Do It Yourself: Painting a Brick Fireplace; Details on www.JennaBurger.com on how to paint a brick fireplace black!

When we moved into our brick ranch fixer house a little over a year ago, we originally planned on painting the exterior brick on the house. In the end because of the era and placement of the house, we decided to leave it and add some other elements to break up the monotony of brick.

So what does that have to do with the fireplace??? Good question! Even though we were definite on keeping the exterior brick natural, I had an equally definitely feeling that the brick fireplace inside had to be painted!

So what color did I choose? BLACK! I love a good focal wall that introduces black. I feel that with lighter elements in the space, black (or a darker hue, in general) gives such amazing contrast.

I’ll admit, even though the designer-side of me know black was best, I hesitated. And then one day, I just went for it!

I’ve heard certain types of paint are best for brick, but I had a gallon of low lustre semi-gloss black paint from another project and it worked great (and is still holding up perfect 4 months later).

With a good-quality angled brush, I put on some good tunes and simply, painted the brick. Here are pictures during the transformation…

Two full coats of paint + a third coat for a few spots that needed additional coverage, it was complete.

Thankfully, I love the result. The fireplace is not only a striking focal point now, but the natural brick was too busy + distracting (plus dirty). With the brick being one color now, it really gives the eye a calming place and provides a beautiful backdrop for layering.

Check out the before & after again…

And can spot another difference between the before and after?!? I’ll give you a hint… look at the hearth.