Mediterranean Money Pit
We’re back with episode 6 of Fixer Upper: Welcome Home!
After moving to Waco a few years ago to be closer to family, David and Christina bought an expansive 1970s property with the plan of renovating it themselves. But after putting the project aside to focus on family and their careers, they decided to enlist some help to get the project done.
The textures, colors, and overall design of this home were inspired by its original Tuscan-style architecture, which paired perfectly with David and Christina’s love for traveling. Now every time they step inside, they’re met with a getaway to call their own, where they can rest and gather with the people they love.
Welcome home, David and Christina!
— Chip + Jo
Materials + Design Elements
Exterior: Before + After
what we updated:
- Re-plastered the exterior for a smooth texture in a light sand color
- Added black-gridded windows on all elevations
- Incorporated wood accents throughout, including the shutters, gate, and rafter tails in a Serpentine curve
- Built an antique-looking limestone wall with a private patio outside the master bedroom to match the interior fireplace
- Refreshed the front entry by adding new landscaping with soft hill country style plants, river rock, new brick pavers for the front patio, a new front door with stain-grade double doors, and copper lanterns
- Replaced the roof with synthetic terracotta barrel tiles to update the color and style, and to add long-term structural stability
- Add copper lanterns to front exterior
Entry: Before + After
what we updated:
- Replaced the terracotta tile with hardwood flooring that starts in the entry and extends throughout the living room
- Updated the stairs with a new iron railing and a carpet runner
- Updated the existing brick arch walls with a plaster finish to smooth out the walls and bring in fresh texture
Living Room: Before + After
Blanched - Interior Paint from Magnolia Home by Joanna GainesOpens in new tab, Annie Light Grey Rug from Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines Crafted by LoloiOpens in new tab
what we updated:
- Kept the existing stone fireplace, which served as inspiration for other stone elements on the exterior private patio and in the primary bedroom
- Covered the existing ceiling beams with custom-carved, antique, restored hand-hewn beams and a new mantel made from the same wood
- Added a custom built-in cabinet for storage to the left of the mantel
- Updated the back door sliders with black gridded sliders
- Refinished the walls with plaster to add fresh texture
Kitchen + Dining: Before + After
what we updated:
- Removed the walls within the kitchen for an open flow into the living room and to create more space for two islands
- Installed Volakas marble honed countertops with an ogee edge
- Installed custom cabinetry with new hardware and added a paneled fridge that would blend in with the cabinetry
- Built a plastered vent hood structure to center the range and installed new backsplash tiles to create a focal point
- Added new lighting fixtures above both islands
- Installed new Travertine floors
- Installed a custom painted mural wallpaper by Chelsea Fly to bookend the kitchen and dining room as a nod to David and Christina’s favorite landscapes in Italy
- Added a chandelier above the dining table with powder-coated metal detail to define and center the space
- Installed custom doors on either side of the kitchen to match the wood on the island along with an accented leaded glass detail above each door
Laundry Room: Before + After
what we updated:
- Removed and re-framed the walls to create a large laundry and mudroom combo space that sits off the kitchen with a folding table, pantry, mudroom cabinets, and powder bathroom
- Installed hand-painted terracotta tiles on the floor that extend to the powder bathroom
- Painted walls and cabinets with a muted green accent color and added new hardware
- Installed new lighting fixtures and Roman shades
Powder Bathroom
what we updated:
- Carved out space for a powder bathroom to sit off the laundry room
- Installed grasscloth wallpaper and hand-painted terracotta tile to the floor
- Added a brass console vanity with a vessel sink
Primary Bedroom: Before + After
what we updated:
- Removed the walls to re-configure the existing bedroom space and added all new windows, a large closet and bathroom suite with a private patio
- Updated the existing brick fireplace with a plaster finish, custom iron fireplace screen, and wood mantel, and added built-in shelving to the left of the fireplace
- Created a stone accent wall to tie in with the living room mantel
- Incorporated four antique hand-hewn beams to the ceiling
Primary Bathroom: Before + After
what we updated:
- Added new windows and a back gridded slider door that leads to a private patio with terracotta flooring, a stone accent wall, and a custom wood gate
- Created a bathroom layout off of the master with a double vanity, soaking tub, walk-in shower with hand-painted tile, and two arched wall niches for dimension and additional storage
- Installed new hardware, mirrors, and light fixtures
- Added a Zellige tile accent ledge behind the soaking tub and terracotta clay flooring in a San Felipe pattern on the floor that extends to the patio to emphasize the shared indoor/outdoor space.
before + after photography taken by Lisa Petrole
