Out With The Old,
In With The New

Northeast Ohio Home Renovation
Part 1

Sometimes old houses are beyond repair and the only fix is a complete tear-down. However, there’s something magical about giving a home a new life while honoring its original details. This project is the perfect example. 

This house changed several times since it was built 100 years ago. The brick portion once stood on its own, filled with lots of rooms. The vinyl exterior marks an addition, built by a family that needed more space. They added a living room, master suite, laundry room, full bath, and garage. Then, those owners passed their beloved home onto their daughter who was ready to spruce things up once again. 

She recognized that her childhood home had loads of potential, but she didn’t know where to begin. So she entrusted the team at S. Flynn Design + Build to formulate and execute a plan that would make her old house feel brand new again. 

Priorities & Plans

This Northeast Ohio home (also known as project #ImComingHome on our Instagram) was stuck between the original build and the updates made 20 years ago. To better coordinate these spaces, we completely redesigned the first floor to make everything look harmonious and improve the flow. To ensure all our client’s boxes were checked, we also built an addition.

Once we started construction, we quickly learned that this old home was going to put up a fight. The original owner was a glass mason who constructed the house using glass blocks. Demo was a massive feat in and of itself, but our guys trudged through and made it happen. Keep on scrolling to see how we reimagined this cherished home!

Before After

Floorplan Before & After

Exterior Updates

With lots of planning and a bit of elbow grease, we transformed the exterior of this house into a gorgeous, French country-inspired cottage! Characterized by a mixture of rustic and refined elements, French country homes are charming and offer the perfect balance of cozy and sophisticated.

We painted the exterior brick a warm, welcoming white that stands out against the surrounding lush greenery. Then, we replaced the vinyl siding with overgrout stone. After updating the front door, modernizing the porch columns, and removing the porch balusters, the exterior perfectly captures the French country theme.

Before After

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Shop The Exterior

French Country Kitchen Remodel

The original kitchen was dated and small for the homeowner’s large family. Space was a top priority for our clients, so to give them some much-needed room to spread out, we tore down the walls enclosing the kitchen and shifted it to where the dining room once stood. This allowed us to design a massive kitchen island, ensuring all family members fit comfortably.

French Country Kitchen Design

First, we painted the cabinets a calming green. Then, we mixed materials throughout the kitchen for an eclectic, collected look. Looking closely, you’ll see we mixed wood tones. We used a natural oak on the floor and a coffee stain on the cabinets, island, and table. We also mixed metals, a characteristic in many of our designs. In the kitchen, we used black, polished nickel, and gold. When mixing metals, we strive to achieve a ping-pong effect, purposefully skipping materials so the eye moves effortlessly around the room. For example, we placed gold wall sconces above the sink and gold hardware on the cabinets below, using polished nickel on the faucet in between the two.

To further play off French country design, we laid a brick-shaped tile in a soft, subtle neutral tone. Real brick would have been too red and harsh in this space, so we went with a milder approach. Complimenting the tile, we also mixed standard shaker cabinet fronts with slim shaker insets for a soft, elegant detail.

Beyond aesthetics, this big family needed practical elements, so we designed a beverage bar and added a drip ledge to their sink. These little details make this kitchen feel completely custom and neatly pulled together.

French Country Pantry

Our client wanted plenty of room for their big family to store snacks, treats, and ingredients. So we built them an entire addition just for their pantry.

Their new pantry is outfitted with double ovens and additional storage space. We opted to use the same cabinetry and pulls as the kitchen, but we painted them white and switched up the hardware for added interest. We topped off the pantry design with delicate, floral wallpaper and floating shelves.

Dining Room & Serving Station

For practical purposes, we moved the dining room where the original kitchen used to be and gave this space a refresh. We dropped the windows down and built a bench into the wall for extra seating. To complete the design, we selected a large table with curved ends to accommodate even more people. Opposite the dining room, we built a serving station complete with a sink and plenty of storage space for plates and glassware.

There you have it folks, our beautiful French country kitchen, dining, and exterior remodel! And if you can’t get enough of this design, stick around for part 2, where we detail the living room, mudroom, primary bath, and more!

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Sometimes old houses are beyond repair and the only fix is a complete tear-down. However, there’s something magical about giving a home a new life while honoring its original details. This project is the perfect example. 

This house changed several times since it was built 100 years ago. The brick portion once stood on its own, filled with lots of rooms. The vinyl exterior marks an addition, built by a family that needed more space. They added a living room, master suite, laundry room, full bath, and garage. Then, those owners passed their beloved home onto their daughter who was ready to spruce things up once again. 

She recognized that her childhood home had loads of potential, but she didn’t know where to begin. So she entrusted the team at S. Flynn Design + Build to formulate and execute a plan that would make her old house feel brand new again. 

Priorities & Plans

This Northeast Ohio home (also known as project #ImComingHome on our Instagram) was stuck between the original build and the updates made 20 years ago. To better coordinate these spaces, we completely redesigned the first floor to make everything look harmonious and improve the flow. To ensure all our client’s boxes were checked, we also built an addition.

Once we started construction, we quickly learned that this old home was going to put up a fight. The original owner was a glass mason who constructed the house using glass blocks. Demo was a massive feat in and of itself, but our guys trudged through and made it happen. Keep on scrolling to see how we reimagined this cherished home!

Exterior Updates

French country home

With lots of planning and a bit of elbow grease, we transformed the exterior of this house into a gorgeous, French country-inspired cottage! Characterized by a mixture of rustic and refined elements, French country homes are charming and offer the perfect balance of cozy and sophisticated. 

We painted the exterior brick a warm, welcoming white that stands out against the surrounding lush greenery. Then, we replaced the vinyl siding with overgrout stone. After updating the front door, modernizing the porch columns, and removing the porch balusters, the exterior perfectly captures the French country theme. 

French country home

Shop the Exterior: 22” Lavender Home Wreath |

French Country Kitchen Remodel

French country kitchen

The original kitchen was dated and small for the homeowner’s large family. Space was a top priority for our clients, so to give them some much-needed room to spread out, we tore down the walls enclosing the kitchen and shifted it to where the dining room once stood. This allowed us to design a massive kitchen island, ensuring all family members fit comfortably. 

French country kitchen

French Country Kitchen Design

First, we painted the cabinets a calming green. Then, we mixed materials throughout the kitchen for an eclectic, collected look. Looking closely, you’ll see we mixed wood tones. We used a natural oak on the floor and a coffee stain on the cabinets, island, and table. We also mixed metals, a characteristic in many of our designs. In the kitchen, we used black, polished nickel, and gold. When mixing metals, we strive to achieve a ping-pong effect, purposefully skipping materials so the eye moves effortlessly around the room. For example, we placed gold wall sconces above the sink and gold hardware on the cabinets below, using polished nickel on the faucet in between the two.

To further play off French country design, we laid a brick-shaped tile in a soft, subtle neutral tone. Real brick would have been too red and harsh in this space, so we went with a milder approach. Complimenting the tile, we also mixed standard shaker cabinet fronts with slim shaker insets for a soft, elegant detail. 

Beyond aesthetics, this big family needed practical elements, so we designed a beverage bar and added a drip ledge to their sink. These little details make this kitchen feel completely custom and neatly pulled together.

Shop the Kitchen: Hand-Woven Trivets with Handles | Picture Clip Stand | Mackenzie Medium Nickel Square Tray | One Good Thing Mini Leather Journal | Granite & Marble, Set of 3 | Magnolia Table – Volume 2 | Flour & Grace Cookbook | Plethora Bowls | 8” Round Stoneware Plate | Speckled Ceramic Plate | Speckled Ceramic Bowl | Stoneware Berry Bowls | Saucepan Brushes | Dominic Canister | MDF & Bone Photo Frame | Cajon Bell | Wooden Cutting Board | Natural Wood Board | Onyx & Wood Measuring Cups Set of 4 | Acacia Board with Short Handle, Mini | Acacia Square Cutting Board with Short Handle | Sunday Suppers |

French Country Pantry

French country pantry

Our client wanted plenty of room for their big family to store snacks, treats, and ingredients. So we built them an entire addition just for their pantry.

Their new pantry is outfitted with double ovens and additional storage space. We opted to use the same cabinetry and pulls as the kitchen, but we painted them white and switched up the hardware for added interest. We topped off the pantry design with delicate, floral wallpaper and floating shelves.

Shop the Pantry: Bonny Handled Jar | Glass Container | Round Large Glass Container | Rina Pitcher | Glass Mango Decanter | Stoneware Watering Can | Onyx & Wood Measuring Cups Set of 4 | Embossed Green Drinking Glass | Rattan Cage Medium Salad Bowl | Rattan Cage Large Salad Bowl | Striped Maize Large Baskets |

Dining Room & Serving Station

French country dining room

For practical purposes, we moved the dining room where the original kitchen used to be and gave this space a refresh. We dropped the windows down and built a bench into the wall for extra seating. To complete the design, we selected a large table with curved ends to accommodate even more people. Opposite the dining room, we built a serving station complete with a sink and plenty of storage space for plates and glassware. 

French country serving station

Shop the Dining Room & Serving Station: Cream Slender Pom Pillow | Round Large Glass Container | Acacia Wood Scoop | Serpentinite Oval Platter | Linen Dishtowels | Honey Jar, Teak and Glass – Mini | Glass Jar with Teak Lid & Spoon | Clear Ruffle Glass | Ruffle Rocks Glass | Hand-Woven Trivets with Handles | Tea Cup & Saucer | Rattan Cage Small Vase Carafe | Rattan Cage Medium Vase Carafe | Decorative Small Cane Basket | Resin Photo Frame | Hand-Forged Metal Taper Holder | Brass Metal Taper Holder | Paper Mache Large Bowl | Echo Footed Stand | Mango Wood Cake Stand | Stoneware Mug with Reactive Glaze |

There you have it folks, our beautiful French country kitchen, dining, and exterior remodel! And if you can’t get enough of this design, stick around for part 2, where we detail the living room, mudroom, primary bath, and more!