We moved into 1,166 square foot house in Southern Arizona in the Winter of 2022 after yet another cross-continent move and a fast and furious search to find a home in our budget during the COVID-19 real estate boom. You can read more about how we found ourselves craving leaving the city for a less hectic lifestyle here and why we chose this house here. But onward to the “before” pictures before any renovations happen!

Eventually, the house will be painted white and a terracotta tile roof will be added so the bungalow becomes more of a Spanish-styled casita and fits with the surrounding historic homes better. A side storage area will be built on the side of the house to hide the trashcans and store other items like the BBQ grill and garden tools. The non-native agaves will be removed and new xeriscape landscaping will be added.

This house has a TON of concrete. It wraps around the front circle driveway, and also goes along the house into the backyard. Eventually, the cement will all be removed and the driveway will be a compacted pea gravel drive. Not only are they beautiful and classic, but gravel drives are better for the environment, because they are permeable. Rain water is able to run through the gravel to water tree roots and eventually makes its way into the local aquifer. Since the West is experiencing the worst megadrought in 1200 years, it is really important for us to incorporate water-smart solutions during our renovations.

Like most older homes in this area, the front door opens directly into the living room. The plan for the living room is to paint the walls and ceiling, add historically-appropriate molding and trim, update the fireplace, replace and center the ceiling fan and add can lights, and replace the doors and windows. The floors will also be replaced for hardwood or engineered hardwood floors, though this will be the last “big” updates we will do.

Speaking of replacing the doors, to really understand how poorly this room is laid out, you need to understand how the doors open:

Both the front door and patio door open towards the back wall, which causes traffic jams when anyone wants to come in and out:

The hinges will be moved when the doors are replaced so that the doors open into the house and allow better flow.

The Kitchen

The Living Room

The small galley-style kitchen is right off of the living room. It is really poorly laid out. The little bump-out lower cabinet impedes traffic flow from the living room and there isn’t much storage. There is a sizable open space to the right of the door that originally held the washer and currently has no function other than wasting space. The fridge will moved to where the open space is, a pantry and appliance garage will be added, and new cabinetry and appliances will increase storage and functionality.

The Exterior

The Dining Room

The dining room currently also functions as our office and the dog’s chair that he hangs out in when we are dining or working. Thankfully, this room doesn’t need too much work. The window will be extended and centered on the wall, a new ceiling light will be installed on center, and new dining room furniture will be added.

The door along the side wall will be closed up, and a built-in low buffet will be added. Because this wall provides access to bathroom plumbing, the buffet will be designed to ensure access to these pipes.

The Jack & Jill Bath

A Jack and Jill bathroom is a shared bathroom with two or more entrances, usually situated between two bedrooms. Our Jack and Jill opens to a bedroom and the living room. The door to the living room will be closed up, turning the bathroom into an ensuite. After that, this bath will only need a facelift with a new vanity, toilet, tile, medicine cabinet, lightning, and the original cast iron tub will be resurfaced in white.

Linen Closet

Nothing exciting here. Just a musty old linen closet that smells slightly of old cigarettes. The linen closet will be redone with all new cabinetry and hardware.

Second Bathroom / Guest Bathroom

This space definitely needs the most love. A new vanity and toilet will installed in a new location to better use the space, and the shower extended will be installed with new tile to create a more functional and luxurious bathroom experience. A second door into the master bedroom will also be installed to make this space double as an ensuite and guest bathroom.