Budgeting Like A Boss

A chic renovation on the cheap

By RACHEL STONE

Photo by DANNY FULGENCIO

Jennifer Dunn’s real estate agent opened the door but declined to enter the Windomere cottage she was showing her in 2014.

“She came out like this,” Dunn says, holding the collar of her shirt over her nose and mouth. “And she’s like, ‘OK, go ahead.’ ”

Dunn’s diminished olfactory senses were a blessing in this case. It smelled like something had died in there.

“I walked from the front door to the back door and all the way back, and I said, ‘OK, let’s do it.’ ”

Inside the renovation

•The shiplap is not only exposed, it’s unfinished. Dunn thinks that the fibers, nails and carpenter’s marks left after the original drywall was removed add character.

•Removing a breakfast nook expanded the kitchen, and taking out a wall turned two closets into one. But the home’s floorplan is otherwise original.

•The house took six months to renovate, and it took Dunn six months more to decide on drawer pulls for the Ikea kitchen. Eventually she ordered “little baby” wooden ones that cost about $1 each.

•She used the leather strap of a well-worn handbag as the dishwasher handle.

•Dunn enjoyed finding scraps of wallpaper and treasures such as a print of a horse painting during the renovation. But she’s still annoyed that the contractor threw away a peacock-back wicker chair that had been left.

Bishop Dunne Catholic School

Contact: Charleen Doan at 214.339.6561 ext. 4020 or admission@bdcs.org

A co-educational, college preparatory school serving students in grades 6-12. We provide a strong faith and valuebased education with high academic standards, encouraging all students to achieve their full potential. Our curriculum emphasizes individualized attention, and is constantly at the forefront of technology integration through the use of laptops, ebooks, and our Online Education Program. Additionally, we provide a full range of extracurricular activities ranging from athletics, to the arts, to clubs and service organizations.