1970s Condo Renovation Before and After

In my opinion, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing renovation progress! My 1970s Condo Renovation Before and After has been a post in the making for a few years. I originally bought the condo as a major fixer upper at the end of 2015. It was a painfully slow process but now looking back now, it was very rewarding experience. In the meantime, I have now sold this place and moved onto my next project, a 1960s bungalow where I can live out my grooviest life. The “after” photos are courtesy of my realtor, Patti Proctor, and we taken by Cheryl Silsbe.

Dining Room

My dining room was the first area of my condo that I publicly revealed. This was mostly due to the fact that not a lot needed to be changed in here in the first place. The walls were extremely yellowed so a fresh coat of white paint was in order. Before we did that, I took down the vertical blinds, my personal nemesis when it comes to window coverings, and ripped out the ugly carpet. I originally wanted to do polished cement floors but it would have taken me a century to buff out the concrete so I opted for a faux wood look instead. All that was left to do after that was to find a swag light with a long enough cord which I talked all about in my Dining Room Reveal post. It was surprisingly elusive.

Living Room

It feels like a cop out even mentioning this as a seperate room since it’s attached to the dining room and bar area but I make the rules around here so let’s talk about it like it’s a seperate space. Even though I know it’s not. For the longest time I had camping chairs as my living room furniture. I was a blogger with a dark secret – my house was not a home by any means. Those were weird times. Eventually I tore out the carpet and took down the severely stained silk curtains; I wish they could have been salvaged! Those were replaced with the same flooring that was throughout the condo and velvet curtains from IKEA.

The Bar

Again, this isn’t a seperate room but you will have to humour me here. I took out the velvet arm rest that was attached to the bar. It was so bulky and awkward when I would sit at the bar. Everything else I kept exactly the same aside from changing the floor and lightbulbs. This little nook was what originally sold me on the condo when I first saw it. I love smoked glass and paperclip stools. I even made an episode of Cocktails with Sandy featuring the Best Spicy Caesar Recipes in it.

The Kitchen

Normally I am a preservationist when it comes to vintage homes but sometimes when things aren’t properly maintained, you have to gut. The kitchen was a real wild ride and one of the rooms that had a complete overhaul. I’m still trying to figure out why anyone would have saloon doors in such a small kitchen – those were the first to go. Then the hideous textured beige wallpaper, crooked and broken cupboards, the burnt countertop, stained linoleum, and old appliances. When I say everything, I mean it. I bought my appliances from Costco, the cupboards from IKEA, and the countertop from Habitat for Humanity. The subway tiling I found in a second hand store in Arizona for super cheap. Big thanks to my dad for really making the kitchen come together with all his skillz. 

While my bathroom was being reno’d I had to move my life into the kitchen as it was the only working sink. I do not miss this phase. Also, I left the blue plastic on my kitchen cupboards for the longest time because I had a feeling I was going to be selling it sooner than later. I probably would have gone for more zany colours had I thought that I would be staying here long term.

The Bedroom

Mostly this room just needed a little refresh which included new floors and paint. And of course new curtains! The rug in here was a stained pink number that matched the stained glossier pink drapes. I’m not against colour…. but I am against keeping things that are beyond repair. So instead, let’s appreciate the textured wall and recessed hidden lighting that illuminates it. 

• bought a new sink / vanity / faucet from IKEA because the old ones were HIDEOUS
• wayfair gifted me this cute circular mirror
• sanded down + painted the tub white
• left the tiling because I really loved it
• spray bombed the light fixture silver because I also loved it and wanted to repurpose it (it’s amazing what you can do with spray paint!)
• added towel racks and changed the lightswitch plates

En Suite Bathroom

This room pains me a lot – the before photos are more in line to my tastes than the after shots. In my heart of hearts I wanted so badly to save this majestic wallpaper but it was not meant to be. Despite looking great in photos, it was in very bad shape, stained, and just generally damaged all over. Looking at these shots, the bathroom looks so sterile and boring. Had this been a place I stayed longer, I would had put some sort of wallpaper back in there. I am, however, grateful that the vintage tile on the shower was in great condition and I was able to keep it along with the original chrome light fixture.

1970s Condo Renovation Before and After

Thanks so much for coming along on this renovation journey! For my next project, I’m thinking of updating as I go along rather than waiting for a huge reveal – let me know if that interests you! I didn’t bother including the two other bedrooms because not much changed in them that was worth noting – flooring and paint! If you want a complete tour of my condo, check out My Home Tour post below. I hope you enjoyed my 1970s Condo Renovation Before and After.