When James Angus and Jamie Bolton bought this 1970s ranch in Texas, their first home together, it was only a plain box. “We’ve made it our own,” says Angus. “The previous owner had done lots of the work on the cheap, and he had made some poor decisions.” The few relished the challenge; they have been decorating and remodeling for three years, documenting their accomplishments in their site, The Cavender Diary. “We began a site to share the progress with all our moms; they are our two biggest supporters. Everything we share is geared toward them,” he states.
A self-proclaimed “organized hoarder” who loves crap, Angus has styled the home with a very sharp curator’s eye, which makes it a cozy nest full of personal touches and conversation pieces. Following is a look at the couple’s progress thus far.
at a Glance
Who lives here: James Angus, Jamie Bolton and their rescued Doberman, Harley Davidson
Location: Dallas
Size: About 1,360 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Year constructed: 1972
The Cavender Diary
Angus has been collecting vintage Christmas decorations for years and put them together to make this exceptional wreath.
The Cavender Diary
I discovered Angus’ abilities when he shared with the couple’s stunning front doorway in our phone for holiday entryway shots. Regarding the cow skull, he states, “Well, this is Texas!”
The Cavender Diary
“I’m hooked on pillows, since I can make them so readily,” Angus says. He is a creative manager for Ralph Lauren and makes sure to retrieve 8-inch scraps out of the seamstress whenever he’s things such as drapes sewn for work. Then he adds unique vases such as letters from old varsity jackets.
Portrait: “Chief Sitting Bear” by Edward Curtis, Ikea (discontinued); sofa: West Elm (floor model); wall paint: Fawn, Martha Stewart for Home Depot
The Cavender Diary
One glance at this red powder-coated instrument cart and Angus knew it could serve a good purpose — he just wasn’t sure what at the time. He scooped it up for a cool $75. After he made it home, the figurative wheels began turning and he retrofit it to serve as a bar cart, adding cork liners to the shelf and drawers. The drawers store a bottle holder, shot glasses, cocktail napkins, a bartender’s guide and classic eyeglasses.
Tool cart: Harbor Freight and Tools
The Cavender Diary
“The fireplace was really awful. Someone had slapped one cluttered layer of an off-white/olive semigloss on it, dripped everything over and had not painted the grout,” he states. “In black it looks larger than it is, the 8-foot ceilings seem bigger, along with the fireplace looks deeper.”
The Cavender Diary
Angus made the rolling log holder on the right out of plumbing pipes. “Plumbing pipes are really cheap and they look good; I do not know why more people are not utilizing them,” he states.
The Cavender Diary
“I love junk!” Angus professes. He believes this crap store find was once an indication in an American Airlines building.
Typical of a ’70s ranch, this home lacks cupboard space, so the couple pops hats and coats on a long pegboard, with boots lined up underneath. “I didn’t even plan this out; I just hung them up. I try to not overstyle,” Angus says. “I like to add layer upon layer … that is how we live.”
Before Photo
BEFORE: The kitchen renovation is the largest job they’ve conquered up to now. Note the original fluorescent tube lighting, cupboards which don’t reach the ceiling and obsolete hardware. The couple kept the lower cabinets, as they were working just fine, as well as the terra-cotta floor. You’ll learn where the top cupboards wound up in a bit.
Before Photo
The Cavender Diary
They replaced the top cabinets with tall versions that extend all of the way into the ceiling. They to make the 8-foot ceilings seem higher and provide a lot of storage space.
“I like the glass and brushed-steel doors, since they have only the ideal dose of science lab seem,” Angus says. “This home is more contemporary than our style, but we try to stay true to the home when making design decisions.”
Cabinets: Ikea; dishwasher: Samsung
The Cavender Diary
The new countertops are granite, and the backsplash is travertine tile. The faucet is the Hjuvik out of Ikea.
The Cavender Diary
They left room for a vent hood by shifting the microwave into the lower cabinet next to the refrigerator. Small moves such as this made the space seem much larger. They also substituted the hardware with clean-lined brushed-steel handles to modernize the cabinets.
Vent hood: Luftig, Ikea; range: Samsung; cabinet hardware: Elliott’s Hardware
The Cavender Diary
A friend brought over these vintage Cesca seats to market in a garage sale, but nobody bought them. They had been once the land of the University of Texas, and also the cane chairs were replaced with more durable upholstered vinyl.
Table: Docksta, Ikea; globe pendant lighting: West Elm
The Cavender Diary
A vintage jewelry collection adds a great deal of colour to the neutral palette of the kitchen. The collection includes pieces from Fiestaware, Bauer, Yellowware and Russel Wright.
The Cavender Diary
Angus also collects colorful oil jars, using them to get dog-related storage such as plastic bags and tennis balls for playing fetch.
The Cavender Diary
He fashioned this wine rack from 10-inch segments of a 10-foot-long PVC pipe.
The Cavender Diary
The accent-pillow love goes to the bedroom too. “Every night we stack them at a corner,” says Angus, that knows he’s pillow problems. The dresser below the window is three Ikea Malm dressers put together. “I have a theory about Ikea,” he states. “Everyone uses it, but it shouldn’t look exactly the same in everybody’s home; you need to make it your own and personalize it.”
Wall colour: Fawn, Martha Stewart for Home Depot; blanket: Pendleton; office chair: oak, Salvation Army
The Cavender Diary
To hide the strings from those studying sconces, Angus made a accent wall out of stained 1- by 8-inch planks. The whole accent wall job cost about $125.
Headboard: Rooms To Go; sconces, Restoration Hardware
The Cavender Diary
“Theoretically, a car will be allowed within this garage, but it has not happened up to now,” Angus says. The garage is organized and clean, and has its very own personality, as a result of the cedar-lined walls and pops of red accents. The plan for it involves caged pendants and Edison lightbulbs.
The Cavender Diary
Both of these medicine cabinets hold little things like nails and screws, arranged in lidded and labeled jars. The old-school label manufacturer is an favorite organizational instrument within this household.
The Cavender Diary
Angus is also a lover of wire baskets for corralling and organizing.
The Cavender Diary
The garage also contains the laundry space. Those old top cabinets from the kitchen remodel function well outside from the garage, in which they hold items such as laundry detergent. Hacked Ikea Lack shelves display a vintage globe collection.
The Cavender Diary
More plumbing pipe functions as a pole for hanging clothes over the washer-dryer.
The Cavender Diary
These metallic strips are knife magnets, generally utilized in kitchens; they grip tools and paintbrushes.
Angus and Bolton will handle building a back deck adjacent. “We’ve got a how-to publication from Home Depot and we are good to go,” says Angus. They also aspire to tackle the master bathroom this past year. “It’s so dreadful that we just use it for storage,” he states. We look forward to seeing the outcomes.