A Family Home, Redesigned
After buying her grandparents' home, Amanda HofmannΒ set out to make it her own. She and her husband did the design and remodel themselves, creating an open, minimalist space that reflects their aesthetic.
In 1963, artist Amanda Hofmannβs grandparents built a home in a quiet, suburban neighborhood near E.P. βTomβ Sawyer Park. It was in this home that they raised their five children and later raised Amanda. In 2011, Amandaβs beloved grandmother passed away, and her grandfather was ready for a change. So Amanda bought the house from her grandfather and set out to make it her own. Amanda and her husband Martin were living in Clifton at the time, in an urban living situation that was the polar opposite of her grandparentsβ suburban home. But she jumped at the opportunity to move βback home.β
AΒ self-described minimalist, Amanda likes things clean, neat and functional. When her grandfather moved out, he basically took a bag of clothes and left everything else.Β The Hofmanns pared everything down, from the four sets of complete china they inherited to the wallpaper that was applied in each and every room.
The house followed a traditionalΒ floor plan. There was a front entryway with a staircase. The formal living room with a fireplace was in the front rightΒ of the house and closed off with the exception of two small doorways. The kitchen was in the back of the house, adjacent to the living room. A den and sunroom were on the left side of the house.
Amanda and MartinΒ did most of the renovation work themselves on a very small budget, the exception being that they did not lay the hardwood flooring or install the countertops. And the money saved on contractors allowed them to have more of the design elements they wanted. Amanda designed the space, and Martin brought it to life. When they moved in, they ripped up all the carpet, took down the wallpaper and painted almost every room in the house. Since all of the walls were covered in 50-year-old wallpaper that was applied with glue, it took a full week just to remove the wallpaper. They also removed chair rails throughout the house.
They have the upstairs on their docket to complete next. For now, though, they are enjoying their βHome Sweet Homeβ in its new, updated design. Letβs take a look!
Β THE HOME
LIVING ROOM + KITCHEN
The living roomΒ and kitchen, together,Β was a bigger project in itself. After taking downΒ a wall between the kitchen and living room and seeing how open it could become, theyΒ decided to take down another wall between the living room and the entryway. In typical fashion with any home remodel project, this then prompted replacing the flooring throughout the ground floor and moving fixtures.
DEN/STUDIO
The den became Amandaβs studio and office,Β where she creates her jewelry, illustrations and calligraphy. In contrast to the dark paint in the living room and kitchen area, they opted for a light linen color in the den. The paint color coupled withΒ the fantastic morning light makeΒ it an ideal studio for an artist. Whatβs more, the den contains a record player and a fantastic collection of old vinyl records. That goes well with theΒ theme of good music in this home, which is filled with framed, colorful posters for Ray LaMontagne and Mumford & Sons.
NURSERY
The downstairs complete, the couple set their sights upstairs on their sonβs nursery, which is a bright and airy room as well, with gray/blue walls and bright red accents. The nursery is a display of all of Amandaβs artistic talents, as so many of the pieces were made by her.
Modernizing this home took a big purge, some daring paint and powerful accents. Amanda loves that her grandparents raised their five children here and that she now gets to raiseΒ her combined family of five children here, as well. Seems like the perfect spot.
Get the look for yourself. Here are the colors the Hofmanns used:
- Paint colors: (colors by Behr)
- Living Room and kitchen is Beluga Gray (Behr)
- Front door is Barn Red that her grandfather antiqued by hand
- Nursery is Sea Rover BlueΒ (Behr)
- Studio is Whisper White (Behr)
Check out Amandaβs work and artistry here.
As always, much gratitude to our photographer, Adele Reding, for her fantastic work.Β Visit her website atΒ adeleredingphotography.com.
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