My Houzz: Eclectic Bohemian Style in a 1976 Fixer-Upper
These Southern California homeowners patiently added color, style and function to their outdated home
Alexandra Crafton
May 20, 2016
Houzz Contributor: Specializing in interior photography and lifestyle journalism, Alexandra loves getting to know the people and stories behind the houses she shoots.
Houzz Contributor: Specializing in interior photography and lifestyle journalism,... More
Julie and Ken Balcom’s 1976 home nestled in the quiet, equestrian foothills of Alta Loma, California, was, in a family member’s words, “the worst house on the block.” The Balcoms were quick to note the home’s advantages, though: a great school district, high ceilings that opened up the space and no previous remodels that they would need to redo. The two junior high school teachers bought the home in 2011 and then devoted their summer breaks to tearing out floors, painting walls and adding their DIY touches to transform the outdated interior and exterior into their dream family home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Ken and Julie Balcom; their daughter, Hayden, 6, and son, Liam, 2; and their dog, Charlie
Location: Alta Loma, California
Size: 1,900 square feet (177 square meters); three bedrooms, three bathrooms
Year built: 1976
The open-layout family room doubles as a place to relax and to work. “Although having a mounted television above the fireplace isn’t a great design element, it’s functional for our family, and it’s the only TV in the house,” homeowner Julie Balcom says.
This space also is close to the kitchen. “The four of us can read in the armchairs, watch a movie together on the deep couch and get some work done at the desk, all while having access to whomever is the kitchen,” she adds.
Freplace and moldings paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore; Stockholm rug: Ikea; couch: Ikea (now discontinued); chairs: One King’s Lane; white chairs: Ikea (now discontinued); floor: Exotic Walnut laminate, Eternity Floors; bookshelves: Ikea
Who lives here: Ken and Julie Balcom; their daughter, Hayden, 6, and son, Liam, 2; and their dog, Charlie
Location: Alta Loma, California
Size: 1,900 square feet (177 square meters); three bedrooms, three bathrooms
Year built: 1976
The open-layout family room doubles as a place to relax and to work. “Although having a mounted television above the fireplace isn’t a great design element, it’s functional for our family, and it’s the only TV in the house,” homeowner Julie Balcom says.
This space also is close to the kitchen. “The four of us can read in the armchairs, watch a movie together on the deep couch and get some work done at the desk, all while having access to whomever is the kitchen,” she adds.
Freplace and moldings paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore; Stockholm rug: Ikea; couch: Ikea (now discontinued); chairs: One King’s Lane; white chairs: Ikea (now discontinued); floor: Exotic Walnut laminate, Eternity Floors; bookshelves: Ikea
Before Photo
BEFORE: The changes in the family room went beyond simply updating the dated interior, as outside vines had crept in through the aluminum windows and crawled up the walls. The couple immediately replaced the windows and repainted the walls white. Other renovations to the room included scraping off the popcorn ceiling and adding can lighting.
One of the challenges with the family room was its small size. “We didn’t have many options as far as room layout,” Julie says. The family got clever by capitalizing on the large amount of natural light the room gets and used neutrals and whites for the paint and upholstery to give the room an open feel.
This area serves as the home workspace. “This room is the workhorse and hub of our home. It definitely experiences the highest amount of traffic and is also the most beloved because of it,” Julie says.
Wall paint: Aloof Gray, Sherwin-Williams; Gumball Desk Lamp, Urban Outfitters; Campaign Desk: World Market
Wall paint: Aloof Gray, Sherwin-Williams; Gumball Desk Lamp, Urban Outfitters; Campaign Desk: World Market
Before Photo
BEFORE: The former owners had boarded up and added stucco over the kitchen’s second window. Julie and husband Ken removed the stucco and framed in a new window to bring in more light.
AFTER: Functionality was the couple’s primary concern when it came to renovating the kitchen. It was important to them to keep the open layout that had attracted them to the house in the first place. They ripped out the 1970s cabinets and tile countertop and installed budget-friendly Ikea cabinets and a granite counter in a U shape, which Julie says provides “a place where little helpers can assist the cook.”
The sunburst pendant lighting is a DIY project the couple made following directions from Simple Details Blog.
Cabinets: Ikea; sink: Domsjö, Ikea; subway backsplash tile, Home Depot; grout color: Tec’s Dolorean Gray; wall and ceiling paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore; counter: granite, Santa Cecilia
The sunburst pendant lighting is a DIY project the couple made following directions from Simple Details Blog.
Cabinets: Ikea; sink: Domsjö, Ikea; subway backsplash tile, Home Depot; grout color: Tec’s Dolorean Gray; wall and ceiling paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore; counter: granite, Santa Cecilia
Ken removed the existing dark wallpaper, replacing it with subway tile. They were initially hesitant to put a hole in the wall for a doggie door, but “our fur baby appreciates his freedom to come in and out as he pleases,” Julie says.
Floor: Exotic Walnut laminate, Eternity Floors; barstools: Henriksdal, Ikea; mirror: Anthropologie
Floor: Exotic Walnut laminate, Eternity Floors; barstools: Henriksdal, Ikea; mirror: Anthropologie
Before Photo
BEFORE: “Even though this room is tiny, it took a ton of work,” Julie says of this bathroom. The Balcoms gutted it down to the studs. They did almost all the work themselves, putting up drywall, laying the tile floor and walls and reframing and replacing the window. They hired a plumber to reconfigure the shower to align with a tub.
AFTER: The previous owners had left a cast-iron claw-foot tub in the upstairs bathroom, but keeping it there wasn’t practical for the family. “Plus, a cast-iron [tub] upstairs in earthquake country made us a little nervous,” Julie says. The couple moved it into the downstairs bathroom and painted the outside of it with an epoxy paint they found on clearance at Home Depot that just happened to be in the shade of dark green they were hoping for.
The couple went with a contrasting dark grout for the white subway tile as a visual accent, and they added a number of potted plants to create a clean, fresh look.
Subway tile: Home Depot; shelving: Ikea; wall and ceiling paint: Moonlight White, Benjamin Moore; floor tile: SomerTile Thirties Vertex, Overstock
The couple went with a contrasting dark grout for the white subway tile as a visual accent, and they added a number of potted plants to create a clean, fresh look.
Subway tile: Home Depot; shelving: Ikea; wall and ceiling paint: Moonlight White, Benjamin Moore; floor tile: SomerTile Thirties Vertex, Overstock
Before Photo
BEFORE: When the Balcoms first bought the house, the living room was extremely dark. They repainted walls, installed curtains and replaced the windows and flooring.
AFTER: In keeping with the family’s laid-back California-bohemian style, wood furniture and potted plants were used as accents in the living room. Julie and Ken decided to keep the flow from the dining room to the living room open since they host a lot of family events and other gatherings.
Bookshelf: learning ladder shelf, JC Penney; wall paint: Stonington Gray, Benjamin Moore; wooden floor: Exotic Walnut Laminate, Eternity Flooring; couches: Karlstad, Ikea; chairs: Pier One and World Market; rug: Jute Rug, Pottery Barn; window curtains: linen, Ikea; round shelf: Urban Outfitters
Bookshelf: learning ladder shelf, JC Penney; wall paint: Stonington Gray, Benjamin Moore; wooden floor: Exotic Walnut Laminate, Eternity Flooring; couches: Karlstad, Ikea; chairs: Pier One and World Market; rug: Jute Rug, Pottery Barn; window curtains: linen, Ikea; round shelf: Urban Outfitters
Hints of color from a gallery wall complement the collection of accent pillows from Etsy, Target and West Elm.
Wall paint: Stonington Gray, Benjamin Moore
Wall paint: Stonington Gray, Benjamin Moore
This chest grounds the tall wall in the entryway. It’s used to store seldom-used serving pieces and other supplies for entertaining.
Dresser: Living Spaces; lamp: Target; mirror: World Market (painted white); runner: One Kings Lane
Dresser: Living Spaces; lamp: Target; mirror: World Market (painted white); runner: One Kings Lane
Before Photo
BEFORE: In the formerly dark dining room, Julie and Ken painted the walls, installed curtains and replaced the flooring and windows.
AFTER: Now airy and bright, the dining room is an attention-getter. “Our dining room table is the furniture that gets the most compliments from guests,” Julie says. “The rugged top hides all scratches made during craft and puzzle time.”
Table: World Market; chairs: Ikea (discontinued); table runner: Target; rug: woven jute, West Elm; hanging pendant: JC Penney; curtains: Ikea; mirror: Home Goods (spray painted gold)
Table: World Market; chairs: Ikea (discontinued); table runner: Target; rug: woven jute, West Elm; hanging pendant: JC Penney; curtains: Ikea; mirror: Home Goods (spray painted gold)
A piece of driftwood provides bohemian-inspired design detail on this chest; other driftwood pieces are found throughout the house. The Han Solo picture is a pop culture tribute, while the vintage camera is a nod to Julie’s hobby.
Before Photo
BEFORE: The concrete walls in the master bedroom had texture added by a tiling trowel. Ken and Julie spent weeks sanding down the concrete and retexturizing it.
AFTER: The couple replaced windows and repainted walls. Their king-size bed is perfect for story time each night with the kids.
Wall paint: Loyal Blue, Sherwin Williams; lamps: Urban Outfitters; curtains: Ikea; bed: Macy’s
Wall paint: Loyal Blue, Sherwin Williams; lamps: Urban Outfitters; curtains: Ikea; bed: Macy’s
“This room is a work in progress and until recently was a hodgepodge of furniture items we didn’t know what to do with,” Julie says.
Before Photo
BEFORE: The couple removed a wood-burning stove that was in the room, as well as the bricks beneath it, and patched the hole in the ceiling that housed the flue.
AFTER: “Since the rest of the house is painted in white and neutrals, we decided to go bold with our paint choice in our bedroom,” Julie says. “We love how the white furniture pops against the blue background.”
Vanity: Josephine Desk, World Market; faux flokati stool: Target; mirror: Aztec mirror, Home Goods
Vanity: Josephine Desk, World Market; faux flokati stool: Target; mirror: Aztec mirror, Home Goods
Before Photo
BEFORE: The couple sanded and retexturized the walls in their son’s room and replaced the window. The dark purple carpet was replaced with a neutral color.
AFTER: The couple knew they had to get smart with design and function in their son’s compact room. They chose wallpaper as the starting point since it could act as a design element without taking up extra space. “Liam loves pointing out the different animals repeated on his wall,” Julie says.
Wall paint: Moonlight White, Benjamin Moore; trim: Simply White, Benjamin Moore; bed: JC Penney; blinds: Lowe’s; dressers: Askvoll, Ikea; duvet: Pottery Barn; sheets: Target; Mexican blanket: The Cassidy, Gunn & Swain; wallpaper: Kalahari Vignettes, Anthropologie; shelving: Home Depot
Wall paint: Moonlight White, Benjamin Moore; trim: Simply White, Benjamin Moore; bed: JC Penney; blinds: Lowe’s; dressers: Askvoll, Ikea; duvet: Pottery Barn; sheets: Target; Mexican blanket: The Cassidy, Gunn & Swain; wallpaper: Kalahari Vignettes, Anthropologie; shelving: Home Depot
The bedroom details reflect Liam’s interest in bugs, cars and dinosaurs. Julie chose navy, white and orange for the color palette.
Before Photo
This room had been used for storage and as a second office.
AFTER: Now it’s their daughter’s bedroom. In this space, the wall paint color was a major design factor. “Paint, paint and more paint,” Julie says. “This room has such varied lighting throughout the day, it was hard to get a paint color that was ‘just right.’ ” The couple decided on Gentle Butterfly by Benjamin Moore.
Because of the narrowness of the bedroom, it was difficult to arrange the furniture. In the end, Julie and Ken decided to place the bed near the door to allow enough play space for Hayden.
Wall paint: Gentle Butterfly, Benjamin Moore; bamboo blinds: Lowe’s (trimmed to size)
Because of the narrowness of the bedroom, it was difficult to arrange the furniture. In the end, Julie and Ken decided to place the bed near the door to allow enough play space for Hayden.
Wall paint: Gentle Butterfly, Benjamin Moore; bamboo blinds: Lowe’s (trimmed to size)
The room features fun animal accents, including a deer head, whimsical birds and butterflies, a bunny nightlight and an elephant lamp.
Julie added removable floral wallpaper to the fronts of this 8-drawer Hemnes dresser from Ikea.
Julie added removable floral wallpaper to the fronts of this 8-drawer Hemnes dresser from Ikea.
Floral wallpaper creates a vivid accent wall.
Wallpaper: Watercolor Flora by Shelley Hesse, Anthropologie; quilt: Zara Home
Wallpaper: Watercolor Flora by Shelley Hesse, Anthropologie; quilt: Zara Home
Before Photo
BEFORE: This was the only semi-working bathroom in the house when the Balcoms moved in. Even so, they ripped out the shower and put in a bathtub, redoing the plumbing as well. The vanity and toilet were replaced. Ken quickly picked out tile from a local store and installed it with Julie’s stepfather.
AFTER: “We really, really needed a bathroom with a tub for our daughter, who was only 2. This was our emergency we-need-a-bathroom-in-two-days renovation,” Julie says.
Sink and vanity: Home Depot; baskets: World Market; shelving: Ikea
Sink and vanity: Home Depot; baskets: World Market; shelving: Ikea
Before Photo
In the yard, professionals took out patches of concrete and set down a new concrete patio. Due to water rot and termite damage, the existing pergola and small patio cover were torn down as well. “The entire structure was ready to fall over!” Julie says. Ken and his father built a new redwood pergola.
Because they live in arid California, the Balcoms chose drought-resistant plantings for the hill behind the house. “The exterior of our home is the focus of our next set of home improvements. We plan on repainting and putting in a front patio. We’ve let our grass die and are in the early stages of planning out a low-water garden instead,” Julie says.
Outdoor rug: Target; gazebo: Target; chairs and small table: Home Depot and Ikea; chair pillows: Target and Ikea
Outdoor rug: Target; gazebo: Target; chairs and small table: Home Depot and Ikea; chair pillows: Target and Ikea
Over time, the couple have created a living space filled with light and color, perfect for the family to relax, play and work in. With summer around the corner, they’re eager for school to be out so they can continue renovating. Pictured from left to right are Ken, Hayden, Liam and Julie.
See more of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
See more of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
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Nice post, Alexandra! The blue in the master bedroom is very bold, but it is fantastic! It's almost an inversion of the neutral-wall framework in contemporary design.
Very nice Alexandra! Thanks for the post. I love the living room! I also love house plants so that is one of the features I love about this house too. The overall transformation is amazing!
SO MUCH LOVE put into this house! Great story, and the fact that they are teachers and DIYers with great taste. So eclectic and cool. TY for sharing and keep up the good work. Nice to see your students haven't sapped all your creativity hee hee. More stories like this HOUZZ!!! REAL PPL.