Leah & Jason

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Leah and Jason’s forever home took almost that long to find, but after 50 tries, they finally got the house they wanted. Four years later, they still love the house, but they had taken their DIY projects as far as they could. We jumped in and did what we do best: started smashing things. We took open concept all the way to open air as we reworked the living room, kitchen and outdoor deck to create the guest-friendly space Leah and Jason had been dreaming of.

Resource Guide

FHS02E08 Leah Jason

Click below to see all of the items featured in this episode!

wdt_ID	Room	Product Type	STYLE	Product	Company	Product Code/Sku
1	Main Floor	Hardwood Floors	Brevik	Brevik	CRAFT Artisan Wood Floors	N/A
2	Main Floor	Pot Lights	HLB4LED	HLB4LED	HALO	HLB4 LED
3	Front Entry	Front Door	Front Door	Front Door	Gem Windows & Floors	N/A
4	Front Entry	Lighting	Mitzi H105601-AGB STELLA Aged Brass Semi Flush Mount	Mitzi H105601-AGB STELLA Aged Brass Semi Flush Mount	Lights Canada	H105601-AGB
5	Front Entry	Hardware	Lausanne Single Cylinder Entry Set E/ Freestone Knob	Lausanne Single Cylinder Entry Set E/ Freestone Knob	Emtek	4819
6	Living Room	Lighting	Mitzi H177102S-AGB CECILY Aged Brass Sconce	Mitzi H177102S-AGB CECILY Aged Brass Sconce	Lights Canada	H177102S-AGB
7	Living Room	Sofa	Ella Linen-Look Fabric Sofa -Light Grey	Ella Linen-Look Fabric Sofa -Light Grey	The Brick	ELLALGSF
8	Living Room	Window Coverings	Scott Living Single Pleat Drapery	Scott Living Single Pleat Drapery	Scott Living	18403
9	Living Room	Window Coverings	Scott Living Single Pleat Drapery	Scott Living Single Pleat Drapery	Scott Living	18919
10	Living Room	Decorative Bowl	Scott Living Luxe Gold Metal Decorative Bowl	Scott Living Luxe Gold Metal Decorative Bowl	Scott Living	N/A
11	Kitchen	Plumbing	TRINSIC® Single Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet	TRINSIC® Single Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet	Delta	9159-CZ-DST
12	Kitchen	Lighting	Matteo C57903WH White & Brushed Gold Pendant	Matteo C57903WH White & Brushed Gold Pendant	Lights Canada	C57903WH
13	Kitchen	Hardware	Freestone Knob	Freestone Knob	Emtek	5112
14	Kitchen	Hardware	Freestone Pull	Freestone Pull	Emtek	86455
15	Kitchen	Hardware	Freestone Finger Pull	Freestone Finger Pull	Emtek	86452
16	Kitchen	Backsplash	Stacked White Gloss	Stacked White Gloss	Tilemaster	BV-CHST-SWG
17	Kitchen	Refrigerator	KitchenAid 22 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator with Interior Dispenser - Stainless Steel	KitchenAid 22 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator with Interior Dispenser - Stainless Steel	The Brick	KRFC302S
18	Kitchen	Dishwasher	KitchenAid 24” Dishwasher with ProScrub® System –Panel Ready	KitchenAid 24” Dishwasher with ProScrub® System –Panel Ready	The Brick	KDTE204P
19	Kitchen	Microwave	Bosch 800 Series 1.2 Cu. Ft. Drawer Microwave	Bosch 800 Series 1.2 Cu. Ft. Drawer Microwave	The Brick	HMD8451UC
20	Kitchen	Appliances	Broan30” Internal Blower Power Pack	Broan30” Internal Blower Power Pack	The Brick	EC6230SSL
21	Kitchen	Stove	KitchenAid 30” Gas Convection Range with Baking Drawer	KitchenAid 30” Gas Convection Range with Baking Drawer	The Brick	KSGB900ESS
22	Kitchen	Décor	Scott Living Oasis Gray Table Vase	Scott Living Oasis Gray Table Vase	Scott Living	N/A
23	Kitchen	Back Door	Back Door	Back Door	Gem Windows & Floors	N/A
24	Deck	Outdoor Furniture	Morris 5-Piece Patio Sectional	Morris 5-Piece Patio Sectional	The Brick	MORRSGP5
25	Deck	Outdoor Furniture	Vallarta Patio Chair	Vallarta Patio Chair	The Brick	VALLG0SC
26	Deck	Décor	Scott Living Luxe 20-Inch Brass Metal and Glass Rectangle Lantern	Scott Living Luxe 20-Inch Brass Metal and Glass Rectangle Lantern	Scott Living	N/A
27	Deck	Décor	Scott Living Luxe 16-Inch Brass Metal and Glass Rectangle Lantern	Scott Living Luxe 16-Inch Brass Metal and Glass Rectangle Lantern	Scott Living	N/A
28	Deck	Décor	Scott Living Luxe Antique Metal Decorative Bowl	Scott Living Luxe Antique Metal Decorative Bowl	Scott Living	N/A
29	Deck	Outdoor Decking	Ipe - Hardwood Collection	Ipe - Hardwood Collection	Clubhouse Decking	N/A
30	Deck	Outdoor Railing	Glass System	Glass System	Regal Ideas	N/A
31	All	Tools	Tools	Tools	Milwaukee	N/A

Before & After

DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS

A NEW PLACE TO EAT AND GREET

Leah and Jason’s kitchen had phenomenal cabinet towers but itty-bitty eating space. After we found out their pass-through wasn’t load-bearing, we knocked that sucker down and installed a combination island and dining table to give them exactly what they needed for casual meals and dinner with friends. We took a page from their immaculate taste and brought in a wooden table and chairs, which look right at home among their elegant mid-century modern pieces.

WHEN A SMALLER WINDOW IS A WIN-WIN

Sometimes an older home appears to restrict how much you can change it when a design tweak would make everything work so much better. So it was with Leah and Jason’s kitchen window, which was installed like it was designed to last 200 years, but wasn’t quite ready for 2020. We removed the window and bricked up about half the opening so we could install a smaller window over the new kitchen sink and cabinets. Plenty of natural light still comes through from their beautiful backyard, and now their home works better for them. See? Win-win(dow).

OUTDOOR SEATING? DECK YEAH!

Speaking of that yard, it was beautiful—if you could get past the rotting deck attached to the back door. Leah and Jason knew it needed help, but just hadn’t gotten around to it. We tore off all that bad wood and installed a composite wood product that will last them for decades with no staining or sealing required. We put in glass railing to preserve the views, and even added a bike-turned-garden ornament to represent their love of cycling.