when describing my reaction to lisa and todd‘s portland home makeover, the words “shocked”, “overwhelmed” and “amazed” definitely apply. prior to purchasing their new home, lisa and todd’s bungalow was occupied by various squatters and approximately 50 cats. lisa said, “…the smell was so bad people had to cross to the other side of the street when they came near the house.” when they foreclosed on the house and it was time to gut everything, it took 10 industrial sized dumpsters to clean out all the trash and junk (there was so much garbage that there was only a small walkway to each room just big enough for a body to fit). to look at these before pictures is to truly appreciate the incredible amount of love and hard work that lisa and todd put into this home (quick note: swingset pdx deserves a hearty congratulations for their work gutting and cleaning the home). i don’t think i could have seen past that bathtub (eek!) but this creative couple took what was once a terrifying building and turned it into a beautiful home. lisa and todd hope their bungalow makeover will inspire people to perhaps not buy something ‘turn-key’ and instead consider a diy makeover like this that allows a house to feel like home because of all the personal decisions you’ll make along the way. let me be the first to say “bravo!” to todd and lisa on an job done incredibly well. click here to see full sized photos of lisa and todd’s home before and after.
Last summer my boyfriend and I were looking to buy our first house together. Portland hasn’t been hit quite as hard as other markets affected by the housing crash, which is both good and bad for those of us that live here. I’m a self-employed graphic designer and my boyfriend Todd is a social worker, so we had limitations financially that pushed our search farther from the heart of the city than we preferred to live. After looking at dozens of houses that were wrong in one way or another (me being a designer may have caused the bar to be set a little high and we needed 2 bedrooms for my home office), we stumbled across Swing Set Development- who specializes in acquiring foreclosures and condemned homes with historically significant features. That is how we found our house – which at the time of foreclosure was home to many, many cats using the house as a litter box and 10 industrial sized dumpsters of trash. Neighbors later told me that the smell was so bad that you had to cross to the other side of the street in the summer just to get down the block.
[image above: kitchen before]
[image above: kitchen after]
Our home has been lovingly and carefully restored to its original 1905 Bungalow features – including the original molding, new hardwoods, vintage light fixtures, and subway tile in the kitchen and bath. Best of all, we’re in an amazing up and coming area of Portland that is 5 minutes from downtown and 3 blocks from my favorite coffee shop. We’ve been living here since last year and I’ve since added my own mid-century/ modern aesthetic to the home while keeping in mind its historical roots. It’s a constantly evolving process — we have plans to put in French doors in the nook and build out a teak patio in the backyard this coming summer. What’s most important is that it feels like home, and one that I can be proud to say is all mine.
[image above: bathroom before]
[image above: bathroom after]
[image above: kitchen nook before]
[image above: kitchen nook after]
158 Comments
Wow!
my jaw dropped open when i saw the change! wow! i am so proud of them!
Wow, I literally gasped when I scrolled down and saw the ‘after’ for the kitchen. The change is so drastic and the finished product is stunning!
Absolutely amazing! My husband and I have done many remodels and restorations but I think the “befores” on this one would have scared even us away. Incredible job.
I am speechless. For Lisa and Todd to see the beauty and potential…and then turn it into such a sweet home – inspring. Nice work!
Wow! What an amazing transformation…The place looks fantastic and I love love love the orange door…great job!
anything would look better than those before images. Ewwww, wish I did not see that before image of the bathroom.
That’s an amazing transformation.
WOOOWWW! That is amazing. Congratulations!
Bravo Lisa and Todd!
I would have been frightened away by potential mold or structural damage and had a difficult time seeing the “diamond in the rough” in this one. The house is gorgeous and one of the most extreme DIY makeovers I’ve ever seen!
that is unbelievable! what great vision and hard work.
Wowza! Those before pictures are atrocious! MAJOR kudos to Lisa and Todd to see the potential. The before pictures made me gag a little and the after’s made me sing! I love love love your dining room. What color paint is on those walls?
Bravo – your hard work makes the renovation project ahead of me seem like a piece of cake!
This is a truly amazing before & after. It takes a lot of talent & bravery & vision to turn such a, dare I say disaster, into a truly breathtaking home – bravo!
This is my favorite before & after to date!!!
Ah-mah-zing! Truly inspiring!
Lovely work, but what happened to all the cats? I’m scared to ask.
wow! A-mazing!
lisa and todd are my new heroes.
wow! what a cute little house! a really amazing transformation… :)
OH! I love this post! I’m currently helping my brother remodel his newly purchased 1930′s craftsman style coal mining house here in Madrid, NM. It’s the EXACT same situation! We aren’t close to finished and we have already taken out 8000 lbs. of trash! I truly am impressed with the work and dedication you guys put into your home, so much love! It’s beautiful!
beyond incredible. this one gave me goosebumps!
If I ever think a project is difficult again, I will picture this amazing transformation. Truly inspirationa.
If I ever think a project is difficult again, I will picture this amazing transformation. Truly inspirational.
It’s been said before, but WOW!
That is some serious TLC and elbow grease. Kudos to the them for their hard work. I love the colors!
AMAZING!!!!
The people at Extreme Makeover should learn from you guys!!!
It’s not necessary to completely destruy a house, in order to remake it!
Great job! you guys are the King and Queen of the DIY
Man! You guys are gangsta! That’s what I’m talking about! If you can walk into a place that looked like that and still be inspired, then you truly have the right to be called a designer. Well done!
wow, the difference their hard work made is absolutely shocking. i wonder how long the project took? i know lisa said it is a constantly evolving process, but i’m curious how long it took to get the house up to livable standards!
I’m in awe. This is quite a transformation – everything looks absolutely beautiful!
I hope Lisa and Todd bask in the glow of their hard work and terrific transformation every day!
I am simply astonished by the amazing transformation that house went through. For one thing I have to say that if I hadn’t seen the before pictures this still would have been a favorite sneak peak of mine but now having seen the before shots I love it even more!
WOW! SO inspiring, we are looking at houses now and I thought some of the ones we had seen were bad. They don’t even TOUCH those before pictures!
what a lovely renovation. congrats on a beautiful home
Wow. Just…wow. That is the most impressive thing I’ve seen in a while. I might have run in the other direction. Go brave!
my jaw needs stitches it hit the desk so hard ….. this is awe-inspiring. and just plain inspiring!
A-freakin-mazing! I love it :-) Good job , your house is beautiful.
amazing work! and love all the details in your home. can you tell me where you got the hanging *planter* in the kitchen nook? not exactly sure what it is, but i love it!
Kudos to the homeowners for being brave enough to restore beauty to something that had been neglected for so long. These are my favorite kinds of before & afters. Absolutely amazing!
fantastic…wonderful inspiration for us folks going through similar projects! thanks for sharing!
I can’t believe this is the same place! It definitely takes a lot of heart to get this done, and you two obviously have it.
Congratulations on your new (amazing) home.
Oh my Goodness ! Weren’t they courageaous and inspired ! The state of this house before was so horrific ! And they came up with a little gem ! Congratulations !!! And they were even kind enough to keep at least one of the cats…;-)
Lisa & Todd: This is an amazing transformation. I have the exact same chairs as the ones in your kitchen nook. I’ve struggled with recovering them. Can you tell me how you managed to do that?
This is absolutely beautiful! I feel so inspired, I am wanting to find a similar home and do the same thing… but it seems so intimidating. Wow!
That is the most inspiring thing I’ve seen in a long time! Absolutely amazing! I love the light all the rooms get, the character and the green walls in the living room!
That is amazing!! How did you get the smell out? You saved the house!!
Am I right in thinking that someone had to be living in that mess to make that mess?
OMG!!
::genuflecting::
Lisa & Todd are my heroes.
Wow! What a beautiful & inspiring home! I’m sure it feels great to live there after such hard work.
Wow, wow, wow! This is just an incredible transformation. I love “before-and-after” posts. Thank you! And hats off to you, Lisa & Todd! What you’ve done here is nothing short of amazing.
wow. the place looks amazing! This would make for a good episode of “Flip this House”. I wonder what the estimated profit would be especially with the up-and-coming neighborhood factored in…
great job!
This couple deserves the title of ULTIMATE DESIGNERS & DYNAMIC DUO! So nice to see such a thorough and strong make-over/DIY project on D*S. I’m happy Todd and Lisa didn’t tear the house down as many people would have. Congratulations on the final product! Looks TERRIFIC!
If you don’t mind sharing, just for reference how much did the renovation cost you? Obviously a huge chunk was “sweat equity”.
What an inspiration. To take a house badly in need of love , to see beyond the mess and capture the beauty of the house and make it into a home is truly inspiring.
Stunning!
I’m curious to know about how much the entire reno cost and also if Lisa or Todd would have any advice about checking out a house for good bones – mold, foundation, structural damage. How did they know that house would be a good one?
That is so CRAZY!! GOOD JOB!
Damn! That’s amazing.
I love PDX and bungalows and that yellow in the dining room. Could you share the paint color?
My husband and I are still living through the renovation process of a similar home. These photos are awesome & inspiring. I would love to know more about the paint colors, walls & trim. Gorgeous! Congratulations on the transformation!
Beautiful! I love how airy and breezy it looks too. So bright and fresh. Good for them! Their hard work has clearly paid off. What a great investment as well!
kim, good point about the cats. what happened to them? wow – you guys did an amazing job and to see that potential in that mess!!!
I would like to add my WOOOWW! Congratulations, It looks really fantastic!
….wow.
I can’t even form words. That is amazing. I think I can smell those before pictures through the screen. I am so, so impressed.
beautiful! i love how fresh it feels!
Amazing! I wonder how much this costs… what kind of budget should people save up for to gut out a house. I would love to do this in the future.
AMAZING! what a challenge to tackle. i probably would have run from a project of that magnitude. the end result, though, is beautiful. good for lisa & todd!
Oh my gosh, is all i could say when i looked at that bathtub. I am a bit of a germ-a-phobe…but love, love, love the transformation. Hopefully someday we have the courage to take on something like that.
That’s an amazing transformation! Bravo!
I have a question: kitchen cabinets? They’re just what I’m looking for. If you could pass on the brand/name/whatever, that would be great.
Thank you for this post — very inspirational.
what brave visionaries! lol.
Forget not making it past the bathroom, I wouldn’t have made it past the smell that caused everyone else to cross the street!
Thanks for sharing views of this beautiful home…the owners should be proud!…their eye to detail and color are amazing…
What an incredible transformation! Just beautiful! That house must have been a steal!
They deserve a f’ing medal.
What I love about this renovation is that the new things fit so perfectly with the style and period of the home. The HGTV house flippers always put in the same gross modern finishes because “that’s what buyer’s want.” Everything in this home looks shiny and new, but also appropriate and non-cookie-cutter. Your home has CHARACTER!! Love, love, love.
p.s. I also want to know where you going the hanging planter in the breakfast nook.
Amazing! It’s always nice to see people take old houses and redo them, rather than just building a new house. This is truly amazing and inspiring! Love everything about it, especially the colors you guys chose.
Truly inspiring. Hats off to Lisa and Todd!
Leah
gorgeous — wow!! it makes me think anything is possible with my place!
I’m with Jennifer — my chin is bruised after slamming into my desk while checking out the pictures. The job they did is just amazing — it’s great that they made such a beautiful home out of a place not many people would’ve seen as worth saving.
i applaud their efforts. how hard it must have been to remove the mess!
the results are quite lovely!
Wow! You guys are amazing. I never expected so many kudos.
The hanging planter is by Perch (perchdesign.net) – I also have the birdfeeder and LOVE it.
The cats went to an animal shelter, except for the few that got away and live in our neighbor’s basement. And yes, someone lived in that mess and not having a job, was in there all the time. Hazmat suits were needed for the clean out.
The living room color is Newt Green, the dining room is Mustard Blossom, and the nook is Bunny Grey, all by Benjamin Moore.
The chairs needed some elbow grease, a cordless drill and a screwdriver to separate the seat and take off the old vinyl. You have to completely remove the seat from the chair to recover.
We must give TONS of kudos to Swing Set for the renovation. Their restoration expertise made it happen. Oh, and it was about a 75k project. Yikes. However, considering the house was sold for 147k in a neighborhood where houses regularly sell for 350, that cost isn’t that bad.
Thanks everyone!
Lisa
woah! this post should be labeled NSFL (not safe for lunch)!! big huge major ups for tackling that project. the before images are definitely gag-inducing. looks great now!
Holy cannoli! That is a lot of work! Way to go, guys!
Beautiful job!
That bathtub was one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen. You did a terrific job with all of the rooms.
(We have the same kitchen table!)
It’s a miracle! I wouldn’t have even imagined that the “before” place could have been transformed into a beautiful, gorgeous house! Great job!
The end result of this house is breathtaking! I’m so in love! I would never have been able to make it through the front doors with it in the rotten condition it was in. Good for you guys for taking it on and making this house unbelievable!
WOW! Beautiful transformation.
OH MY GOSH! It’s gorgeous!
LOL @ the “Before” tub!
amazing. just amazing. that’s a lot of love to work through that cat piss smell. I would have run the other way, after seeing this re-do you see you can do anything if you have the heart. wonderful!
My husband and I have near-gut DIY renovated 4 houses now, but even we shy away from properties like that! You’ve just inspired me to take on my next project. Can’t wait to show the hubby what’s in store!
Okay…I know there are a ton o’ comments and I am not going to be able to say anything more original than “holy crap!” This is clearly one of the most amazing before and afters.
I hate it for only one reason…I have no more excuses now!
Y’all should be on Oprah with that level of optimism and follow-through! :)
This project knocks my socks off. I should have mentioned it before I asked about the mess. I was so stunned by the before.
I’ve done a lot of Meals On Wheels deliveries and I’ve seen similar situations, but not quite that level of deterioration. It gives me pause to be thankful for my life and lifestyle.
Thanks for sharing. You have done a beautiful beautiful thing here.
Wow, such hard work, my back hurts just looking at it. Gorgeous daaaaaaaaaahling!
This looks great. I love the transformation. What a valuable renovation.
I love it. What a love and effort went into turning this diamond in the rough into a sweet and lovely bungalow! Cheers !
These look GREAT! I want to live there!
that took some vision!! Incredible job! Love the colour in the living room!
Wow, I gagged just looking at the before pictures. They were SCARY. But they did an absolutely amazing job on the house!
It’s so wonderful to see how people have the ability to see the beauty in something that appears to be just a loss.
GREAT job here. I would love to live in this bungalow!
What the heck was that in the tub? Scared! Amazing transformation!
All I can say is: shocking.
oh I heart it! They did such a great job with the exterior too – such cute colors! However one of the most exciting bits of this home makeover is spotting etsy artists around the house like a “Where’s Waldo?” book!
the cats!! A friend told me that because of the refi/housing crash ALOT of bad owners also left behind their pets!! And this is showing up everywhere, he reported this from Sacramento.
Amazing !! people should earn from this article..
Just had to stumble in and say, what you did is magnificent. Incredibly, incredibly magnificent.
I too gagged at the before photos. Cheap or not, I would be too chicken to take that house on. I am so, so impressed!
Fantastic renovation.
Stunning! My husband and I are house hunting, and my spirit is renewed after seeing this makeover. What a great start to my morning!
This is probably one of the bravest and most inspiring projects I have ever come across!
First I wanted to puke, then I wanted to stand up and start applauding.
Ronn Ives/FUTURES Antiques
I would have been way too frighten to take on a project like this.
I guess this is proof of the old adage, buy the worst house on the block.
That’s an amazing transformation. Wonder which neighborhood in PDX? I used to spend a lot of time there and love it.
Wow….They are so brave to take that on.
Lisa and Todd!
Ya’ll are right up there with the best of the best!
The colors of the walls are absolutely stunning!
Please tell me what color blue is on the wall behind the dresser. It is so vivid and inviting.
Thank you so much for sharing your home with all of us d.s. fans!
A big congrats from Texas!
This was absolutely amazing!!! If this house has a soul, it is definitely reborn!
But I must know if you had to rip out all of the wallboard (or were they plaster walls?) in order to get rid of the smell? Did painting over them do the trick? If you can share details on how you got rid of the smell, it would be greatly appreciated!!!
This is absolutely inspiring, and what a tremendous amount of love went into this project. Me and my husband have been actively looking to buy a home this year, and thanks for the post, it really helps me put into perspective on not being too picky but open to whats possible.
Remodeling is not easy so I must say congrats! Enjoy now that its done!
Wow very nice…I wish I had your talent and design sense.
amazing! how very inspiring.
also, i must comment on the wonderful choice of kozyndan prints :)
We’re in the Mississippi neighborhood. The color in the bedroom is Peacock Tail by Behr paints. The wallboard all was ripped out by SwingSet (I can’t take credit for doing that work), the exterior walls sealed, and new walls put up around the old, but still strong, bones. I love living in my old house. Thanks for your interest and happy house hunting!
this gives me hope! We’ve been doing our own remodel from the foundation and crumbling 3 story deck up and man, it’s been like 5 years!
Seeing the after pictures reminds me that yes, things can change!
Wow! It is amazing the change that they made. I think it is so wonderful that they were able to save this beautiful old home. I wish there were more people like them in my neighborhood.
Great Great job!
This is incredible, the transformation, the colors. Kudos and thank you for sharing.
Another “bravo” from me — where did you get your plumbing fixtures? That bathroom sink is very similar to what I’m looking for. I’m in Portland.
Just an amazing job. The time, effort and love they put into the place have really paid off.
It is great to see a company like Swing Set doing these renovations in Portland! We bought our first house in the same neighborhood, in horrible shape, no bank would mortgage it due to condition, in 1993. Unfortunately, because of the difficulty of folks getting financing on houses in poor shape, it created a situation where speculators would come in and do a shoddy “Blow and Go” renovation, ripping out or covering up all of the architectural details – a lot of houses were turned that way. Bravo to Lisa and Todd as well !
What a great makeover. Gorgeous.
I know this house! Its right down the street from me. It had this eagle drawing etched right into the glass of the picture window. We always thought that house looked crazy. Great job on the restoration. North Portland is restoring its way to goodness! :)
It is really inspiring.Excellent article !! Nice to read it.
What type of grass is that? I would like to know.
This is great to see. I’m buy a fixer in Portland right now. Not nearly as bad as yours. The previous owner only had 15 cats. It smells really bad. What did you do to get the cat urin smell out?
I love the exterior colors – do you mind sharing what you used? fantastic job!
Amazing transformation, you should be extremely proud!
WOW — we actually bought a house that looked like the before pictures — we tore it down — no way could I imagine it to look like the after. Great job!!!
Perhaps you should start a home design/interior design business for homes like yours…stunning! I’d hire you in .5 seconds!!
I love the whole thing, but I’m really in love with that kitchen! What color are the walls?
not just the remodel; the “space” is an insighful blend of your two worlds into one home. jealous, where can i get what you two have got? ;)
we at Swingset Development want to thank Todd & Lisa for posting photos of our design and renovation work on the North Portland bungalow they purchased from us. It’s a shame they never actually got to see the house before we started and had to rely on photos from our website they viewed after the sale completed. We are delighted they have added some of their own attractive touches with painted accent walls and furniture. We would also
like to thank them for the increased visibility of our website after the posting of this blog. If you are interested in seeing more of Swingset’s design and renovation projects please visit our website at
http://www.swingsetdevelopment.com
harika :)(turkey=
This remodel is truly amazing and I believe props should be given where props are due.
The posts lead the reader to believe the homeowners did all the work themselves. However, The Swingset website shows the house in the pre-sale state (yuck) and the current condition (wow). Did the couple actually do this work themselves? It looks as if they did a great job of furnishing the place but the the true artists seem to be Swingset Design.
This is surely a miraculous transformation–but I am not sure this qualifies as a true DIY story.
hi jennifer
i just spoke with the owners and they’re going to update me on the specific parts of the home they completed themselves. swingset was definitely involved in the heavy duty cleaning and construction but the owners have assured me they played a big part in the process, including “eveything in regards to the interior and all of the lighting and some minor build outs”. i’m going to add a link to swingset now that i know about their involvement.
grace :)
They forget to mention how much this cost. Seeing as they essentially bought a new house to put inside the empty shell of an old one that they gutted doesnt seem that much different than just buying a new house to begin with. If they were really trying to keep historic value they would have cleaned the place up by actually sanding and scrubbing the old stuff. Instead like they said… 10 industrial dumpsters are full of stuff! Also she says that there are retro tiles in the kitchen… but I don’t see those.
Before people go off saying I have no idea how hard that is to do, let me tell you that I just bought a place two weeks ago that was in only slightly better condition. The place smelled terribly and was missing tons of clapboards on the side and floorboards inside. I sanded everything repainted the floors. I sculpted patches of paitners putty to replace large chunks of molding that didn’t exist. I had to deal with horrible spiders the size of my hand, dead animals in the walls and now my apartment is really nice. I found a roommate 2 days after posting a craigslist and and it cost me less than 1,500$. The only thing that ended up in the trash was the carpet and I saved the foam lining to use as upholstery for old furniture!!
Amazing, Fantastic! I admire anyone who would take on a job like that, whether it is totally gutting the house and redoing everything or refurbishing as much as possible of the original house. Either way, it is a huge job. You did a beautiful job, Congratulations!
I’m incredibly impressed.
I have 2 similar experiences, but both times we were adapting a flat,not a house. Houses in such a state of devastation is cheaper and quicker to demolish and to build a new one.
You have done a beautiful job. I own a vintage bungalow in St. Paul, MN and I am looking forward to doing a facelift on it, you have been inspirational. Thanks for sharing.
Wow. Our house was disgusting when we bought it…but this one pretty much beats it hands down. They have done such a beautiful job of turning it into a charming home!
The results are stunning. What is the best is the silver mirror on the cobalt blue wall.The contrast is striking!
I like the irony in the bar of soap in the before picture of the bathroom :)
I just want to know if they changed the tub
Wow, the changes are amazing, love the ideas.
Good Job! My little box bungalow has hope (smile).
Absolutely beautiful. I , too, have a 1905 bungalow in CA. My home as well was home to many, many cats at one time. How did you rid yourself of the smell?
such an adorable place. who would have dreamed that the wreckage could be removed and everything made livable (plus!) again. i hope you don’t put in the french doors to the nook; you’ll find them a big nuisance after all. great work that made a beautiful home.
Seeing the transformation from the before and after pictures literally gave me chills. Beautiful.
Nice job! I would have never seen through all the mess!!!! It made me queezy just seeing it!
What an awesome transformation!
Nice work! But I’d love to see them shot with the same camera work in both scenarios. It’s like those fat people ads where one is black and white, tiny, and dark, and then the success photo is large, color, and well lit. Take a nice photo of the place as a dump to get cynics like me thinking otherwise!
Like “those fat people ads” ?
Wow. Sounds like your comment was as thoughtful and well done as those before pictures.
Jenny
I prefered it before, why change such a great building. No seriously which builder agreed to take this job on! great work.
I love that you have one cat now, I wonder if could could smell the hundreds of others when you moved in?
Good job!
Do you have leftover paint?
Wonderful for you to save the home and make it your home. My husband and I are currently looking for a bungalow style home in PA. You’re efforts are inspiring!
…. WOW!
WOW!!! I am incredibly impressed when I see what you have done to this place. You deserve all the praise you get. :) Best regards from Norway!
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