We recently came across an Instagram account, "A Grand Renovation." The account documents the adventures of a couple renovating a beautiful 1942 home on Grand Avenue. We were intrigued and inspired by the renovation these folks are taking on, so we decided to interview them about their big undertaking.

Who are you guys and what inspired you to renovate an old Everett house?

We are Gregory and Kippi Leonard. In January of 2015 we moved to Everett area from Vancouver Washington. My husband took a position as the General Manager of Rodland Toyota which is how we arrived into the area. I am an artist and have been an interior designer for 20+ years.

When we arrived, we were intrigued with the Northwest Neighborhood as I loved the beautiful historic homes, access to the downtown and waterfront. At that time we landed in an apartment while we scouted the area, and ultimately ended up buying a home in Snohomish.

Our desire has always been to be back in Everett in the Northwest neighborhood. We had an opportunity to sell our home, and found the Grand Ave house.  

Have you been enjoying Everett so far?

We love it. We have our fave restaurants and still trying new ones.  We are foodies! I've been renovating pretty much without stopping so that when spring arrives I can get outside and meet people and work on the outside of the home and yard.

How long have you been working on the house, and what's your plan for the house once it's done? Will you guys live there?

We received keys on January 18th 2017 and had a dumpster dropped off to start working non-stop for 2 days tearing out everything we could prior to our move in on the 20th. It was crazy and fun. Seeing all the beautiful hardwoods that were covered forever was the biggest surprise. We were ecstatic!

We moved in and are living here while I remodel. Our plan is to live here and be a part of the community.

(Pictured above: Goodbye carpet. Hello hardwoods!)

Were you afraid of buying an old fixer-upper? Have you ever done this before?

I'm definitely not afraid of a fixer upper. My husband was a little overwhelmed during the initial tear out phase, but he trusts me! He trusts my vision.

I owned a flooring and design center in Camas for over 18 years that was a landmark in the community, as my father owned it prior for 33 years. I specialized in remodeling and designing. I have seen it all, so taking on this home I knew there wouldn't be much that would surprise me.

I am happy to report our home was cared for, and we haven’t had any terrible surprises thus far.

Are you doing most the work yourselves?

Yes, except plumbing, the big electrical work, and the new slab counters we just had installed. I've painted every inch of the main floor, and just finished installing a marble mosaic backsplash in the kitchen. I love the creative aspect as this home is a blank canvas.

Our plan is to cosmetically renovate and do minor projects like the kitchen update. The bathroom is getting a new vanity and the shower project starts soon. In 5 years or so we are going to see how the house functions and decide on whether we will take out walls and do major remodels of the kitchen and bath. 

Pictured above: Kitchen before.
Pictured below: Kitchen in progress.

What has been the most challenging part of the renovation so far?

I'd say all the dust. We’ve disrupted 40+ years of how a home was. Removing all the carpet exposed all the hidden and settled dust. With our dogs Enzo and Fischer and Pearls the cat, I'm over cleaning everyday. Haha!

Once we get through the bathroom remodel, we are having the duct work cleaned and I probably need a professional cleaning service to come in. 

The most enjoyable part?

I love designing, doing the work and seeing my vision realized and the transformation of the home. We are taking a home that was well-loved by the previous owner and we are building upon that and making it our own. It's been fun to discover all the unique little things they did. Every day I say, “Oh, thats why they did that,” about something.

We are keeping some of the original parts of the home like the “westwind” ventilating fan in the kitchen. I'm having a commercial range brought in that will need a new hood fan, but I've told the installer that we must at all cost keep the original fan too. Its a jet propeller in our kitchen. I love it!

Any good stories that have happened so far with the renovation? A nice surprise or something unexpected?

The beautiful hardwoods. Such an amazing find. I almost cried when we pulled up the carpet in the living room, actually I think I did cry. They were perfect in every room. We will refinish them at some point, but with my 160lb Irish Wolfhound those are going to wait.

We found graffiti behind the bathroom mirror from the kids who grew up here with dates and signatures. I'm going to add a piece of art behind the wall so that someday when someone has this home and they remodel they will find it.

This home has a great footprint; literally every space is designed well and works. I've been in many homes from the era over the years and there was always a wall to be taken out or spaces reconfigured. I removed two doors, one to go upstairs and the one next to it to the kitchen. Opened it up perfectly. I literally can’t believe how fortunate we are to have a 1940’s super livable home without moving single wall.

What has been one of the easiest and most affordable updates that has made the biggest difference?

Hands down I would say the paint. I chose a fresh white color from Benjamin Moore called Chantilly Lace. I've used it in varying finishes for the ceiling, trim and doors and the walls. I also took what turned out to be a great risk by painting the windows and grids a wrought iron color. Wow! It created a very vintage modern feel. I'm keeping all the brass fixtures where we can and all the door hardware cleaned up very well. 

You have a remarkable dog, Enzo the Sweet Wolf Hound (@enzothesweetwolfhound). How has Enzo been handling the renovation?

Enzo is a trooper. He and Fischer, our little guy, and the cat Pearl love the new house. They aren’t fans of the tile saw, but everything else they have been so chill with. I get them out to Howarth Park to run on the off leash dog beach when the sun comes out (more about off leash dog parks in Everett). That's our agreement. I just had them at the groomer and she asked how come they had paint all over them. I just chuckled.  

You're a talented artist and interior designer (@kipleeart), has that played a large part in the renovation?

I am super excited to get some art up on the walls! I'm going to create some pieces for the home, but I also need to get back to work. I have about four commissioned pieces that I need to start for clients. My goal is to have my art studio painted and set up by April 1st.

I'm also excited to get involved in the art community here in Everett. I've taken a few classes at the Schack and met a few artists at the annual H’arts auction last year and am looking forward to meeting more people now that we actually live in the community. I'd love to get my artwork into local businesses, coffee shops etc.  

Do you have any advice for anyone else who may be thinking of renovating an old home?

I would say to do your research and understand what you’ve taken on. Talk to people who have expertise in remodeling and understand your skill set if you are a DIYer. It's pretty easy to say “I’ll just do that” until you start and realize you really can’t. Then the unexpected costs that you’ll pay to have someone come in and finish what you tried to start that can add up.

We created a plan to avoid huge expenses for what we weren’t prepared for. People can always call me. I'm happy to guide them through creating a plan or even walk a house with them to point out what they may expect to encounter when taking on renovations of any age home or just to help them with a vision for it.

Pictured above: Living room before.
Pictured below: Living room after.

Anything else you'd like us to know?

We are very excited to be in the community. We would love to meet more people and be involved. Art, food, wine, cooking, hiking, and exploring are our faves. I use my instagram accounts to document our adventures with remodeling our home, our gentle giant Enzo, and my love of creating art. Thank you for reaching out!

Thanks Kippi for sharing a bit of your story with us! We're excited to see the end result. 

Are you thinking of buying a sweet old Everett house? We're always here to help with your Everett real estate needs. Maybe you're even interested in becoming a real estate agent yourself?

Live in Everett Team
Everett Advocates + Realtors