Before we dive into design, a brief history on how The Firefly Inn came to be…
In August of 2019 my husband and I found a real estate opportunity too good to pass up. Priced well below market value, on a double lot, walking distance to the beach, and 3,000 SF of amazing vacation home rental potential – we had to have it.
We saw the listing pop up on a Sunday evening, so we dropped the twins at school Monday morning and immediately hit the road for a four drive to Galveston. By the time we stepped foot in the door, someone else had made an offer. We walked the house thinking what a missed opportunity and started the drive back to Austin totally disappointed and thinking what a waste of a day. BUT, on the way back the realtor called – the original offer decided to back out and we were next in line. We were doing this!
We finalized the deal while on holiday in Ireland, and gave ourselves a hefty sláinte! at a pub in Dublin to celebrate. But now we had a massive property to renovate and furnish, all in time for the summer season. We were also designing and building our permanent home in Dripping Springs – two major home projects at the same time? We were crazy, but capable.
We busted our butts – nights, weekends, countless round trips with the twins in tow. Every single member of our family pitched in with either manual labor or help with child care so we could have time to focus and work. It was a labor of love but SO MUCH WORK. And frankly, we have more to do! I want to renovate all three kitchens and all three bathrooms, but at some point you run out of funds for the first reno and have to table other projects for a later date.
So with a limited budget, how did we pull of this transformation?
Today’s post is about the magic of paint, furniture, and styling. We did not have the funds to do the full gut and reno I would love to eventually do to this house – BUT we could make it warm, bright, and beautiful with the right styling and decor.
Here is a Before & After of the Formal Living Room at The Firefly Inn. The only difference in this space is an updated paint scheme and the right styling.
The house was originally built in 1915 as a boarding house. Much of the original charm had been layered over by many years of ownership changing hands, making updates that did not honor the history of the home. I wanted to bring this beauty back to life with the Victorian time period leading my design intent. The time this house was built in was all about opulence – luxe fabrics, rich patterns, everything was just a little bit too much. I wanted to take that luxe approach and modernize it while also keeping comfort in mind (this would be a beach rental after all). The result was a color palette of layered greens, golds, warm toned woods, and black iron. Check out more photos below and drop a line or question in the comment section!
The Stacy Strategy 