Hello friends,

Many of you who follow me on Instagram know that my husband and I have started a side business of renovating fixer-upper homes and turning them into Airbnb’s. We started off with Our Uptown Cottage in 2016. This was a bank owned property in need of much repair. You can see the before and after pics of this project here.

Our Uptown Cottage - Airbnb - Frederick, MD

Then, in 2017, we purchased another home (along with my husband’s brother) that we call Our Midtown Bungalow. You can see the before and after pictures of this project here.

Our Midtown Bungalow - Airbnb - Frederick, MD

Then, in the summer of 2018, we purchased our 3rd fixer-upper (along with my brother) in the heart of downtown Frederick, MD and we have called this one, Our Downtown Rowhouse.

Our Downtown Rowhouse - Airbnb - Frederick, MD

All three of these houses are quite different in that they have unique features….the Cottage has cathedral shiplapped ceilings, a screened in porch in the back and is in a quiet neighborhood just a mile from the main part of Frederick (hence the name…Uptown Cottage). The Bungalow has yellow pine floors, walls with shiplap, a kitchen with open shelving, and is in walking distance to the creek and local breweries (hence the name….Midtown Bungalow). Our final one (that’s what we say now but who knows?!) - the Rowhouse - was built in the 1800’s so it is attached to another home…a typical Rowhouse. It has explosed brick walls, a side porch with a double lot, and is only a few blocks from many wonderful restaurants and Baker Park in the heart of downtown Frederick, MD (hence the name…Downtown Rowhouse).

It has been such a rewarding experience to renovate these homes but lots of hard work, too. In this blog post, I am showing you some before and afters of this Rowhouse project - so that you can relish in this transformed beauty! Enjoy!

Before - Outside

Needs some curb appeal. We added bushes and mulch here.

The concrete is peeling and needs to be filled and cleaned up.

Painted the concrete on the side porch to make it look clean and fresh.

After: Outside

We painted this door on the side porch a classic black color to make it stand out from the white siding.

We added chairs around a fire-pit and new gravel and mulch.

We added lights and a wicker couch so our guests can enjoy the backyard.Rowhouse sign is from Smith Crafted Wood Works. — We added lights and a wicker couch so our guests can enjoy the backyard.
Rowhouse sign is from Smith Crafted Wood Works.

Before - Kitchen

We primed and painted these cabinets and put a new floor in.

We painted the walls SW Pure white and eventually the doors, too.

We purchased remnant pieces of quartz for the countertops and shiplapped the island which we found at Habitat for Humanity.

We painted the pantry. (SW Peppercorn) and replaced the door with one we found at Habitat for Humanity.

After - Kitchen

Added gold hardware to the cabinets to tie in the gold lights.

Painted the shiplap around the island (SW Peppercorn).

We kept a few of the cabinet doors off to give the illusion of open shelving.

We used the closet doors from the bedroom upstairs to bring warmth and character into the kitchen.

Before - Living Room

We opened up this wall to bring more light into the stairway.

After - Living Room

This shelving and exposed brick wall were already here. So pretty!

We added a new light and painted the door black.

Before - Bedroom 1

After - Bedroom 1

We added new flooring and a ceiling fan. We also painted the walls to give this room a fresh look.

Before - Bedroom 2

Took the closet doors off (they are now in the kitchen) which made extra space in the bedroom.

Added faux shiplap to the back wall to cover up the plaster.

After - Bedroom 2

Placed a Queen bed where the closet used to be.

Before - Loft area - Bedroom 3

Removed carpet and placed new flooring in here.

Took off peeling wallpaper and covered ceilings with faux shiplap.

After - Loft area - Bedroom 3

Den Area - with futon couch

We basically painted the walls in this room. I found that picture and rug at thrift stores.

Before - Bathrooms

After - Bathrooms

1/2 bath - Painted walls a dark color (SW Peppercorn) and added wood accents to warm it up.

1st full bath - We painted the cabinets (Annie Sloan charcoal gray) and walls (Sw pure white).

This is the bathroom off of the master bedroom. It got a fresh coat of paint.

Dining Room

We basically painted this room and hung a new light.

It was so much fun doing this project with my brother and sister-in-law. We’ve been enjoying the fruit of our labor as we’re currently renting it on Airbnb and meeting lots of wonderful people who are coming to the Frederick area on business or pleasure. If you’re interested in seeing more pics, visit my IG account (under Our Downtown Rowhouse Airbnb in my story highlights)! To book this property and see more pics - click here.