DIY dream home: Cedar Rapids couple transform a 1960s split level

Matt and Lindsay Eidahl aren't afraid of a do-it-yourself project and their home is proof.

The couple purchased their 1960s split level - located on a quiet dead end street on the northeast side of Cedar Rapids - 14 years ago and have spent their days very creatively transforming every space into their dream home.

'We bought the home from the original owners who built it in 1965,” Lindsay said, recalling that the first project they did as the new homeowners was pull up all the carpet in the home. 'We found original hardwood flooring under all of it!”

After the floors were revealed, a whole slew of projects followed.

'I design one room at a time, but I would say my style is eclectic, casual and comfortable. Our home is laid back and it definitely has a flow to it,” Lindsay said.

'I just look at magazines and think ‘we can do this,'” she said of their DIY mentality paired with a farmhouse chic style. 'I'm inspired by magazines, TV shows, thrift shops, yard sales, and curbside finds. I really see potential in every piece I come across. And I have had so many people come to my house and say ‘no way!' when I showed them the pieces I'd made over.”

That prompted Lindsay to start a blog called My Creative Days mycreativedays.porch.com/, which she works on full time today. It's a creative outlet for her to share her inspiration, projects and process and help motivate others to create the home of their dreams without spending tons of money. 'I get bored easily and it's an excuse for me to redecorate,” she said. 'We have always done these DIY projects and now I get to blog all about it,” she added, noting that the blog features room tours, make over projects and DIY decor, a real peek into the Eidahl's home.

'The reason we do what we do is because I am a firm believer that you can have the home of your dreams without breaking the bank,” she said. 'Through DIY, repurposing and making over pieces that have tons of potential, I can decorate our home just like I see in magazines and on TV without spending a ton of money to do it.”

And looking around the Eidahl's home - in person or virtually - you'll find the evidence everywhere. There are handcrafted cornice boards above the windows, cool old chippy columns mounted on the wall, and rescued dressers refurbished with bold chalk paint colors in every corner. 'If you don't have a mantel you can just create one with some old wood,” Lindsay said, pointing to a shelf in the living room. And of course they've created faux shiplap walls, a nod to farmhouse style guru Joanna Gaines.

'Thank goodness that Matt does so much of this work,” Lindsay said. 'He loves it as much as I do and deserves the credit on so much of this. And a lot of our projects end up being so simple we wonder why it took us so long to finally do them.”

The kitchen was perhaps their biggest renovation project, as they repainted their existing cabinetry, got new countertops and added a backsplash. They also removed a small amount of cabinetry to add more counter space. 'And this little bit of counter space makes all the difference in the world,” she said. 'We also added a faux beam so we could incorporate these great lights. You can make a light out of anything.”

The adjacent dining area is a perfect spot to gather for family dinners and entertain guests. 'We added all these built-ins in the dining room from salvaged cabinets,” Lindsay added.

The home originally featured a deck out back but the Eidahls decided they'd rather add a four-season porch to expand their living space, and it's a space they completely transformed in the last year. 'I love all the windows and the natural light,” Lindsay said, noting that it's a great spot for a TV upstairs so they don't have to have one in the living room. Aside from the new couch and rug, that make the room extremely cozy, every piece on the porch was thrifted, she explained. 'My aunt was putting up new fencing in her backyard and called to see if we wanted the old fence pieces. Of course I said yes, so we got piles and piles of fencing. We decided to put it up on the walls of the back porch and the rest of the room grew from there. Oh and we pulled these green sconces from a barn.”

A matching larger pair of the lights found a home in Eidahl's downstairs office, which is currently undergoing one of their famous transformations.

When the Eidahls bought the house 14 years ago they didn't yet have children. Now with two preteens, they've managed to create a home full of spaces to kick back and relax with family and friends, all within 1,600 square feet.

The downstairs family room, for example, is home to a comfy sectional and a TV for playing video games, but also features a wall full of built-ins and a fireplace the Eidahls added to the home several years ago. 'Another draw for us in this home is that the windows downstairs are larger and let in so much light,” Lindsay said. 'That makes a huge difference in these spaces.”

Also downstairs is the playroom, a functional homage to an old schoolhouse. There's a nook - formerly a closet - that houses a long art table for creative kid projects. There are vintage school maps hanging on the wall and a huge old chalk board hanging on another. 'We've always had a toy room and its nice have a separate kid zone downstairs.”

All of the most interesting pieces in the Eidahl home were discovered in some unexpected place. 'It's all about the thrill of the hunt,” she said. 'I love going out with nothing in mind and finding great pieces with amazing potential,” she said, noting that she frequents ReStore, Goodwill, garage sales and is no longer embarrassed to pull over an load 'free” items into the back of her van as she drives around town.

'We once got an organ for free and we've used different pieces of it for different projects,” she said pointing to two decorative panels hanging in the entryway. 'It was just too cool to leave sitting on the curb.”

'Everything here has a story and I love it,” she added. 'That's the joy of it.”