Handy DIY couple creates a Prairie Village home that’s Pinterest come to life

During their engagement, Trevor and Courtney Bond skipped the premarital class but found another way to grow as partners: They remodeled a home.

After viewing a just-listed house, Courtney wrote a sentimental letter to the owner, explaining they were to be married and wanted to start a family in the home. “It was a little cheesy,” Courtney admits, “but we wanted this house.” Their offer was accepted within 24 hours and beat an all-cash offer.

While the Bonds could tell the house had been well taken care of, it wasn’t to their taste aesthetically, so they started ripping out carpet and adding crown molding, repainting rooms and upgrading appliances.

“It’s small and quaint, but we’ve done a lot to every corner,” Courtney says.

What makes the place most special are the multiple projects the couple took on with their own hands. What Courtney wanted, Trevor built.

As a lawyer, Trevor liked working outside of his usual skill set. “YouTube was my friend,” he says. He became seasoned in woodworking, electrical and plumbing, things he’d never done before.

Courtney took the lead on interiors, at least on the main level. “That’s why it’s a bit girly,” she says.

She blended styles and colors through trial and error. “When you have modern and rustic style, it’s hard to get everything to play together,” Courtney says.

By their wedding this past June, the couple had most of the home to their liking.

“It was more fun to work on the house than the wedding. It’s more long-term,” Courtney says.

Although there are a couple of lingering projects for the exterior of the house, the Bonds are quite happy with their efforts and are ready to relax.

“Every night for a while we were here in our grubby clothes working away,” Courtney recalls. “It was awful at the time, but it’s so worth it now.”

This story was originally published November 26, 2016 at 2:02 PM.