Six years ago, Dana Jenkins and Colin Davis started “unflipping” their mid-century house in Atlanta, Georgia, and the internet is obsessed with the way they’re restoring their home to its 1960s roots.
I asked them to share their least favorite thing the flippers did to it, and they replied, “Honestly, it’s hard to choose because nearly everything they touched was a downgrade in both quality and design. Nothing felt cohesive, and a lot of it has created long-term problems for us to fix.”
They continued, “Painting the brick, inside and out, is probably the biggest disappointment. It stripped away one of the home’s defining features, and while it can be reversed, it’s incredibly time-intensive and will never look exactly the same again. We are making sure we put in that effort, though, to return it to its original state.”
Another least favorite flipper special? The bathrooms. “The build quality from them is poor, and we had a vanity fall off the wall because of them. They went and ripped out original fixtures and tile that are now nearly impossible or extremely expensive to replace.”
Not only that, but the flip changed the floor plan of the house a bit, and not for the better. “They also reconfigured the layouts in ways that reduced already-limited space, making the rooms feel even more constrained.”
So Dana and Colin started going room by room to bring back the 1960s charm their house had pre-flip.
They told BuzzFeed, “When we bought the house, we knew almost nothing about tackling projects like this, so we started by hiring out the work that was clearly over our heads.”
Then, they started chipping away at projects that felt more accessible. “Over time, we began taking on smaller projects to build our confidence, and we were lucky to have family come down and help. Those moments taught us so much about how to approach things the right way.”
And they shared that some projects are much easier than others, and it’s not always the ones you think. “Adding in the paneling and stripping the brick were probably the easiest, not because they were quick, but because they were straightforward and just required time and effort.”
Some projects were much more challenging, but it’s so satisfying to see the finished results. “The most challenging project was definitely the doors and trim. The flippers had removed all the original wooden doors and replaced them with cheap white six-panel ones, hung incorrectly and mismatched in size. None of them closed properly, and any mistakes were covered with random trim and caulking. Undoing all of that and rebuilding it correctly took an enormous amount of time and patience.”
They also shared some tips for anyone who might want to unflip their home. “The hardest part is overcoming the decision paralysis that comes with every project. There will always be complicated situations you can’t solve instantly, so it’s important to slow down and give yourself the time to figure things out.”
“Look for vintage and secondhand pieces that bring soul back into the space, and spend time learning about the architecture and time period of your home so you can make informed decisions when projects come up.”
“We’re six years in, and we’ve accomplished a lot, but only because we’ve been steadily working all six of those years. Online, you only see the final results, so it’s important to remember the time and patience behind each one.”
As someone who loves to start home projects and never finishes them, I’m seriously impressed with their follow-through and results.
People in the comments are also loving their results. One person wrote, “Thank you for returning this gem to its natural state! As a designer, I often have clients want to change the style of their house but you need to just lean into the architecture. There’s so much more harmony in your home now.”
Another person wrote, “I need a home renovation show with this concept. I’m so fuckin sick of the current house flipping trends.” Seriously, get on this, HGTV!
But Dana and Colin aren’t done unflipping just yet. Next up: the bathrooms. “They’re the last major spaces that still feel completely out of place. We’re currently tackling the most challenging one: the main bathroom. We’re expanding it to nearly double its original size and incorporating custom details to create a true dream bathroom that still fits the home’s era. It was originally a Hollywood-style layout connected to the guest bath, complete with a sunken tub and pink fixtures, before the flippers tore it out.”
“The guest bathroom will be an unflipping project where we bring back the original pink tile and fixtures, and the downstairs bath, basically a blank white box, will finally get the character and warmth it’s been missing.”
I, for one, can’t wait to see what they unflip next. And if they ever need a housesitter, I think a Mad Men marathon in their house just might solve all my problems.
Would you rather live in a freshly flipped house, or do you prefer this “unflipped” look? Let me know in the comments!
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