My Houzz: Scandinavian Simplicity in a Pennsylvania Colonial

For countless nights Sara Wasser lay on the floors of her hundred-year-old Pennsylvania house, staring up at the ceiling and bare walls as the sun came up. Before rising to spend the day stripping away layers of linoleum, she used the quiet time to gather inspiration. It’s how she was able to see past the dingy carpet and heavy, old-fashioned wallpaper that adorned the run-down house that she shares with her husband, Zach. Approaching the renovation in this patient, contemplative way, she achieved a look that fuses simple Scandinavian style with her home’s colonial roots.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Sara and Zach Wasser and their dogs, Polli and Floyd
Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Size: 2,400 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms
Renovation cost: $29,000

The couple removed countless layers of linoleum from the floor, walls and ceiling to create a clean slate for the $6,000 kitchen update.

They tackled much of the renovation themselves to stay within budget, but Wasser hired a local craftsman to bring her vision for open shelving to life. "He never scoffed at my unconventionalism," she says. "Instead, it seemed to ignite his creativity."

Wall paint: Silver Dust, Valspar color matched by Duron Paints; range: Bosch


Playful hues accent pale walls, giving the room a Scandinavian vibe. Wasser mounted a sleek red stepladder to the wall for easy access to high kitchen shelves. The teal fireplace mantel behind the range was a salvage find.

Ladder: Stockholm Design House; mantel paint: custom, Duron Paints


She re-surfaced this art room sink for just over $200. Budget-friendly butcher block countertops from Ikea bring the warmth of wood to the white kitchen.

Sink: Habitat for Humanity ReStore; countertops: Numerär, Ikea


After removing tar paper, pressboard and linoleum, the couple coated the soft wood floors with a rubberized epoxy commonly used in automotive shops and aircraft hangars. The ease of application and industrial-strength finish of this self-leveling product appealed to them. "We knew it would hold up well to the claws of our two pups," Wasser says.

A punchy red pocket door, which Wasser has owned since college, conceals a tiny half bath.

Floors: Concrete Gray Surface Master Protective Coating; refrigerator: Bosch; pocket door paint: Heritage Red, Benjamin Moore


Wallpaper designed by Danish artist Lene Toni Kjeld creates movement in this transitional space between the kitchen and dining room. Wasser hung the wallpaper horizontally rather than vertically because she preferred the flow of the design that way.

The wallpaper is one design of a series of eight that can be mixed and matched to create a custom look that evolves along the wall. Another design from the series appears in the living room.

Wallpaper: Lace Transitional, Lene Toni Kjeld


This cow painting is a keepsake from the Wassers' time in Basalt, Colorado, where they fell in love with the work of artist Rosemary Rank. Coincidentally, after commissioning the artist to create a piece for their new home, the couple discovered the artist grew up in the home's area and that her paintings were inspired by the cows roaming the Lancaster pastures.

Wall paint: Edgecomb Grey; trim paint: Revere Pewter; ceiling paint: James River Gray, all three by Benjamin Moore; light fixture: Roost Halo Chandelier


A thrift store seed box serves as storage for barware. "I love the look of pieces that don't have any visual weight," Wasser says.

Stemware rack: Custom Acrylic Products


Subtle walls, warm wood floors and clean lines maintain the simplicity of Scandinavian design in the living room. The hardwood floors, which were exposed when the couple purchased the home, were drum sanded and given a clear coat of rubberized epoxy to create a durable finish that stands up to heavy foot and pet traffic. The total cost of refinishing the floors in the living and dining rooms was around $1,200.

Wall paint: Silver Dust, Valspar color matched by Duron Paints, trim paint: Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore; floors: Surface Master Protective Coating


Wasser's husband crafted this rustic occasional table from an Armstrong maple tree he removed from the yard. After allowing the stump to dry out for several weeks, he sanded and covered it in a clear coat of the same rubberized epoxy used on the floors.

Wasser originally planned to make her own window treatments using drop cloths. Instead, she found a talented Etsy artist who made quality linen drapery for an even better price.

Sofa: Fulham, Restoration Harware; drapery: white linen, Lovely Home Idea


She scored this pair of Victorian-era chairs, which were originally red and blue velvet, from a local thrift shop for $200. A local upholsterer re-covered them in white duck canvas (front) and gray linen (back) for about $1,000, giving the set a clean, modern look.

Fabrics: Calico Corners; candelabras: Wisteria


A slab of bamboo granite that the Wassers found at a local scrapyard rests on the original stone mantel. The natural materials blend beautifully with the organic wallpaper print from Kjeld.

Wallpaper: Rose Transitional, Lene Toni Kjeld


The couple purchased ammunition boxes from a local used-furniture store and repurposed them for storage in the entryway.

Ammunition boxes: Porter's Used Furniture (now closed)


They renovated the second-floor guest bath from top to bottom for approximately $1,500. Wasser's husband hand made the wooden cross as a wedding gift for her. He fashioned it out of a telephone pole that had been struck by lightning. "I always told Zach I wanted an enormous cross for a wedding gift," Wasser says.

Mirror: One Kings Lane; light fixtures: Allen & Roth, Lowe's; area rug: Anthropologie


A wooden tray from a market in Zambia and an impermeable linen shower curtain add rustic warmth to the tiled shower. Wasser mixed large square ceramic wall tiles with smaller blue handmade tiles, both from Lowe's, for a custom look. "The blue tiles were a total fluke find," she says. "There were only a couple of pieces. I had to special order more, which took considerable time to arrive."

Shower curtain: Lovely Home Idea


A cowhide rug, a staple in Scandinavian design, adds depth and texture to the main bedroom. The lack of closet space in the main bedroom was the couple's biggest design dilemma. "We opted for an open wall closet system, realizing that subsequent owners may not appreciate it," Wasser says.

Wall paint: Sea Foam; ceiling paint: Sea Star, both by Benjamin Moore; light fixtures: Avner Ben Natan


Wasser painted the small main bathroom the same colors as the bedroom. "Since the space is so small, I wanted it to be as visually indistinguishable as possible from the bedroom," she says.

A one-piece shower stall previously covered the window. When the Wassers noticed the window from the exterior of their home while visiting with neighbors, they immediately set out to expose the hidden light source.

Sink: Corrie Mini Wall Mount Sink, Signature Hardware; medicine cabinet: Godmorgon, Ikea


They removed pressboard, linoleum, carpet and tons of nails from the second floor to reveal the original hardwood floors. A light sanding and a coat of polyurethane were all these floors needed to bring them back to life.

Wall paint: Decorators White; baseboard paint: Rendezvous Bay; stair tread paint: Pacific Ocean Blue, all three by Benjamin Moore


Inspired by Scandinavian painted floors, Wasser covered the third-floor suite's flooring in a deep ocean blue. White walls and bedding keep the space feeling light.

How to Paint Your Hardwood Floors

Wall paint: Decorators White; baseboard paint: Rendezvous Bay; floor paint: Pacific Ocean Blue, all three by Benjamin Moore; curtains: Anthropologie


Wasser completely revamped this Craigslist dresser by re-covering the top and sides in birdseye maple veneer and framing the drawers in trim, which she then decoupaged with burlap. Gold hardware and silk ties finish off this vintage romantic piece.

Mirror: One Kings Lane


The couple hired a local craftsman to transform a vintage buffet into a vanity in the third-floor guest suite.

Floor-length mirror: Gella, Uttermost; sink: Overstock.com


A shower curtain ring was fashioned out of galvanized pipe that the homeowners purchased at Lowe's. Wasser used twine to tie a skirted shower curtain to the ring, adding to the bathroom's vintage appeal.

Shower curtain: Simply French Market; claw-foot tub: Craigslist; tub hardware: Vintage Tub and Bath


Sara and Zach Wasser cuddle up with their dogs, Polli and Floyd, in the living room.

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