When Chris and Claudia Beiler accompanied Chris’s brother, Jeremy, to a newly listed house in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the creative couple had no plans of buying. But once the duo stepped inside and saw the property’s potential—despite its unlivable state and getting “scared half to death by a brood of dogs that lived there”—they eagerly snapped up the fixer-upper for a mere $59,000.

Jeremy had passed on the purchase in favor of renting the home from Chris and Claudia after they’d worked their renovation magic on the 1,284-square-foot property.

“The house had solid bones when we purchased it—all the while, we were very aware that everything needed to be gutted and reinvented,” explains Claudia, who founded the Lancaster-based design and real estate company Chris & Claude Co. with her husband. “Every other house we have purchased and renovated in Lancaster City, we have resold immediately, but this one was going to be in our hands for a few years, and so we could try a few crazier things!”

Emboldened by the creative freedom, Claudia dove headfirst into a “scarily bold” color palette inspired by old color blocking photos. Even when the hodgepodge of evolving color options threatened to overwhelm the couple, Claudia fully embraced the palette by painting the stair risers at the front of the house.

Within three short months, the row house—dubbed Prince Street after its location—was completely gutted and transformed with a mix of striking colors, modern elements, and found vintage items that give the renewed three-bedroom, one-bath home a vibrant character.

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

Shop the Look

Before: Bathroom

After: Bathroom

Before: Bedroom

After: Games Room

“This house made a few people nervous during the design stage, and even as it came to life—but in the end, we wanted this home to be life-giving, inspirational, and hopefully not too scary,” says Claudia with a laugh.

More Before & After:

A Dim, Cookie-Cutter Craftsman in Portland Now Basks in Natural Light

A Tucson Midcentury Gets a Surgically Precise Revamp

A Portola Valley Home Draws Inspiration from Down Under

Project Credits:

Builder/ General Contractor + Interior Design: The Chris & Claude Co. / @thechrisandclaudeco

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Before & After: A Run-Down Row House in Pennsylvania Gets Adventurous With Color