O'Bannon House Design

12/17/2025

From our home to yours, The O'Bannon House wishes you a very happy holiday season!

10/05/2025

The bathroom in The Ruby was the biggest transformation of them all! The original space was small and nondescript, but we completely reimagined it. We tore out the old tub and added a sleek glass shower instead. We added shades of black, white and gray penny tile and wallpapered one wall for accent. Even though we didn’t gain any square footage, it somehow feels so much more spacious!

09/29/2025

We take bedrooms very seriously at The O’Bannon House! In each space we create we want elegant but comfortable, and I believe The Ruby bedrooms strike that balance. I’m always amazed at what a crisp white paint and beautiful chandeliers will do for a space! We painted the doors black and stuck with pure white walls. It's kind of my signature look. Every accent color looks good with white and black :)

09/20/2025

Ahh, the kitchen. Trends come and go, don’t they? Back in the day, dining rooms were designed with a door centered on each wall. Sure, it looked nice and symmetrical, but it also meant the table ended up right in the middle of the traffic path. Every time you walked in, you had to walk around it.
So, I shifted the table to one side and turned the opposite wall into a coffee bar/food bar. Much more practical. We also took out an island-type bar that jutted into the walkway—it only made things more awkward. Now, the space feels open, useful, and comfortable. Honestly, I think it’s the best way to make a small kitchen/dining room work. Our guests have never complained. Not once. :)

09/10/2025

So here we go—the first stop on our journey through the three units of The O’Bannon House. This little downstairs space on the left is called The Ruby, named after Rick’s Great-Grandma Ruby. Over the years, The Ruby has been more than just a rental. It’s been home to so many people we love—my youngest son and his family lived here, and my mom moved in after my dad passed.
It may be the smallest of the three (just under 1,000 square feet), but it’s the one many people tell me is their favorite. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll share some before-and-after photos so you can see how she’s been brought back to life.
This picture shows the living room transformation. Back then, the walls were covered in old horsehair plaster we had to take down, and the wiring was still knob-and-tube. We basically took the whole unit down to studs and restored the entire space. But those gorgeous white oak floors? They’re original, untouched, and still absolutely stunning.

09/08/2025

“Quick update! Bad news for us: our 10-day booking (September 20-30) at The Hugh was canceled yesterday (which hardly ever happens). 😔 Good news for YOU: that means there’s now availability if you’ve been wanting to have family visit in the next couple of weeks! 🎉
Here’s the link to book:

The Hugh/Close to St. Louis and Waterloo Downtown

09/02/2025

Over twenty years ago, Rick set out to build a shop for his growing contracting business. He came home one day so excited—he had found the perfect inspiration. There was this beautiful old barn in Waterloo with a silhouette and style he couldn’t get out of his head. That barn became the model for his new shop.
Fast-forward a couple of years. Our oldest son was newly married, and while helping him look for a home for the two of them, as well as a source of income for us, we realized something that felt almost too perfect to be a coincidence: the very barn Rick had used as inspiration was right across the street from a property we had just purchased as a rental. Funny how life works out. That was the start of our love story with the place that would become The O’Bannon House.
This house has lived many lives. It’s been a Catholic all-girls school, a veterinary clinic where farmers brought their livestock (that big barn out back—Rick’s inspiration—once held some very large animals!), and over the years it’s been home to countless families in Waterloo. You can feel the history in its walls, every chapter leaving its mark.
When we first bought it, we planned on keeping it as long-term rentals, but in June 2022, we opened the first of three carefully restored units as a short-term rental. The second followed in October 2023, and today the building also holds one long-term rental.
What was once a broken-down, neglected house has been brought back to life. And now, The O’Bannon House is ready for a new chapter—welcoming families and guests for years to come.

08/27/2025

If I want to tell the story of The O’Bannon House, I must start at the beginning. This picture shows the house that became the muse for our beloved home on W. 4th St.—a beautiful Gothic home in Garden City, Mo.

Rick (my husband) often talks about his grandma and this house. She welcomed everyone who entered with open arms. Her home was grand yet approachable—classy but unassuming.

When we began creating guest spaces in our triplex, it was her house, and the woman who ran it, that inspired us. We wanted each Airbnb unit to capture that same rare combination of majesty and warmth.

In the posts ahead, I’ll be sharing the full story of The O’Bannon House, from beginning to end. I hope you’ll join me on the journey.

08/22/2025

It's been close to a year since I last posted. That was by design. :) Thank you to those who took the time to reach out and check on me. I took a year off from social media to savor the last year of my career as a 7th grade English teacher. As of May, I retired. During this last year of teaching, though, my husband and I rehabbed our final unit of The O'Bannon House, and she is a beauty! Our third space in this glorious building is called The Maxine, named after Rick's beautiful grandmother. I can't wait to share all the pictures and the stories with you. There was blood, (literally) sweat, (profusely) and tears (many). I'm finally ready to hop back on this platform and relive the process with you; I have a lot the time now. :) Stay tuned for the story -

09/21/2024

I'm thrilled to share that my personal Wall of Fame in my bedroom is finally complete, and I couldn't be happier with the result! I originally ordered 8x10 photos from an online company but was disappointed when all the kids' feet and legs were cut off. Thankfully, Paul, an employee at the Fed Ex in South County, came to the rescue. He guided me through the process and worked diligently to print the photos on cardstock. They turned out beautifully—kind of matte and rich-looking. The best part? They only cost 50 cents each! You read that right.

09/16/2024

Our newest trend at The O'Bannon House is family and/or friends renting out both units! Throughout the summer we hosted families. Recently, we had adult cousins staying for a wedding this past weekend, and this December we have eight girlfriends coming to experience Christmas in Waterloo! Although we don't host "parties", we love the idea of 8-10 family members or friends enjoying our spaces. The Ruby sleeps four and The Hugh sleeps six. Grab some friends and hang out for a weekend of fun and memories!

08/24/2024

I’d say this would be the perfect night to stay at The Ruby, or The Hugh of the O’Bannon House 🙂 you could just walk back and you wouldn’t have to drive.