Rather than hiring an architect, DiBona worked with her dad to draft the renovation plans. He's an engineer, and he minored in architecture in college.

"He did his own renovation plans, and he's done it for a few neighbors," she said.

DiBona also had experience from the previous renovation of her house and from renovations she made to her salon over the years.

She had a specific vision for her home, so she actually drew her own plans. She got graph paper and a pencil, and sketched a two-story version of her home with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

"I basically designed it, and then my dad put it into professional terms for my contractor," she said.

For DiBona, that vision for her remodeled house was a mix of a few architectural styles.

"My husband's family is Greek," DiBona said. "My family is Italian. We go to Europe pretty much every summer, so we love that coastal but a little Mediterranean type of feel. But I also really wanted it to still fit in with New England, and I didn't want my house to stick out. I tried to make it a little bit classic at the same time."