To Splash or Not to Back Splash

I'm rarely satisfied when I come to a decision. I think and re-think and try to figure out different angles and options. And when I have made a decision...I question it again. (But more silently so people don't know I'm still thinking about it). Hence, ...the back splash dilemna.

When I go through pinterest pictures and decorating magazines, I always find that back splashes are either incredibly plain ...

...or too "busy".

The small glass tiles are very pretty, but then when you put lots of them up their together it reminds me of those pictures where you have to cross your eyes and try to make a clear picture pop up from the blurry pictures.

What about the ever-popular subway tile?? Well, I just feel that all of a sudden, we'll look back 5 years from now and be able to pick out the year the kitchen was created due to the back splash and the love of subway tiles that re-modelers have.

It will be white cabinets and black granite counters so I hesitate to go white or black with the back splash, and certainly am not so much of a fan of black and white!

Shoot me, but I can't stand this look:

So my dilemna continues...

In other news, I thought it would be a great idea to add in-floor heating under our laminate floors in the kitchen!! It's fairly inexpensive (in the grand scheme of expenses) and what house listing doesn't look great with the tag line "...in floor radiant heating..." When I told my husband of my brilliant thought, he replied, "Hmmm...no, I don't think so. It's just in the kitchen and I'm not there all that much." *Sigh*

(Side note: I tend to misquote my husband often. If you ask him, he'll likely deny saying this.)

So what's your favourite back splash look? Have you ever tried to purchase or install in-floor heating?

Renovation Budget

I'm always interested in renovation plans and improvements. I like to hear about people's plans for their spaces and their dreams for their home. I think this was part of who I was even prior to working for Lowe's. (Being in  a retail environment where everyday I get to help people bring dreams to reality is pretty cool and somewhat fuels my obsession. But it also fuels my ideas and drains my bank account!)

When it comes to renovations, I'm not very good at them. I consistently feel that my project ideas are inexpensive and easy. Usually the opposite is the case. I'm all gung-ho at the beginning of a project, but my enthusiasm usually fizzles out which leaves my husband to finish the ending details.

Now that our basement rec room is done and the downstairs bathroom repainted my efforts and attention have been focused towards the kitchen and living room space. I'm not very good with knowing what things will cost, I'm usually good at ballpark-ing only what I "hope" they will cost. So I thought it would be an interesting experiment to blog about our renovation, our ballpark costs and actual costs.

Lowe's has designed me a kitchen which I think I will enjoy very much. Knowing we will be here for probably 5 years or so, I haven't chosen the high end finishes that one might want in their "forever" home. But It will be fabulous none the less.

Our cabinet choice is Diamond Cabinet's "Hadley" (pictured below) but in painted "Pearl".

We'll be removing a wall and installing an island.While walking through our seasonal department, I came across a really neat looking electric fireplace that I thought would look awesome in the island (on the side that butts up to the living room.) I got in on clearance, and then got another discount when it went even further on clearance the following week.

The laminate floor I purchased and installed when I bought the house 3 years ago is now discontinued, but I was able to find a few remaining boxes at End of the Roll in Hamilton in order to bring it through the entire space and finish the kitchen with the same flooring. It's a great German floor that I adore. I got it for $1/sq foot then what I paid originally too!

The sink I purchased at our Grand Opening when it was on sale for $100 less than original price. My mom got one too! I think it's a great find and am likely to take it with us if we ever move! It's a Delta Ashton Touch faucet. It's a one-hole system so I won't have to cut up the new granite top too much!

Originally I thought about going with just a high-end laminate counter top (as I don't like the "tink tink tink" sound of  glassware, plates and everything else that hits the counter). But then I found this beautiful quartz counter that I adored. The price...didn't adore that so much. With a bit more research, Scott chose a granite counter, for just over $1000 more than we can get laminate for! It's a black with auburn and silver flecks in it which I think will go well with our floors.

Our walls are a cool tone shade of green currently. I love the colour, but it will need a refresher, so we'll be repainting everything in a slightly lighter version of Valspar's "Sag Harbour". (This screen shot doesn't do it justice as it has more green to it.)

Here's my estimated budget so far! I'll let you know how our progress goes and will try to scan and upload the design as soon as possible!

Materials	Estimated	Actual	Comments
Laminate Floor	$450	$430
Sink	$300	$0	Free with purchase of granite
Hardware	$150
Faucet	$300	$300
Microwave	$400
Counter	$2000
Backsplash	$1000	$0	None since we upgraded the counter
Paint	$150	$150
Cabinets	$4500
Fireplace	$200	$160
Stair Railing	$150
Lighting	$1000
TOTAL	$10,600	$1,040
Labour	Estimated	Actual	Comments
Demolition	$500	$0	Weekend DIY
Painting	$1,200
Plumbing	$250
Electrical	$2,000
Flooring	$500	$0	Weekend DIY
Ceiling repair	$2000
Cabinetry	$5000
TOTAL	$11,450	$0