Renovation Completion!

 FROM THIS.... TO THIS!

 FROM THIS....TO THIS!

 The final look!

So that's it! That's our big reno. We are one or two light fixtures being hung away from saying we are DONE! (And we need a stair railing so small children can't fall off the side of our living room...but that's another project completely.) As I had mentioned in the Spring. I was very interested in projecting estimations for the project and seeing what actual costs were. I was hoping the whole thing would cost us $15k, but I think it was more like $20k+. Here's what my projections looked like!

Materials	Estimated	Actual
Laminate Floor	450	480
Sink	300	250
Cabinet Hardware	150	110
Faucet	300	300
Microwave	400	225
Counter top	1,200	2,000
Backsplash Tile	1,000	300
Paint	150	75
Cabinets	4,500	6,410
Fireplace	250	160
Lighting & Rough Electrical Supplies	1,000	1,500
TOTAL	$9,700	$11,810
Labour	Estimated	Actual	Comments
Demolition	500	250	Weekend DIY with friends. Costs include demo accessories and lunch.
Painting	1,200	1,258	Contracted out - ceiling, trim and walls and downstairs hallways
Plumbing	250	0	included with drywall
Electrical	2,000	2,490	Potlights, running new electrical, new breaker box
Flooring	500	0	Weekend DIY
Drywall	2,000	3,400	Going from popcorn to flat ceiling and repairing all the walls that we tore down.
Tiling	500	0	Thanks to helpful friends!
Cabinetry Install	5,000	2,091	Completed by Lowe's Installers
TOTAL	$11,950	$9,488

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?