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?

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

Destruction Day

So, we recently decided to renovate a bit of our house, then we decided we would rather move, then we decided we'd rather stay and renovate just a little. Today was our first project! It took some conversation to get us started. (I'm the type that likes to jump in with little thought to all the steps along the way, while my husband likes to figure out all the details before making a move.) With a little bit of whining, tears, and emotional pleas, we went for it. (I was told it is unlikely that I'll ever win an argument by rational thought.)

 Our roommates came and offered us some sage advice and a little bit of muscle power. I invited the neighbour in to see what we were doing, and he helped take out the door frame and the last of the pieces we were having difficulty with. It took us about 5 hours from start to finishing the clean up. Here's the progression to finished product!

 The view from the kitchen before...

During...

View from the kitchen after!

The living room before...

 

 

The living room after!

Scott surveying the work!

We still have all the finishing details to do..., but I was so excited...I just had to show you!

My Latest Distraction

It took me a while to think of the word distraction, because I didn't want to use the word passion, or interest. My distractions, which are random at best, are not passions because they tend to fade with time, and they are greater than interests because I usually drive people insane with them. So distraction it is.

My latest distraction,...the TV show "Love It or List It". Scott and I are big fans of TV. Funny thing is, we rarely watch movies. I'm pretty sure if we had to be banished to a desert island that would  most certainly be the one item we would take. Most of the shows we watch we entertain a mutual interest for. Shows like House, Mayday, NCIS, Biggest Loser, Glee, Flashpoint, but most importantly ... Big Bang Theory. He doesn't like the reality TV shows that I get addicted to like Bachelor and Celebrity Apprentice but he will sometimes sit down long enough and complain through an episode of Grey's Anatomy or Gossip Girl. (I think this tactic is only to win my heart so I pass over the remote). Back to the distraction...

Most people know that I commute from St. Catharines to Vaughan for work each day. I'm looking for a new job as our company is... well,... let's just say there is a good chance my role may not exist in the near future. Given my career choice and where I want to be in 5 years, I resigned myself to the fact that I'll always be commuting to the GTA. I'm just hoping the next role I get I'm only going to Burlington or Oakville. Time will tell... (and so may another blog). Given the pending change in job locations, we've been considering (pipe dream perhaps?) moving to Grimsby or Stoney Creek to ease the commute. I dream of a decent sized home with an open concept kitchen and living area where we could host lots of people!... But, despite a "new home" dream...I find it hard to give up on our home right now. I love the location, the house is the right size...and there is a lot of potential. Another big "staying factor"...I love our mortgage payment.

Onto the distraction..."Love It or List It" finds couples who are trying to decide between renovating and staying at their old home or buying a new one. It's a fabulous show. I started thinking about the things I would want in a new home: a garage, bigger entry way, a walk in closet, an open concept/bigger kitchen, a living room that can host more people comfortably. Three of these things a good renovation could fix. For those of you who know my home, knocking down the wall between the kitchen and living room and redesigning that area would completely change the space.

  

And if we were to make a half wall where the stairs leading up stairs go, that would completely open up our entry way.

We've just installed 9 ft x 9ft mirrored closet doors in our bedroom which made it look like a completely new room!

This past weekend we hung 6-panel doors in the upstairs as well, which gives a more sophisticated look.

It's my first home...it's hard to give up on. ...And I love a challenge! I just need a designer to come and make "tweaks" so it can be everything we dreamed it could be!