Because You're Worth It

Our decision to renovate was based on our decision to make this our forever house.  So when we considered finishes and function, the choices we made were what best suited us.  Not resale.

But when people ask us what were some of the best decisions we made during our renovation, the top two answers are less about us or pretty finishes...and more about taking care of our investment.  Because it's worth it.

And funny enough, neither were in place at the end of the renovation.  Both were installed shortly after the "end".  Let me explain...

1) A Surge Protector

When we dug out and finished our basement in 2011, we kept the electrical panel where it was.

Look to the Left

There it is!

Forgive the bad iPhone pic.  I am not a professional photographer. 

It's on the wall next to the TV, but the simple doors painted the same color as the wall help to make it "disappear".  Yet it's totally accessible.  I'm happy we kept it accessible, because we've needed to have access to it far too many times than I wish we did.  I'll explain...

Access

Same place as always, but upgraded during the big dig and finish.  Which was great, because during the even bigger renovation last year, we utilized that capacity.  But what we didn't do was this.

Surge Protector

Back up to the middle of July.  Renovation complete.  So many details, all executed.  So happy. 

Less than a month later and out of the blue, there's a surge in the hydro transformer across the street.  I'll spare you the gory details.  But one detail I missed was to make sure we installed a surge protector.  Of course. 

We lost our microwave, sump pump, basement bar fridge, many many potlights (not just the bulb but the whole can) and...the brand new range oven.  Dear God.

Luckily, there's a happy ending.  The range was new, so it was serviced for free and saved.  Wal-Mart was having a sale on microwaves.  And our contractor is amazing and replaced the brand new blown electrical....and installed a surge protector. 

I'm told electrical surges, like the one we had, happen less frequently than someone you know winning the lottery.  But for a few hundred dollars, that cute little box can save a whole lot of headache.  And if there's ever a surge again, I'll be happy to replace the protector instead of half the electrical items in my house.


2) A Furnace Humidifier

Our old house had laminate.  Our new old house has hardwood.  And lots of it.  Combined with a long, cold, dry first winter, you get this.

G A P S

Silver lining?  I could get rid of some runaway paint.

I'm a glass-half-full kind of person. 

But to be honest, the gaps really were freaking me out.  Then, my contractor stopped by for a question I had and I think the gaps freaked him out, too.  I was in contact with his HVAC guy within the hour.

I lived with laminate floors and wood trim with 20 coats of paint for over ten years.  What did I know about swelling and contracting wood during winter?  I know a lot now.  And that humidifier is currently working overtime.

Humidifier Thermostat

This is on the front of the furnace.  It's cranked up to 45% because the humidity level in this house is sooooo low.  How to know when to back it off?  Look for condensation in the corners of the windows.  This sucker has been in place for 3 weeks now and I have yet to see any.  Yikes.

From Behind

It's hard to see the actual unit, as it's on the back of the furnace.  But it's directly connected to a water supply.  I'm crossing my fingers the humidity will make the boards swell up soon.  These gaps are making me crazy....

So there you have it.  Two of the best decisions we made during our renovation.  Which together cost less than a half of a percent of the total cost of our projects. 

Because they're worth it.

House Tour: The Pantry

The Pantry.  There are so many things to say about this little 4' x 4' square of awesomeness.  It's another piece of the tetris puzzle in the kitchen.  It's the smallest space with the highest function.  It has the best light fixture.

And it was the running joke of the renovation.  I was so excited about these 16 square feet.  So much, that everyone said who cares about the rest of the house...we'll find Meg hanging out in her beloved pantry 24/7.

So what if I am!?

You would spend all day in here, too, if your before and after was this.

Before (Move In)

After (Today)

(Excuse the blue tarp over the deck furniture - that's our fancy winterizing)

Not the best view of the pantry in the distance, but it matches the before shot.  Let's have a better look close up, shall we?

My Home

16 square feet.  That's all she is.  And I love her.

Since there's really only one before and after shot, I decided to share a little something else.  Here's a picture show of her coming to life.  

Framed

Insulated

Drywalled

Wrong Cabinet

Right Cabinet + Shelves

Countertop + Sink + Faucet + Backsplash

Light Fixture

I'd have to say those open shelves are my favorite part of my favorite space.  Now that I have them, I TOTALLY get why people put them in their kitchen.  We didn't want them for our open concept kitchen space, but in here they're perfect. 

Other pantry faves that are perfect?

Now You See It

Now You Don't

It's a barn door.  And it's magic.  It's saved me from that feeling of "what if I don't want to see what's on that open shelving?"  I can close it if company comes.  Or I can hide from kids.

We put in a sink.  Because when do you not need a sink?  In all honesty, the plumbing was there between the bathroom above and the main stack below.  So...why not?

And we still have storage below.  All the coffee storage a girl could want.

More storage on the right, too.  Empties on the bottom and disorganization above.

Lighting under the shelves.  It's functional...and purdy at night.

There's my fave.  It makes me smile every time I look at it.  Simple yet beautiful in a modern not modern way.  And it's on a dimmer.  Score!

So, there she is.  The smallest, hardest working spot in the house.

And if you need me, you'll know where to find me...


Resource list (in case you're wondering where we found things)
Light Fixture - Davey Lighting, Well Pendant
Countertop - Caesarstone "Pure White"
Faucet - La Torre
Sink - Blanco Radius Bar Sink
Backsplash - Stone Tile (white gloss ceramic, 10x60cm)

House Tour: Powder Room

This is the story of our powder room:

(Scene: Husband and wife discussing renovation plans)

Me: "Ok, so, we definitely need a powder room."
Husband: (looks up quizzically) "Mmmm, I don't think we do.
Me: (beat) "...wait, what!?!?"

I get it.  We have two bathrooms in this house already.  Space is precious.  Especially on the main floor.  Put it on the list of "want" but not "need". 

Here's where hiring someone to plan your space really pays off.  

More in a sec.  Let's get to why we're really here.  Before and After!

Before-ish

I say "before-ish" because I did a little grey/white facelift on our kitchen not long before the reno.  Originally, our plywood kitchen cabinets were blue and our walls were yellow.  But do you think I have a shot of that on this angle?  No. 

I do have an in-progress shot from that facelift.  It's so bad, it hurts. 

Before Mostly

(You'll have to take my word on the yellow walls - come back for the Kitchen Tour and you'll have your fill.)

After

How could that even be the same space?  It's magic.  It really is.

In fact, this whole little corner is magic.  In a 4' by 10' space, there's a powder room, a walk-in pantry and two storage towers.  It's like a little tetris puzzle full of function.  And beauty...

We kept it basic and simple.  The floor tile is the same as our entryway.  The walls are painted the same color as the main floor. 

One big long mirror accentuates the depth of the room (almost 6').  The wall sink saves space, so you can walk in and out easily.  It even holds a towel.  Is it ok to be in love with a towel bar?  

I think it is, as long as you have storage somewhere.  And that's here.

Push the door and open into a niche.  Deep enough for toilet paper rolls.  And cups for kid toothbrushes.  Genius.

Which is exactly what our experience with our designer/planner was.  And did.  I can't speak highly enough about it.  Everything has it's purpose and place and function.  We haven't once regretted our decision to not sell, stay put and renovate.  Not even one bit.  It all funnels back to the plan.

And the powder room!

What's that?  One more before and after?  Well, ok.  Here's a throwback to 2 years ago when we dug out the basement (aka: the room that started this whole thing). 

Up The Steps: Before

Oh, hey!  There's the blue!  There's the yellow!  Dear god, that's bad. 

Up The Steps: After

So much beauty.  So much function.  And so. much. better.

House Tour: Dining Room

A special thanks to Jane for choosing our bathroom as an inspiration!  Do you follow Modern Jane?  You should.  She's good.  And she's in the middle of renovating Canada's Ugliest Bathroom...her words, not mine...
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Next up on the house tour, post renovation, seen here on this little old website...is the dining room.  There was a little sneak peek of this room's former color on the last post with the real befores of the living room.  As opposed to the fake white ones.

Because there's nothing better than the real deal before, especially when it's ugly. 

Get ready for ugly.

View from the Living Room

Purple!  Yes, that is a purple dining room.  Deep purple.  Like royalty.  Except no royal would paint a wall, much less a room, that color.

Bay Window in the Dining Room

Forgive this mash up of two pictures.  Back then I wasn't snapping away with the intent to show anyone, much less everyone.  But here you can see the focal point of the room.  The bay window.  Attractive selling point for a semi-detached home.

But not an attractive color!  I still can't believe we lived with it for seven years.  SEVEN YEARS!  Well, until this room changed to...

Next Color

...Sage Green!?  In here, too?  Yes, before we painted everything white, we painted this room to match the living room.  Lesson learned.  Then came time for the reno.

Framed

Taped

Drywalled

Built-in

After

Whoa!  Did you catch all that?  Me either.  Let's break it down.

First of all, those cabinets.  They define the dining room space, but flow from the kitchen effortlessly.  It's all in the countertop. 

Unify

We used the same caesarstone (Pure White) from the kitchen countertop and extended it into the dining room.  The credit for this one goes to Kirsten, the brains behind the layout of this renovation.  Now that dining room built-in not only compliments the kitchen but also functions as an extension of it for entertaining.

Brilliant!

And the cabinets themselves...

Extension

Ikea cabinets, the same as the kitchen.  But these are uppers, installed on their sides.  I know... I KNOW! 

Now you see it!

Perfect for maximum storage capacity.  Obviously, right now these hold whatever needs to be hidden.  Mostly placemats, paper, markers and other art items...all kid related.  I need an organization intervention here immediately.

Since the doors aren't meant to hang down, being pulled by gravity, we made some adjustments.  There are chains to support the hinges in case a door slips out of someone's hand (happened already).  They will absorb the drop instead of a handle denting the floor.  There are also magnets installed at the top of each door so it "catches" each time it closes.  Good safety feature for kids...and adults with butterfingers.

Home Base

Here's my favorite part of the storage.  The media "home base."  That's the cable box and IR extender which allows us to store the box away from the TV, yet still control it behind a closed door.  To the right of the box we keep our modem, router and all other media related boxes and plugs and wires...all of which are connected to the TV through a conduit (plastic pipe) that we hid in the wall.  It's not very pretty, but I love that we can keep it all BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, yet access it immediately when needed.

But enough of all that.  How about some more before and afters...

Before

...Then Green...

After (by Justice Darragh for AT)

We bought those white chairs before we decided to renovate, in an attempt to upgrade our kitchen without blowing the bank.  We loved them, so they stayed.  Comfortable enough to sit in long after dinner is over...and clean up with Fantastik or Magic Eraser.  How family friendly is that!?

Green Before

After

And that table was a pre-renovation purchase, too.  I found it at Guff.  It was lonely because after many requests, the chairs were sold separately from the table.  So it was marked waaaaay down.  And was the perrrrrfect size for our old eat-in kitchen.  When it came completely apart so I could throw it in the trunk of my car, there was no way it wasn't coming home with me.

From the Entry - Before

From the Entry - After

The biggest thing that blows me away now is how much space we have and how we use every square inch of it.  Previously, the dining room was dead space for us.  We ate in our kitchen and watched TV in our living room.  The dining room was a place we walked through but never spent any time in.

Kirsten made a point of maintaining negative space in the dining room - between it and the kitchen as well as it and the living room.  You can see how much space there is in the picture above.  But there are no gaping holes asking for extra furniture.  Our family of five can easily move around -even all in the same room- without tripping over or bumping into each other.

Off Center

But maintaining that negative space & balance between "rooms" means our table is off center.  The good news is, you'd have to look for it.  This picture is taken standing on my tippy-toes looking over the basement staircase railing.  Not a view you'd normally see. 

The table is centered in the space, which doesn't center with the window.  And since we couldn't move the window, we decided to forgo a chandelier over the table...which would accentuate the off centered-ness even more.  Instead, the table is centered in the space and the potlights are centered over the table.  And all is right with the world.

Green Before

After (by Justice Darragh for AT)

All in all, our open concept space is working wonderfully for us.  We have no dead or repeated space.  The flow works for the size of the footprint.  And we even created storage without taking too much square footage away.

While there's not much to it, the dining room might be one of my favorite places because of how well it works for us.  But wait, we haven't discussed the rest of the house up close.  Stay tuned!