Home reno/redecorating support group

Spring cleaning/de-cluttering/ reorganization is well underway! I have started with my bedroom.
I have found my favorite sunglasses (they were right on top of my dresser....:shuffle:), a $75 gift certificate for lingerie, several Lia Sophia receipts that I need to get some jewelry replaced, my income tax stuff, back rub promises from my husband, and a 1974 Eaton's catalogue that I picked up at a yard sale last summer that is a great blast from the past memory.

The husband is going to Sterling Heights for a couple of days this week, and so I am pulling out the nasty bedroom carpet while he is gone. (I prefer to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. :p)
I also finally decided what color I eventually want to paint the bedroom.....going with teal blue, which will go great with the burgundy/ wine bedding.

I also rearranged some artwork & mirrors in my dining room.

Currently have my fourth load of laundry on the go, re-watching Worlds and sorting through the three baskets of magazines under my coffee table.

Woohoo for being productive! :cheer2:
 
Hmm, I never thought of combining skating vids and laundry. I have mountains of undone laundry and a lot of skating to catch up on. Thanks for the idea!
 
I really want a screened-in and roofed deck. My current deck is large but falling apart (it's about 20 years old and open to the elements). My wall-to-wall probably needs to be replaced, but my cats will just shred any new carpet.
 
quartz said:
@LilJen, we still have 2 toilets and bathroom sinks that are original to our 1939 house. They are Art Deco style and I hope we never have to replace them!
[snip]

Does anyone here have open shelving instead of upper cabinets in their kitchen? I really like the look, but am skeptical that they may require more cleaning than I am willing to spend keeping them presentable. Pros? cons?
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Kitchens tend to have greasy dirt. I wouldn't want open shelves. If you want a place to display things, why not have a glassed-in area, so you can see through to the nice things without having all that grime all over them? Plus closed doors in other areas, so you can hide your less-display-worthy stuff?

I lived in an apartment in Boston which still had its original Victorian era, pull chain toilet. The thing went off like a jet engine when you flushed it. It was pretty, but OMG loud!
 
@susan6, I have always wanted a screened in porch. We are planning to put a stone patio in the back yard "someday" :). Currently we have nothing except a fire pit and some lawn chairs. If we keep saying "someday" to all our projects, pretty soon we will be too old to enjoy them!

@GarrAarghHrumph, yeah, I pretty much know that open shelves are not very practical in the kitchen....but dang they look so nice! I really should delete all those pics from my pinterest so I don't keep dreaming about open shelves!
 
I was wondering about painting kitchen cabinets. Our house was built in the 1955-1959 with dark wood cabinets. We have a extremely outdated house, I was going to start with removing wallpaper (which we had dine in 1980) and painting. I'm thinking a lighter cabinets would improve, but have no money to tear out all cabinetry or do major renovations even though they are desperately needed (flooring, etc.). I just want to do small things to begin with
 
susan6 said:
I really want a screened-in and roofed deck. My current deck is large but falling apart (it's about 20 years old and open to the elements). My wall-to-wall probably needs to be replaced, but my cats will just shred any new carpet.
Click to expand...
Our new house will have a covered patio and front porch. No screens, but it's Colorado so there are no (or at least few) mosquitoes!

Decent progress underway on getting this house ready for sale. I made a calendar and put some key dates on it so my husband could see the domino effects, and why we need to do some things in the right order. And scheduling a lot of the tasks brought my stress level down to a reasonable level too.
 
flyingsit said:
Decent progress underway on getting this house ready for sale. I made a calendar and put some key dates on it so my husband could see the domino effects, and why we need to do some things in the right order. And scheduling a lot of the tasks brought my stress level down to a reasonable level too.
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I just went through those preparations but ended up canceling a couple things (new windows) when I got an offer the first day and heard that the potential buyers planned to do a tear-down and new build... and most people think my house is really nice! I am not 100% convinced they have enough money to follow through but will get a firm answer Wednesday evening after they meet with their builder and bank again. However, even if this deal falls through, it makes me think that I shouldn't go overboard on renovations done just for the purpose of selling. It's definitely stressful to organize everything while continuing with a normal work schedule, and similar to your situation, the home we are moving into is halfway across the country and needed a gut renovation overseen from long distance. My family and I are excited about our move, but I wish the next 6 weeks were over already! I'm glad this thread is here in order to vent.
 
once_upon said:
I was wondering about painting kitchen cabinets. Our house was built in the 1955-1959 with dark wood cabinets. We have a extremely outdated house, I was going to start with removing wallpaper (which we had dine in 1980) and painting. I'm thinking a lighter cabinets would improve, but have no money to tear out all cabinetry or do major renovations even though they are desperately needed (flooring, etc.). I just want to do small things to begin with
Click to expand...
How dark? Black/brown wood can be very nice and look more contemporary depending on how the rest of the kitchen is done. If the cabinets are in good shape, you might be able to just replace the doors if the molding is really outdated. If they're solid wood, you could restain them. Can you tell I'm not a fan of painted cabinets? :)
 
quartz said:
@flyingsit and @alexikeguchi, I really don't know how you manage to build and reno a house from so far away. I would be terrified!
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I'd be freaked out if it was a one-off thing with a contractor, but it's an established builder in a new neighborhood, and they are used to working with out-of-state clients. I couldn't imagine it without the internet though! We've done so much via email and PDFs etc., and were able to make a LOT of decisions remotely that way.
 
quartz said:
@flyingsit and @alexikeguchi, I really don't know how you manage to build and reno a house from so far away. I would be terrified!
Click to expand...

I have a great architect and a contractor who recently worked on an apartment in the exact same line. Having the additional layer of an architect to oversee the entire project added to the expense but turned out to be a blessing in that someone else could deal with the day-to-day headaches and mishaps. The apartment is also in NYC, which has huge bureaucracy in pretty much every aspect of local government, so it added great peace of mind to have a professional handle that. I thought this was funny... The person who goes to the Dept of Buildings to pull permits is called "The Expediter." While this is the title of an actual full time job in New York, it sounds to me like it ought to be the name of a new thriller.
 
Aw, that's sad you're leaving OK, alexekeguchi :(. Congrats on the new job and home offer, tho.
 
I need this thread. I just bought a new house and am looking at two major renovation phases. The first stage will be to completely gut and redo the kitchen, which is a big space, but oddly configured, and create a utility/laundry room. The second stage will be creating a master bedroom, bath and closet from two existing rooms and the current utility room, plus adding a small bathroom to another bedroom.

I'm not sure what I'm getting into, especially if I do the work while living in the house. Right now, I'm waiting to see what the architect comes up with. She is architect number two. The first one fired me because I "know what want to build."
 
Wheee, sounds like fun, @reckless!
I think designers/contractors/architects don't like working with people who know exactly what they want. Makes it much harder to get you to bend to their ideas.
That's why I have such a hard time with contractors....they come in and they push the trends, like dark cherry cabinets, granite counters, stainless steel appliances, and just assume that I want that because that's what everyone seems to want. My house would look absolutely ridiculous with a luxurious, model home kitchen.
 
Quartz, maybe you need to be clear with the contractors that you will select all materials etc., you just need them to do the actual work.
 
once_upon said:
I was wondering about painting kitchen cabinets. Our house was built in the 1955-1959 with dark wood cabinets. We have a extremely outdated house, I was going to start with removing wallpaper (which we had dine in 1980) and painting. I'm thinking a lighter cabinets would improve, but have no money to tear out all cabinetry or do major renovations even though they are desperately needed (flooring, etc.). I just want to do small things to begin with
Click to expand...

Unlike SOME PEOPLE (lol), I like painted kitchen cabinets. If they are painted white.

IMO, it would be a shame to tear out real wood cabinets. It's just tragic. I'd do whatever I could to save them, even if I had the money to replace. Modern cabinets are no where near that quality. You've got gold in your hands.

If your cabinets are real wood, which from that era they would be, you could refinish them, or paint them. Painting's a bit easier than refinishing, if you're doing the work yourself.

If you choose to paint them, you'll need to clean them well first, to remove all the grease (I use TSP or mineral spirits), and sand them to rough up the existing surface so paint will stick. I'd recommend priming, then painting. When you do all this, for it to come out good looking, you need to remove the cabinet doors and remove the hardware.

If you choose to refinish them, that's a bigger job. You'd need to strip them/sand them to remove the existing finish and the old, dark stain. Or you could pay to have them dipped. You'd then stain, then apply 2-3 coats of a clear topcoat (poly.) Again, removing all hardware, etc., before you do this.

Rustoleum has a cabinet refinishing kit in a box at The Home Depot. It's designed to make it look easy to use. It is not. If you want to try it, be aware of that. The results can be good, but it's no where near as quick a process as they imply. If interested, watch their videos online first, and ignore the smiles on the actors - you won't be smiling. ;)

If you want a wicked quick fix, low investment, you can simply try cleaning them, and replacing the old hardware with new. The cabinets will still be dark wood, but sometimes, just cleaning them to remove years of grime, then replacing the hardware can give them a surprisingly "wow" facelift. That alone, plus the remove of wallpaper and painting the walls, might brighten up the room considerably.

Another very inexpensive brightening for a kitchen is a darn good cleaning of the windows, inside and out, and replacement of any window treatments you have with something light/modern.

BTW, let me know what is going on with your flooring as well - what's down there now, and what you feel is wrong with it. I may have some ideas that can help.
 
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I will not be able to do the wood cabinets that are in the pictures in the link. The cabinets are run of the mill somewhat inexpensive, used in the 60's. They were nice and functional for the time, but definitely not on the high end.
I would love a kitchen with granite counter, hard wood floors, center island. That won't happen in my lifetime,
I think my best option and one I could probably convince my husband to do is to replace hardware. But even that is going to be difficult. I envy everyone who is able to do major renovations
 
flyingsit said:
Quartz, maybe you need to be clear with the contractors that you will select all materials etc., you just need them to do the actual work.
Click to expand...
I showed the contractor the 200 pictures on my pinterest.
He started yapping about all sorts of other stuff instead. (Because I am the ultimate invisible woman)
I said to my husband after, "see what happens when you let a Dutchman into your house??" lol.....
 
@flyingsit and @alexikeguchi (and everyone else can chime in too! :) ), I'd love to hear about your experiences getting the right paperwork together for reno/building projects.

I JUST started a new job at the Dept of Building and Safety in LA, working on the public-facing website, and my first few days was a self-driven crash course about just what the heck happens around here. :lol: They're set to launch in mere weeks, so there isn't enough time to pull together focus groups, so I'm trying to pick up as much knowledge wherever I can. I'm more familiar with what happens in the organization, but I have no clue about how they work outside of the dept, LA or not. I've only lived in apartments, so...:shuffle:


As for me, Alf wants to move again, but we have a very specific location we're set on (we want to stay at the same metro stop, just somewhat closer to the station so it's further away from what he perceives as gangland), so it's just a matter of waiting until a listing that allows pets shows up. Which doesn't exactly inspire me to FINALLY put art up on the walls or anything like that. :shuffle:
 
agalisgv said:
Aw, that's sad you're leaving OK, alexekeguchi :(. Congrats on the new job and home offer, tho.
Click to expand...

I'm actually keeping my job here, which I love, and will commute. However, my nest is about to be empty, so it's time to make some changes. I'll rent in downtown OKC to be closer to work during the week, and I have generous vacation and conference time that I can spend in NY closer to the rest of my family. Ultimately, that's my forever home.

Anita18 said:
@flyingsit and @alexikeguchi (and everyone else can chime in too! :) ), I'd love to hear about your experiences getting the right paperwork together for reno/building projects.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I can't tell you much about that process since I 100% outsourced it. I heard enough horror stories about trying to deal directly with the bureaucracy at NY's DOB, so I didn't even attempt. On top of that, the apartment building is a coop, and the neighborhood is land-marked, so the project had to be presented to two additional committees. It took over 2 years start to finish, with only 8 months of that being actual construction. LA can't possibly be worse though I'm sure you'll leave it better than you found it!
 
quartz said:
I think designers/contractors/architects don't like working with people who know exactly what they want. Makes it much harder to get you to bend to their ideas.
Click to expand...

reckless said:
She is architect number two. The first one fired me because I "know what want to build."
Click to expand...

My architect/designer was a woman, and I specifically chose to work with her because she took a very collaborative approach. Her own esthetic is much more modern, and mine is super-traditional, so I think we balanced out well in the end. I don't know if it's possible to find a female GC where you live, quartz, or if you are already committed to the one you mentioned, but a woman might be more flexible in incorporating your wish-list items.
 
GarrAarghHrumph said:
Unlike SOME PEOPLE (lol), I like painted kitchen cabinets. If they are painted white.

IMO, it would be a shame to tear out real wood cabinets. It's just tragic. I'd do whatever I could to save them, even if I had the money to replace. Modern cabinets are no where near that quality. You've got gold in your hands.

If your cabinets are real wood, which from that era they would be, you could refinish them, or paint them. Painting's a bit easier than refinishing, if you're doing the work yourself.

If you choose to paint them, you'll need to clean them well first, to remove all the grease (I use TSP or mineral spirits), and sand them to rough up the existing surface so paint will stick. I'd recommend priming, then painting. When you do all this, for it to come out good looking, you need to remove the cabinet doors and remove the hardware.

If you choose to refinish them, that's a bigger job. You'd need to strip them/sand them to remove the existing finish and the old, dark stain. Or you could pay to have them dipped. You'd then stain, then apply 2-3 coats of a clear topcoat (poly.) Again, removing all hardware, etc., before you do this.

Rustoleum has a cabinet refinishing kit in a box at The Home Depot. It's designed to make it look easy to use. It is not. If you want to try it, be aware of that. The results can be good, but it's no where near as quick a process as they imply. If interested, watch their videos online first, and ignore the smiles on the actors - you won't be smiling. ;)
Click to expand...

I am not a big fan of painted cabinets, but I painted all of mine (kitchen and three baths) 2 years ago because I could not justify the cost of replacement. They look much, much better than they used to. It was a huge job, though, and requires all of the steps mentioned above. Buy lots of painter's tape, and maybe take a class offered at Home Depot or Lowe's to get the finer points, and maybe learn about glazing for a professional look. It was more costly than I expected because I put on a primer plus multiple coats of paint (even with the "paint & primer in one brands). Went through lots of rollers & brushes & sponges. Then had to touch up the walls that got dinged. Good luck!
 
alexikeguchi said:
Unfortunately, I can't tell you much about that process since I 100% outsourced it. I heard enough horror stories about trying to deal directly with the bureaucracy at NY's DOB, so I didn't even attempt. On top of that, the apartment building is a coop, and the neighborhood is land-marked, so the project had to be presented to two additional committees. It took over 2 years start to finish, with only 8 months of that being actual construction. LA can't possibly be worse though I'm sure you'll leave it better than you found it!
Click to expand...
That's good to know and helpful too. :)
 
Quartz good luck with the reno, we finally paid our house off an have started doing some work too.. But we started with new insulation, new roof, removed oil furnace an tank replaced with gas, new windows our kitchen not too bad as we updated it 10 years ago with a new kitchen from Home Depot an all white because we have a 1950's brick ranch bungalow that was all dark wood, carpet, wall paper an galley kitchen so the white cabinetry an black counters really updated it.. Now we are finally doing the cosmetic type stuff, got new flooring in the basement an ceramic tiles in the kitchen an main bathroom.. I have thought about getting in a design type person because I don't have that gene an now onto the more cosmetic stuff I need help.. Also need landscaping help.. An updated electrics an plumbing too,. We are a work in progress lol.. We keep spending our $$$ on travel an fun..

Once_upon, I'm glad we got light cabinetry an pulled up all the carpets an exposed the original hardwood and pulled down all the wall paper an went with light colours, the 50's houses were dark an dingy IMHO
 
Anita18, when we did structural stuff in our current house, the contractor handled everything with the permits which seems to be typical, at least here in Virgina. At the new house, it's the builder's responsibility.
 
quartz, I don't know how close you are to Toronto but I know it is only a few hours drive to Detroit. If you ever watched Rehab Addict there are several stores there where the builder buys reclaimed house parts so her restorations will be authentic. Detroit has had hundreds of abandoned houses torn down & these stores have sinks & tubs & all kinds of things from every era at reasonable prices. You could take a U-Haul down there & get art deco replacements for your house. Actually any large city probably has stores like that. I would imagine Toronto has several. I don't know about you but I would rather have reclaimed stuff that was built to last than new imitations.
 
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