Home reno/redecorating support group

[4rkidz]

An old friend is now working as an interior decorator, so have taken the plung an booked her to come in on Monday for a consult! Told her I have no style, but before we get the rooms redecorated etc I wanted to see what a pro thought, so now she's bringing her lap top as she has this program that would show how it would look an also all sorts of colour swatches an samples.. We have a mid century bungalow, hard wood floors etc but pretty small so I'm curious what she will suggest.. Hubby thinks I'm daft

 

[flyingsit]

Reckless, that backsplash is absolutely stunning. Now I'm drooling...

The window treatments person is going to give us a quote on using honeycomb shades most everywhere, with blackouts in the bedrooms. I love the Silhouettes, but I think their sheer fabric combined with two cats would be a Bad Idea. There are some windows that we are not going to put anything on, as the way the houses are laid out we won't be able to see the neighbors or them us from those rooms.

 

[skatesindreams]

An old friend is now working as an interior decorator, so have taken the plung an booked her to come in on Monday for a consult! Told her I have no style, but before we get the rooms redecorated etc I wanted to see what a pro thought, so now she's bringing her lap top as she has this program that would show how it would look an also all sorts of colour swatches an samples.. We have a mid century bungalow, hard wood floors etc but pretty small so I'm curious what she will suggest.. Hubby thinks I'm daft

I'm sure she'll be able to help you discover what you like and visualize/suggest possible options.
That can be a real assist.

 

[flyingsit]

Our house is getting there... the kitchen appliances are in, bathrooms are done except for putting in the mirrors, lights are in. Floors and carpet get installed within the week. Of course, the pendant lights over the island are not aligned properly, they forgot to drill the hole in the counter for the soap dispenser.

I just ordered honeycomb shades for the windows which need them, and scheduled our moving company to deliver all of our stuff (which they are holding in storage) on September 2.

 

[madm]

I have the Hunter Douglas Duette blackout shades in our bedrooms and I love them. I have had Hunter Douglas Silhouette shades on most of the other windows in the house (except the kitchen) for nearly 30 years, and I like being able to open them and have filtered light coming in the rooms. We had our daughter's two cats living with us for a year, and they never bothered the shades. They just stared through them, or under them when I raised them a bit so they could see out. One cat would nose his way past the edge to look out of an unobstructed window sometimes.

 

[quartz]

Well, I am back from vacation and also have had a birthday, so this is what I consider to be the start of a new year. Since I also work at a college, and we are gearing up for a new school year, it seems appropriate for this time to be where I vow once and for all to get my shit together and stop procrastinating and have a fresh start on stuff.

The husband and I did some discussing while on holidays as to our need to get going on our list of things to do.
So, my plan is to get some more decluttering done over the next few weeks, and then get back painting my daughters old bedroom which I started last fall, as we will move into that once its done. Then we will redo the son's bedroom floor and repaint, and then the hall and stairs. That is the plan!!
(and I want it done by Christmas.....)

So. I need people to pester and nag me to get my butt in gear. Thank you!

 

[antmanb]

Well, I am back from vacation and also have had a birthday, so this is what I consider to be the start of a new year. Since I also work at a college, and we are gearing up for a new school year, it seems appropriate for this time to be where I vow once and for all to get my shit together and stop procrastinating and have a fresh start on stuff.

The husband and I did some discussing while on holidays as to our need to get going on our list of things to do.
So, my plan is to get some more decluttering done over the next few weeks, and then get back painting my daughters old bedroom which I started last fall, as we will move into that once its done. Then we will redo the son's bedroom floor and repaint, and then the hall and stairs. That is the plan!!
(and I want it done by Christmas.....)

So. I need people to pester and nag me to get my butt in gear. Thank you!

Have you done it yet?

Have you done it yet?

How about now?

 

[quartz]

Have you done it yet?

Have you done it yet?

How about now?

I put a book in the Goodwill box last night. That's progress.

 

[antmanb]

I put a book in the Goodwill box last night. That's progress.

I have decided that if we wait to save up money to do everything we want to do it will never happen because we invariably spend the money on a holiday or something else.

So my new plan is to start doing things like buying the wall paper and tiles that we like and storing them in the loft until we have all the pieces for one room together then get them done that way.

So far though my car needed two new front tyres and the back ones are nearly ready to be replaced too so.....

 

[quartz]

My problem isn't even the money. My husband has 20k JUST SITTING THERE WAITING FOR THE KITCHEN RENO.
What kind of dumbass woman am I, not to be jumping all over that??

 

[madm]

Hire a contractor or kitchen remodel company, and it will get done fast!!! They just need you to make decisions on the materials quickly, and then it will be done ... like magic!

 

[quartz]

Decisions have been made....I know exactly what I want, cupboards, counter, backsplash, flooring, move the stove (this is the only layout change and requires the gas line to be moved, but all plumbing and lighting fixtures are staying in the same place), put cupboards where the stove was, and build a banquet in the nook. It's mostly cosmetic. Had it figured out years ago.
I just don't like dealing with contractors. They always want to take something simple and straightforward and make it complicated and add all sorts of frippery and fancy stuff I have no interest in.

 

[skatesindreams]

Screen contractors over the phone; and interview/take bids from those who seem likely candidates.
You should be able to find someone who will follow your wishes.

You've waited long enough!

 

[madm]

We used a company that only does high-end remodels, and our kitchen remodel was completely painless. They have architects, interior designers, and project managers who handle the entire project. They have excellent subcontractors they deal with all the time. If you already have the design figured out, I would negotiate with them to have your project reviewed by the architect and designer first, who may suggest minor tweaks that are structurally necessary or may be improvements over your design. Don't pay for the full blown design services. Having a project manager is invaluable, as that person will manage all the subcontrators for you and will schedule them and the inspectors back-to-back. Trying to manage individual contractors yourself is a real pain, and they do not coordinate with each other, which can cause major headaches if something is not located right or prepped right (especially plumbing, electrical, counters, flooring and cabinets). You get what you pay for, and hiring a full-service company is worth it. Look on Houzz's website for recommended remodel specialists in your area. Not only will you get contractor's discounts on all materials, but you will also get some kind of workmanship warranty from a full-service company. We have a 5-year warranty on workmanship, and our company pays a $100/day refund for every day they slip the schedule due to their fault (not your requested changes in scope).

 

[flyingsit]

Back from vacation and it's almost time for the new house! We are scheduled to move in two weeks from today. Can't wait to go over and see it this afternoon; they should have finished a lot of the items we brought up as needing adjustment before we left, since our official walk-through is Monday afternoon.

It will be a busy couple of weeks...
Monday August 24: walk through with builder (create punch list)
Tuesday August 25: inspection (add to punch list)
Friday August 28: final walk through with builder
Monday August 31: closing! it'll be ours!
Monday August 31: have internet turned on in new house
Tuesday September 1: refrigerator, washer/dryer, and blinds installed
Wednesday September 2: movers come and unload truck full of stuff
Thursday September 3: move from temp apartment into the house

Stress and happiness at the same time!

 

[skatesindreams]

Keep us posted, flyingsit.
I'll be thinking of you as the process progresses.

 

[antmanb]

So I think I might have convinced myself that I want to reconfigure the loft conversion the previous owners did and extend it back over the two spare bedrooms to create a big master suite with walk in wardrobe/dressing room and en-suite bathroom.

I thought our house had been extended as much as is possible under the planning laws, but I have confirmed that is not the case.

I have also put a couple of calls out to architects who can produce drawings/designs for the space and who can sort all the buildings regulations and planning permissions.

While this is our "forever home" and we are not planning to sell, the added bonus will be the increase in value by adding a big master bedroom and another bathroom.

I'm kind of excited and daunted at the same time.

 

[flyingsit]

Moved into the new house last Wednesday. The majority of boxes are unpacked and things put away... of course I'm sure I will rearrange the kitchen sooner or later, had to decide where to put everything on the fly. And we don't have furniture in the master bedroom yet; the new master is bigger than our previous one, so we upgraded from queen to king and put the old furniture in a guest room. It should be here in the next 10 days or so, I think.

In the next few days we'll start hanging pictures on the walls and that's when I will really feel settled -- even though we have our furniture and all our things, it still doesn't quite feel like home with blank walls. But it's getting there!

 

[quartz]

Sounds fabulous, flyingsit! Once you are all settled in you can relax and enjoy the new skating season. Did you get a huge new TV too?

I have no reno progress reports. I have been focussing on major de-cluttering and reorganizing, which is an ongoing battle when you are a collector living in a little bitty space.

My current project involves my daughter. She moved to faux London 4 years ago, and has been living in a stark, bland, 70's concrete box high rise with various messy roommates. Total student living experience. Now that she is done school, and working full time, it was time for new accommodations.
Her wish list was: central location, an old house apartment not a building, secure entry, no carpet, laundry facilities, pets allowed, for $800.

Well, she got everything on her list. She has a wonderfully quirky attic apartment in a century old house, with sloped ceilings and dormer windows, right in the beautiful Victoria Park/Richmond Row neighborhood, $650 plus heat.

It's going to be a challenge to furnish and decorate, and the bathroom and kitchen are somewhat awkward but it has a ton of potential to be a very charming and interesting space, just right for where she is at in life.

We are going to a big antique market this weekend, and in a few weeks we will do an Ikea trip. We have a lot of similar tastes, so she very much welcomes my suggestions. So much fun!

 

[flyingsit]

The thought of an actual apartment for $650/month boggles my mind. I've always lived in high-cost areas.

And yes, my husband insisted on a HUGE new TV. We bought it last week, and yesterday the nice people from Best Buy came and mounted it on the wall for us. We picked one with a great web interface so I can watch skating on it without hooking up a laptop or anything. Will try that part out soon.

 

[Debbie S]

@flyingsit, which TV did you get? Do you need Wi-fi to get the Internet part to work? (pardon my total lack of tech knowledge, lol)

 

[flyingsit]

@flyingsit, which TV did you get? Do you need Wi-fi to get the Internet part to work? (pardon my total lack of tech knowledge, lol)

It's an LG. They have a webOS which looks pretty cool; it can be either wi-fi or hardwired, and we have a network jack on that wall as well. Haven't connected it to the net just yet though.

 

[antmanb]

I have to say that it's been a revelation hard wiring our smart tv to the modem rather than relying on wifi. I knew the speeds would be better hard wired, but its so much faster i'm really please we did.

 

[quartz]

On Friday night, I had my first look at my daughters new apt, as I had only seen pictures. (She got the keys on Sept 1st, but won't be moving in until the 26th.)

Now that I have seen how the whole apt flows, rather than individual pics, I have a better sense of the furniture placement challenges, and calling it quirky was definitely the correct description. There is not a single aspect of the apartment that is standard or normal. We have got some great ideas for decorating, and I am sure it's going to be delightfully charming.

The landlord still has a few repairs to do, including replacing broken glass and screen on one of the windows, and also the entire apartment needs to be painted.

We did have a lovely day antiquing yesterday, and she got a few nice decorative pieces, a very cool small wooden chest with gorgeous patina, a nicely weathered and chippy painted window frame, three skeletal diagrams taken from a 1930's anatomy book, ready for framing, and some medical paraphernalia.
The decor theme is looking to be, Ikea Modern Meets Shabby Vintage.

 

[quartz]

Update on my daughter's apartment: my husband had to have a pissing contest with her landlord over repairs and painting NOT DONE by the move-in date, despite him having four weeks with access to an empty apartment. Instead my kid had to be majorly inconvenienced and stressed by having all the things that should have been done before she moved in, not completed until after moving in, and having to deal with various repairmen and painters invading her privacy and disrupting her schedule. Very frustrating and totally unnecessary. Landlord is a complete dickwad, and I wanted to punch him three seconds after meeting him. Asswipe.

However, we have now put that behind us, and are working on all the fun stuff of helping her get set up, shopping and decorating. We made a trip to IKEA yesterday (FIVE HOURS!! - which is about 3 hours more than my husband can handle ), but we survived and she got some great stuff. It is getting to be a very cozy and cute little apartment, and if I were 22 and single, it would be exactly the kind of space I would want. So much fun!

I was only going to stock up on candles at IKEA, but somehow managed to spend $155, and brought home a giant bag of stuff!

The husband and I also looked at their kitchens, - wow, look at this drawer divider!, and hey check out this sink, and OMG, they sell quartz countertops now! We are maybe ready to call some new contractors in and get some more estimates. (We had a $40,000 estimate on our kitchen, about 18 months ago and it TOTALLY freaked us out and paralyzed us from proceeding with this reno.)

Does anyone here have IKEA cupboards? Our house is not fancy, so we have no need for top of the line cabinets, but we want them to last, as this will be our one and only kitchen reno and we plan on staying in this house as long as we are able. Pros? Cons? We really need to start spending some money! (Just not 40k!)

 

[quartz]

Has anyone ever had an old light fixture (chandelier) rewired? Is it expensive?
What about having an old porcelain sink re-enameled? Is that expensive?

And by expensive, I mean at least half the cost of what a new item would be. The sinks I am looking at start at about $800, so even if redoing my old sink was $400, that is still a considerable savings.

I am scared to start pricing new chandeliers; the one I have is stunning and was only $25 at Goodwill. I really hope it's feasible to get it rewired.

 

[vesperholly]

Does anyone here have IKEA cupboards? Our house is not fancy, so we have no need for top of the line cabinets, but we want them to last, as this will be our one and only kitchen reno and we plan on staying in this house as long as we are able. Pros? Cons? We really need to start spending some money! (Just not 40k!)

A friend of mine redid his kitchen with IKEA cabinets several years ago and they look great. When I redid my kitchen (tiny condo size) with a local company, I got the lowest-end cabinets they had. Very simple pine with square frames, and they're actually really high quality. Solid and look brand new 7 years later. What was the bulk of the cost in that $40,000 estimate, outside of labor?

I had a Pottery Barn lamp fixed at a local lighting shop when it stopped working and it cost $40. Half the cost was a new sliding switch box. Chandeliers are crazy expensive if you're selective at all (I haven't been able to find one I really like under $300), so if you love the one you have, I'd get it rewired it for sure.

 

[quartz]

Thanks @vesperholly!

 

[quartz]

Bumping up this thread to ask how everyone's renos/ redecorating projects have gone or are going?

We did exactly nothing all last fall and winter except help our daughter in her shopping and redecorating projects. She had to buy quite a bit of new furniture and that is all done, and she just needs to do some painting to add more color, get some new bedding and put up a couple more shelves. Her apartment is adorable.

So now it's time to get back on track with my house. Husband-wife conversations are in progress and they actually seem a little more committed and a lot less vague than usual. There might even actually be some things to report soon!

 

[made_in_canada]

Our big kitchen renovation is on hold (we're hemorrhaging money right now to a wedding and a trip to Europe in the fall and even if the money is set aside I just can't deal with spending more money!), but we did manage to replace the cheap curtains in the living and dining room with custom shades that are as cat-proof as they come. I can't believe the difference that makes. I feel so grown up, lol. We did also replace our kitchen appliances which were all on their last legs. That has made a big difference in how much I'm annoyed by my kitchen.