I’m now into Reno Day 2 and day 1 went over without a major hitch but of course there is always something.
I had purchased a vintage pole light from a thrift store a few weeks back. It was a major find and I had been very excited about it. It had only cost me $5.00. Let’s just say my pole light is now in the bin. It got thrown out by accident. Poor Josh, he was so sorry. This morning I took precaution and put sticky notes on everything I wanted to keep….even if it was obvious. We all had a good laugh about that. You have to laugh during a reno, at least that’s what they say.
I came home at lunch yesterday and they had already ripped out most of the upstairs. Everything looked good. No rot and nothing out of the ordinary. My phone got disconnected by accident but will be hooked up again today and I was without my computer last night. All things I could live without.
I actually had a bath in my open concept upstairs. It was quite romantic with all the lights out and being in the open area with all the windows. I was really happy because even with all the windows you could not to see in. My yard is very private at the back and from the angle of the bath from the front of the house you couldn’t see a thing…all I could see from the tub was treetops.
I couldn’t have the heat on yesterday but my fireplace kept the house very toasty. Our weather forecast for tomorrow is 18 C so that makes it even easier.
My cats faired quite well. A little freaked out but not too bad.
I’m heading home again at lunch to see the progress. My downstairs is being ripped apart as I type this. All that will be left in my kitchen is my sink, stove and fridge.
Dinner tonight will be interesting…although, surprisingly…I haven’t been hungry. Stress will do that to a person….although it seems a trip to Charlies chocolate factory was in order yesterday after I had viewed my house gutted. Ah chocolate…a stress reliever!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
And the walls come down
Did I sleep last night? Not too well I’m afraid. This is it. It’s finally arrived. The bin makes its way to my driveway and the walls are coming down.
My youngest daughter arrived home yesterday from Thailand and after hours of evening chat (which was a great distraction) I knew she and I needed to hit the hay. She hadn’t slept for 24 hours and I, well I knew I’d be up early.
Not much sleep happened. Two cats and an extra person in your bed plus the impending knowledge that your house would be shredded in the morning doesn’t leave much room for sleep. I dismantled her room a few weeks ago and all that remains in the center of it is a dresser with a sheet draped over it. My house is pretty empty. It looks like a summer cottage that is sleeping for the winter. Bare rooms with white sheets draped over big furniture pieces that don't fit in the garage are patiently waiting for the dust to fall. Kitchen counters free from clutter and empty cabinets are ready to be pulled from their supports.
In one hour Josh will arrive and we will go over what stays and what goes and I’ve decided I’ll be making my way home during lunch to see the progress and to see how Heather and the cats are fairing.
I’ve finalized my IKEA kitchen. I pretty much spent the whole weekend sitting in the kitchen dept. at IKEA, although I did take a break from it and go soaker tub shopping. The place I really wanted to go was closed. Imagine that. A large Kohler showroom closed on a Saturday. I don’t get it. I’ll have to make my way there during the week sometime. I’ve got my eye on a tub but I want to test it out first. Make sure it’s the right fit for me. Sounds like buying a car, doesn’t it?
I’m still not 100% sure about the kitchen. I’m on the fence whether to go with white shiny upper cabinets or matt finish. I’m going to take my daughter with me this weekend to make that decision. The kitchen has to be ordered before March 28th. I’ll wait till the last minute because obviously it’s not time to put the kitchen in. You have to understand that IKEA kitchens come in tons of boxes. I’m guessing there will be approximately 120 boxes in total. I’ll be hiring a company that specializes in assembling and installing IKEA kitchens. They can do the whole thing in one day, which apparently is well worth the money and sanity. I figure with this sale I will save about $778.00. in IKEA gift cards. I have my eye on some shelving units that I will purchase with that savings plus I’ll have left overs to purchase something else. The shelving will go in my dining room to separate the hall but still have light filtering through. The beauty of this shelving unit is you can get drawers and cupboards to close off some of the areas. I love the look of it.
I can’t believe I’m really doing this. It’s all come together…now all I need is that bloody permit and the construction can begin.
My youngest daughter arrived home yesterday from Thailand and after hours of evening chat (which was a great distraction) I knew she and I needed to hit the hay. She hadn’t slept for 24 hours and I, well I knew I’d be up early.
Not much sleep happened. Two cats and an extra person in your bed plus the impending knowledge that your house would be shredded in the morning doesn’t leave much room for sleep. I dismantled her room a few weeks ago and all that remains in the center of it is a dresser with a sheet draped over it. My house is pretty empty. It looks like a summer cottage that is sleeping for the winter. Bare rooms with white sheets draped over big furniture pieces that don't fit in the garage are patiently waiting for the dust to fall. Kitchen counters free from clutter and empty cabinets are ready to be pulled from their supports.
In one hour Josh will arrive and we will go over what stays and what goes and I’ve decided I’ll be making my way home during lunch to see the progress and to see how Heather and the cats are fairing.
I’ve finalized my IKEA kitchen. I pretty much spent the whole weekend sitting in the kitchen dept. at IKEA, although I did take a break from it and go soaker tub shopping. The place I really wanted to go was closed. Imagine that. A large Kohler showroom closed on a Saturday. I don’t get it. I’ll have to make my way there during the week sometime. I’ve got my eye on a tub but I want to test it out first. Make sure it’s the right fit for me. Sounds like buying a car, doesn’t it?
I’m still not 100% sure about the kitchen. I’m on the fence whether to go with white shiny upper cabinets or matt finish. I’m going to take my daughter with me this weekend to make that decision. The kitchen has to be ordered before March 28th. I’ll wait till the last minute because obviously it’s not time to put the kitchen in. You have to understand that IKEA kitchens come in tons of boxes. I’m guessing there will be approximately 120 boxes in total. I’ll be hiring a company that specializes in assembling and installing IKEA kitchens. They can do the whole thing in one day, which apparently is well worth the money and sanity. I figure with this sale I will save about $778.00. in IKEA gift cards. I have my eye on some shelving units that I will purchase with that savings plus I’ll have left overs to purchase something else. The shelving will go in my dining room to separate the hall but still have light filtering through. The beauty of this shelving unit is you can get drawers and cupboards to close off some of the areas. I love the look of it.
I can’t believe I’m really doing this. It’s all come together…now all I need is that bloody permit and the construction can begin.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Choices
My nights seem to be getting shorter. I seem to wake up and suddenly think about tile choices, appliance choices, kitchen variations, carpet colors and of course the all important “budget”. Did I say budget? I’m just wondering if there is such a thing when it comes to renos.
This will be my last weekend of so called normalcy for the next couple of months. My daughter comes home from Thailand on Monday and on Tuesday the changes will be happening in my humble abode. A monstrous bin arrives in my driveway along with flailing crowbars, pounding sledgehammers and sweaty man muscles.
Josh will arrive very early Tuesday, before I go to work and we will talk about what stays for a while and all that goes. The bin will be here for a while and it shouldn’t be too hard to rip this puppy apart. There’s no drywall, which makes life simpler for Josh and for the fact that drywall has to stay separated in the bin (apparently drywall is not accepted by the dump). For some strange reason I’m not worried about finding “surprises” in this house. The only thing that has me baffled is the little hump in my bedroom floor. It’s not directly over the beam. Which I thought may be the beam crowning. I guess I’ll find out Tuesday when the carpet comes up what that’s all about (I hope it’s not a dead body). We are leaving the insulation in the walls until we get the actual permit from the city. Hopefully that will be a couple of days after the tear down. I’m pretty well living out of boxes now because I’ve had to pack everything up for this reno. It’s not too bad actually. I have had no problem cooking. Luckily my garage is right off the kitchen so it’s easy to access some of my food. (the garage is actually a room right now but will be a garage again after the major reno is done).
I had a major dilemma yesterday, laminate or Bamboo flooring. I’ve had a certain laminate picked out for months now and I haven’t been able to find any others I have liked more. When I was at my little flooring store I found they had floating bamboo flooring for $3.99 a sq ft. I liked it and very much contemplated using that instead of the laminate. I decided to stop into the store where the laminate I liked was and low and behold it was on sale. $2.09 including underlay/vapor barrier and all taxes in. The sale was happening until the following day. I would save $300.00 If I purchased it. There the dilemma began. I had to make a choice quickly. I asked for advice from people, visited the place with the bamboo to see if I could get an even better deal (nope). Went online to find info and reviews on bamboo flooring…that wasn’t great. I looked at the pros and the cons.
My pros for bamboo:
Looks great
Perceived better resale value
Cons:
Scratches easily
Will fade in the sunlight, like all hardwood
Shows foot print marks and marks from my cats paws
It costs more
More maintenance
Pros and cons of laminate
Pros for laminate:
Looks great
Doesn’t scratch, even taking a key and digging into it
Doesn’t show any foot prints or cat prints
Very low maintenance
Doesn’t fade in direct sun
Cost effective
Won’t show dirt as easily
I don’t have to worry about wrecking it and nagging people when they come over
Cons:
Doubtful, but may effect re-sale value of house
It’s not real
So, I chose the laminate and I figure I saved about $2,000 by going with it. I’ve purchased it and they are holding it until I need it. I can take back what I don’t use as long as it’s still in the box unopened. I also had them wave the return policy of 30 days from purchase date.
My Delta faucets have now been ordered. I will get all the sink faucet sets and toilet roll holders for free and will have to pay the employee purchase price for the tub and shower sets (this will be approx. 50% off retail) I figure I’ll save about $1,500.00 plus on all the fixtures. They are top of the line faucets and are beautiful!
I am heading to IKEA this weekend to finalize what I need for my kitchen cupboards. They have a kitchen event until May 28th so I’ll have to order before then. I’ll save 15% off my cabinets in IKEA gift cards, which will pay for my microwave/fan and part of my dishwasher. I have decided to purchase my microwave/fan and dishwasher from IKEA. The reason is I like the microwave and I can get a panel for the front of the dishwasher, which will make it look like the cupboard fronts I’ve picked for the kitchen. It will have a more streamlined look. Apparently the appliances at IKEA are made by Whirlpool. These are an okay brand of appliance and are easy to have serviced. I have also decided to go with a Fisher and Paykel gas stove and fridge from Trail appliances. Two reasons for this. I love the look and fit for the refrigerator and they are also top of the line appliances. It’s not a huge fridge, but the thing I love about it is it has a water dispenser in the door. It’s the smallest fridge I could find with that. I want a cabinet above the refrigerator and this fridge will fit that. The drawers on the inside are very solid and you can definitely tell the difference going from fridge brand to fridge brand in the store. I still have to try to swing a deal for those. I did find the fridge floor model for $500.00 off but it had a little dent in the bottom freezer door and it just wasn’t something I wanted to see every time I went to my fridge.
I have been to my little flooring store about three times and have chosen my tile for the kitchen, the upstairs main bathroom and some for my master suite. I think the most fun will be the main bath. I’ve chosen small hexagon white tile for the floor. White subway tile for the walls and tub area and glass multi green mosaic tile to tie in to the 1950’s green free standing sinks. There will be a boarder of it in the sink area and in the tub area.
The kitchen tile is 12” X 24” porcelain, which looks like cream travertine. It’s beautiful! And at $2.99 sf, very cost effective. I am still not sure what I’d like for my kitchen backsplash but most likely it will be mosaic of some type because that’s what I gravitate towards.
Well, that’s my update for now. It’s coming together. Now if I could only get rid of this knot in my stomach all would be good.
This will be my last weekend of so called normalcy for the next couple of months. My daughter comes home from Thailand on Monday and on Tuesday the changes will be happening in my humble abode. A monstrous bin arrives in my driveway along with flailing crowbars, pounding sledgehammers and sweaty man muscles.
Josh will arrive very early Tuesday, before I go to work and we will talk about what stays for a while and all that goes. The bin will be here for a while and it shouldn’t be too hard to rip this puppy apart. There’s no drywall, which makes life simpler for Josh and for the fact that drywall has to stay separated in the bin (apparently drywall is not accepted by the dump). For some strange reason I’m not worried about finding “surprises” in this house. The only thing that has me baffled is the little hump in my bedroom floor. It’s not directly over the beam. Which I thought may be the beam crowning. I guess I’ll find out Tuesday when the carpet comes up what that’s all about (I hope it’s not a dead body). We are leaving the insulation in the walls until we get the actual permit from the city. Hopefully that will be a couple of days after the tear down. I’m pretty well living out of boxes now because I’ve had to pack everything up for this reno. It’s not too bad actually. I have had no problem cooking. Luckily my garage is right off the kitchen so it’s easy to access some of my food. (the garage is actually a room right now but will be a garage again after the major reno is done).
I had a major dilemma yesterday, laminate or Bamboo flooring. I’ve had a certain laminate picked out for months now and I haven’t been able to find any others I have liked more. When I was at my little flooring store I found they had floating bamboo flooring for $3.99 a sq ft. I liked it and very much contemplated using that instead of the laminate. I decided to stop into the store where the laminate I liked was and low and behold it was on sale. $2.09 including underlay/vapor barrier and all taxes in. The sale was happening until the following day. I would save $300.00 If I purchased it. There the dilemma began. I had to make a choice quickly. I asked for advice from people, visited the place with the bamboo to see if I could get an even better deal (nope). Went online to find info and reviews on bamboo flooring…that wasn’t great. I looked at the pros and the cons.
My pros for bamboo:
Looks great
Perceived better resale value
Cons:
Scratches easily
Will fade in the sunlight, like all hardwood
Shows foot print marks and marks from my cats paws
It costs more
More maintenance
Pros and cons of laminate
Pros for laminate:
Looks great
Doesn’t scratch, even taking a key and digging into it
Doesn’t show any foot prints or cat prints
Very low maintenance
Doesn’t fade in direct sun
Cost effective
Won’t show dirt as easily
I don’t have to worry about wrecking it and nagging people when they come over
Cons:
Doubtful, but may effect re-sale value of house
It’s not real
So, I chose the laminate and I figure I saved about $2,000 by going with it. I’ve purchased it and they are holding it until I need it. I can take back what I don’t use as long as it’s still in the box unopened. I also had them wave the return policy of 30 days from purchase date.
My Delta faucets have now been ordered. I will get all the sink faucet sets and toilet roll holders for free and will have to pay the employee purchase price for the tub and shower sets (this will be approx. 50% off retail) I figure I’ll save about $1,500.00 plus on all the fixtures. They are top of the line faucets and are beautiful!
I am heading to IKEA this weekend to finalize what I need for my kitchen cupboards. They have a kitchen event until May 28th so I’ll have to order before then. I’ll save 15% off my cabinets in IKEA gift cards, which will pay for my microwave/fan and part of my dishwasher. I have decided to purchase my microwave/fan and dishwasher from IKEA. The reason is I like the microwave and I can get a panel for the front of the dishwasher, which will make it look like the cupboard fronts I’ve picked for the kitchen. It will have a more streamlined look. Apparently the appliances at IKEA are made by Whirlpool. These are an okay brand of appliance and are easy to have serviced. I have also decided to go with a Fisher and Paykel gas stove and fridge from Trail appliances. Two reasons for this. I love the look and fit for the refrigerator and they are also top of the line appliances. It’s not a huge fridge, but the thing I love about it is it has a water dispenser in the door. It’s the smallest fridge I could find with that. I want a cabinet above the refrigerator and this fridge will fit that. The drawers on the inside are very solid and you can definitely tell the difference going from fridge brand to fridge brand in the store. I still have to try to swing a deal for those. I did find the fridge floor model for $500.00 off but it had a little dent in the bottom freezer door and it just wasn’t something I wanted to see every time I went to my fridge.
I have been to my little flooring store about three times and have chosen my tile for the kitchen, the upstairs main bathroom and some for my master suite. I think the most fun will be the main bath. I’ve chosen small hexagon white tile for the floor. White subway tile for the walls and tub area and glass multi green mosaic tile to tie in to the 1950’s green free standing sinks. There will be a boarder of it in the sink area and in the tub area.
The kitchen tile is 12” X 24” porcelain, which looks like cream travertine. It’s beautiful! And at $2.99 sf, very cost effective. I am still not sure what I’d like for my kitchen backsplash but most likely it will be mosaic of some type because that’s what I gravitate towards.
Well, that’s my update for now. It’s coming together. Now if I could only get rid of this knot in my stomach all would be good.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Magically delicious!
Absolutely fabulous news…. the drawings for the existing plan of my house were done yesterday and today Josh and I met at the City Planning Dept. to hopefully have them accepted without having to get an engineer.
I guess I do have some lucky charms up my sleeve, because the pencil pusher behind the desk ended up being a leprechaun and accepted the sets of plans without us having to get an engineer. But alas, now we have to wait to have the permit processed (I knew I should have offered him the pot ‘o gold! Damn!) Josh was told it could take a week (hopefully that’s all). I would like to get going on the demo because the sooner we get started; the sooner it will be done, and the sooner I can soak in my extra deep tub in my new master bath. Which I’m sure I’ll desperately need after going through this reno. Right now it’s Thrilling. We will see how thrilling I think it is when I'm cleaning dishes in my bathtub, living with my coat and shoes on 24/7 and assuring my poor cats that everything will be okay *there will be much appeasing with Temptations cat treats .
My oldest daughter expressed her delight that I’d be coming over to cook at her house a lot but then again, we will see how much she likes me cooking for her when I’m there night after night. Don’t worry Meg it won’t be every night. I’ve got some restaurant gift cards that I can use for a night out once in a while. Plus, there’s always Kraft dinner…Kevin, hear that? You’re Mom just might need a couple of those boxes you bought from Costco.
I was supposed to go to my little flooring store I had found this afternoon but never made it. It will have to be tomorrow on my lunch break. I'm on a mission to match my 1950’s green sink with some green mosaic tile in the store so I will not be panicked to find it at the last minute . I also want to look at the laminate again and possibly the bamboo flooring which is obviously more pricey. I think the laminate I chose on Saturday is just a little too dark. Just a shade lighter would be great.
So blog world, It’s pretty probable that my house will be very “open concept” by weeks end. I sure hope so. Just in time for my youngest daughter’s arrival back home from Thailand Monday. It will be the ultimate in comfortable living for the next few months. Can we do it?.... Yes, we….(gulp)…. can.
I guess I do have some lucky charms up my sleeve, because the pencil pusher behind the desk ended up being a leprechaun and accepted the sets of plans without us having to get an engineer. But alas, now we have to wait to have the permit processed (I knew I should have offered him the pot ‘o gold! Damn!) Josh was told it could take a week (hopefully that’s all). I would like to get going on the demo because the sooner we get started; the sooner it will be done, and the sooner I can soak in my extra deep tub in my new master bath. Which I’m sure I’ll desperately need after going through this reno. Right now it’s Thrilling. We will see how thrilling I think it is when I'm cleaning dishes in my bathtub, living with my coat and shoes on 24/7 and assuring my poor cats that everything will be okay *there will be much appeasing with Temptations cat treats .
My oldest daughter expressed her delight that I’d be coming over to cook at her house a lot but then again, we will see how much she likes me cooking for her when I’m there night after night. Don’t worry Meg it won’t be every night. I’ve got some restaurant gift cards that I can use for a night out once in a while. Plus, there’s always Kraft dinner…Kevin, hear that? You’re Mom just might need a couple of those boxes you bought from Costco.
I was supposed to go to my little flooring store I had found this afternoon but never made it. It will have to be tomorrow on my lunch break. I'm on a mission to match my 1950’s green sink with some green mosaic tile in the store so I will not be panicked to find it at the last minute . I also want to look at the laminate again and possibly the bamboo flooring which is obviously more pricey. I think the laminate I chose on Saturday is just a little too dark. Just a shade lighter would be great.
So blog world, It’s pretty probable that my house will be very “open concept” by weeks end. I sure hope so. Just in time for my youngest daughter’s arrival back home from Thailand Monday. It will be the ultimate in comfortable living for the next few months. Can we do it?.... Yes, we….(gulp)…. can.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
May the force be with me...
Okay, even though I am a bit frustrated right now, yesterday I did find some sweet light at the end of the rainbow. First, the main issue…..I had taken my house plans into the city on Friday and wouldn’t you know it they want the original plans of the house, (engineering purposes). I tried to explain there are no bearing walls, it's a post and beam, and so it makes no difference but the ape behind the counter didn’t care. Oh Maple Ridge, can you please hire some sane people at city level? I called Josh from City Hall and he told me to go back, give the plans to “The Ape” and he would call him to discuss it. I followed my instructions then drove back to work and waited for the call from Josh. Turns out no, in fact Monkey Butt wants the original way the house looks…(does it really matter? We could make up the drawings and no body would know) Makes no sense to me. In the end, luckily, I had already drawn up my house the way it is (roughly). Josh told me he would not charge me anything to redraw more house plans professionally (See, I picked the right guy) and to email my rough drawings to him and he would get them done this weekend. So, this will do nothing but set us back a few days. We did find out that the city can take up to 7 days to process the permit request….not good….but there you go. It’s Maple Ridge.
Okay…now for the sweet light at the end of the rainbow. I have to tell you, I was extremely elated about this.
I had set out to go to Jack’s used building supplies yesterday, which I did. I found nothing there….but, on my way home I decided to go to a flooring store I had found on Craigslist, don’t worry, I checked it out first. I have trust issues with regards to too good a deal. This store belongs to BBB, which is a good sign. I was expecting a hole in the wall…but when I pulled up and parked I knew I was going to be a happy girl. Here I had thought they only sold laminate and hardwood and at that, a limited supply. Boy, was I wrong! They had tile, laminate, engineered, hardwood, carpet, they even do Ceasarstone countertops…they had everything I needed and at very reasonable costs I might add. I felt like I was a kid in a candy store. When I walked in the sales person was helping someone else, so I took the opportunity to browse. First thing that caught my eye was the assorted tile that adorned the wall. Better yet, there was a price on everything (per square foot). These guys were organized. Right away I found some I wanted. The other customer left and the sales guy asked if he could help. I told him I had found him on Craigslist and also told him what I was doing with my house. I mentioned I was looking for either laminate or engineered hardwood, on sale. He took me to the laminate, (12mm only) which is all I’m interested in. It was beautiful and only $1.59 a foot. I had brought my house plans with me and I asked him to do a quote for me for everything. He copied my plans. I also asked him to do a quick quote of my kitchen counters with Ceasarstone while I waited. It ended up being around the same price as the quote I got from the place that had no name brand quartz counter top!!
I picked out the tile and Ceasarstone I liked and put it with the laminate I liked…Wow! Gorgeous! One of the fears I had was running around to different places to get my tile and flooring etc. This was a one stop shopping experience and would make my reno life a lot easier. I also found carpeting I really liked. It was a $1.00 sq foot cheaper than some product I had picked out from an outlet store. I told the guy I was most likely going to purchase everything from him. I got some samples, told him I’d be back Monday with my bathroom sink to match some green tiles to and was on my way. This place is just a hop, skip and a jump away from my place of work so it will be easy to go in on my lunch break….
It is close to St. Paddy’s day. Maybe that light at the end of the rainbow I had this weekend will turn out be a pot o’ gold and the plans I submit this coming week will be okayed without a hitch!.... That is, if there is a leprechaun at city hall.
Okay…now for the sweet light at the end of the rainbow. I have to tell you, I was extremely elated about this.
I had set out to go to Jack’s used building supplies yesterday, which I did. I found nothing there….but, on my way home I decided to go to a flooring store I had found on Craigslist, don’t worry, I checked it out first. I have trust issues with regards to too good a deal. This store belongs to BBB, which is a good sign. I was expecting a hole in the wall…but when I pulled up and parked I knew I was going to be a happy girl. Here I had thought they only sold laminate and hardwood and at that, a limited supply. Boy, was I wrong! They had tile, laminate, engineered, hardwood, carpet, they even do Ceasarstone countertops…they had everything I needed and at very reasonable costs I might add. I felt like I was a kid in a candy store. When I walked in the sales person was helping someone else, so I took the opportunity to browse. First thing that caught my eye was the assorted tile that adorned the wall. Better yet, there was a price on everything (per square foot). These guys were organized. Right away I found some I wanted. The other customer left and the sales guy asked if he could help. I told him I had found him on Craigslist and also told him what I was doing with my house. I mentioned I was looking for either laminate or engineered hardwood, on sale. He took me to the laminate, (12mm only) which is all I’m interested in. It was beautiful and only $1.59 a foot. I had brought my house plans with me and I asked him to do a quote for me for everything. He copied my plans. I also asked him to do a quick quote of my kitchen counters with Ceasarstone while I waited. It ended up being around the same price as the quote I got from the place that had no name brand quartz counter top!!
I picked out the tile and Ceasarstone I liked and put it with the laminate I liked…Wow! Gorgeous! One of the fears I had was running around to different places to get my tile and flooring etc. This was a one stop shopping experience and would make my reno life a lot easier. I also found carpeting I really liked. It was a $1.00 sq foot cheaper than some product I had picked out from an outlet store. I told the guy I was most likely going to purchase everything from him. I got some samples, told him I’d be back Monday with my bathroom sink to match some green tiles to and was on my way. This place is just a hop, skip and a jump away from my place of work so it will be easy to go in on my lunch break….
It is close to St. Paddy’s day. Maybe that light at the end of the rainbow I had this weekend will turn out be a pot o’ gold and the plans I submit this coming week will be okayed without a hitch!.... That is, if there is a leprechaun at city hall.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Let the reno begin!
It’s funny how we humans just seem to be able to cope with things as they come along. The human brain is fascinating! Either that or it blocks out what it can’t handle, denial perhaps? I guess if you want something bad enough you’ll make it happen. That is what my house is all about. I love the challenge. I love changing an ugly duckling into a graceful swan. I love taking ideas and switching them around and not going with the status quo. Some people think I’m nuts for the things I’m doing with the house and some people totally “get it”…either that or they don’t want to state their real opinions. I know I’m eccentric. I know most people would not undertake this…and who knows, in a few days I may agree with them.
My house plans are now ready. They are being printed off today and by tomorrow I’ll be heading to the city to submit them for a permit. I am imagining that by next week my house will look like a bomb went off. There will be no interior walls, no tile, no carpet. Just the bare minimum, bathtub perhaps and a kitchen sink. I’ll be cold for a while without any insulation. I’ll be using sheets to tack up on the windows for a little privacy. I’ll be hacking up dust and wishing for normalcy. Yes, pure bliss.
My window inserts arrived for my front door yesterday. This front door has started to cost a fortune…but I know what I want…and that front door will set the tone for what is inside these four walls.
I’m off to Jack’s used building supplies on Saturday. I want to look at some of the sinks they have. That place is a gold mine for unique finds. They also have tons of doors and I still need some of those. Who knows what oddities or treasures will be waiting for me.
Wish me luck with that permit. Let’s get this show on the road!
My house plans are now ready. They are being printed off today and by tomorrow I’ll be heading to the city to submit them for a permit. I am imagining that by next week my house will look like a bomb went off. There will be no interior walls, no tile, no carpet. Just the bare minimum, bathtub perhaps and a kitchen sink. I’ll be cold for a while without any insulation. I’ll be using sheets to tack up on the windows for a little privacy. I’ll be hacking up dust and wishing for normalcy. Yes, pure bliss.
My window inserts arrived for my front door yesterday. This front door has started to cost a fortune…but I know what I want…and that front door will set the tone for what is inside these four walls.
I’m off to Jack’s used building supplies on Saturday. I want to look at some of the sinks they have. That place is a gold mine for unique finds. They also have tons of doors and I still need some of those. Who knows what oddities or treasures will be waiting for me.
Wish me luck with that permit. Let’s get this show on the road!
Monday, March 1, 2010
These Olympic Games have really distracted me to the point of not quite finishing packing up my house to get this reno going. This morning and tonight after work should do it though. I basically have the contents of the kitchen cupboards to pack up and I’m done!
The first round of house plans are finished and the final should be done by today or tomorrow. I thanked Josh for including a door in my bathroom and giving me a way to enter my home through the front of the house. The plans look great! I also received my new Schlage door knob and dead bolt Friday. So pretty and shiny...precious, my precious.
Home Depot had a deal this weekend I just couldn’t pass up. It was difficult for me to give in because I had decided on more sleek and stylish models.
What the hell am I talking about you ask?
Why toilets of course.
Some municipalities were offering rebates on low flow toilets (mine NOT included) but I will get a rebate when the energy guy returns. $65.00 per toilet to be exact. There were three to choose from that were on sale, American Standard, Kohler and Pegasus (HD brand). I chose the Kohler. It was the most expensive of the three but I think it was the right choice. My only concern is the color. Even though it’s white, every company has different whites and I may not choose Kohler bathtubs. The only place it may be a concern is my main bathroom. But there will be a wall separating it from the bath so I should be okay. Worst case scenario, I take it back and get a different one. Like I said I wanted a more sleek model but the cost difference was significant! The toilets after rebate will cost me $84.00 each as apposed to some of the ToTo toilets I was looking at which were $400 - $500 each. My thoughts are spend the money in more important places, like a soaker tub. Kohler is a good make and that particular toilet got good reviews.
I was up at the crack of dawn on Saturday, actually before the crack. I studied the three different brands of toilets. Made sure they were included on my rebate and was at Home Depot at 6:45 am. I new there would be a run on toilets….ha ha…and I wanted to be able to nab three. I new I wouldn’t be able to get them all in the car but I thought I’d be able to pay for them all, get one or two in the car and come back to get the other(s). Well, HD wouldn’t let me do that. I quickly phoned Ralph. He lives 2 minutes away. I told him my situation and like a gallant knight he came and picked up one of the toilets for me. I ended up getting two in my car. He and my Mom brought the toilet over later that morning. I had wanted to ask him about ripping up my driveway and putting in new concrete…(that’s what he does for a living). I thought while I was at it I would re-surface my front door area and the back patio. I also need my side yard re-done. He’s going to put a quote together for me. This wouldn’t happen until after my house reno but I want to make sure to leave some moola for that. Fingers crossed…. I have moola left for that.
I made a decision Friday. I want to use some of the wood slats on my walls in a different way in the house. Maybe plane them down, stain them darker and put them on a horizontal angle to the wall. I could do this in the living room to unfortunately replace the existing mahogany paneling (which I wanted to keep but it’s in too horrid a condition). Or, do the same thing behind the master bed to use like a headboard, which looks uber-cool. I’ve seen it done. That way I can still keep some of the original materials in the house.
Well, it’s time to finish packing. By tomorrow I should be ready to go to the city for a building permit. Holy shit! I’m really doing this.
The first round of house plans are finished and the final should be done by today or tomorrow. I thanked Josh for including a door in my bathroom and giving me a way to enter my home through the front of the house. The plans look great! I also received my new Schlage door knob and dead bolt Friday. So pretty and shiny...precious, my precious.
Home Depot had a deal this weekend I just couldn’t pass up. It was difficult for me to give in because I had decided on more sleek and stylish models.
What the hell am I talking about you ask?
Why toilets of course.
Some municipalities were offering rebates on low flow toilets (mine NOT included) but I will get a rebate when the energy guy returns. $65.00 per toilet to be exact. There were three to choose from that were on sale, American Standard, Kohler and Pegasus (HD brand). I chose the Kohler. It was the most expensive of the three but I think it was the right choice. My only concern is the color. Even though it’s white, every company has different whites and I may not choose Kohler bathtubs. The only place it may be a concern is my main bathroom. But there will be a wall separating it from the bath so I should be okay. Worst case scenario, I take it back and get a different one. Like I said I wanted a more sleek model but the cost difference was significant! The toilets after rebate will cost me $84.00 each as apposed to some of the ToTo toilets I was looking at which were $400 - $500 each. My thoughts are spend the money in more important places, like a soaker tub. Kohler is a good make and that particular toilet got good reviews.
I was up at the crack of dawn on Saturday, actually before the crack. I studied the three different brands of toilets. Made sure they were included on my rebate and was at Home Depot at 6:45 am. I new there would be a run on toilets….ha ha…and I wanted to be able to nab three. I new I wouldn’t be able to get them all in the car but I thought I’d be able to pay for them all, get one or two in the car and come back to get the other(s). Well, HD wouldn’t let me do that. I quickly phoned Ralph. He lives 2 minutes away. I told him my situation and like a gallant knight he came and picked up one of the toilets for me. I ended up getting two in my car. He and my Mom brought the toilet over later that morning. I had wanted to ask him about ripping up my driveway and putting in new concrete…(that’s what he does for a living). I thought while I was at it I would re-surface my front door area and the back patio. I also need my side yard re-done. He’s going to put a quote together for me. This wouldn’t happen until after my house reno but I want to make sure to leave some moola for that. Fingers crossed…. I have moola left for that.
I made a decision Friday. I want to use some of the wood slats on my walls in a different way in the house. Maybe plane them down, stain them darker and put them on a horizontal angle to the wall. I could do this in the living room to unfortunately replace the existing mahogany paneling (which I wanted to keep but it’s in too horrid a condition). Or, do the same thing behind the master bed to use like a headboard, which looks uber-cool. I’ve seen it done. That way I can still keep some of the original materials in the house.
Well, it’s time to finish packing. By tomorrow I should be ready to go to the city for a building permit. Holy shit! I’m really doing this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)