Big Decisions, New Plans, and Alterations

After much deliberation and looking at several samples, in several patterns we finally settled on the cabinets for the kitchen and countertops.  You would be surprised how many different options you have and how the slightest change in wood grain or pattern can alter the entire look of the space!

We decided to create some interest in the kitchen by having our island cabinets and countertops a different color than the other cabinets and countertops.  Speaking of the island, we also got some disappointing news. 

We originally thought we could completely remove a wall in the kitchen; however, a structural engineer confirmed we need to keep a small support beam.   After my disappointed face showed all to the contractor, we started discussing new options to incorporate the beam into the island.  It's still an ongoing discussion...

The kitchen drawings will need to be revised for the support beam in the island but so far we are very excited!!

Since we have picked out the finishes in the kitchen, we now need to choose tiles for the backsplash.  We also need to choose tiles and vanities for our master bathroom.  There are thousands of options when it comes to tiling but since this is an investment property we are looking for clearance items or mid-grade finishes.  We are looking at the below options currently...



Exactly what we are looking for in tiling! These cabinets are very close to the ones we chose also!




Nice, simple, classic- perfect for the master bath and a great buy too!




Back up options for kitchen backsplash




Love the metal tiles- great spa look for the master bath!

 Another positive note is that we rented our condo in no time!!  Due to this, we met with Jim last night and he confirmed that our December 1st move in is still possible.  That is so hard to believe when we look around the house as there is still so much work to do.    It's always good to know we have great friends in the area who wouldn't mind us dropping by for a few weeks- you know who you are! 

Many more updates to come over the next few weeks so wish us luck and pray for our sanity to stay intact!

Week 2 of Demo

After spending a weekend traveling and visiting family, we came back to find several changes in the property.  The most exciting change was the wood floors being exposed.  Although there is some damage and much patching to do, they look great compared to that green carpet!!

We plan on staining them a bit darker

The first floor living area was claimed by Todd as the "man cave."  We were disappointed to hear there was a cement wall that was keeping us from completely opening the doorway; however, we still got some space and widened it a bit!

Before

After.  We still need to remove the closet on the right

The upstairs guest bathroom no longer has it's striped wallpaper and small vanity area.

Bright but not modern

Don't worry- we aren't keeping the toilet either

Let's not forget the first floor bathroom which in my opinion will almost be as good as the master suite's bathroom.  I can't wait for our guests to have their own bathrooms and beds to sleep on!  On that note, as you have probably been told always expect something to not go as planned when renovating.  As you can see from the pictures below, we ran into some heavy duty piping.  It is upsetting our original floorplans for that bathroom.  Fortunately some of the pipes can be relocated.  Unfortunately that is going to be a costly expense.  

So sad to see the flower wallpaper go. Mmm not really.

Half way there!

Our final big accomplishment or should I say, Jim's accomplishment, was getting up that painful pink tile that was covering the first floor. 

Concrete has never looked so good!

Also some other improvements were cleaning out the addition which will become my office and lounge space.

Before

After

Extending the first floor guest room

Tomorrow we meet with the gentleman who will be finishing our hardwood floors throughout.  Once we choose the stain color, we will finalize the kitchen cabinet color.  I'm looking forward to seeing the final kitchen floorplans and ordering the cabinets as they are still expected to take 3-4 weeks.  We actually brought in two different kitchen and baths contractors.  We think it is always a good idea to work with several vendors when first starting out.  We not only get to compare prices but also response time and our overall comfort level in bringing them repeat business.  

We are still highly motivated to move in by December so keep your fingers crossed we keep this on schedule!

Settlement & Day 1 Demo

We finally got the appraisal at the correct value and on September 30th we settled on the house!

Day 1 of the demo began and we were so excited to get started!  We decided to tackle the kitchen first and then move onto creating our master suite which would mean eliminating a wall between two rooms.
I'm glad we had our handy-dandy contractor, Jim, by our side.

Jim is so much fun!

We had to remove a main wall of the kitchen to create an open floorplan and a kitchen that is going to be perfect for entertaining!

Kitchen Before

Ripping out the cabinets

Knocking down walls to create an open kitchen

Kitchen After

We then began on the master suite.  We are combining two bedrooms so we can fit the bedroom, walk-in closet, and master bathroom.  I'm very excited for this room!

Wall between two bedrooms

The wall is coming down!

Two rooms are now one!

We still have so much work to do but I'm surprised how much can get done with a day's work!  Next we tackle the tiling on the first floor and the bathrooms.