THE DESIGN PLAN - THE POWDER ROOM

I've had a few ideas spinning around for what I want to do with the powder room in our new house for a while now, but haven't had the chance to put all my ideas together yet. A powder room, in my opinion provides a great opportunity to add some drama to your home, but it a "contained" way that is not overwhelming or tacky. I have been toying with the idea of wallpapering our entire powder room with a bold print, but with so many great patterns and designs out there, I've been having a hard time deciding on a wallpaper. That was until tonight!

I just found out I won a contest on Instagram, hosted by a very talented interior designer/ blogger who I started following this year - Paint the World White. I won  2 rolls of wallpaper from a company called Milton and King!! I am so excited, I get to choose anything I like from the "Tastemakers Collection." Lucky for me, this includes wallpapers by my favourite designer, Jillian Harris!! I am leaning towards the black and white spot pattern named after Jillian's son "Leo's spots" - the wallpaper seems whimsy, chic and eclectic, which is sort of the style I'm going for.

If I end up going with this paper, I think I will design the space like this:



What do you think? Which paper would you choose and in what room would you put it?

Goodbye for now!

WE HAVE FOOTING...I THINK?

I stopped by our lot on the way home today, and I was delighted to see there has been some progress and our house is no longer a pile of mud! The foundation hasn't been poured yet, but it looks like we have "footings." I expect our foundation will be poured in the next few weeks. After this step, I don't expect we will see much progress until April - we are the firebreak house, so they have to finish work on the other houses on our street first.

Anyways, here's a look at what our lot looks like today. Just a "short" 214 days to go!

Countdown: 214 days (7 months and 2 days)

Goodbye for now!

CHOOSING DESIGN FINISHES

Now that we have officially chosen our design finishes, we can begin to plan all the smaller details! I'm not planning on buying anything (or at least not *too much*) until after we move, but it's fun to think up how we will design our entire house.

The below images shows all our finishes on one page (and some of the things we hope to switch out asap - such as the builder-installed sinks and faucets).

We went with laminate in the kitchen with the builder, but we hope to upgrade to white quartz after we move in (assuming the budget will allow it)! I would love to get a farmhouse sink and a beautiful faucet when we change out the countertop so I have included those on my plan since it represents my overall vision.

Kitchen:

Ensuite:

Main Bathroom:

Take care!!

CHOOSING UPGRADES IN A NEWBUILD

The day I had been planning for all summer finally came! We chose our design upgrades for our new home a few weeks ago, and we surprisingly kept within our budget! We spent significantly less time deliberating our choices for our first new-build house. This was because the timeframe in which we got our townhome was was much shorter (so we didn't have time to deliberate), and because we had a much smaller budget (of about $300), so choices were limited. We're hopeful that our second house will be our "forever home," so we decided to put a little more money into it and intend on doing some more custom renovations after we close.

When designing a new-build, not only do you have to decide on specific finishes (i.e., cabinets, tiles, cupboards  etc.), but you also have to decide on what areas you are willing to pay extra money to upgrade (i.e., add fireplace, add hardwood, etc). Builders generally charge waaaay more for upgrades than what you would typically pay to install upgrades yourself after you close. However, by going through a builder, you pay for the convenience of having a "move-in ready" home. Additionally, by upgrading through the builder, you may have the option to add the costs to your mortgage. A few thousand dollars divided over 25 years seems much more affordable than out-of-pocket after close.

When choosing upgrades, the best options, in my opinion, are things that will be harder or more costly to change after you close. We also evaluated our choices based on the price vs. how positive an an impact it would have on the home. Below are the options we went with and our reasoning for how we decided it was worth it to pay extra for them:

First Floor

• Smooth ceiling on ground floor - $1,000 (will give a cleaner look to the space and we can avoid the mess of a DIY popcorn ceiling removal after close) 
• Install hardwood flooring in lieu of tiles in entryway and kitchen to match rest of the hardwood home - $1,200 (the space will flow better; rooms will look bigger when they are not broken up by different flooring)
• "Carrara" style interior doors in lieu of standard doors - $275 (inexpensive upgrade that will make the home look more custom and modern)
• Square pickets on stairs in lieu of included round pickets - $100 (gives a more modern look to the staircase)
• Gas fireplace - $3,000 (self explanatory!) 

Kitchen

• Upgraded kitchen cabinetry and layout - includes fridge gables, extended upper cabinets, under-cabinet valance and pots and pans drawer - $6,000  (easier /more cost-efficient to upgrade now rather than buy and replace cupboards after close)
• Gas rough in for future gas stove - $600 
• Delete cabinet above stove for exhaust fan - $100 

Second Floor

• Rail and picket in lieu of knee wall in upstairs hall - $500 (opens up the space in hallway)
• Hardwood flooring in hall - $1,100 (hardwood will be easier to keep clean as hallway is a high traffic area)

Ensuite 

• Double vanity - $1,000
• Increase vanity height to kitchen counter height - $270 (more custom look)
• Upgrade cabinet style - $280 (cabinets look more high end) 
• Install quartz countertop - $1,700 (price of quartz comparable to market value)
• Upgrade tile grout colour - $70 (expensive for grout, but will better match tile and is much less money than upgrading tiles)

Main Bath

• Upgrade cabinet style - $60 (wanted a black vanity which wasn't an option in the cheaper line)
• Install quartz countertop - $1,300 (price of quartz comparable to market value)

Countdown: 249 days (approx. 8 months)

Talk to you later,

HOUSE PROGRESS - HALF WAY THERE!

There isn't too much to report just yet, but as of today, 307 days have passed since we purchased our home from the builder, and we have 307 days to go until our closing date, which means... we are are *officially* at the half way point!

In the last month, the streets in our subdivision have been created, street signs are up, and the asphalt has been poured! It is so great to see where our house will be located in proximity to all the other streets, and pretty soon, we will be able to drive down the street, which will make it a little easier to stalk the progress of our home. This week, we also finally got the call to make our design center appointment, so we will really need to work on finalizing our budget and our list of upgrades before our appointment the first week of October.

Here are few pictures from late August 2016:

September 2016

CHOOSING UPGRADES IN A NEWBUILD - BATHROOMS

After going back and forth numerous times, I have pretty much finalized the bathroom finish choices for our new home. We anticipate we will have to confirm our upgrades with our builder sometime in October or November, so there's lots of time to change our minds again, but I think this will be it. We decided to splurge and upgrades to quartz countertops for both bathrooms. We also decided to upgrade the cabinet level, which surprisingly is not that expensive, and gives a much higher end look to the bathroom. We saved by choosing included floor/ wall tile options and cabinet hardware.

I also took some pictures in the design center of what the real life versions of the finishes look together. The lighting wasn't the greatest, so the tiles look a bit beige, but in actuality both tiles are quite neutral with regard to the tone of the grey.

Ensuite:

Main Bathroom:

THE DESIGN PLAN - MASTER ENSUITE

Given my newfound love for white spaces, I have decided to go all white in our Master bathroom. We will be upgrading to the same cupboards we chose for the kitchen (white, shaker style style) but with a standard, included knob. Another upgrade are planning on ordering for the bathroom is quartz countertops. Caesarstone is our builder's supplier, and the current contenders are: "Misty Carrara," and "Organic White."

   

Caesarstone - "Organic White"               Caesarstone - "Misty Carrara"

Organic white is a beautiful crisp, clean white with a slight barely noticeable "bubble" pattern and "Misty Carrara" is slightly off white with a grey pattern. It doesn't look exactly like marble, but it's one of the more "marble like" quartz countertops that I've seen - besides "Frosty Carrina" which we will likely have installed in our kitchen sometime after we close - when we can afford it!)

Also undecided is whether or not we want to pay extra for upgraded floor and wall tiles.  I am leaning towards upgrading the floor tiles and going with a standard wall tile because I think the floor will make a bigger impact on the room. All to upgrade the floor tiles will run us about $300, wheras the charge for upgraded wall tiles is $400 - so that helps to make the decision easier. The tile I'm thinking of getting is called  “New Byzantine" by Olympia Tile and for a ceramic tile, it looks pretty similar to marble. The below image makes the tile a bit more blue than it actually is (it's more grey in person) 

Olympia Tile - "New Byzantine" in Azzuro

The wall tile I'm thinking of coordinating the above tile is either a plain white tile, or something like "Belinna" in Grey by Anatolia Tile (which is "standard" and not an upgrade). The tile has a bit of a sheen and somewhat resembles marble. There is also a coordinating floor tile, but it is quite shiny which I'm not sure if I like for a bathroom floor and the reason why I'm leaning toward the abive upgraded tile 

Anatolia Tile - "Belinna" in Grey

Below is what the finishes I'm leaning toward look like together.

Take care!

HOUSE PROGRESS - ONE YEAR UNTIL CLOSING!

We have officially passed the one year to our closing date mark (348 days to be exact). And while that seems so far away, almost 9 months has passed since we purchased our home last November, so having our closing in less than one year actually feels like progress!

I'll admit, there hasn't been much excitement on the construction site thus far. The land has pretty much been an empty field since we purchased.. However, more recently, the builders have started to dig up the site, and tractors are moving around over there every day. In the last few weeks, they've dug out /flattened our future street! And it looks like they're working on water lines/ sewage, etc. (the not so pretty, but otherwise important stuff)!

*Edit: We took a walk down our future street today, and we were actually able to find a stick with our lot number on it! I am so excited we got to see exactly where the house will be! None of the surrounding streets have been built yet, so before today we had no idea how far we'd be located from the main road. After seeing it in person, I'm not impressed by how close we are to an intersection but I'm hoping the street won't be terribly busy and it will be ok! There were homes left to chose on some quieter streets when we chose our lot, but there was a very expensive premium to select those lots, and we decided we'd rather spend that money on a the house model we wanted vs. a better location (hopefully we don't regret that decision when we move in)!!

Below are a few snaps of the construction site. Not too exciting yet, but it will be fun to look back on once our house is built, and we can compare our new home to the mud pile that was once in its place.

Early July 2016

August 1, 2016

Take care!

Design Inspiration: The Master Ensuite

I am super excited for our new master ensuite which unlike our current ensuite, it is big enough for a double vanity, and even includes a "hamper niche" - maybe that means I will actually throw the laundry in the hamper, instead of in a pile in the corner of the bedroom!

Like our kitchen design, I plan on designing the ensuite mostly in white to create a classic and clean look. We decided not to upgrade to a separate tub and shower because it was way above our budget.

Even though tubs are not the most glamorous, I have seen a few designs with a glass door across half of the bathtub, and I actually think it can look quite high end! We probably won't install a glass door immediately after we take possession, but I am designing with the idea in mind that we will eventually install one. 

Source: HGTV

Below are a few white bathrooms that I am taking inspiration from!

Source: Alyssa Rosenheck

Source: Highgate House

Source: Chango & Co.

Talk to you later!

Sold on Gold! White and Gold Kitchens

Silver is classic and timeless, and silver will likely be the most predominant metal used in our new house, but I have to admit.. I am loving this gold trend that's going on right now! The more and more gold kitchens and bathrooms I see, the more I want to scrap my original plans, and go gold! I don't necessarily like the look of gold EVERYTHING, but a mix between gold, white and stainless steel looks great.

Below are a few of my favourite takes on the gold/mixed metal trend!

Source: Caitlin Wilson

Source: Studio McGee

Source: The Ivory Lane

Source: Studio McGee

Source: House & Home

If I was going to incorporate gold in my home. I think I would add it in the cabinet hardware and light fixtures, and leave the appliances and faucet in stainless steel. I also absolutely love calcutta marble, which I think can tie in very well with both gold and silver hardware

What do you think? Are you loving the gold trend? Hating it? Do you have gold decor?

The Design Plan: Main Bathroom

Eric and I popped by our Builder's Design Center on the way home from running some errands today thinking the DC would be less busy than usual because of Father's Day (we celebrated with our families Saturday night). We were wrong... it was packed! We were hoping to make some firm choices today.. except I think I left more confused! We've picked most of the big items for our home, but we're still working on deciding on an appropriate budget and all the finishing touches.

One of the most difficult things to decide, in my opinion, is flooring (tiles to be specific). I've narrowed down the colour choices to white and grey and we will definitely stick with the included or level one tiles (for budget reasons) but I'm still having a tough time picturing what will look good in each space. We need tiles for the garage entrance, powder room, main bathroom and ensuite (we will be doing hardwood in the front entrance and kitchen)

Since the kitchen is pretty well planned, next to tackle is our main bathroom (or the "Future Kids' Bathroom" as Eric likes to call it). Since this bathroom won't get much use for a while, we're not going to invest too much money in upgrades. Below is the structural plan:

We will probably go all white in our ensuite, so I'd like to have a little fun with the main bath! I found this beautiful bathroom on Pinterest a year ago, and even though the cupboards are super dark (navy, i think?) the light grey floors/countertop/walls really brighten the space. I love the pops of pink as well!

Source: Studio McGee

Our Builder doesn't offer navy cabinets; so to get this look it was between a colour called "Soapstone" (included - light/medium blue grey) and "Caviar" (level 1 upgrade - black with maybe a slight blue undertone). Even though it's an upgrade, we are leaning toward the black. Due to the limited amount of cupboards in the bathroom, the cost to upgrade is only $61, so in the grand scheme of things, it's not too much money.

Below is my design plan, but chances are I will flip flop on the tiles a few times before we make the final decision.

Take care!

Installing a Backsplash

Last weekend Eric and I installed a backsplash in our kitchen! This was our first time working with any sort of tile and I have to say, it wasn't too too difficult. We definitely made mistakes along the way.. but my rationale for installing a backsplash (even though we're moving) was that it would be easier to learn in a small space, with a less expensive tile, than in our new kitchen. Below are a few photos I took of the process... Ignore the crookedness, I haven't mastered interior photography yet!

The overall project cost us around $120 (it would have cost it quite a bit more, but luckily I have a friend who works at Rona, and I was able to score an employee discount on a lot of products). 

From Rona, we purchased:

- 2 Boxes of tiles (it was JUST enough for the space)

- Tile Adhesive 

- A Plastic Trowel (to apply the adhesive on the wall)

- A metal Spreader (to distribute the adhesive evenly on the wall)

- Tile Spacers

- Grout

- Grout sponge

- Painters tape (great for holding the tiles together on the mesh sheets when cutting the tile)

- 4 Nuts (we actually put nuts behind the outlet plate to get it to sit flush with the tile)

Not included in the above price was the wet saw we had to purchase to cut the marble. We thought about renting a wet saw, but since we are planning on doing tile work in our new house, we figured buying would be the best option, especially since we found a wet saw for only $70 at Canadian Tire (and it doesn't cost us anything because we happened to have money leftover on a gift card we got from wedding). 

After cutting the bottom of each tile to sit flush with the countertop, we lay the first tile. I have to admit, we cut the tile quite crooked and it did not sit flush with the wall.. but with the magic of grout, you can't really tell how not straight it was. We managed to get around the electrical outlets simply by taking a pair of scissors and cutting the tiles from the mesh. I messed up this part a little, as there's currently a small gap around one of the outlets.. but we're hoping on one but us notices.

This is what the tiles looked like at the end of day one. We anxiously awaited the recommended 24 hours before applying the grout the next day. 

Applying the grout was surprisingly quick and easy.  One tip we got from a a friend was "when you think you've finished cleaning off the grout, clean it off 3 more times" and that we did. We probably cleaned the backsplash about 12 times after we applied the grout! Because of this, we had no problem with the backsplash looking hazy (apparently it's tough to get off if you let the grout dry too long). My only worry about the grout was that it looked quite dark when we applied it (as you can see in the picture), but I am happy to report, the grout dried white! 

And voila! The kitchen is done. I'm hoping to pick up some little decor accessories to pretty up the kitchen, but I need to be careful not to crowd our limited counters pace with a bunch of stuff.

And that's it! Take care!