Let's Talk Remodeling

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

ok to avoid confliuct between me (lowes specialist) and the home depot specialist moderator here (obi wan) i'll say that 90 % of the time site built makes for a smoother job, easier to adjust to your space...

I'll agree with the Lowes man here Much nicer doing it with a builder on site, plus you have a greater variety of styles and extras you can add.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

MissJasmine, That looks wonderful!!! Love those lights, can you tell me about them? Is it track lighting? Where did you find them?

Yes it is track lighting. You can see it at http://www.seagulllighting.com/Ambiance-Lighting.htm (I think that is the website). Along with some other lights.

I'll post pictures with the new paint tomorrow. The first day I wasn't happy with the color but it has grown on me over the weekend. It's a huge change. We now have decided we need to paint the pantry door and the door jam leading to the laundry room.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

I'll post pictures with the new paint tomorrow. The first day I wasn't happy with the color but it has grown on me over the weekend. It's a huge change. We now have decided we need to paint the pantry door and the door jam leading to the laundry room.

Why must you taunt me so? I've been checking all weekend waiting for you to post!

 

[blanq]

Hi everyone! I am so glad I found this thread, and I hope it is okay to join all of you. My name is Linda.

DH and I are forging ahead on a major remodel, which will include a total gut and redo of the kitchen, laundry room, and two bathrooms. We live in a home built in 1903. I just finished interviewing interior designers, and settled on a company that specializes in kitchen/bath renovations and provides the project management component. Since we will need some minor construction, plumbing and a lot of electrical work in addition to the finishes, it was overwhelming to me and I just wanted someone other than me to handle most of the details. We are doing the project in stages, so we won't be without our bathrooms/kitchen at the same time (boy, wouldn't that make me crabby!!!) I am hoping that we can get one of the bathrooms and the kitchen done by the end of the year.

I am excited and scared all at the same time. I haven't read all of the posts on this thread yet, but that is my next order of business. I am sure I will finds lots of tips from my fellow DISers!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I'll post pictures with the new paint tomorrow. The first day I wasn't happy with the color but it has grown on me over the weekend. It's a huge change. We now have decided we need to paint the pantry door and the door jam leading to the laundry room.

Uh-oh. That's exactly what happened to me! I redecorated my living room about six months ago.

I liked that paint so much, that I repainted my newly remodeled (and newly painted) kitchen and bathroom, repainted my entryway and below the chair rail in my dining room - that had been painted less than a year prior - and am eying the same paint for my bedroom!

It's the paint version of the Towel Bar Syndrome!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Hi everyone! I am so glad I found this thread, and I hope it is okay to join all of you. My name is Linda.

You know the saying: Misery Loves Company! Jump in anytime!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I have to join this thread also. We bought our house new in 1989 and have done very little to update it. now I'm on a redecorating tear and have talked to an interior decorator, hardwood floor people and to a painter. Ugh this is overwhelming!

Welcome!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Yes, my ideas usually do the same thing, cost even more money! My DH is always saying that no matter what it is, cars, floors or even food, that I have some kind of radar that sends me straight to the most expensive stuff!

Let me tell you, I was totally in awe with myself when I went to the stoneyard to pick out my granite, and picked Uba Tuba! For once in my life, I actually gravitated towards the less expensive thing - and I loved it!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

We were going to lay this tile ourselves but DH definitely has never polished the edges of tile to make it look like bullnose. And I also didn't notice an irregular thickness to the box of sample tile we brought home.

No, I can't imagine having a house full of tile where so much filler has come out that it looks like termite damage!! You'd find me in a corner crying if that was the case.

You've got me rethinking this whole travertine idea now. It is in the basement bathroom. I doubt we'll ever use the tub/shower much, but still...

I hate that I've scared both you and Shovan! Really, I think the problem lies in getting cheap travertine. We got a good deal, and I did the research after-the-fact.

Out of roughly 200 sq.ft., I have pitting in three tiles, and it's very minor. I think compared to the stories I read about, we got a good tile for the price.

I'm so glad you've responded with all these tips about travertine. Thank you! Its beautiful, but I also have to wonder if it is really worth it. Would you have done it the same way if given the chance?

Yeah, but I wouldn't take any chances getting inexpensive travertine. I'd do my research. I love its look, and would do it again.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Appliances get delivered tomorrow. Sink arrived yesterday. Woohoo!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Appliances get delivered tomorrow. Sink arrived yesterday. Woohoo!

It seems like just last week, you were getting started! You must be super-excited!

I just noticed my first scratch on my ceramic cook-top, this evening.

 

[Syrreal]

Here is the current list of things we will be doing to the new house. Who knows what will end up being done!

-Have the entire basement rewired. It was a do-it-yourself project by the previous HO and there are open splices everywhere and each circuit is double or tripple tapped.
-Put drywall on 1/2 the basement to cover open insulation
-Replace the deck. The one that is there now has been deemed a deathtrap. (We were told not to walk out there by the inspector and def to not bring the baby outside) The old owners had laid out astroturn on top of the wood which just kept moisture on it and rotted it. Since almost every plank has to be replaced we're going to change it to better suit our wants.
-Replace all the flooring in the basement and make it look less...I have to say "corporate". It's got a dropped panel ceiling and white vinyl flooring (which totally doesn't match the tudor style of the house) with flourescent lighting everywhere in that basement. We'll probably be putting in carpet down there to make it more comfortable and we'll be replacing the ceiling tiles since we can't afford to put in drywall there.
-Add lighting to most of the rooms in the basement since it's pretty dark right now
-Remove the "kitchenette" from the basement
-Remove the permanent carpet from the bathroom on the main floor and in the master suite (I don't know what is up with people here putting in carpet in the bathrooms. We had it in our current house too and removed it even before we had painted) Plan on replacing it with stone flooring (although it's really the fake stone) to match the stone that flanks the tubs in both bathrooms.
-Remove the porn-like late 70's/early 80's gold marbled mirrored tiles in the main floor bathroom
-Remove the wallpaper from the 2nd bedroom and the master bath and paint
-Replace the countertop in the kitchen with a quartz one and change sink
-Replace all the kitchen appliances
-Replace the flooring in the kitchen and dining room with the fake stone. The flooring in the kitchen now is very dark and so are the cabinets so we want to lighten up some. The flooring will be similar in color to the stone in the entryway (which is like the stone in the bathrooms)
-We are thinking of replacing the shower in the master bath with a really nice shower instead (stone or something) but aren't sure yet.
-I want to replace the tub in the master bath with something really nice (a tub I would be able to drown in) but don't know if I will find something that will fit right. The tub has stone on the two short sides of it so I would have to find something that would fit flush with it and I don't think I can get a deeper tub to fit in there. <Sigh> That was the one thing I was kind of dreaming of.

Hmmm...I think that's it. We are planning on having another baby in 2009 and hopefully that one will be a girl. The 3rd bedroom actually has really nice wallpaper in it so we aren't taking it down for now. If we have a girl we wont take it down at all (it's a pink striped thing but very tasteful...unlike the rest of the wallpaper) but if we have another boy we will.

So...yeah...just a few things. We're going to do as much as we can ourselves (def not the electric or the deck) so we will see how everything goes.

 

[SplshMtn99]

It seems like just last week, you were getting started! You must be super-excited!

I just noticed my first scratch on my ceramic cook-top, this evening.

Yeah, I'm not wasting any time in the buying process. I had the appliances pretty much researched & picked out for the prior condo...and ALOT of other stuff too. (2 yrs worth of dreaming & researching with no condo to show for it) So we are just buying it & installing it all here instead. That's why it seem like I'm moving fast.

That's too bad about the scratch. That's one part I'm not looking forward too. I've never had smooth top before. (DH wanted it.) Luckily, I don't cook alot, so it will be used gently. I'm just looking forward to my frig on top / freezer on the bottom. No more bending down. Anything to ease my back problems.

 

[Hixski]

Uh-oh. That's exactly what happened to me! I redecorated my living room about six months ago.

I liked that paint so much, that I repainted my newly remodeled (and newly painted) kitchen and bathroom, repainted my entryway and below the chair rail in my dining room - that had been painted less than a year prior - and am eying the same paint for my bedroom!

It's the paint version of the Towel Bar Syndrome!

We have to do the paint version of the Towel Bar Syndrome too!!! Our house is pretty much open in the main living areas. Sooooooo..........if we want to paint our great room, we have to paint the dining area and the kitchen and the foyer and the hallway down to the bedrooms. They are all connected and if you change one the rest will just look shabby. We already have our 5 gallons of Behr paint. "Warm Muffin" is the color. I would call it a light khaki color with a hint of gold. Now we just have to start.

 

[mickeysgal]

We have to do the paint version of the Towel Bar Syndrome too!!! Our house is pretty much open in the main living areas. Sooooooo..........if we want to paint our great room, we have to paint the dining area and the kitchen and the foyer and the hallway down to the bedrooms. They are all connected and if you change one the rest will just look shabby. We already have our 5 gallons of Behr paint. "Warm Muffin" is the color. I would call it a light khaki color with a hint of gold. Now we just have to start.

Hope 5 gallons is all you'll need. Sounds like a lot of space.

We've got the same floor plan flow you have. One color is all that the house can manage without looking like a circus. We may be able to get away with a slightly darker shade in the living room since it has its own french doors and also the dining room, where you can go "red" in there easily (its a southern thing down here).

 

[mickeysgal]

-Remove the porn-like late 70's/early 80's gold marbled mirrored tiles in the main floor bathroom

Your list exhausted me.

I especially got a kick out of the one above. When we moved into my childhood home when I was 5 in the mid-60's, my parents had an entire wall in the living room with these type of mirror tiles. Needless to say those came down pretty quickly.

When DH and I were looking for houses we ran into plenty of carpeted bathrooms. I agree- whats up with that? I always assumed people were hiding something wrong with the floor like cracked tiles.

Then again, we also saw a lot of walls with foil wallpaper too! That stuff can hurt your eyes when the lights are on.

(My appologies to those that may still have these design accents in their house. )

 

[mickeysgal]

I just noticed my first scratch on my ceramic cook-top, this evening.

Breathe, breathe. Don't you just hate that???

 

[Hixski]

Hope 5 gallons is all you'll need. Sounds like a lot of space.

We've got the same floor plan flow you have. One color is all that the house can manage without looking like a circus. We may be able to get away with a slightly darker shade in the living room since it has its own french doors and also the dining room, where you can go "red" in there easily (its a southern thing down here).

It SHOULD (keeping fingers crossed) be enough. The house is only 1400sq ft. I measured and all the walls to be painted are basically the perimeter with no walls dividing. So I am hoping we are ok. I am starting in the kitchen and working my way down to the other end of the house. I can always do a bit darker accent wall in the great room if I need to. Whewww!!! just thinking about painting is getting me tired.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Okay here's some pictures. Not the greatest. I took them this morning as I was running around the house getting ready for work. And now to use Am_I_There_Yet's excuse, the color isn't coming out right in the pictures. The color is more golden than it is appearing. It makes me think of the french countryside for some reason.

And here are two BEFORE pictures:

 

[SplshMtn99]

WOW!!!! I never did go back to the beginning of the thread. Are those new cabinets or did you have them refaced? Refacing will be my phase II kitchen wish list.

What a difference!!! Escpecially the island!!!!! And I like how you raised the microwave cabinet. We plan on doing that also. Gives some impact along with molding.

Nice job. Now enjoy.