Home remodeling is a test...

A Home remodel is a test...

A test? Yes, between 2 people who have been married for 27 years last Friday. It definitely tests our patience…with each other! My husband is of the accountant sort that watches every purchase(not that I don’t disagree with it) and I am of the designer sort that knows what looks good and doesn’t always want to wait until we can fit it in the budget! We can wait for certain things if it means

I get just the perfect fireplace or the perfect glass backsplash…

after 27 years(30 if we count dating) we have also learned to

compromise. (He is not much on visualizing without pictures so

I have to provide pictures if I really want something…not a

problem!)
Whew! These past 2 weeks have been busy…we have so far torn

down the 32 foot wall that ran down the center of our main floor,

pulled trim off of windows, hired a contractor, and ordered doors,

raised the sunken living room floor to match the rest of the floor,

and moved the back door. Amazingly, the building permit only

took 8 days to be approved- I was pretty excited as I was told it could take up to a month to get back. Therefore, we are legal

and everything!
I have included pictures of the “expert laborers” (our wonderful

friend Mark and my wonderful brother-in-law Bob- actually I

should be thanking their wives for letting them come play!) These

2 have been invaluable with information, suggestions and tools…

boy, do they have tools! It is unbelievable to me after looking at

their “stashes”, that they still have tools on their wish lists!
I wanted to talk about hiring a contractor a little bit. Some things

to keep in mind: Are they licensed and insured? Have you seen any

of their previous work? What is the main focus of their work- are

they finish carpenters and going to sub out most of the work or are they pretty well rounded with work experience? Are they comfortable

answering your questions? Do they get back to you right away or is it

excuse after excuse? Most of all, are you comfortable with them?

They are going to be in your living space and around your family,

so be careful whom you choose.



Design Quote of the Week: “If you make a compromise- selecting something cheaper than what you really like- it compromises you, because you are never really happy with the result.” Rose Cumming

TOP 2 PHOTOS: 32' wall is out/looking to kitchen & back door

THIRD PHOTO: Looking to living room from end of kitchen

4th Photo: Looking to front door/living room

RIGHT: Sunken living room floor

raised

RIGHT: Back door BEFORE

and AFTER(the hole in the far right photo is the space the door formerly occupied.)

I hope you enjoy the journey with us- next weeks photos should be of the new hallway wall (It will meet up with the new back door placement) and entry to the half bath. Other plans are to add surround sound, a gas fireplace, a music system with different zones(because god forbid we actually have to listen to the same music as the other occupants), and new kitchen.

It all started with a new roof/sounds logical...

It all started with a new roof…
Our home remodel started with the need for a new roof…sort of like the snowball picking up speed as it rolls downhill…(I know you were thinking of another analogy-no R-rated info here!)
· If we replaced the 25 year old roof, we decided to change the front entry as long we were at it. (Should an interior designer live in a “1983-looking” house with vinyl siding? Oh, I think not!)
· If they were putting on new roof, we decided to put in a gas fireplace because it had to be vented through a brand new roof. (And yes, all of these years I have had a fake one in the living room.) I fooled a whole lot of people with the fake one by putting a custom mantle, made by my husband, and painting it. It truly looked like it should have worked.
· If we needed to vent the fireplace, we needed to decide where to put it. Why not take out the 32’ wall that runs down the center of the main floor? It separates the formal dining and living from the kitchen, laundry and ½ bath. Why not???
· If the wall comes down, we now have a “great room”…so, why not move the back door into the laundry room to allow more space for the “great room”…that means the laundry room gets smaller, along with the ½ bath.
· Where do all of the light switches, cold air returns move to?
· Now, we need more lighting in the “great room”. Because in 1983 they only put a fixture above where they thought the dining table would be. Definitely not enough for about 500 square feet of space.
· As long as we are in the attic with new lighting, why not look at putting in Smart home technology for sound or whatever else you desire…intercom, temperature, security, music…it “sounds” like this is the wave of the future!
· To better utilize the space, the kitchen should be remodeled. (We also need to make up for the fact that we are losing some storage space in the laundry room. It is very livable the way it is, but before we put in new flooring for the entire main floor we need the island in its new place.)

It all sounds very logical doesn't it? I will include the before and after floor plans as they are finalized. Wish us luck to be finished in a reasonable amount of time as it will be moving on to the master suite after this!!!!
It all started with a new roof….

DESIGN QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Nothing is in good taste unless it suits the way you live. What’s practical is beautiful…and suitability always overrules fashion.” Billy Baldwin

Remodel...Again Appliances...

I did some “local” research on appliances since I last wrote: induction cook tops come in several shapes and sizes. You really want to look at the watts on them as that will affect how quickly your water will boil! Several choices now: anything from portable, plug-in models to countertop models. They are the wave of the future-so watch for more models, for safeties sake if nothing else as I said last week that the burner must be covered 2/3 of the way before it will heat up. (A child throws a toy onto the burner and as long as it doesn’t cover the burner more than the 2/3, you will be good!)
We, my husband and I, are in the planning process for a big remodel at our house. He is an accountant and does not have much time until after April 15th to help with decisions, so it has fallen to me. Of course, I love it-the whole design process-but now have a budget to deal with. My spouse doesn’t get too deep into the design phase, so when he does voice his opinion I try to listen and incorporate it into the design. I am including some pictures of the “before”. The 32’ wall that runs down the center of the main floor will be removed, a couple of 4’ walls will be removed, an new shed roof over the entry will be added to the front, along with 2 columns. We also will add a gas fireplace, new kitchen, level out the sunken living room floor and move the back door over 3’ into the mud room. All of this will create a great “great room”! I will keep you updated…I am considering concrete, granite, copper, and/or paper countertops. The floors will be tile in the laundry & ½ bath for now, & laminate in the whole main great room with a couple of area rugs for “warmth”. (We have 2 boxers who are tough on floors.)
If you are considering a remodel, I recommend that you get more than 1 bid just to see if you’re in the ballpark. I would also look at some of each of the contractor’s past work, and make sure that all of the bids are comparing apples to apples. Just on a front entry door, my bids were $800 apart. Remember that the bidding will take a while; you are at the mercy of the contractors depending on the time of year. The other obstacle can be the permit process. In Great Falls it can take 2 to 3 weeks to get your permit.
Okay, here are a few BEFORE pics: I will keep you "posted" on the progress!

DESIGN QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Neither good taste or wealth…can transform a house into a home, for a home does not consist in the quality of its architecture or décor, but in the quality of the lives that it expresses.” Philippa Tristam, Living Space