Welcome to our house! Won't you come in and stay a while? The story of our house begins in May 2007 when we purchased it three months before our wedding. It was a nice red brick, two-story, semi-detached house located in a leafy neighbourhood in midtown Toronto. The outside needed a little bit of work and the inside, well, needed a whole lot more. Covered in pink carpet (even in the BATHROOM!), cat hair, and floral wallpaper, this place was going to require more than some paint and furniture to make it feel like our home. We started tearing out the carpet the day we got the keys and have have been slowly renovating it room by room since then.
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If you'd like to know what items we've used in our renovations, check out our Source Page for all the details.
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In January 2011, I appeared on The Nate Berkus Show on the House Proud segment. Watch the video to see our whole house tour or read on below to see our renovation journey over the last four years.
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Eager to try out the power tools we got as wedding gifts (yup, we had a table saw, a nail gun, and a router on our registry!), we started with the simplest room in our house - the dining room.
Down came the wallpaper and out went the pink carpet. HandyMan figured out the layout for the wainscot which we built out of MDF, hardboard, and a pine chair rail. New plantation shutters and wallpaper brought the room to life. We built the first of our radiator covers and added some drapery and lighting to create a stylish space to enjoy our meals.
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Stuck indoors because of the abundant snowstorms of winter 2007, we spontaneously decided to give our home office a facelift.
A quick coat of paint added instant cheeriness to the space then the real work started. Some MacGyver-ing of IKEA countertops and bookcases created a functional office for two. To soften the hard lines of the cabinetry, we added an art gallery wall, drapery, and an inspiration board. The office is now a great place to work and create.
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After hosting a few family get-togethers over the holidays, we quickly realized our 1950's kitchen was not going to cut it. With a stove that couldn't even fit a cookie sheet and a serious lack of counterspace, the kitchen needed an overhaul from top to bottom.
Starting in the spring of 2008, we demolished the room, framed out the walls, and repaired the floor joist. We had the pros come in to do the drywall and electrical work, then we painted and laid the floor tile. After figuring out the cabinet layout and selecting appliances, the cabinets, countertop, and backsplash were installed. Small details like window trim, brushed hardware, and reproduction lighting added to the bistro look we were going for. We DIY'd a chalkboard and installed a TV, transforming the kitchen into a marriage of style and function.
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Soon after we finished the kitchen, we found out were expecting a baby! Nothing motivates you to get home projects done faster than a new baby on the way. So in full nesting mode, we decided to undertake two renovations at the same time - the main bathroom and the nursery.
The bathroom was the scariest room in the house. I'm not even joking. Not only was it small and cramped, but it had carpet on the floor (ewwww!) and a floor to ceiling hand painted mural of Monet's Waterlilies.
HandyMan busted out his architect drawing skills and we came up with plans for the bathroom layout and floor tile design. With two rooms on the go, we brought in the professionals to do the demolition, the drywall, installation of the tub, and the gorgeous floor tile. Going for a Parisian bath look, we picked some sleek fixtures and a mix of simple white tiles. HandyMan did all the wall tiles himself. Some window coverings, artwork, and a frosted door finished off the space, giving us the blissful bathroom we craved.
The nursery was a space that had to be multi-functional. We knew our baby would be staying in our room for a while and grandma would also be staying over and needing a place to sleep so we designed it as a guest bedroom with nursery touches.
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After the baby arrived, we decided it was time to focus on the bedroom. We framed out the wall around the bumpout, leaving a flat wall that would allow for better furniture layout and creation of a dramatic panelled wall. The vintage vibe was enhanced by the custom floral curtains, artwork and lighting. Now its our favourite room in the house!
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By 2011, we decided it was finally time to renovate the first room you see when you enter our house - the living room.
The 1980's wallpaper was removed and we figured out the furniture layout. HandyMan then built the fireplace frame and we spent agonizing weeks trying to decide on fireplace tile, finally deciding something both modern and classic. The perfect grey paint was put on the walls, supersized art was hung, and we found and repainted a hutch and dresser to add some vintage charm. Everything came together to create a room full of colour and pattern.
In early 2012, Erin McLaughlin, Editor In Chief of Style At Home magazine, conducted a tour of our living room and dining room for CityLine. See the video below:
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While work was going on inside, a bit of work was happening outside too.
We built this bench for our back deck, added some lighting and accessories to make it a comfortable outdoor space. To keep the little one safe, we added some posts and a handrail. Eventually, we'll give everything a new coat of paint to really make this the perfect place for a summertime nap.
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The garage is another area that has been organized and prettified. Adding pegboard and storage nooks in the rafters and between the wall studs has kept our collection of tools and scrap wood organized. HandyMan also added plastic sheets around the perimeter which can be dropped to create an impromptu paint booth for our painting projects.
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The front entry of our house has had a bit of a makeover too. Small changes like adding the modern house numbers and removing the storm door helped clean up the look. But it was not until we got a new front door and installed a new overhead light that our house really started to shine, all year long.
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We've got one more space to tackle our house and its a big one - the basement. Our 600sq ft lower level includes a full bathroom, laundry room, storage area, craft/play space and entertainment area. Plans are to renovate it in Autumn 2011 Spring 2012 Summer 2012. Hopefully, we'll have a whole new space (and a FULLY FINISHED HOUSE) to enjoy before the snow falls before the summer ends!
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