The Reveal, Part 2

Kitchen

BEFORE:  It was a standard 10x10 kitchen that was built in 1993 and changed not a jot since then.

AFTER:  What can I say - it's my dream kitchen.  Tons of cabinets, new appliances, lots of lighting.... oh, and the popcorn ceiling is gone!

I am insanely in love with my fridge.

The backsplash is a large subway tile with a texture sort of like bamboo.  I think it goes nicely with the dark granite counter tops.

The counter top kicks out to make a little breakfast bar (and an excellent place for kneading dough and other large-scale pastry activities).

In easy reach is my collection of cook books.

DINING ROOM

BEFORE:  I actually used this area as the living room when I first moved in.  

AFTER: A new chandelier, and replacing the sliding door with french doors, and now it's a sparkly place to eat.

I use this bank of cabinets as sort of a sideboard right now.

The cabinet makers were very good at maximizing space.  There are lots of clever little shelves and such built into the cabinets.

Living Room

BEFORE:  The front room and the dining room in the original layout had no windows facing the yard, save for the pokey little sidelights in the dining room area.

This did not exactly let the light pour in.

AFTER:  Well, I can't throw stones now, because I live in a big ol' glass house!

The two sets of french doors, plus the enormous windows that mimic the roof line, make this a very happy place to be.

Whereas before the vaulted ceiling made this room a depressing cave, now it makes it ten kinds of awesome!

Three border collies + a white leather sectional.  I'll let you know how that goes.

Yard

BEFORE:  Ah yes, the reason I bought this place.  The yard was a little hopeless back in October, but as ugly as it was, it was BIG, and with the house squished way up in the corner of the lot, that meant a ton of room for the dogs.

Look at the windowless side of the house.  

AFTER:  A new lawn with irrigation system, 104 cedar hedges, two big garden beds, three raised veggie beds, a new cedar fence, and an interlocking paver patio have made this just an excellent place to hang when the sun is out.

Doesn't the house look better with the doors and windows?

So far, the dogs haven't ruined the garden.  The key is not to plant anything in the flight path.

Lou says thanks for following our renovation.  We are all very glad that all the dust and noise are gone.  Given the horror stories I've heard about renovations, I have to say mine was painless.  I love the results, and I can't wait for the next one.  Wait ... next one?  Nah, I think I'll live with things just as they are for a while.  Except the master bath.  How hard can it be to change the tub?  And add a walk-in shower?  And double vanity?  Just a little renovation, probably won't take more than a month ....

The Reveal, Part 1

It has been brought to my attention that I never showed the "after" shots of my renovation.  Epic fail!  I've been more or less done with the reno for about a month now, and I love my house so much!  That the weather here has been spectacular hasn't hurt my romance with my house either.

So without further delay, here is The Reveal.

Exterior Front

BEFORE:  Back in October, one could say the house lacked curb appeal.

AFTER:  A new front door, a new gable, and some landscaping gives the house a nicer look.  Plus, the door is the same colour as the door at my old condo - win!

Hallway

BEFORE:  The tragedy that was dirty pink carpet and possibly the slipperiest tiles known to man.

AFTER:  A new bit of carpet, and the same hardwood flooring throughout the main floor.

Powder Room

BEFORE:  Located under the stairs, this room made me really claustrophobic.  

AFTER:  The ceiling was raised, and new pretty plumbing and lighting, plus a lovely coat of paint, make this a very pretty powder room now.

No one ever promised me a rose garden

But I've always wanted one! I had a new garden bed dug in the front yard. This serves two purposes:

1. gives me more room to indulge my plant-buying habit, and;
2. reduces the amount of weedwhacking that I have to do, since despite my Japanese heritage,  I've proven shockingly inept at operating said machine.

This bed is south-facing and safe (mostly) from rampaging collies (though Rex has tried to run through it in a fit of puppy ridiculousness).



What's that?  Why yes, I *did* get a new fence. Thanks for noticing! Everything else was looking so nice, I couldn't have that old, creaky fence bringing the whole yard down.



Let us flash back to October 09 when I first spied this lovely property.



I am very pleased with the yard now. I just wish Bear could have seen it. That dog loved to lounge on the grass - this would have been paradise for him.

Shout out to Bear!


OK, back to the roses. This is a hybrid tea rose called Memorial Day.



And this is a shrub rose called Lavender Meidiland.


A rambling landscaping rose called Glacier Magic.



Also in the garden is something called a Bonica Shrub Rose (which is still in bud and thus not worthy of a photo op), a climbing rose called Brite Eyes (too shadowy to take a pic) and a Crested Moss Rose (planted after pics were taken). There's also a French Lilac, some marigolds, and a bunch of petunias in that bed. Yet there is still lots of room for me to indulge my plant-buying addiction.

The vegetable garden continues to thrive.


The swiss chard and the lettuce are growing at a rate that outpaces consumption. I may start leaving little bags of chard and/or lettuce on the car seats of strangers.


I don't know what possessed me to plant so many cabbages.


So far, I've spied 4 little tomatoes on the plants that I thought for sure would be dead by now.


I've also got a couple teeny-tiny cukes, some peppers, and a few peas. This gardening thing is fun!

On the renovation front, I am just waiting for the tile guys to install the backsplash, and then I'm done! I've really enjoyed the renovation process, and overall I'm really pleased with how it went.

Now about that master bathroom ... :-)