When my daughter and her son-in-law bought their first home together two years ago, the young couple had three dreams: a brand new kitchen, a nicer bathroom and a baby. Last month they got all three dreams.
Aside from the outdated kitchen and worn-out master bathroom, the 15-year-old Craftsman-style home had the whole lot Paige and Adam wanted for his or her hopefully growing family — an amazing location, good schools and enough bedrooms.
The worst thing concerning the house was the shower, which Paige, who owes her patience to her mother, wanted to switch as soon as she moved in. “My dorm had a better shower,” I remember her saying on the primary day. In fact, the small cabin smelled like a mushroom farm, had a calcified door, and would have been perfect for a campsite.
How quickly could they fix it? An interior designer and a contractor told them that in the event that they wanted to switch the shower, they’d have to switch the adjoining tub as well. If they replaced the bathtub, they’d even have to switch the ground and so they might as well replace the vanity at the identical time.
Anyone who has ever remodeled knows how a small change results in an enormous change that leads to total devastation. And within the Denver area where they live, most contractors wouldn't want such a small job due to labor shortage and the development boom. If they were also remodeling the kitchen, they’d have a greater probability of finding a contractor.
Welcome to the world of home renovation.
Discouraged, Paige and Adam pressed pause. It wasn't a waste of time. Over the subsequent two years, they imagined what they really wanted in these spaces. They separated what they really wanted (an eat-in kitchen with a gas cooktop) from what they would really like (more counter space). They dreamed. They planned. They got pregnant. They hired a designer.
After a “getting to know you” meeting to get an idea of the scope, timeline and budget of the project, interior designer Kate Clapp of Kate Saige Interiors met with them at their home. She shared her ideas with them and guaranteed them that they’d get what they wanted.
“She understood,” Paige said. “At that point, we were just so happy that someone knew what we wanted and was there to help us, especially with a baby on the way.”
Clapp replaced the door between the master suite and toilet with a classic arch, then added a bigger glass shower with ivory subway tile, an undermount tub with a quartz deck, and an updated vanity with the identical quartz top above cabinets that were repainted in Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige. The renovated bathroom also has slate plank flooring and recent lighting fixtures, mirrors, faucets, and sinks. (I'll show the kitchen improvements next week.)
“It all started with the shower,” Paige said, shaking her head on the odyssey as she sat in her recent kitchen, holding her newborn. “At first, I just wanted to replace the shower glass. Since then, I've learned to be cautious about what you think are simple repairs. They go wrong.”
They also learned the next:
Paint an image. Paige created a Pinterest board, largely inspired by Studio McGee, which Clapp used as a start line. “I love client Pinterest boards,” Clapp said. “It helps me get inside their brain.” She could see that Paige tends toward classic, clean design with neutral basics, wood, and accents of blue and green. “When I saw her Pinterest, I thought, 'I can work with that.' I call her look 'modern organic, with a classic shade.'”
Choose design and price. Clapp then presented her own design for every room, which included interior design and lighting, an in depth estimate, a timeline and suggestions from contractors so the couple could proceed with financial security.
Save here, showcase there. You can get a lovely design without breaking the bank for those who put the cash in the best places, Clapp said. One of those places is lighting, which is price spending. Less expensive but in addition critical to the finished look are cabinet knobs and pulls. Keeping the identical footprint will prevent money.
Focus on kitchens and bathrooms. “It was a good feeling knowing we improved the two areas that builders and realtors know to be the most important areas of a home in terms of value: the kitchen and master bath. Paige and Adam will not only enjoy their updated home, but they will also get their money back when they sell it.” But for now, they're home.
Join us next week to seek out out what got here first: the child or the finished kitchen, and gain further insights.
image credit : www.mercurynews.com