Finally, the Afters

Here, finally, are the after photos. Can I just say - I LOVE my kitchen. It's not HGTV perfect, but it's perfect for us!

Number One thing we love: all the little things that the reno has improved in our lives. We still have a small house in comparison to what you see on HGTV. No man cave, no walk-in, no ensuite, no granite (okay, a little - we decided for a little bling).

So the little things:

We can exit from our kitchen right into our back yard. I don't have to slog across soggy grass (we do live on the coast, so there is a lot of sog) to get my herbs in the winter. Yes, I live in Canada, no we don't get snow, but lordy, do we get rain. 

So a patio was a nice add-on to the reno. It was really well done too. Cost a bundle, but included new drainage, new lawn, the stupid "privacy barrier" (still mad at myself for that slip-up), the gardens and the patio.

We can exit from our laundry room now! Look at those stairs! Plus, that's a hot and cold faucet. For washing Max! No more bathtub for the poor pup.

We can barbecue all year. 'Nuf said.

I have wall space to put photos up. I have a whole wall of old family photos. I never had that before. I LOVE it.




We turned our furnace room into a sound-proofed rock-out room, complete with second tv and moved the gaming system in there. It's the neighbourhood teen hangout. eek!  Now we have a TV room AND a music room. Aren't we snooty?

Evan got his own room!






We switched to a gas fireplace (we had to - too close to the kitchen, potential for CO2 poisoning, etc.) No more slogging outside for wood. No hissing raccoons, rats and giant spiders. Just soggy soccer gear. Hooray!


We got a bigger bedroom at the back of the house, with a nice view of the trees or night sky, and a comfy couch ('cause we accidentally walled it into the room). I LOVE it.


   And finally...

   Our beautiful kitchen! That's a combo of granite, granite tile and laminate, all in the same colours.



Bonus? When you move the table beside the mystery box (which became extra counter space), we have a rockin' dance floor.


And that is worth celebrating!

Wow. That was a cliffhanger!

Hey ho!

I was just reading my blog. I'm stunned to see the last entry was so long ago. And yet...not. Because, you know, life. Plus, I have a grand total of 3 followers. I'm pretty sure two are my mom. Thanks Mom! And she's seen the before and afters in real life.

Pretty sure this is not a recommended pre-surgery activity.

So quick personal update: Dave had the surgery. Open heart - the full meal deal. He has a genetic defect that messes with the lining of the heart. Now my kids are monitored yearly and, well, there's a whole blog in that story too. But can I just say, the whole health care thing was put into some serious perspective? I saw the price list for ICU stays and whatnot posted on the wall by the sign-in area of the hospital and I felt a need to kiss my little plastic health card. I mean WOW I can't even imagine dealing with those costs on top of a reno. Cost to us? The plane ride to and from the Toronto specialist to have the surgery done. What a deal!

Our kitchen...full of bedroom furniture.

So, whilst in Toronto dealing with life, the reno ground to a halt. No homeowner to make decisions.

As you recall, I had no kitchen in my last post. And that is pretty much how the place stayed until I came back.

I left the three boys at home, my brother flew in to teach them the fine art of take out dining and neighbourhood-wide water fights. Post-surgery, I left Dave with his mom in Toronto to be entirely doted on. I figured the open heart surgery, facing mortality thing, gave him a pass on choosing finishings.