Remodel | It's Great To Be Home

Maria’s Magnificent Bathroom Transformation

May 11, 2009 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 11 Comments

After kitchens, bathrooms can be the trickiest (and most expensive) rooms to remodel – but as Maria proves here, renovating a bathroom can also be totally gratifying.

When Maria and her husband bought their home a few years back, they were greeted by this lovely bathroom – from a faux marbled countertop to baby blue tiled walls, their bathroom was just begging to be brought into the 21st century:

With their own two hands (and the help of some willing family members), Maria and her hubby wasted no time giving their outdated bath a total overhaul:

After some seriously hard work, the result is awesome – fresh, clean, and completely updated. And once a really snazzy window treatment is added, this fully renovated bathroom will be sure to knock anybody’s socks off:

Here’s what they did, and how they did it:

1. Out with the old. While the old bathroom functioned just fine, all of the finishings were a serious flashback to another era. With a hammer, chisel and a little elbow grease, those tiles came off the walls, the sink and cabinet were ripped out, and the tub bid farewell.

2. In with the new. Removing the tile from the walls left unsightly patches, so the walls were retextured and given a fresh coat of paint for an instant update. New rustic tiles from Home Depot replaced the outdated mosaic on the floor and provide a pretty contrast to the new toilet and fab pedestal sink. With a beveled mirror, new baseboards and an added electrical outlet for much-needed functionality, this bathroom now has classic features that will stand the test of time.

Great job, right?? I have a weakness for pedestal sinks, and I’m totally jealous of that huge window. For more details about Maria’s fabulous makeover, head on over to her blog, Ranch Dressings.

Want to see your own “before and after” transformation featured on It’s Great To Be Home? Go ahead and send it in to itsgreattobehome@yahoo.com – you know you want to!

As Green As You Wanna Be

May 8, 2009 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 4 Comments

It’s pretty cool that it’s so easy to jump on the “green” bandwagon these days. Most cities have recycling programs, there are CFLs in every grocery store . . . it’s awesome!

In our house, we make sure to use CFLs in every light fixture, we’ve reused old carpet and salvaged materials from the renovation – we even made it easier to recycle by having a special trash pull-out installed in our kitchen during the remodel so that we could separate our trash from our recyclables in a snap:

(I know, totally not necessary, but one of those things that’s really fun to include when you’re designing a kitchen!!)

Even though it’s easy to recycle, it’s sometimes pretty darn confusing to figure out what’s recyclable and what’s not. Real Simple has a handy-dandy article that can walk you through how to recycle (or reuse) anything.

Here’s the skinny for my peeps that don’t feel like clicking on the link:

Got any recycling tips of your own?

All images courtesy of Real Simple. Click here for your own printable version of Real Simple’s A-Z recycling guide.

Gord & Laura’s Gorgeous Kitchen Remodel

May 5, 2009 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 14 Comments

When I asked you guys to send in your favorite “before and after” transformations, I knew I’d be in for some great eye-candy – and boy, was I ever right!

Take Gord and Laura, for instance – they took their cramped and dated kitchen:

and turned it into this show-stopping, ridiculously functional and family-oriented kitchen – almost entirely by themselves:

Amazing, right? Here’s what they did and how they did it:

1. Made the kitchen twice as big. One thing that you can’t miss about Gord and Laura’s new kitchen is that it looks ginormous – and no, that’s not an optical illusion. By knocking down the wall between the kitchen and dining room, they were able to create this huge space that is perfect for all of their needs – cooking, entertaining, having meals, and reading the morning newspaper.

2. Took advantage of vertical space. Do you see how the cabinets in the “before” picture don’t go all the way to the ceiling? Talk about wasted space! By ripping out those furrdowns, Gord and Laura were able to install ceiling-height cabinets to take advantage of vertical storage space that would otherwise have been completely lost.

3. Created a functional layout. Once they ripped out that dining room wall and combined the two spaces, Gord and Laura were no longer tied to that U-shaped kitchen design – that meant that they could rearrange the appliances, move a door, place a new window, and throw in a breakfast bar in a design that feels airy, spacious and welcoming.

4. Let there be light. Gord and Laura’s newly renovated kitchen could not be further from the dark and dreary kitchen that they started out with. Recessed lighting, crisp white cabinetry, a huge new window and striking rattan pendant fixtures over the island and sink work together to make this space bright and cheery.

5. Prettied it up. What’s not to love about this new kitchen? Shaker-style cabinets, sleek appliances, a gorgeous subway tile backsplash, ebony granite, a contrasting dark-stained island, natural maple floors . . . could it get any prettier?

So, whatcha think? Did Gord and Laura hit this one out of the park? I think so, but I can’t wait to hear what you guys think – and I bet Gord and Laura can’t either!!

Craving more details about Gord and Laura’s amazing kitchen renovation? Be sure to check out their blog, The Evolving Renovation.

Want to see your own “before and after” transformation featured on It’s Great To Be Home? Go ahead and send it in to itsgreattobehome@yahoo.com – you know you want to!