Please show me your backsplash...

[mrs-b]

And in the spirit of "I bought a new lampshade and I ended up selling the house" - We decided to re-wire the lights downstairs and switch to recessed lighting with dimmers. So now there's all sorts of router saws going on and money FLYING out our wallets. And then we decided we needed a California closet - a big one. (That money got together with the electricals money and they all left together). And we're going to switch up the carpet, because where they're putting in the powder room has become SO disgusting, there's just no way around it. So consequently...

We're broke! AWESOME!

 

[BlingDreams]

And in the spirit of "I bought a new lampshade and I ended up selling the house" - We decided to re-wire the lights downstairs and switch to recessed lighting with dimmers. So now there's all sorts of router saws going on and money FLYING out our wallets. And then we decided we needed a California closet - a big one. (That money got together with the electricals money and they all left together). And we're going to switch up the carpet, because where they're putting in the powder room has become SO disgusting, there's just no way around it. So consequently...

We're broke! AWESOME!

Hahaha... this is so awesome in its honesty I always think about the seen from Cars where the one shop repaints it’s outside and suddenly the whole town cleans up its act because they realize how bad they look in comparison.

Good luck with all of the renovations. Take some before and after photos for us!

 

[missy]

And in the spirit of "I bought a new lampshade and I ended up selling the house" - We decided to re-wire the lights downstairs and switch to recessed lighting with dimmers. So now there's all sorts of router saws going on and money FLYING out our wallets. And then we decided we needed a California closet - a big one. (That money got together with the electricals money and they all left together). And we're going to switch up the carpet, because where they're putting in the powder room has become SO disgusting, there's just no way around it. So consequently...

We're broke! AWESOME!

Good luck @mrs-b. It will all be worth it.

 

[mrs-b]

Thanks, @ILikeShiny! I wasn't kidding when I said a while back that I needed chocolate and wine! Luckily @missy hooked me up with junk food and alcohol!

The stress, noise and dirt are just amazing. Compared to where we started, tho, it's going to end up an awesome space. My office is going down there, and I am NOT a big fan of basements used as living spaces - because they never feel like real rooms to me. I thrive on light, and most basement conversions are dim, at best. So we've done all we can do to lighten the space up - but that's meant all sorts of heavy equipment renos, which have made the mother of all messes!

When we'e done, we're doing a range of outdoors work. We currently have a bulkhead going in and out of the basement from the back yard. I've found that the single thing that makes the biggest improvement in making a basement feel like a 'real' room, to my eye, is getting rid of the bulkhead, and putting in a proper staircase. So that will be our next job. We also have a truck load of cobblestone work to do, to make an un-wreckable space for the dogs (big dogs - 140lbs of canine). These are big, expensive projects, and I don't see us finishing them in less than 18 months; all up, I believe we will have spent at least $250k renovating this house by the time we're finished. We will have:

replaced bathrooms
mostly new kitchen (some had already been done - we did the rest)
put in a new powder room
new roof
all new windows and doors
painted - inside and out
landscaping and hardscaping (a lot)
fences
roof insulation
air conditioning
a new boiler
connected up to gas
gas fireplaces
all new light fittings, fans and blinds
finished the basement
put in new windows - as in - punched holes in the concrete and put in new windows
built in closets
removed a big bay window that was an ode to the 60's
added a porch
pergola details

I just KNOW there's more than that, but my mind has gone blank, looking at that list. It seriously makes me want to lay down. We loved this house, tho, the moment we saw it, and knew what it *could* be - not what it was. We won't ever give this house up easily.

Here's an idea of where we're heading with the outdoor staircase into the basement.

 

[Tekate]

I should REALLY stop reading this thread.. I love this concept for the entry to your new room in the basement.. I have a basement room that I never everah use.. but can't approach hubster as we are spending tons on the kitchen, but NOW it's in my mind..

Looks great mrs-b.

Thanks, @ILikeShiny! I wasn't kidding when I said a while back that I needed chocolate and wine! Luckily @missy hooked me up with junk food and alcohol!

The stress, noise and dirt are just amazing. Compared to where we started, tho, it's going to end up an awesome space. My office is going down there, and I am NOT a big fan of basements used as living spaces - because they never feel like real rooms to me. I thrive on light, and most basement conversions are dim, at best. So we've done all we can do to lighten the space up - but that's meant all sorts of heavy equipment renos, which have made the mother of all messes!

When we'e done, we're doing a range of outdoors work. We currently have a bulkhead going in and out of the basement from the back yard. I've found that the single thing that makes the biggest improvement in making a basement feel like a 'real' room, to my eye, is getting rid of the bulkhead, and putting in a proper staircase. So that will be our next job. We also have a truck load of cobblestone work to do, to make an un-wreckable space for the dogs (big dogs - 140lbs of canine). These are big, expensive projects, and I don't see us finishing them in less than 18 months; all up, I believe we will have spent at least $250k renovating this house by the time we're finished. We will have:

replaced bathrooms
mostly new kitchen (some had already been done - we did the rest)
put in a new powder room
new roof
all new windows and doors
painted - inside and out
landscaping and hardscaping (a lot)
fences
roof insulation
air conditioning
a new boiler
connected up to gas
gas fireplaces
all new light fittings, fans and blinds
finished the basement
put in new windows - as in - punched holes in the concrete and put in new windows
built in closets
removed a big bay window that was an ode to the 60's
added a porch
pergola details

I just KNOW there's more than that, but my mind has gone blank, looking at that list. It seriously makes me want to lay down. We loved this house, tho, the moment we saw it, and knew what it *could* be - not what it was. We won't ever give this house up easily.

Here's an idea of where we're heading with the outdoor staircase into the basement.

 

[missy]

I should REALLY stop reading this thread.. I love this concept for the entry to your new room in the basement.. I have a basement room that I never everah use.. but can't approach hubster as we are spending tons on the kitchen, but NOW it's in my mind..

Looks great mrs-b.

Nooooo don't leave us Kate! Please stay. We need you.

 

[Tekate]

@missy I wouldn't leave I love looking at people's decisions and how truly stunning the changes are. I have no new pix's.. We are leaving next week so I will be home soon enough.. glad I was away for most of the work anyway.. Hope all is well with you!

Nooooo don't leave us Kate! Please stay. We need you.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Thanks, @ILikeShiny! I wasn't kidding when I said a while back that I needed chocolate and wine! Luckily @missy hooked me up with junk food and alcohol!

We will have:

replaced bathrooms
mostly new kitchen (some had already been done - we did the rest)
put in a new powder room
new roof
all new windows and doors
painted - inside and out
landscaping and hardscaping (a lot)
fences
roof insulation
air conditioning
a new boiler
connected up to gas
gas fireplaces
all new light fittings, fans and blinds
finished the basement
put in new windows - as in - punched holes in the concrete and put in new windows
built in closets
removed a big bay window that was an ode to the 60's
added a porch
pergola details

I just KNOW there's more than that, but my mind has gone blank, looking at that list. It seriously makes me want to lay down. We loved this house, tho, the moment we saw it, and knew what it *could* be - not what it was. We won't ever give this house up easily.

Here's an idea of where we're heading with the outdoor staircase into the basement.

Wow, you've been busy! What did you replace the bay window with? Before and after photos?

 

[mrs-b]

Wow, you've been busy! What did you replace the bay window with? Before and after photos?

We're replacing it with flat wall, as per the rest of the front of the house. No bay window at all. It was badly finished; I love bay windows that sit under a bay roofline. But ones stuck to a wall look hideous to my eyes.

 

[Loves Vintage]

We're replacing it with flat wall, as per the rest of the front of the house. No bay window at all. It was badly finished; I love bay windows that sit under a bay roofline. But ones stuck to a wall look hideous to my eyes.

Ah, ok. I pictured it in the back of the house and was thinking replacement window . . .

 

[mrs-b]

Sorry, @Loves Vintage - I might not have been clear. There will still be a window - casement on each side, picture window in the center. Grid pattern. But it won't protrude, and the wall underneath it that it sits on is being set flat.

 

[BlingDreams]

Thanks, @ILikeShiny! I wasn't kidding when I said a while back that I needed chocolate and wine! Luckily @missy hooked me up with junk food and alcohol!

The stress, noise and dirt are just amazing. Compared to where we started, tho, it's going to end up an awesome space. My office is going down there, and I am NOT a big fan of basements used as living spaces - because they never feel like real rooms to me. I thrive on light, and most basement conversions are dim, at best. So we've done all we can do to lighten the space up - but that's meant all sorts of heavy equipment renos, which have made the mother of all messes!

When we'e done, we're doing a range of outdoors work. We currently have a bulkhead going in and out of the basement from the back yard. I've found that the single thing that makes the biggest improvement in making a basement feel like a 'real' room, to my eye, is getting rid of the bulkhead, and putting in a proper staircase. So that will be our next job. We also have a truck load of cobblestone work to do, to make an un-wreckable space for the dogs (big dogs - 140lbs of canine). These are big, expensive projects, and I don't see us finishing them in less than 18 months; all up, I believe we will have spent at least $250k renovating this house by the time we're finished. We will have:

replaced bathrooms
mostly new kitchen (some had already been done - we did the rest)
put in a new powder room
new roof
all new windows and doors
painted - inside and out
landscaping and hardscaping (a lot)
fences
roof insulation
air conditioning
a new boiler
connected up to gas
gas fireplaces
all new light fittings, fans and blinds
finished the basement
put in new windows - as in - punched holes in the concrete and put in new windows
built in closets
removed a big bay window that was an ode to the 60's
added a porch
pergola details

I just KNOW there's more than that, but my mind has gone blank, looking at that list. It seriously makes me want to lay down. We loved this house, tho, the moment we saw it, and knew what it *could* be - not what it was. We won't ever give this house up easily.

Here's an idea of where we're heading with the outdoor staircase into the basement.

Good gracious... that list . I don't know how you've survived all of that!!!! Over what period of time has all of that been done?

And I LOVE the photo of the staircase idea That will be gorgeous!!!!

 

[BlingDreams]

Pendant decision made . It doesn't tick ALL of my boxes, but it's pretty darn close and I've decided it's good enough.



They are 16"w x 24"h and I'll put up three of them. I'm unsure what distance to use for their mounting though. Here are my thoughts and math:

Option 1: Put them up equidistant across the span of the 132", so one at 33", one at 66" (center of island), and one at 99". This would put a "start of pendant" distance of 25" at either end of the island and a distance of 17" between pendant edges. Looking straight on at the island, the chains would be equidistant across the island.

Option 2: Put them up taking the width of the pendant in to consideration, putting them at 25", 66", and 107". That would put a "start of pendant" distance at 17" and a visual distance of 25" between the pendant edges. So the pendants would be spread out better across the island and equidistant from each other. This is the one I'm leaning towards since it's such a large space; I don't want it to seem crowded with lights.

Opinions????

 

[missy]

Pendant decision made . It doesn't tick ALL of my boxes, but it's pretty darn close and I've decided it's good enough.



They are 16"w x 24"h and I'll put up three of them. I'm unsure what distance to use for their mounting though. Here are my thoughts and math:

Option 1: Put them up equidistant across the span of the 132", so one at 33", one at 66" (center of island), and one at 99". This would put a "start of pendant" distance of 25" at either end of the island and a distance of 17" between pendant edges. Looking straight on at the island, the chains would be equidistant across the island.

Option 2: Put them up taking the width of the pendant in to consideration, putting them at 25", 66", and 107". That would put a "start of pendant" distance at 17" and a visual distance of 25" between the pendant edges. So the pendants would be spread out better across the island and equidistant from each other. This is the one I'm leaning towards since it's such a large space; I don't want it to seem crowded with lights.

Opinions????

I'm leaning towards Option 2 because this way they are spread out over the island in a more functional way as well as in an aesthetically pleasing manner and still equidistant from the other.

 

[BlingDreams]

@missy (and others), I doodled the wider spacing. I think it looks good but still welcome opinions!

 

[missy]

@missy (and others), I doodled the wider spacing. I think it looks good but still welcome opinions!

Looks great. And I just showed it to my dh and he gives it a thumbs up.

 

[Arcadian]

Looks good. the only caution is that the dosen't pool instead of spread. those types of bulbs tend to be low wattage., so you sometimes get pools of light instead something thats nice and even. It will depend on how high/low yo put them over your counter of course.

Basically give leeway on height.

 

[rocks]

Pendant decision made . It doesn't tick ALL of my boxes, but it's pretty darn close and I've decided it's good enough.



They are 16"w x 24"h and I'll put up three of them. I'm unsure what distance to use for their mounting though. Here are my thoughts and math:

Option 1: Put them up equidistant across the span of the 132", so one at 33", one at 66" (center of island), and one at 99". This would put a "start of pendant" distance of 25" at either end of the island and a distance of 17" between pendant edges. Looking straight on at the island, the chains would be equidistant across the island.

Option 2: Put them up taking the width of the pendant in to consideration, putting them at 25", 66", and 107". That would put a "start of pendant" distance at 17" and a visual distance of 25" between the pendant edges. So the pendants would be spread out better across the island and equidistant from each other. This is the one I'm leaning towards since it's such a large space; I don't want it to seem crowded with lights.

Opinions????

First, love them. Wanted to use those but they were too large for us. Need to think about how to install....

 

[missy]

Hello everyone. Hope all is well and that everyone is enjoying a good week.
.@ILikeShiny any updates?

@Tekate thinking of you and hoping everything is going smoothly.

Greg started cleaning up and putting things back in the kitchen and while,work is interrupting him it’s gomg smoothly so far. Some pics from this morning.

And you might see a funny little guest my DH ever the funny man.





Happy Easter/Passover and any holiday you might be celebrating now.

 

[Tekate]

Happy Passover Missy!

thank you for mentioning me.. not much new. I heard from the decorator (no pix ) this morning, she wanted to be here when we get home.. I told her she didn't need to. The back-splash is not done yet, the tiles in the bar/you know what area, are not in yet, I guess the ones in the bar/whatever it is area are handpainted, I guess I forgot that.. the curtains (or drapey things) will not be up either as they are not going to be ready when we get home either, but I WILL post pix on IG at least when I get home (wednesday nite).. looking forward to being home, sick of FL.. hot weather is nice but I love my New England.


(((((MISSY)))))))!!!

Hello everyone. Hope all is well and that everyone is enjoying a good week.
.@ILikeShiny any updates?

@Tekate thinking of you and hoping everything is going smoothly.

Greg started cleaning up and putting things back in the kitchen and while,work is interrupting him it’s gomg smoothly so far. Some pics from this morning.

And you might see a funny little guest my DH ever the funny man.





Happy Easter/Passover and any holiday you might be celebrating now.

 

[Austina]

I feel your pain @mrs-b we bought this house, thinking it’d be our last home.

We changed every single light fitting in the house from halogens to LEDS (approx 60 in all).
All the door handles, hinges and keeps from gold colour to stainless steel (approx25 pros)
All the light switches and sockets changed from gold colour to brushed stainless
Had an orangery built, and went for top of the range windows, roof lantern and bifold doors
Had the garden landscaped (hard & soft)
Had a wall and gates built at the front of the house, front garden relandscaped and the drive redone.
New kitchen
New ensuite
Completely redecorated from top to bottom

and then DS asked us to move to live near him

If he’d told us sooner, we probably wouldn’t have spent so much money on this place.

 

[missy]

Happy Passover Missy!

thank you for mentioning me.. not much new. I heard from the decorator (no pix ) this morning, she wanted to be here when we get home.. I told her she didn't need to. The back-splash is not done yet, the tiles in the bar/you know what area, are not in yet, I guess the ones in the bar/whatever it is area are handpainted, I guess I forgot that.. the curtains (or drapey things) will not be up either as they are not going to be ready when we get home either, but I WILL post pix on IG at least when I get home (wednesday nite).. looking forward to being home, sick of FL.. hot weather is nice but I love my New England.


(((((MISSY)))))))!!!

Looking forward to seeing your IG photos! Yes to being home soon. It's always nice to come home and the weather should be improving...though I have heard rumblings from the meteorologists about snow possibly next week...nooooo please no more snow lol. But yeah I hear you I still love New England (I miss our yearly autumn road trips to New England darn kitties who we love no matter what but who are so skittish they cannot be left with anyone) snow or no and Florida while nice for a visit is way too hot for some of us year round...though during mid winter Florida can be pretty darn wonderful!

(((HUGS))) @Tekate and hang in there. Before you know it you will have a gorgeous space that you may never want to leave.

 

[BlingDreams]

@missy - Your place is looking great! Love the dough boy And thanks for asking about us. I'm all set for the meeting with the design gallery. Looking forward to being done with this part of the process and just waiting for the building to begin! I've sent a note to the SC to see if they've heard about our fireplace (if they can raise it up and put a hearth with it) and any pricing on our master bathroom redesign. Thankfully THOSE don't have to be paid for up front or else we'd be up the creek without a paddle

@Tekate - Can't wait to see your progress in photos! Please do share them here too?? I'm curious to see how the hand-painted tiles look; I'm picturing very ornate, Italian-styled ones... am I close??

@Austina - How terribly sweet that your DS asked you to move close to them. I don't think I'd be able to resist that (especially if grandkids were in the picture!!). What did you end up doing?

 

[Austina]

We’re desperately keeping everything crossed @ILikeShiny that Mr Trump doesn’t get his way, and change the rules on familial immigration. Our son has made his home in the US (Tx) and will be eligible for citizenship in 2 yrs time, after which, we can apply for a green card. Under current legislation, the immigration lawyer says there’s no reason why we wouldn’t be granted one.

It will be desperately disappointing if the rules change, as he’s our only child and has no intention of returning to live here. Makes no sense to us, as we’d be totally self supporting, tax paying, economy boosting model citizens, but a one size fits all ban, will preclude people like us. Unless DH or I win a Nobel prize or an Olympic medal, there are no other ways for us to qualify - both highly unlikely given our ages

 

[Tekate]

Aw @ILikeShiny you are so kind and think more of my choices than I could ever have thought of! The decorator selected the below and I thought it would look great.. it's a picture of the tile and the quartz that is going on the counter there.. teal blue knobs for the cabinets! thank you again, my little house on the hill would fit into maybe your great room! or laundry room j/k we all love our homes and I love mine especially because it is exactly what I wanted at this point in my looooong life. I look every day to see if you have changed anything.. and I'll post pix here for sure as I don't like to post much of my life on IG as all my nieces are there

 

[BlingDreams]

Aw @ILikeShiny you are so kind and think more of my choices than I could ever have thought of! The decorator selected the below and I thought it would look great.. it's a picture of the tile and the quartz that is going on the counter there.. teal blue knobs for the cabinets! thank you again, my little house on the hill would fit into maybe your great room! or laundry room j/k we all love our homes and I love mine especially because it is exactly what I wanted at this point in my looooong life. I look every day to see if you have changed anything.. and I'll post pix here for sure as I don't like to post much of my life on IG as all my nieces are there

I love that tile!!! It's sooooo cheerful and would make me smile all of the time. I can't wait to see it paired with the teal nobs; it's going to be adorable!! And I think we have the same quartz!! Mine is "white ice", I think? I can't remember. But it looks incredibly similar so obviously I love it

As for house size, for me it's always around functionality; a house can be small and incredibly functional. Case in point, this time a year ago I was living in a place that was around 1200sqft and I was perfectly happy. Was it "ideal" for me? No, but it was quaint and adorable and welcoming, and it met my needs. The extra ~6000sqft we're moving in to will allow us to really spread out, but the same welcoming feel is of utmost importance to me. I've always wanted guests to feel like they could kick off their shoes and curl up on our couches

Aaaaaaand, you got me I did change something - haha! I literally ordered the pendants, received an email confirmation of the order along with one of those "Other items you might be interested in" previews and went OH! I LIKE THAT BETTER!!!! I swear that I've looked at probably over 300 pendant lights, and yet I don't recall ever seeing this one. Sooooooo order canceled and new light ordered . I didn't post it because i felt like an idiot who can never say yes without second-thoughts .

Old:



New:



I like that it has the "dust catcher" above the pendant (I don't know what it's technically called), so it will keep the interior glass from getting dirty as fast. I also like the additional scrollwork on the sides; it seems to fit with the overall flow of my decorations.

 

[Arcadian]

I spent time in Ikea today. Ugh...... So they no longer sell the same cabinets I have, so, I have to decide what type of cabinets will work for an island. They have simiar cabinet fronts so thats awesome. But they don't have the same granite, meaning, I have to decide what to do for the island. I don't want to do black, but maybe grey quartz? cabinets will be dark brown.

Since my house is on the small side and very open, I want to keep the cabinets the same color.

Oh and while I won't have a "drank room" but I will have a "drank fridge"

after that, on to the fireplace (it will be electric of course!)

 

[BlingDreams]

I spent time in Ikea today. Ugh...... So they no longer sell the same cabinets I have, so, I have to decide what type of cabinets will work for an island. They have simiar cabinet fronts so thats awesome. But they don't have the same granite, meaning, I have to decide what to do for the island. I don't want to do black, but maybe grey quartz? cabinets will be dark brown.

Since my house is on the small side and very open, I want to keep the cabinets the same color.

Oh and while I won't have a "drank room" but I will have a "drank fridge"

after that, on to the fireplace (it will be electric of course!)

Uuuugh. I hate when that happens. Care to share photos of what you're working with and what you're considering?

 

[missy]

We’re desperately keeping everything crossed @ILikeShiny that Mr Trump doesn’t get his way, and change the rules on familial immigration. Our son has made his home in the US (Tx) and will be eligible for citizenship in 2 yrs time, after which, we can apply for a green card. Under current legislation, the immigration lawyer says there’s no reason why we wouldn’t be granted one.

It will be desperately disappointing if the rules change, as he’s our only child and has no intention of returning to live here. Makes no sense to us, as we’d be totally self supporting, tax paying, economy boosting model citizens, but a one size fits all ban, will preclude people like us. Unless DH or I win a Nobel prize or an Olympic medal, there are no other ways for us to qualify - both highly unlikely given our ages

I am so aggravated and angry about this and I truly hope that Tump doesn't pass this stupid executive order Austina. Grrrr really angry. You guys are the perfect people and we would be so lucky to have you here. You already know how I feel about this but it bears repeating and know that most of us are on your side and want you here! And remember if there is anything at all we can do please do not hesitate. Greg and I can adopt you and your dh...just a thought.
(((HUGS))).

 

[missy]

I spent time in Ikea today. Ugh...... So they no longer sell the same cabinets I have, so, I have to decide what type of cabinets will work for an island. They have simiar cabinet fronts so thats awesome. But they don't have the same granite, meaning, I have to decide what to do for the island. I don't want to do black, but maybe grey quartz? cabinets will be dark brown.

Since my house is on the small side and very open, I want to keep the cabinets the same color.

Oh and while I won't have a "drank room" but I will have a "drank fridge"

after that, on to the fireplace (it will be electric of course!)

I am sorry Arcadian. That is disappointing. I am glad they have similar cabinet fronts at least.
I think grey quartz is super pretty and was tempted myself to do medium grey quartz for our beach kitchen. I really love the grey. It's a lovely neutral.