Renovator's Notebook

While the reno work goes on downstairs, we have been living upstairs in what feels like a very dusty, student-style apartment. We have a tiny make-shift kitchen. (In other words, we eat out a lot and have become masters of the no-cook meal.) So, while I awkwardly whip up another soup and sandwich combo for dinner each night, I dream of our new appliances that are waiting in a warehouse somewhere. 

For our stove, it was love at first sight: a gas range by Bertazzoni. Leave it to the Italians — we just couldn’t look at any others after seeing this one. That’s amore! (H&H design editor Cameron MacNeil also has one that you can see in our Online TV episode featuring his kitchen makeover.)

I was not sure about the gas convection vs. electric convection oven options. Anyone had any experience comparing the two? I’m thinking anything is better than the one-burner beauty I’ve got now!

For our fridge, we chose a counter depth Fisher&Paykel model for its square lines and well-designed interior.

We also bought a surround kit so it will look as built-in as possible. By building a base for the fridge, it will sit up off the ground at the same height as the counters — an added bonus for tall people!

To have a dishwasher at all has me giddy with joy. It’s been so long, I’ve forgotten what it’s like to not wash piles of dishes by hand. Have you seen these handy panels that seamlessly conceal a dishwasher? Ikea sells one in the same style as our lower cabinets, dishwasher and all.

Now, we just need to get everything else finished so we can install these beauties. It should take a few weeks — and that’s probably about all the grilled cheese sandwiches I can take!

Are you planning a kitchen, too? If so, use our free online kitchen design tool to place your appliances in the perfect spot.

Photo credits:
1. Bertazzoni range in red, Appliancist
2. Active Smart Refrigerator in stainless steel, Fisher&Paykel
3. Fisher&Paykel
4. Renlig integrated dishwasher, Ikea

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Windows can really make or break the look of a house. I’m constantly rubbernecking on my bike when I pass a house or building with really great ones! And, I’ve noticed that all of these places have one thing in common…black trimmed windows, like these beauties.

Our fixer-upper came with horrible, thin aluminum-frame jobbies. (See our before photos in my first post.) The problem is that exceptionally nice windows are not equally nice in price. On the other hand, they will last a lifetime.

Would top-end windows on our mid-range house look not quite right, however? I know there is some sort of car analogy to be made here about putting fancy wheels on a not-so-fancy beater... But, I think we can find some options that are perfect for our quaint city rowhouse that won't entirely break the bank!

I love the look of thin-edged steel frame windows like these by Bonelli. Bliss Nor-Am makes similar ones here in Canada.

There are the energy-efficiency r-values and u-values to consider, too, not just the eye-value. We need to make a decision on windows ASAP, as custom windows can take weeks to come in, and ours are still sealed in plastic. So charming!

At the end of the day, I think we will go with something like this photo. Something more in line with the house’s original design: nice, simple double-hung windows with wood on the interior and black aluminum exterior.

So, if you can judge a book by its cover, I'm hoping this one will be a best-seller.

Are you also considering new windows? Be sure to see these tips, articles, photos and more.

Photo credits:
1. 211 Elizabeth, New York
2-3. Gustave Carlson Design
4. Apartment Therapy

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The very first picture that I added to my now giant inspiration folder was this one:

Everything about it feels right: cosy, comforting, fun, but classic. And, it’s just a hallway. I love the contrasting colours, black and white tiles, dark trim, bold wallpaper and artwork. It has me thinking about our entryway. I want it to be warm and welcoming, but also practical with spots for coats, keys and mail, and a chair to take shoes on and off, or, more realistically, for the cat to sit on and watch us take shoes on and off.

This one hits all the right notes:

With the configuration of our stairs, I think a citrusy-coloured circular rug would complete the space, as in the house below. And, while this hall would normally be a bit too country for my tastes (and is twice the size of ours), this is how I hope ours will feel. And, according to fellow H&H blogger Michael Penney, country is back!

Anthropologie has a great circular area rug that would fit the bill. Sold!

Every entryway needs a great piece of furniture. We purposefully kept the wall under our stairs so we will have a spot for a great console and a mirror. If only my bike looked so effortlessly cool sitting right at the door.

Just add some fantastic light fixtures and we’re done. But, I’ll tell you more about those another time....

Read more about Decorating An Entryway.

Photo credits:
1. Living Etc.
2. Living Etc.
3. design*sponge
4. Isola Bella Rug, Anthropologie
5. Living Etc.

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I have suffered from a serious case of floor-envy ever since my sister installed reclaimed barn board floors in her home some time ago. She and her husband bought pre-cut tongue and groove boards from Century Wood and installed them themselves (ahem, DIY-overachievers) many years before the rise of “modern rustic.” She is always ahead of the curve.

It’s knotty, grainy, chunky and raw-looking. I love how tactile it is, and how it adds warmth and history to a space.

I love the drama of the dark stain in the photo above, but am also fond of the lighter grey tones of the boards below, a more Scandinavian look that might keep things cheerful in the dark winter months.

But old barn board isn’t as cheap as one might expect. So, we are weighing our options between this, other reclaimed or sustainable floorings, and some new ethically harvested (or FSC-certified) hardwood. We have found some great companies here in Ontario who specialize in just what we are after, including:

Nadurra Wood Corporation
Revival Flooring
Century Wood
Timeless Materials Co.

I’m dreaming the space will have the same retro-modern-meets-farmhouse charm as the room above. And, while we won’t be stealing a page from my sister’s book and installing the floors ourselves, we are feeling inspired to choose good quality, sustainable floors, and to recycle, upcycle or “freecycle” whenever we can. There is nothing more sobering than seeing a room full of waste amassed from a reno. Sadly, what little hardwood we did have on the main floor wasn’t able to be refinished or matched up to fill in gaps (and whole rooms) where it had been ripped out to make way for that “snakeskin” linoleum I waxed poetic about in my first post. Does anyone know of any good projects or crafts for three bundles of old oak-strip flooring?!

And, with pets, and a propensity toward bringing muddy bikes into the house (though this may change during the honeymoon phase with our new floors), I think reclaimed flooring is ideal for its durability and ease of cleaning. That, and any dents or claw marks in the boards just add more charm. Wish I could say the same about the rest of the house!

Read more about Green Materials For Your Home or visit our Green Design Gallery.

Photo credits:
1. Revival Flooring
2. Remodelista
3. Remodelista
4. design*sponge
5. Veser’s Antique Woods

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When I was a student at the University of Toronto, my favourite spot to recharge (read: nap) was at the Hart House library. I still go there sometimes. It’s old-school comfort: large, worn-in wingbacks, thick rugs, leaded-glass windows covered in ivy, a huge fireplace, and books...stacks and stacks of them.

Now that we have decided to not completely open up our main floor, I am going to recreate this ultimate comfort zone (without the stress of exams) in my own home with a bit of a spare, modern twist.

I love the look of these cosy rooms…just add books.

First, we need to uncover the fireplace that has been plastered over. This is a labour of love. Has anyone ever done this? It is painstaking work to chip plaster off brick. We chip away a little bit each week.

If the fireplace is not usable, I plan to fill it with logs for some academia-meets-log-cabin charm.

To keep things librarian-hush quiet, we may install a sound barrier such as Quiet Rock. I wonder if others have had experience with sound insulation. Worth the investment?

While we could do simple shelves on either side of the fireplace, I’d love to include a handcrafted bookshelf like this one from Brothers Dressler.

Or, the books can be the star of the wall with simple, dark-painted floor to ceiling shelves.

On the opposite wall, I’m going to finally hang all of the book-inspired art that I have been collecting over the past few years, including these colourful posters from the New York Art Book Fair.

Now, I just need to get through my book collection without falling asleep. With a cosy couch, toasty fire, and two purring cats, this is going to be difficult.

For tips on building built-in bookshelves around a fireplace, read Designing Built-In Shelves.

Photo credits:
1. Hart House, photography by Roger Leekam
2. Tine Guth Linse
3. Living Etc, Folk Living Room
4. Catherine MacIntosh
5. Living Etc, Wood-Stacked Fireplace
6. Brothers Dressler
7. Living Etc, Balanced Look
8-9. Catherine MacIntosh

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There is nothing like a well-appointed staircase. Sure, you can’t get comfy on them or accessorize them (too much) but it is a mistake to think them completely perfunctory. Isn’t it surprising what some lovely spindles, fresh paint and a great runner can do?

This is my new favourite staircase, which I found on the website of a very talented photographer, Eric Piasecki. I love how the designer has used that bit of wall space as a place for a statement piece of furniture, how the door isn’t hidden so I can guess something is going on behind it, storage maybe, and how the beautiful tongue and groove wall frames out the space. If only my stairs could look like this.

But sadly, mine look like this:

The top step is so ridiculously high that it almost requires bungee jumping to get down it, the bottom step is maybe only 2” above the floor. My guess is the last homeowners didn’t have a clue how to hang a stringer (or were bad at The Maths) and so The Sicilians are bringing in an old-pro carpenter to make this right. I will do inexpensive shaker spindles, some shaker trim to dress up the whole area, a cheap jute runner typically used for outdoor stairs and I will house the kitty litter behind a closed door under the stairs. The end product should look something like this only in white:

To see the after photos of my basement reno, head over to my last blog post, or pick up the Fall 2009 Makeovers special issue.

Happy Holidays from H&H! We hope you enjoy this post from our archives. We'll be back with new episodes and blogs starting January 4th.

Photo credits:
1. Eric Piasecki
2. Meg Crossley
3. Unknown source: Help! Does anyone know where this shot comes from?

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With the extraneous walls down, old kitchen removed, ceilings opened up and a mini-bathroom removed, we can start to breathe again, literally and figuratively! Our asthmatic cat Buster is happy to no longer be sequestered upstairs. The flow of the house is starting to return. We wanted to spend some time in the space before making any major design decisions, which has helped us to understand the house’s quirks, how the light moves throughout the day, and how much we can hear our neighbours through the shared wall. But, it’s not all time wasted: while making these decisions, we have been moving ahead with decidedly less glamorous things: a new furnace and water heater, and new wiring.

Doing the reno slowly allows time to just stare at the space, usually what it takes to get to that Eureka! moment, or a sense of utter exhaustion, whichever comes first.

Now faced with a blank canvas, we can arrange the kitchen/dining room however we want — or so we thought. Our first plan, situating the kitchen behind the staircase wall (above), would have cost quite a bit more to relocate plumbing, and would cause the counter to jut out too much into the hallway. This last realization came when I went down the hall here at the H&H offices to “Ask A Designer” (a.k.a. Cameron MacNeil) for his thoughts on this plan (a definite job perk). He said it is ideal to have 42” for a hall passageway. Scratch plan A.

On to plan B: a medium sized-galley with a beautiful exposed-brick wall and a dining area by the bay window with a cosy couch, much like having a Swedish kitchen sofa. (I love that they even have a word for this: köksoffa!)

I am imagining late-night dinners that go on and on…

And, like the traditional Swedish kitchen sofa, extra sleeping room for guests who stay all night.

In the demo, we discovered that we do indeed have a lovely looking brick wall in the kitchen area, but unsightly pipes from the upstairs bathroom, and a heating duct (covered in asbestos, I might add) are foiling the plan! We also found an old pocket-door that had been plastered into the walls, a circa-1950 Russian coin, some 1960s baseball cards, and my favourite, a horseshoe.

So it seems the house will dictate the design. Now, our options are to move the duct and conceal the water pipes in the ceiling with a bulkhead (not my favourite), or move on to plan C, subway tiles:

Or, failing that, move down the alphabet to plan D and embrace the heating duct for a slightly more industrial look:

Well, you know what they say about the best-laid plans…

For more inspiration, view Lynda Reeves’ Kitchen Renovation photos.

Photo credits:
1. Catherine MacIntosh
2. Living Etc October 2008
3. Hello Tiger blog, photography by Anna/Juniform
4. Catherine MacIntosh
5. From House & Home May 2007 issue, photography by Mark Olson
6. Living Etc September 2009

Happy Holidays from H&H! We hope you enjoy this post from our blog archives. We'll be back with new daily blogs starting January 4th.

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A girl needs to dream…and decorate it seems. So, while the inside of our house is in chaos, I really need an outlet for my decorating desires. A friend of mine describes this stage of the reno as having the guts of your house hanging out. And, yes, as that sounds, it is a little disturbing. While Justin is fine with it, and even enjoys seeing every nook and cranny of the house, I have a strong urge to make it pretty…stat!

So, inspired by the simple, graphic lines of this cute cottage, I’ve turned my eye to the outside of the house to pick out a new mailbox and house numbers, without breaking the bank. Our place had an old handmade wooden mailbox, which someone obviously made with love, but it really wasn’t “us.” (I have since converted it into a birdhouse for the backyard.)

There were more options out there than I could have imagined, and some great Canadian sources too, including Modern Karibou. The vibrant, happy shades of these sleek letter-holders, designed by Canadian company Centrifuge Design Inc., were inspired by the colours of Toronto subway stations.

Or, I could add colour with some funky numbers, like these by typeface designer Erik Spiekermann, which were available a couple years back at Design Within Reach. Sigh, if only I had needed them then.

But, I am equally smitten with the Modernist simplicity of these little numbers from Urban Mode, no pun intended.

Or perhaps a crisp, traditional look like this sign from House Proud Signs, another Canadian website.

There is also the now-classic Postino box to consider, which was designed for Umbra by Toronto’s Matt Carr, whose own house is featured in our January 2010 issue (on newsstands December 14^th!).

But, truth be told, I started all this searching after I had picked up this simple-chic black mailbox from Canadian Tire (to reassure myself that I had made a good choice…not always the best plan!).

So, I think I will get my colour fix by painting this one a sunny yellow (to match the colour I intend to paint our vestibule door). Cheap...check! Cheerful…ditto. My fellow H&Her, Emily Walker, chose a similar cheery accent colour for her bungalow reno.

Learn more about improving your home’s exterior in Revealing A Home’s Hidden Curb Appeal.

Photo credits:
1. Architectural Classics blog, photography by Tim Norris
2. Modern Karibou
3. Door Sixteen, from Flickr.com
4. Urban Mode
5. House Proud Signs
6. Umbra
7. Canadian Tire

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We are renovating virgins. There, I said it. So, when people find out that my partner, Justin, and I bought a fixer-upper they always ask, “Are you handy?” Frankly, the answer is “maybe?” Sure, I hang a mean art wall and he can replace a leaky faucet, but gut and renovate our first house, who knows? Luckily we have some pros to help us out. We imagine the main floor of our downtown Toronto rowhouse to be like one of these beautiful spaces with an open-concept kitchen-dining room:

Or this:

However, when we bought it, our house was like a rabbit warren (but not in that warm, snuggly way) with many smallish, dark rooms, even a pint-sized bathroom crammed under the staircase. I’m not sure about you, but it’s taking “cosy” a little too far for us. But, we could see through its awkward layout, snakeskin linoleum (!?) and worn finishes, so we took the plunge.

We want to open up the main floor, but we like the small room at the front of the house and imagine it as some sort of library or, as one friend suggested, a proper cocktail room. What do you think? Keep the small, cosy room or open the main floor right up? This stuff keeps me up at night. We are thinking it could look something like this:

So, armed with this fantastic list of DIY tips from our super-agent Chander Chaddah, we both took a week off to start (lovingly) gutting the main floor ourselves.

Boy + sledgehammer = smashing good time!

Girl + asbestos mask (pink coincidental) = a new level of commitment to DIY!

As the dust settles, I’ll post more images of our little rowhouse that could!

Read more about working with an extra-long living room.

Photo credits:
1. Living Etc.
2. From Hus & Hem, photography by Tine Guth Linse
3. Enormous Champion's Jordan Provost and Jason Wong's Brooklyn home, from design*sponge, March 30, 2009
4. Remodelista
5-8. Catherine MacIntosh
9. Living Etc.
10-11. Catherine MacIntosh

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