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Making Sense of Flooring
Flooring is a pretty major component of our homes, and one that is not easily changed out. Finding the right material for your space can be daunting, so on our podcast, All Things Renovation, Brandy interviewed Grant Bergman from Beatty Floors. He went through some of the common options, and where certain types of flooring are most suited in your home. Here’s a summary of what we learned from him.
Suzie & Pat's Bathroom
We didn’t do the renovation component of this project but we did do the beautiful floating cabinetry in this space. Notice the grain matching on the doors and drawers!
Sharon & Craig's Kitchen & Dining Room Renovation
This project started out a bit grander but we were able to value engineer and change the scope to meet the budget and still create a unique, open concept family space.
Vance & Vangie's New Westminster Kitchen Re-Face
Sometimes there’s not much you can do to improve a layout due to the space, and sometimes the cabinetry itself is in good shape and doesn't really need to be replaced. This penthouse unit just needed a reface and a slight change to the peninsula.
Jill & Marie's Steveston Bathroom
This 2nd floor shared bathroom in a townhouse is tight but with custom built-in cabinetry the additional storage so desperately needed was achieved. The floor tile is a great example of how to infuse character, even in a smaller space.
Electric Vehicle Chargers
More and more people are choosing to exchange their gas-powered car for to an electric vehicle, so on our podcast, All Things Renovation, Brandy interviewed Quinn McLaughlin from MJR Electric to find out more information about the logistics of charging one up. Here’s a summary of what we learned from him.
The Benefits of Getting a Home Inspection
A home inspection isn’t just for new home buyers, they can be done for a variety of reasons. On our podcast,
All Things Renovation, we interviewed Victoria Ballantine, from Allegiant Inspections, to find out the circumstances under which she is called out to do an inspection, what she looks for, and what is included in the report. Here is a summary of what we learned from her.
Vanities and Storage Units
Explore stylish and practical vanities and storage units to maximize organization and enhance the visual appeal of your bathroom.
The Basic Tools That Everyone Needs
Everyone who lives in a home should also own a basic tool kit. This will come in handy for all sorts of situations, like hanging a picture on the wall, or replacing a faucet. But what are the basic tools that should be in this kit? Paul, the Wood Magician at Wood Be Art, put together these lists for basic, intermediate, and advanced tool kits. With these, and the appropriate know-how of course, you can cover nearly all the fine-tuning that your home will need over the years.
Hot Water on Demand & Combi Boiler Systems
Everyone is more or less familiar with the conventional system of the hot water tank and the furnace. But the hot water-on-demand and combi boiler systems can replace both of these with great benefits to homeowners. On our podcast, All Things Renovation, we interviewed Matt Gyorfi from Pro-West Sales, a plumbing and heating distributor in the Lower Mainland to educate our listeners about what these benefits are. Here’s a summary of what we learned from him.
What Does Insurance Have to Do With Renovations?
Everyone hates paying for insurance when it's not needed but they're super grateful when something does go wrong. However, most people wouldn't think about insurance when they're going through a renovation. On our podcast, All Things Renovation, we interviewed Sonja Blackburn, a local insurance broker, to find out what you need to consider from an insurance perspective when renovating your house. Here is a summary of what we learned from her.
Some Renovations Add Value to Your Home...and Some Don't
When you do renovations, one thing to keep in mind is whether or not what you are doing is adding good value to your home, or potentially lowering it. On our podcast, All Things Renovation, we talked to Vancouver realtor Roland Kym to find out more about how renovations affect the value of your home. Here's a summary of what we learned from him.
A Dream Without a Financial Plan Is Just a Wish!
The French write Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is quoted as saying that "a dream without a plan is just a wish". We'd like to take it a step further and say that a dream without a financial plan is just a wish! One of the first steps you can take to look for the money to fund your renovations is talking to a financial planner. On our podcast, All Things Renovation, we interviewed Glen Dodd, a local financial planner, to find out what tips he could offer. Here is a summary of what we learned from him.
Using Mortgage Financing to Fund Your Renovations
Whether you need to do renovations in order to make your house more attractive to buyers, or you're buying a house and want to improve some aspect of it, sometimes it's a bit of a struggle to come up with the funding to cover the work. On our podcast, All Things Renovation, we interviewed top-performing mortgage broker Krista Klein. Here is a summary of the tips that we learned from her.
The Renovation Process
In bite-sized blog posts, we’ve covered how to find and hone your inspiration images to share with your renovation team, layout basics, cabinetry options & detailing, countertops, backsplashes, flooring, lighting, appliances, and last but not least, your sinks and faucets. Today will be the last post of this series and I figured that we should talk about what to expect with the typical flow of the design and then the construction process.
The Kitchen Faucet
Last week we covered the kitchen sink, and this week we're going to talk about the faucet to go in that sink. Again, you need to consider your needs and your design aesthetic.
The Kitchen Sink
If you’ve been wondering and waiting for it, today is your lucky day! We’re finally throwing the kitchen sink into the mix.
Appliances
Appliances are a big element of a kitchen renovation and one that many people agonize over. The sizing of most appliances is standardized but variations do exist especially once we start getting into the higher end options. I often recommend that clients choose appliances early on in the process as they anchor the cabinetry layout. These days there are so many options, whether you want standard, high-end or commercial styles, so it can take a bit of time to figure out what makes and models you prefer.
LED Lighting Tutorial
Much of the lighting we see these days regardless of which layer we’re talking about comes with LED bulbs. I must confess I do like the incandescent light quality and the cool looking Edison bulbs better than an LED. But they are getting there with getting the light quality and the colour with all the different options that are available.