Category Archives: Renovations

Blue, Black and Green

Posted in Painting, Renovations by

No, I’m not talking about bruises. I wish I were. I’m talking about the worst sinkin’ paint palette I’ve never seen in person. And the great thing? It’s in my house. Well, it was.

Last Saturday my mom and I tackled the World’s Most Headache Inducing Room, a.k.a. My Future Baby’s Room.

I present to you, the “Before” photos:

See what I mean by “Headache Inducing”? Green, black, and blue, plus the original brown/tan in the closet. I don’t know what on earth the previous owners were thinking, but I think they gave their kids a little TOO much creative freedom in picking the colours of their rooms! And that black stripe? It’s magnetic. Ugh.

My mom came over around 10:30 a.m. to help me paint, which really turned into me helping HER paint since she made me “take it easy” since I’m pregnant and all. (For the record: It’s safe for me to paint as long as I use latex-based paint and take breaks if I feel light-headed and whatnot. Believe me when I say I’ve been nagged to death on this one.)

After about 6 hours of painting, including a break for lunch and a trip to the paint store for more primer and painter’s tape, we/my mom were finished!

Ta da! Glorious isn’t it? What a change! It only took about 2 coats of primer, plus another extra coat on the green sections, but it’s all covered up and ready for me to paint it whatever colours I choose! It’s going to go from a four-colour room to a two-colour room, that’s for sure.

You can still feel where the black stripe is because it’s some sort of weird textured stick-on thing that was painted black, so I’m going to just paint that a different colour to accent the rest of the room. Trying to remove it will probably result it destroying the drywall, and that’s a whole new bag of expenses I just don’t want to touch.

I really can’t thank my mom enough for all her help too. She really rocked it out hard! Kyle and I owe her big time – perhaps a box of wine is in order, or at least her favourite bottle of white.

What’s the most atrocious colour you’ve had to paint over? 

Home Reno’s: And. We’re. DONE!

Posted in House and Home, Kara and Kyle, Renovations by

After three weeks of the upstairs of our townhouse being an absolute war zone, our man cave/computer room/future baby room (no, we’re not expecting, FYI rumour starters!) is DONE!

Two weeks ago we got the flooring put in. (Luxurious dark bamboo hardwood laminate!) Last week we got the door and trim painted and put up (or down I guess for the baseboards). It has been such hard work – and not even for me – for Kyle. I have done pretty much nothing in that room, not that I’m complaining. Kyle has been awesome making that room look fabulous. I’m not even going to take any credit for it, except for the caulking around the baseboards – that was alllll me! I’m a master caulker. (Insert dirty joke here)

Anyway – Pictures pictures!

(View the “Before” and “After Paint” photos here)

So, after the caulking had dried we went out and bought a new TV stand and a new desk for Kyle and voila – the room is done and Kyle is happy to have his “Man Cave” back in running order.

Now we just need to have new windows installed and hang new curtains. I swear reno’s never end. Next up is the spare bedroom when our bank account replenishes itself a little bit.

Do reno’s every really end? Really?

Renovation Update

Posted in House and Home, Renovations by

Last Thursday (or maybe it was Friday?) I came home from work to find the room we started working on all painted! Yay!

To be completely honest, I was actually quite bummed that I didn’t get to paint it myself. Like, stupidly bummed. I blame hormones. For real. Anyway, it looks so fabulous and the photos definitely don’t do it any justice!

Here are before & after photos! (And I took the “After” photos at the same time in the day that I took the “Before” ones)

So picture that, with white trim & furniture and a dark wood flooring! It’s going to look SOO good! I’ve already bought shelves to put up. (BTW: My new obsession? Floating shelves!)

Also on the home reno front: We had our pre-hung door put up on Saturday and it just needs a coat or two of paint. One of Kyle’s old co-workers is now runs a contracting company with his brother, so they came and hung the door for me for free! Hurray for connections! There was no way Kyle and I would’ve been able to hang that door as quickly and as easily as they did.

Hopefully today or tomorrow we can start laying our flooring down in that room so we can work on the spare bedroom. Fingers crossed!