Stunning Basement Renovation not to be Missed!

I like to think that I have great vision for seeing the potential of unfinished spaces & visualising the final look of projects I embark upon. But once all is said and done and a job is complete, I am still amazed at just how much more stunning the result is is than I thought it would be. 

My basement renovation is no exception and I am thrilled to share these photographs with you.

Custom built ins designed by me and built by my talented husband Chris and our good friend Jeff.

 The rug is from HomeSense as are many of the accessories on display in the built in cabinet. The pot lights in the shelving are on dimmers and really highlight the accessories as well as adding ambiance.

Mirrored doors add sophistication and help to brighten up the space.

The mirrored doors were custom made and then sprayed by Paint It Like New in Benjamin Moore's Willow - CC542 - the same colour as the built ins. (Mirrors were sealed in after the paint had cured) I had the doors sprayed in a slightly higher sheen and opted not to add hardware.  The doors open easily enough and in my opinion adding handles would have been too busy with the mirrored inserts.

The other side of our basement is the dining/gaming area & is painted Wilmington Tan by BM.  

  Complimentary Colours - I love the purple hued drapery against the buttery yellow walls. 

The silk and polyester blend draperies add warmth and elegance to the space. I loved the Maxwell fabric that I used for this Living Room Makeover so much that I bought extra to use for the cornices (the fabric boxes over the curtains) and accent cushions on the sectional. 

The chalk board is a re-purposed item that I altered to be more functional.  Originally it hung horizontally and had a wire basket attached to the bottom.  I removed the basket, turned it vertically and super glued the small shelf under the board so the chalk would have a home.  We've already played darts and for the first time in ages I beat Chris, maybe the newly renovated space inspired my game!!

The various styled picture frames are unified by the same mat colour - Marshland - CC512 by Benjamin Moore.

Most of the frames I nicked from my Mom's inventory for the Aberfoyle Market - thanks Mom!  The photographs are from our travels across Europe and a few from Chris's time spent in Australia and Singapore. 

And do you recognise the buffet pictured above??  In this post I told you about my new (but old) piece of furniture and now you can see it completely transformed within my new space.  I love it!

It's been a very long journey but now when we sit back, relax and watch a movie - (I haven't even touched on the incredible surround sound system!) - we can really enjoy what we've accomplished.

'It's been a long time coming..it's well worth the wait' ~ Gord Downie, Tragically Hip

For more pictures please visit my updated website at www.creatingcontrastdesigns.com.  If you are thinking of starting renovations and need some guidance, please contact me and I can help you make your dreams for your home a reality.

New Years Resolutions for my Home Decor

Happy 2012 to you! 

January is a time to reflect on the past year, look forward to a promising future and set goals for the year ahead.  My personal goals are pretty standard - eat better, lose weight, exercise more and continue to focus on building my business. 

We all have the pieces to get to where we want to be, we just have to put them in place.

Soon I will be publishing a post called 'Renovate or Relocate'.  This is a topic my husband and I have been wrestling with over the past few years.  This year we are seriously contemplating a move and need to start thinking about what projects to focus on in the house to make it more 'sellable'.  Therefore, I have made a second list of New Years' Resolutions for improving my homes' decor.

In my post about  Home Staging I addressed the importance of having your house appeal to potential home buyers and some of the key elements that should be looked at prior to placing your home on the market.  I know the earlier I start getting things organised the less stressed I will be when the right house comes along and we want to put the 'For Sale' sign on our front lawn.

#1-  Complete the basement renovations.

My husband is doing a great job creating these built ins that I designed.

The other half of the basement is as good as finished but is unlivable until the other side is completed.

We are lucky that our basement is so large and I am confident that it will be a great selling feature.  Once it's finished we may change our minds about moving, because I know it will look fantastic and function much better than it did before.

#2.  Placing hardwood on the stairs.

As we live in a Bungalow, the only stairs we have lead to the basement.  Despite having the carpet professionally cleaned, over the years you can see where the dirt has set in.  Pulling up the carpet and staining the natural hardwood will make them more hygienic, practical and pretty.

#3.  Tiling the floor in the bathroom.

If you are not prepared to go all the way, sometimes you have to do your best to work with what you've got

It's no secret that bathrooms and kitchens sell a house.  Since moving here seven years ago, we have done some major renovations including the kitchen and a full bathroom in the basement.  Although we did do some updates to the main floor bathroom, we never got around to completely gutting and redoing it.  In my opinion, the best thing we can do now is simply re-tile the floor.  Currently the floor has those nasty and cheap stick on linoleum tiles. By updating the floor this will be a fairly easy and inexpensive way to improve the overall look of the bathroom. 

#4.  New Window Treatments in the Kitchen.

In this post I asked if you were making the mistake of not incorporating the cost of window treatments into your budget when re-decorating.  I have to confess that I have not updated all of my own window treatments, but always try to leave room in the budget for draperies or blinds when working with a client.  Window treatments really are a necessity for giving a room its 'finishing touch'.  I am leaning towards the idea of fabric roman blinds like the one in the picture below to update and add softness to my kitchen space. 

I may go with a patterned fabric but need it to be transitional in style

#5.  Continue to purge and keep things tidy.

This makes me feel happy

Keeping storage areas like closets, drawers and even kitchen cabinets organised is essential to ensure these spaces remain neat and de-cluttered.  When potential home buyers walk through your home you can bet they sneak a peek behind these closed doors and it's not  just to be nosey.  They are also looking to see what storage space is available for their things - so the more effective you utilise these spaces the better.

Although there are many more ideas that I have and could do in the house, I must stay focused on these top 5 as a priority.  Being passionate about interior decorating can be a curse when the ideas just keep on coming, just ask my husband!  

If you are thinking of doing any renovations this New Year and would like professional advice, please contact me.   I offer a free initial consultation and would be more than happy to help make your dreams for your home a reality.  You can e-mail me at the following address to make an appointment:  claire@creatingcontrastdesigns.com.

What everyone should know before Renovating

Prior to commencing any renovation project there are several things to consider while you still have the time and ability to do so.  If you are framing, insulating and drywalling, it is before this work is done that you want to think about the layout for the room.  By paying attention to the details from the start you will know where to place electrical components such as outlets, pot lights, light switches, light fixtures, phone jacks, tv cables etc.

Stair lighting is a nice added detail.

If you are installing built ins think about what you want to place on the shelves.  If there is an opportunity to showcase decorative accessories, add over head or under mount lighting to really emphasise these items.  The design of a room may be such that there are unsightly structural elements that cannot be covered up, however by highlighting other objects in a room you shift the focal point to a more aesthetically pleasing area.  

  These appliances blend in seamlessly with the surrounding cabinetry and the lighting is soft.
The design and decor show this space more as a living room rather than an in law suite with a kitchen.

I recently consulted with a couple who purchased a new house that will be ready in summer 2012. Often builders advise how many electrical, cable and telephone outlets they provide and let you decide where to place them.  These decisions should be thought out with much care and consideration.  We discussed location and size of elements like windows, doors, solid walls, half walls, vents and pillars which are all huge factors in determining where furnishings can be placed and therefore where outlets should be installed.

The family room in this floor plan has little in the way of solid walls and the dining room has no window. These are both key points to think about when deciding on furniture placement and lighting.

Always take into account where to place the larger furnishings in a room first.  For example, in the family room look at your options of where to put the couch.  If a couch has to sit in the middle of a room due to the lack of solid walls, placing a sofa table behind it with accessories softens the look so you are not looking at the back of a couch when entering a room.

This sofa table is doing double duty as a desk and gives a cohesive look.

In bedrooms the foot of the bed should ideally be facing the entryway, although it isn't always possible when dealing with the structure of a buildings' design.  There are times that you can go against the norm, its just knowing when and how to decorate successfully when breaking the rules.

In this Traditional styled bedroom rules are thrown out the window, because that's where the fabulous view is!

 I believe the investment for a consultation of this type of advice is value for money.  If you are purchasing a new home the builders should have their own Interior Designer to assist you with these kinds of decisions.  However, if you would like to make sure you have ticked all the boxes please contact me for a second opinion.  Your better off doing it right the first time and save yourself disappointment, future renovations and most importantly, money.