I love getting your emails about projects you've completed and questions you have about your décor. I thought I'd share some snippets of reader emails today. Perhaps you will find answers to your own decorating dilemmas.
Dear Connie: We have our name in at a few seniors residents and hope to secure one within two to three years, if not sooner. We are in our mid-70s and do not want to do a massive renovation to our home. We only wish to modernize it before it's time to sell.
In the basement we have a toilet, sink and shower. Any visitors would be using the facilities shown in the pictures. It is functional and we would like to spruce it up mainly with paint, new tap fixtures, vanity, removing the shelf and maybe installing a glass shelf. There is no way to provide additional space to the existing facility. The current tile colour is fine, kind of a neutral colour, done maybe 20 years ago, but it still looks nice.
You may have good ideas that would at least make it more attractive to a potential buyer down the road.
We hope you can give us some help.
Ray
Hi Ray: A pedestal sink is stylish and good for resale and will make the bathroom seem more spacious. Also, you can buy a pedestal sink caddy to use for storage, if needed. Lose the tiles around the sink area and start with a clean slate. New, high-end faucet in brushed steel is a good idea. Make sure the sink colour matches the tub and toilet.
You'll have to redo the flooring but, again, it can really help with resale to go with something more high-end, which will be affordable in a small space. Find a stone tile in a large size (8-inch to 12-inch square) that co-ordinates with your tub-surround tiles, but is darker. A darker floor will make the space seem larger.
Have the tile installed on the diagonal to open up the space. You can also consider bringing the large tile up onto the wall halfway so it runs behind the new sink and behind your toilet. (If the wall is a mess when you remove the sink tiles this might be a good option.)
Lose the shelf over the toilet and hang a large piece of artwork that has some black in it and is large enough to fill in that tall, slim space. Black adds a nice punch of drama.
Frame the mirror and paint it the same as floor/door trim.
Paint the inside of the bathroom door and trim the same colour and leave the outside of the door brown. Paint the edge of the door that opens into the bathroom in the trim colour. (Warm white so it won't be too stark against the almond sink, tub and toilet)
Best of luck with your upcoming move and the changes in the bathroom. If you get stuck, just email me.
Emails from readers regarding my column titled: Kitchen updates for under $300 (March 9/13)
-- Great column this weekend! Interesting treatment for those bulkheads in '50's houses and great idea for the backsplash, especially the fact it can be easily changed when a new trend hits. I really enjoy your columns dealing with ideas for inexpensive home updates, with products available right here in Winnipeg.
R.T.
-- I live in a classic 1920s north River Heights bungalow. My galley kitchen underwent a mini-renovation in the 1980s (Hello, dark green kitchen counters, flowered wallpaper on ceiling and walls!) And it is more than time to update. Your kitchen renovation pictured and described in Saturday's Free Press column is an inspiration and incentive for me to get down to work. Although I don't look forward to stripping wallpaper, I'll enjoy shopping for new hardware and Smart Tiles for the backsplash (with the hope I can find something that will go with those old counters.)
As a bit of feedback, I'd like to mention also that this type of column (real people, down-to-earth decorating and renovation) is, in my view so much more enjoyable to read and get inspiration from than previous columns that appear topromote prominent, paint companies and their newest/latest decor and design.
Thanks for a great column. I look forward to more of the same.
Betty N.
-- Thanks for the renovation articles you've been writing for the Free Press. The story on the kitchen makeover and painting the kitchen cupboards partly inspired me to update our own kitchen cupboards in a slightly different manner with white paint also (Euro style cupboards) and I really like the results although I am only midway through this project.
So thank you for the stories showing affordable and thrifty renovation projects with before and after photos which give confidence to others to actually try it out for themselves. Hope there's more similar stories to come!
Cheryl
-- I had to share that after reading this article in the Free Press back in March I could hardly wait until I had some time to add the decorative trim to my cabinets. I finally did it this weekend, love the idea and wanted to send my thanks.
Thought I'd share a bit of a story about our kitchen cabinets. The house was built in 1954, and the kitchen cabinets were made with plywood. When we were searching for a house back in 2002 we came across ours, and were a little shocked when going into the kitchen we saw the original cabinets that were made with this wood and they were not painted, just some finishing varnish.
Obviously, we did end up buying this house and the very first project done was to paint the kitchen cabinets. We didn't want to totally re-do the kitchen at the time, so that was the fix. Anyway, we had figured back then we would re-do the kitchen completely at some point but over the years a number of things here and there have been done, and the original cabinets are still there. And now adding the decorative trim it's still looking fine!
Again great idea Connie -- thanks!
Jennifer
Many of you are artists in your own right:
-- I have been reading your articles in the Homes section of the Winnipeg Free Press. I find them very informative. My husband and I have started a small home-based business that seems to be a good fit with your past articles. Our primary focus is refurbishing old vintage furniture. The pieces are all hand painted, distressed and hand waxed. If you are interested in our work, please feel free to view our Facebook page at Furniture Facelift by Kobi. Thank you for your time. (Website in the works.)
Regards, Colleen & Mike.
And finally, a followup to a feature I wrote in February 2013 about Kirsten Derlago's mid-century modern décor
-- I thought I would send you a few pictures of what I have been up to lately! I just finished redecorating our kid's bedrooms. Thanks Connie.
Kirsten
In summation, I really do enjoy your emails and sharing in your project successes. Keep them coming.
connieoliver@shaw.ca
