<p>Hall bath – new light, vanity, sink, mirror, removed wallpaper, repaired drywall, regrouted shower tile and painted – a little under $3k. Embraced the 1966 retro tile, kept the original tan bathtub. I did a lot of the grunt work and made the mosaic mirror.</p>
<p>Am contemplating a contractor who gets rave reviews (we use the plumber they work with), but who says we don’t need to go through the permitting process. They charge by the day for time & materials. Has anyone else gone with a contractor in this way, and does it work out?</p>
<p>I have deep trouble in that I really can’t decide my vision for this kitchen. It’s a weird quasi house – sort of contemporary, sort of traditional. So are we? I just don’t know. Woodowrk in the house is white but should we make the cabinets white? Wood floors? An in-between like maple? And then the edges and vibe – there’s a modernist conservatory off the kitchen all glass and tile, very clean feeling but a family room in another direction with wood floors, moldings, fire place, warmer vibe.</p>
<p>Keep waiting for the house to speak to me and tell me how to do this but it’s being coy.</p>
<p>We went apartment hunting today. We saw one apartment with open concept, kitchen opened on to the living room. It had sub zero, wine cooler, refridge drawers, wolf range, and smack in the middle of very expensive cabinet was a built in 80" flat screen TV. This apartment also had a bathroom with pink accent tiles and glass pink vanity. The master bathroom was tiled in blue glass tiles. H said to me, “Do you know how much it would take for us to undo all of that?”</p>
<p>If you are doing kitchen renovation, think re-sale.</p>
<p>sewhappy, let Pinterest be your house whisperer. I found ideas for pinning on Houzz, Cultivate, and Southern Living, as well as from friends. I think it really helps to pin lots of things and then to step back and see what you are most drawn to.</p>
<p>BFF is looking to redo her kitchen. Plans to paint existing cabinets but would like to remove the soffits and take cabinets to the ceiling. I don’t understand–How she can do that with cabinets that now utilize a soffit? I’ve seen designer kitchens that mix cabinets, but can’t quite picture it in real life.</p>
<p>I have an upper level of cabinets above a normal height set. Alternatively you could probably put in a new set above the existing set and get new doors big enough for both cabinets. Or you could go all out and buy new bigger cabinets.</p>
<p>IKEA. If the rest of the condo is not going to clash with the somewhat modernistic IKEA style, take a look at their kitchens. Practical, sturdy and functional. </p>
<p>I am getting ready to put a home I do not live in on the market very soon and am up against the same thing! I could not believe what a difference it made when I removed the brass cabinet hardware and spray painted it with a brushed nickel color! Easy and quick.
I also purchased an inexpensive tall glass cylinder and placed plastic lemons in it (Target). It looks lovely in the corner!</p>
<p>I didn’t know IKEA has kitchen cabinets, etc. That said, I don’t have an IKEA near this property. Nearest one is 4 hours away. :(</p>
<p>I’m wondering if cabinet refacing with new counter top, sink, faucet and new floor is the way to go…or if cabinet replacing is needed? </p>
<p>the countertop is formica (yuck) and I want a countertop that can take some abuse (knives, hot stuff, etc)…but not be high priced. I know that tile can be cheaper, but then grout can be a pain in the tush. Don’t know if some kind of corian-type counter could be economical?? </p>
<p>I once did a countertop on a rental with granite tiles (very tiny grout lines), and that looked really good, but it was more labor intensive than first estimated because of labor/cost to round the edges for bullnose. </p>
<p>I don’t know much about the newer materials that are out there.</p>
<p>Also, wondering if flooring can be vinyl “wood” plank? Sturdy? look good? </p>
<p>The size of kitchen is 8 x 13-14 feet. there is a backyard door at one end of the corridor kitchen.</p>
<p>I think it is worth going to IKEA to check it out. You could look on-line first. They do a very inexpensive butcher block counter and farm sink. The pieces are made for retro-fitting spaces like yours. One caution: sometimes an outside company is hired to do IKEA deliveries. In spite of their assurances everything is on the truck - check each item off your sales receipt. We insisted on checking and one of the appliances was missing. The delivery guys kept insisting it was there. We kept asking “where, exactly?” Ours didn’t seem to be an isolated instance.</p>
<p>ETA: While IKEA does look pretty contemporary, we have adapted it on occasion to look sort of antique. We paint the cabinets and order period hardware. They make very simple paneled cabinet doors that could be almost any period. imho</p>
<p>I have seen the vinyl wood-look flooring used on some of the HGTV shows. There is also a tile which looks like wood grain. I have no idea how much they cost though.</p>
<p>In regards to the counter, I know you said that the closest IKEA was several hours away, but they also have great butcher-block countertops. This style of countertop is very affordable and has been around for a long time. People are just so picky now about wanting granite or corian. I personally love this look when paired with white cabinets. Are the cabinets/doors in decent shape? You would not believe the difference in appearance by just painting/spraying the cabinet fronts and doors, replace the hardware, maybe insert some glass in some.</p>
<p>Also, the entry/living room has original oak wood flooring. But, as many older wood floors, this one has some tiny spaces between the narrow planks. Are those beyond repair? The wood itself seems to be in good shape, so sanding/refinishing could work IF those tiny spaces between the narrow planks weren’t there. </p>
<p>Dumb question…In older homes (raised foundations) where narrow oak planks are the flooring…does that mean that there isn’t anything under those floors? </p>
<p>Bamboo flooring? It supposed to survive abuse well. If you expect your renters to do a lot of cooking, I would not recommend Corian. Nothing against Corian - I like my kitchen counters a lot, but I take precautions and always use trivets under hot pans and pots. The renters may not do this, and Corian can get damaged. Otherwise, it is a wonderful material with a great look that can be re-sanded and repaired easily. </p>
<p>Tiles. If you use EPOXY GROUT, the maintenance will be minimal. It is impermeable and does not need sealing at all. However, a contractor might charge you a premium for this job, since the grout needs careful installation.</p>
<p>It depends. I have lived in antique houses with and without sub-floors. Go in the basement or crawlspace and check it out. Sometimes those cracks are there because the floors expand/contract with climate changes. There are different ways to handle the cracks… whole web site discussions devoted to this issue :)</p>
<p>eta: I don’t like to refinish antique floors if it can be avoided. For me it is sort of the same as refinishing antique furniture.</p>
jk)</p>
If the rest of the condo is not going to clash with the somewhat modernistic IKEA style, take a look at their kitchens. Practical, sturdy and functional. </p>
Nearest one is 4 hours away. :(</p>