Home Renovations Rant
I am not a handy person. The truth is I have a nightmare of a time with Ikea furniture. I have a construction specialist on my team who has the ability to turn wood and nails into art, I guess that's why I didn't choose construction...
...That said, I know what I like and I know what will help a home sell a home. Kitchens and Bathrooms are the two most important rooms in the house. A beautiful kitchen can transform an average house into an "entertainers paradise" A spa-like powder room will keep your guests raving about it days after they have left. The most common question I am asked is "What should I do for renovations?" There is no black and white answer for this. If you are doing a renovation simply to sell the house-Kitchen and bathroom, fresh paint, clean carpet, power washed exterior...the list can go on forever. If you are doing the renovation for yourself you first have to decide what you like. The traditional way of deciding was to go to major retailers like Ikea and Home Depo to see what they recommend. If everyone did this we would all have stainless steal GE appliances, grey granite counters, and pedestal sinks. Here are my suggestions:
...That said, I know what I like and I know what will help a home sell a home. Kitchens and Bathrooms are the two most important rooms in the house. A beautiful kitchen can transform an average house into an "entertainers paradise" A spa-like powder room will keep your guests raving about it days after they have left. The most common question I am asked is "What should I do for renovations?" There is no black and white answer for this. If you are doing a renovation simply to sell the house-Kitchen and bathroom, fresh paint, clean carpet, power washed exterior...the list can go on forever. If you are doing the renovation for yourself you first have to decide what you like. The traditional way of deciding was to go to major retailers like Ikea and Home Depo to see what they recommend. If everyone did this we would all have stainless steal GE appliances, grey granite counters, and pedestal sinks. Here are my suggestions:
- Check out interior design magazines. Style at Home is a great Canadian magazine that focuses each issue on different areas of the home i.e. small spaces, colour/texture in the home, kids rooms...
- Have a look at open houses but don't just stick to your neighbourhood or your type of home. If you own a 2500 square foot character home built in the 1920's and you want to give it a modern feel don't go see what the house next door has done, chances are it's the same as yours. Go have a look at a Yaletown Penthouse, a Whistler chateau, or post-modern townhouse in Granville island. Take a little bit from each of these, throw in some of your own flair and you will end up with a truly unique home.
- Go on vacation. I was in Mexico last year in a little town called San Blas. I never realized how much culture and art each Mexican town has. I met a couple from Salt Lake City, Utah who had just started living in Mexico full-time. All the furnishings and finishings in their home were from different areas of Mexico, it was vibrant. The kitchen had an incredible lime-green tiled back splash, all the sinks and light fixtures were copper, and the dining room table and chairs were made from hand-woven bamboo. Seeing this got me thinking how we are in our own little interior design bubble in Vancouver. Sub-Zero refrigerators are popular right now, so everyone goes out and gets a Sub-Zero fridge. I would love to see someone go out and buy an avocado green fridge. Just walk into Hone Depo and ask the sales guy for it...see what he says.
No matter what you decide to do or not do remember one thing: This is your home, where you live. Whether it's a 6000 square foot mansion in Dunderave or a 482 square foot condo at the Hudson on Granville Street you need to be happy there so don't take bad advice. Happy Renovating!!
