Sneak peek - design highlights

I'm not really a person for whom interior design could be called a hobby.  I don't browse House & Home magazine for fun. I almost never 'pop in' to a show-home on a rainy day "just to get ideas".  Six months ago I had never even heard of Sarah Richardson (gasp!)  

So when we started this project, I literally had no idea what the finishing might look like. I just knew I wanted it to be moderately fashionable and aesthetically pleasing. I also knew I would need some help to get it that way!!

Thanks to the Remodelers' design team, I'm pretty confident that it's going to work out - despite my own utter lack of expertise. 

Since we're now entering the finishing phase, it seems like a good time to give you a sneak peek of some design highlights, which are primarily the work of Shirley Stroud and Diana Morales... 

Guest Bathroom

It's a tight space but we're going to make the most of it. Shirley designed the cabinetry, shown in the computer rendition below (left). Diana proposed a stunning travertine tile and quartz combo for the shower, floor, and countertops as illustrated below (right). We hope our guests will enjoy the best seat in the house!

Extra Useful Multi-Purpose Room in the Back Corner
What the heck do you call this room? Throughout the project it's been called a storage room, a mud-room, a utility room, a ski room, a workshop, and a "mini-kitchen" (that last one is from Bruce, LOL). It is hard to put a finger on it, since it's going to be used for many purposes that include all of the above.  What I do know is that, thanks to Shirley and Diana, whatever we use this room for, it will be a pleasant experience that won't feel much like a basement. However, the gray and white colour scheme (which Diana is showing to Lyle in the image below left), plus funky faucet (below right), at the big stainless steel sink will give it a utilitarian feeling. (Computer generated illustration is not shown with actual colours.)

Kitchen

Moving upstairs for a moment, we are replacing old countertops, adding a backsplash, and illuminating the joint with some new lighting. At the remodeled island, there will be an eating area seating at least four people - let's be honest, at family gatherings that will probably become a separate spot for the kids, while adults enjoy dining with room for elbows (and wine bottles) at the actual table. 

This one's for the boys...
Those of you who have limited attention spans for detailed discussions of surround sound and TVs with big screens may be forgiven if you skip this section. For the rest of you... here's a peek at the entertainment unit, designed to measure by Shirley for Lyle's actual array of media equipment (much of which is a mystery to me, but I admit that whatever all that stuff is, it does allow for pretty good movie-watching). The TV will be hooked to the wall, which was specially reinforced during construction for this purpose. The room, like most of the basement, will be carpeted with some nice soft stuff that will warm the toes even in winter. The carpet swatch photo below shows the colour of the carpet - just don't ask me which one of those samples it actually is!! I confess, being the non-interior-design junkie that I am.... I can't for the life of me remember. But Diana chose it, so I'm not too worried. :)

Thanks Diana and Shirley - I can't wait to see it all come together!