It's been awhile since we've checked in with my girlfriend in Connecticut and her massive renovation on a mini budget, and a lot has happened in three months. To bring you back up to speed, I raised my hand to help (and am now slapping myself for doing it) but her journey encompasses everything I strive to do in my business; prove to people that no matter the budget, you can live in a beautiful space. So, we set out on a mission to find a relatively inexpensive house in one of the best neighborhoods. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. My lovely friend, prioritizing her renovation projects, then met with air conditioning installers who gave her estimates of no less than $18,000.00, which was the first of many times I would open my big mouth to create a huge project. Minus appliances, countertops, furniture and (most) experts (plumbers, electricians, etc.) I challenged my friend to designing and reimagining the entire house for less than the air-conditioning budget. At first glance I thought the house was disjointed and unbalanced; the front door was far off-centered, entering into an unusually big entry. A middle room, which the previous owner used as a dining room, was small and odd, adding to the choppy feeling of the entire space. While my girlfriend initially wanted to knock every wall down to create a huge open concept, I dialed her back and came up with an open plan that made sense. Every home I walk into with clients I'm constantly thinking RESALE, even if they tell me this is their forever home. Life happens, folks, and not everyone will want your built-in terrarium or the champagne glass-shaped bathtub plopped right in the middle of your master bedroom, so designing a unique space that's FLEXIBLE, is always important. Focusing ONLY on the entry and odd middle room for now, I showed her how to save money by simply flipping the front door with the window in the dining room (both were exactly the same size). Because the entry had a closet, it seemed like the obvious spot to place a new bedroom/office by eating into the dining room a tad (the lovely wallpapered room in the first photos). The remaining space in the old dining room would then become a new entry in the center of the house (those photos will come later). By taking an odd entry and useless middle room we created a new bedroom, new hall and new entry without adding square footage whatsoever. THE COST? $1,350.00 for sheetrock, 2x4's for framing and new tile for the entry. We scored big time by discovering wood floors under the blue carpet (something I knew when we first looked at the place...and a HUGE SAVINGS). While the progress photos here of the new bedroom are dark (sorry, I was tired and forgot to turn on lights) use the closet door as a reference point from the first photo. Stay tuned for ROOM TWO...
