The Renovations Begin!

We are officially under renovation at the Winn house! I promise I will be sharing reno tips and tricks in the future, as well as lots of details about our decision-making process, the benefits of working with a designer and how we’re surviving without a kitchen, but for now here are a few quick updates!

We were so happy to be able to reuse the living/dining hardwood flooring in the girls’ bedrooms. It was going to be too hard to match it for the kitchen, and we were wanting to go a darker colour in the main part of the home anyway. It worked out perfectly!

A lot of people said it couldn’t be done, but they underestimated my handymen (my dad and uncle)! Our oak hardwood living/dining floor now has a new home in Liv’s (formerly carpeted) room…and Eva’s turn is coming next week! What a relief to be able to reuse it as we had hoped. (Apparently the key is that originally the floor was nailed only; not glued.) #reno #renovation #hardwood #flooring #itbegins #design

A post shared by Kate Winn (@katethismomloves) on Jan 13, 2018 at 5:55pm PST

Being able to sell our old kitchen (appliances and all) was another stroke of luck!

…and we are officially kitchenless! When we decided to renovate, people kept saying we should try to sell our old kitchen cabinets, since they were in such good condition, but we had heard it was difficult to do since every kitchen is configured differently. Well, word of mouth is a wonderful thing. It turned out that my aunt’s friend’s brother was building a new house and wanted the cabinets, plus appliances and all! He took them out this morning, and our six weeks of takeout begins! #kiddingnotkidding #renovation

A post shared by Kate Winn (@katethismomloves) on Jan 20, 2018 at 11:29am PST

My girls aren’t quite sure what happened to their mother but they asked if they could write all over the wall that’s getting knocked out and I said yes! Countdown to demo day! (I always hear @allthingskortneywilson’s voice in my head when I say “Demo Day!”)

A post shared by Kate Winn (@katethismomloves) on Jan 21, 2018 at 6:42am PST

For someone who loves to shop online, Wayfair has been an incredible source for items for the new space. (Don’t worry, I’m supporting lots of local companies and tradespeople too – and I promise, all the details will come!)

Our dining chairs have arrived well in advance, and it’s all about the details: chair pulls, nailheads and tufting. There are 10 of them, so lots of room for family and friends at dinner…eventually! You haven’t steered us wrong yet, @meredithkirkrealtor! #DiningRoom #countrykitchen #farmhouseglam #diningchairs #reno #renovation

A post shared by Kate Winn (@katethismomloves) on Jan 21, 2018 at 8:22am PST

This buffet came from a Peterborough antique store in the 70s and was used in the apartment of my mom’s best friend from university (with whom she has stayed close all this time). Next it moved on to my parents’ home, and then to ours when we built in 2003 (when I gave it new hardware and painted it a pretty country blue, before going more neutral a few years ago). It’s an attractive way to store our board games and arts/crafts supplies. Tip: I didn’t want people seeing our “stuff” through the glass doors, so they’re covered in scrapbook paper. While some of our furniture pieces are finding new homes, this had too much history to lose. So, since it doesn’t fit with our new main floor design, it is now at the bottom of the stairs instead, adding a bit of character to our family room. #decorating #antique #DIY #furniture #history

A post shared by Kate Winn (@katethismomloves) on Jan 22, 2018 at 12:24pm PST

Things are moving along with the renovation and painting should begin by the end of next week! (Here’s a sneak peek of some of our design choices thus far.) So many decisions to be made: light fixtures and placement, selecting interior doors, railing/banister details…thank goodness I have @meredithkirkrealtor guiding me in the right direction! (I told her from the beginning that her main job was to keep me from being too matchy-matchy…and so far so good!) #reno #renovation #homemakeover #interiordesign #decor #designer

A post shared by Kate Winn (@katethismomloves) on Feb 3, 2018 at 8:48am PST

By the end of the week the space should be painted, and then flooring will begin…and next, kitchen installation! So much more to come!