5 Things I’d have done Differently on my own Renovation
We’re about to hit our 6 year anniversary in our current home. As many of you know, when we took possession we didn’t move in for nearly 6 months while we did an extensive renovation to the whole home (and in full transparency it was another 6 months before we were fully done but we had at least moved into the main floor after the first 6 months). While I don’t have many regrets about the choices we made, there are a few things that I would do differently the next time around. And I figured it might be helpful to some of you to know what those items are.
Hardwood Floors
What we did
We have original 1950s hardwood throughout most of the main floor of our home. However, it wasn’t in the kitchen or on the second floor. We ended up doing tile in the kitchen and then refinishing the hardwood ourselves to get the colour I wanted. We painted the stairs and then added Luxury Vinyl Plank to the second floor.
What I would change
If I was doing it all over again, I would have had the floors professionally refinished including reducing the squeaks (I do love them but there are a few areas that are just too squeaky). We did a pretty good job but I notice all the little spots that could have been better. I also would have had the hardwood site matched and brought through the kitchen area so that we had consistent flooring throughout. I also would have stretched the budget and brought the hardwood flooring up onto the stairs and onto the 2nd level.
Appliances
What we did
I went with all new stainless steel appliances in our kitchen. We’ve got a 30” french door fridge, a standard dishwasher, a 30” dual fuel range and (gasp!) a microwave hood vent. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m totally happy with the appliances themselves, but that doesn’t mean I would do it again. And you may be surprised to know that I’d probably still do the microwave hood vent again for our space.
What I would change
Panel front appliances. Even if I had just done the dishwasher as a panel front I would be happier. Just one less break in the cabinetry visually. Now in my defence, just a mere 6 years ago, panel front appliances were not as common as they are now and they also weren’t as affordable as they are now. I don’t actually love the microwave range hood but our kitchen is very small and we do use the microwave regularly. I don’t think I could have given up any functional cupboard space to have it elsewhere. And while not technically an appliance, I do wish I’d put in a pot filler when things were open.
Electrical
What we did
Everything in our home that was opened up received new electrical wiring. We even put in a new main panel. But the areas of the home that weren’t opened up (dining room, living room, my office, main floor bathroom and the guest room) still have the original wiring. This means we’ve got a few (pretty) extension cords in use, which is kind of annoying and not the best, to be honest. We also integrated smart tech with almost all of our lighting too.
What I would change
I 100% regret not redoing the wiring throughout the entire house (really there was only such a little amount left) when we had the chance with almost everything fully open. Yes, I probably would have had to patch a few more spots, but I would be fine with that. I would have added more outlets in the rooms we didn’t open up, particularly the living room (3 outlets total) and my office (2 outlets total). Another unexpected area where this came into play is that I couldn’t utilize smart light switches with the old wiring. I love having our lights able to be controlled from anywhere and wish those last couple could be included too. I also would have added an exterior plug at the front of the house as we just have one at the back of the house. (But I have plans to make that happen when we redo our exterior). This is only a more recent thing I would change, but I would have put outlets by each toilet too for future smart / bidet toilets.
Insulation
What we did
We did a lot to improve our home’s energy efficiency which included a LOT of new insulation. The second floor is fully spray foamed since we ditched the attic space to open it up to it’s full height. We also fully reinsulated the basement for our suite including safe and sound between the floors.
What I would change
But if I were doing it over again I would have added even more safe and sound. I would have done it between our two floors, between all the interior walls, yeah I’d have gone all out. The one spot that really bothers me is that our guest room backs onto the main plumbing wall and has our bathroom above it. I always feel bad when we’re up before our guests as I know how much noise the shower and toilet make.
Window Coverings
What we did
We chose and installed my favourite Hunter Douglas window coverings throughout our main and second floor: Silhouettes. I love the options to vary light and privacy, and nothing beats how the light gets filtered beautifully when the veins are open. I have no regrets investing in our window coverings but…
What I would change
I wish we had gone with powered, automated Silhouettes instead of the manual UltraGlide option. I love having the blinds open during the day so I go around, one by one, opening all 15 of them all manually. Yes I know, these are rough problems to have haha. But the absolute joy I would have if I could just watch them all open to my exact height I like them automatically each morning, and to close automatically when the sun starts to set each day. Oh that’s the dream.
But I don’t regret…
And since we don’t want to be all about the negatives, here are some things I definitely don’t regret that were a bit above and beyond what we had to do:
Black interior and exterior windows with decorative muntins. They were a splurge but I still adore them, we get so many compliments on them and about a month ago we saw someone taking photos of them (our doorbell cam caught the mom telling her kid that she was appreciating our window situation, while the dad took a photo haha).
Opening up our half story ceiling to its full height. Yes, we hear the squirrels, birds and rain more than we would have if it still had an attic, but it feels magical at just over 11 feet to the peak and my exposed (new) beams. Several people have said that they would never expect to find our 2nd floor looking the way it does when they see our home from the street. The mudder / taper hated me by the end of it but I’m okay with that.
Adding a legal basement suite - totally love it, would 100% do it again. The only time I miss having access to a basement is when it gets really hot for those few days in the summer. And I find not having all that extra space for storage means we have to do our best to keep our “stuff” under control.
Customizing our 2nd floor storage. I made use of almost every square inch available to me upstairs when it came to storage. We’ve got two “hidden” storage areas that house our seasonal items, keepsakes, etc. and in our bedroom I customized the closets to fit my needs in particular with 3 different hanging heights to accommodate my wardrobe. It took me an excessive amount of time to plan it all out but was worth it.
Renovating instead of tearing down to build new. There was a point in our renovation when our budget and timeline had doubled where a brief discussion was had about how it probably would have been cheaper to tear down and build new. But I don’t regret that decision at all. I love the quirks, the history and the original elements we saved. I’d do it all again in an heartbeat.
Over here at Kierstin Smyth Design, we love a good renovation and we know what it’s like to go through one. It’s a stressful and overwhelming process but we take pride in helping our clients through it all; from the planning and design, to being there through the construction and helping pull it all back together with furniture and decor at the end. If you’ve got a renovation on the brain and crave the professional expertise to pull it all together, you’ve come to the right place. Get in touch and we’ll discuss the options and if we’re the right fit for your project.