Chronicles of a Remodel

Four months in the making, and we finally have a remodeled condo. Time to celebrate! Seven months ago, we embarked on an adventure and purchased a condo in Buckhead. Bigger space, we loved the building, and it only needed a slight remodel. Why not?

This was our first remodel experience, and we did what many experienced folks told us not to do…lived there throughout the process.

The past four months had its trials and tribulations, but the finished product is everything I ever dreamed of and more. My husband said to me when it was complete, “this is everything you ever wanted, and I hope you are happy.” Yes! I am very happy with the product, and most importantly the experience to finally build something from the ground up. Every piece of this home has my touch on it, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Kitchen

This was our biggest project during the remodel. We completely redesigned the layout and knocked out walls and electrical. The former kitchen was closed in, and definitely presented an early 90’s vibe with a small window box opening. With a condo, we wanted an open layout to make the living space look larger.

To save money, we attempted to keep the same layout to avoid knocking out two walls and a closet. Well, that didn’t go well. We lived in that space for a month, and it was awful. The kitchen was so small. Two people couldn’t be in there at the same time without bumping into each other. I love to cook, and I felt claustrophobic every time I stepped into the kitchen.

The new space is bright with white cabinets and open to the living area. We knocked out two walls and made more space by moving into a closet area in our foyer. Well worth the money and expansion. With this, we were also able to move around electrical allowing us to have switch operated under the counter lights. Flip of a switch easy!

We used white tones for an airy feel, and saved money by price checking multiple locations. I learned one big lesson, never buy all of your remodel materials from one vendor. Shop around and don’t be afraid to not purchase all items at one spot. All places carry the same products and brands. Find what product you want and shop around.

Appliances – Frigidaire Gallery (Purchased at Home Depot on July 4^th Sale – 60% savings)

Cabinets – American Woodmark Ashland Collections in Linen (Purchased at Home Depot)

Countertops – MSI Quartz Calacatta Vicenza (Purchased at StoneCrafters Atlanta)

Backsplash – allen + roth Venatino polished Brick Marble Mosaic Subway Wall Tile (Purchased at Lowes)

Kitchen Cabinet Installer – Custom Assembly and Installations (I highly recommend these guys for any installation projects. They are fantastic!)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Living Area

I almost made a huge mistake with our living area. I like clean spaces, and wasn’t a huge fan of our built-in bookcases in our living area. All I could think of was clutter! I almost had our contractor knock them out.

After doing multiple trips to TJ Maxx to find items I liked to fill the bookcases, I decided to keep them around. I am glad I did. One of the things I didn’t like about the built-ins was the black granite section for the television. It didn’t flow with the theme of the new design. I ended up extending our white quartz to the bookcase. This was a quick and easy $400 fix. Since the area was small, they ended up having left over quartz from our kitchen, making this fix a no brainer.

We restained the living area and kitchen hardwood floors to a darker brown. We had to add new hardwoods to our kitchen, so we opted to change out the stain color to our preference.

We also invested in a neutral color sectional to fill the space. We never needed this large of a sofa before, but our living area is very big, so we needed a piece to fill it. With a condo, seating is always limited. A sectional is a good fix for this problem. We are loving this sofa and can’t wait to host a party soon.

Sectional – Shermyla 6 Piece Sectional – Ashley Furniture

Hardwood Floor Stain Color – Minwax Provincial

Hardwood Floor Installation Company – FD Remodeling Atlanta

Bookcase Floating Frames – Pottery Barn

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Dining Area

I hated the stripes in the dining area. Orange is not the new black, and this had to go. Since it was only paint and not wallpaper (praise!) it was an easy project. The paint color we used throughout the condo was Sherwin Williams Edgecomb Gray. I love how light this color is, and it reflects a beige with a touch of gray.

We also replaced the light fixture with a more updated style that has touches of gold. I can’t wait to enjoy a nice meal with friends and family in this space.

For art, we wanted a conversation piece in this area. We love to travel and have so many stories about our adventures. We decided on a Frontgate magnetic map for the area. It also sparks dinner conversations on where we want to go next.

Light Fixture – Ballard Designs Bamboo 6-Light Chandelier

Magnetic Map – Frontgate Heirloom Antique Map

Table – Walmart Better Home and Gardens Providence Farm Table

Chairs – World Market Linen Lydia Dining Chairs

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Foyer

Since we extended the kitchen into what was a closet in our foyer, we wanted to keep this area simple. I hate when a foyer becomes your junk space (coats, bags, a drop off center). We kept a small closet from the kitchen extension, so all bags and coats go there.

We opted for a globe light as a statement piece and a console table with two gold lamps. The round mirror with hints of gold top off the foyer. I bought this piece years ago, and it is one of my favorites. You can always “check yourself” while heading out the door.

This was an experience. We lived with a minifridge, no kitchen, and in a construction zone for four months…and it was worth it. It was a complete dream, and I love everything about the new space. We always wanted a place with our touch, and now we have it.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Get some rest before you start a big project like this. It is stressful along the way, but patience and persistency is key. Show those contractors who’s boss!  Who wants to come over for a soiree!

Enjoy!