Quesnell Heights, the befores

I have had the keys for a bit now, and we are already finished all the demo, but I realized that I didn't go get all my before shots at Quesnell Heights, and I definitely haven't shared them so today I am taking you on a tour of what things look like when I am down to my blank canvas. There actually wasn't a ton of heavy demo, just mostly removing old flooring/cabinetry/trim.

When you walk in we have a bright, double door and large windows on either side of the front door!

The foyer is a large room actually, with a closet, bathroom and hallways leading off it.

The back door is at the end of this hallway to the right. We took out the garage closet to make the hall brighter and more open. It kind of stood out like a sore thumb before.

Down to the fully finished (which we will be updating) basement.

Back off the foyer is the large, bright living/dining room.

This room is so cool, and has the perfect minimalist/mid-century feel.

Seriously, how cool is that fireplace???

And what you pay the big bucks for, the ravine (the house is on half an acre and even has a pool out there!), out these gorgeous windows.

The kitchen is where most of our efforts will be spent in this house, along with the master bath. Everything else is just paint and flooring because I don't dare mess with perfection!

The kitchen was original and it was time, but I will say that it was ahead of its time. Subzero fridge and simple white cabinetry with hidden handles. The original owners (who we bought it from!) had oodles of style.

The hallway to the bedrooms/bathrooms.

The main floor has two bedrooms and a master, and there are 2 more bedrooms in the finished basement. I just love the light and windows in here.

The other bedroom is a mirror image.

And whoever is paying for the house has the sweetest spot with a close up, private view of the yard.

We removed a closet addition to make for more option on bed location, and allow more light from this window in. There are so many windows in the master!

And the master bath is ready to be glammed up in an understated, elegant look.

The main bath for the other bedrooms holds the one thing we salvaged: a newer tub LOL.

And just because I was freaking out a little last week when a coyote wandered into the yard and came right up to the windows while I was there, then stuck around for about a half hour doing this:

I knew there was a lot of coyotes in the city, but this guy totally spooked me!!

Thanks for coming on my little tour today, and have a great week!

Laurier, Pretty Much Done

So this is the part I do this all for. The final comparison is always the most incredible to really get the full impact of all we managed to do over the course of a flip, and like all things that take time you always forget just *how* different things are from when you start.

The one thing I LOVE so much about this flip in particular are the people I've had the pleasure of working with. Many of them are old faces to me over the course of my projects but many are new as well. While I love sharing the pretty photos here, the true experience is soooo so hard to capture. And even though I couldn't explain the ups and downs adequately in just one blog post, or even 10 or 100 for that matter, the joy of experiencing them with people you genuinely care about and enjoy being with make my job a real dream job if there ever was one. We are like a little mini-renovation family of a team.

But enough of the sappy, lovey dove-y stuff. Let's talk before and after.

The one area we are actually still working on extensively is the exterior. But regardless it has come so far!

Here it was

Here it is today. We are switching to a board and batten vertical siding on the lower portion still, as well as a new roof and eaves, but the current improvements like trees removed, new paint, doors, sod and paved walk ways make a big difference.

Inside we had a lot of wood panelling, some of which I would have loved to save but damage over the years made it hard.

So we just went light and bright by opening up any non-structural walls.

The main level was divided up into kitchen/living/entry/dining but we went for an open layout since the house is a split level which tend to feel pieces anyway.

I think this is my favourite shot in the house because it summarizes about 80% of our efforts!

I had my heart set on these CB2 lights and they have been polarizing to say the least. Plus a real headache when they arrived and I discovered they were not nearly short enough to hang in anything less than 10 foot ceilings... so I had to get crafty and learn some highly intricate knots before the electricians came through to hang them!

The sun had a hard time penetrating the kitchen before...

But now it is bright! We still have to install the vent and cover for the hood fan but the kitchen is exactly what I envisioned.

The entry also got a lot brighter.

But my absolute favourite change has been opening up the upstairs to the main level.

On the lower level the media room needed very little other than some cosmetic work.

I am bummed that I don't have a before of the upstairs bathroom!! It is now floor to ceiling tile in the vanity alcove and half way up in the rest of the bathroom. The Ikea mirror and vanity look so clean and minimalist, I just love them together.

Another room I don't have a before of is the laundry room, mainly because it was just a hall before, but we opened up a couple closets to allow for large, bright room! Now there is cabinetry and counter space across from the washer and dryer. A big thanks to Wall Paper Direct for bringing some much needed charm with Marimekko's Iltavilli cow wallpaper by graciously providing it for us. I am actually thinking I need this in my own bedroom now too....

We still have work to do, and our other projects are on going as well, but I am so thrilled with how this project came together and how much love and support I've gotten for it on Instagram and on here. 

THANKS for all the love as always guys!!

xoxo

Laurier, almost there!

The last week is always a bit hectic but it is amazing to see how things can still look really rough only a few days from completion.

Yesterday was our big 'cleaning day', meaning I removed all debris and scrubbed everything down, despite knowing that there will be more cleaning to do with a few trades still finishing up. But I always thing that is the biggest part towards bringing to life.

So here are some progress shots off my phone, of how a house looks just a day or two before we list (and why I work until 10 or 11 most nights in this phase of a project!)

Our new, high gloss brick fire place. Still needs the mantle stained and hearth tiled though.

Our kitchen has an endless list of small things to be done but it is looking exactly like I envisioned it.

I took that photo yesterday, and this one below on Friday, that's how fast it comes together sometimes (not every time though...)

Again, just two days before...

The house is a four level split and most of the first lower level is done in this incredible 12x24 grey tile that I adore. 

All our new closet doors! 

And my project for today, install this awesome Merimekko wall paper in the laundry room, courtesy of Wallpaper Direct.

I will take the big camera over this week and share the final shots!! Thanks so much for all your awesome comments (and patience while I have been a slow updater)

Have a great weekend!