Design Consultation Round TWO

Step Three: Pick out ALL the things for the new spaces & find out what we will need to spend

WOAH, my brain is spinning... that appointment was more overwhelming that I ever thought that it would be.

First up, we got the new plans/layout of the kitchen and all three bathrooms (pictures will follow in next post) and I am in love.  The kitchen is so much better than I ever thought it could be.  Tracy was able to incorporate all of the ideas that were in my head and then take it to the next level.  We have storage on top of storage and, what I think will be more space and an overall better flow to the entire room.

The bathrooms didn't change all that much as we are keeping the plumbing where they are now which makes 2D plans a little less exciting.  However, our ensuite currently has NO storage, at all, and the new plan has a built-in cabinet for storage and I am so excited... I don't even know what I will do when I won't need my Tupperware tower for storage anymore!  WIN!!!

Next up we moved into the showroom and picked out finishes... counters, cabinets, flooring, and bathroom vanities.  This is the point that my brain started spinning.  I like to think that I am a pretty good eye when it comes to colour and co-ordination, however, when you are starting from scratch, and then looking at tiny samples, it's really hard to imagine what it will look like in the grand scale of a kitchen or bathroom.

We were able to come away with some samples for the kitchen, so we can see how they look in the natural light of our house... a white cabinet, greige (grey/brown) wood floor and a granite counter... I love the colour choices, even though very different from what I thought I wanted.  Now to see if we love them just as much at home as we did in the showroom (it's gloomy today so can't tell just yet).

Last up, MONEY talk!!

If my head wasn't spinning before, sitting down and finding out the price of all 4 spaces, with the finishes we have picked, has me feeling like a cyclone.  Before paint and appliances, we are currently looking at $70,000 with taxes included... about $20,000 more than we thought it would be (our price is based on knowing NOTHING about anything renovation).  I think what my biggest issue is, is that my accountant brain is wanting a breakdown of costs.  I want to see what we are spending where and if there is anywhere that we can save money to bring the bottom line more in line with what we thought we would be paying.  Now, this isn't to say that we can't afford what we are looking at, but let's see if Tracy can work her magic and save us a little green.  If I can get the paint and appliance cost in that $70,000 price, I think I would be a lot happier!

Next up for design:

April 29 - follow up appointment with Tracy

At our next appointment, we will have a more accurate cost of the labour and Tracy will hopefully have saved us $10,000 (or more) and we can move ahead with picking out even more of the goodies.  Once we finalize the cost and plans, we will be putting in the order for the cabinets and get the date for the start of work.  Eeeek.

Still very excited, yet anxious to see where we end up!