We did it! Finished bathroom and kitchen!

We finally did it! The bathroom and kitchen are finished and construction is done at the new house. Hoooooraaaaaay! The bathroom was actually finished a while ago, but I haven't gotten around to posting about it. Here are the pics:

Bathroom Before: 

Bathroom After! 

For both the kitchen and bath, I wanted to make upgrades that would add value to the house for resale, that I could enjoy immediately. I wanted to make things modern but in keeping with the vintage feel of the house.

In the bathroom, we took out all the fixtures and put in a new tub, toilet, vanity, and medicine cabinet. We used a carerra marble hexagonal tile and white ceramic subway tile. We also enlarged the window and added a recessed cubby for toiletries. The new tub is great for soaking and we have a super shower head. The vanity has lots of a storage and a beautiful marble top, and the medicine cabinet is mirrored on the inside which adds even more opportunity to preen. I love it!

Kitchen Before: Nothing totally horrible or non-functioning, just kind of sad and blah.

Kitchen After!

We replaced the lower cabinets with Ikea kitchen cabinets (another post about that ordeal to follow later) but kept the upper cabinets which were original to the house. I was worried about the contrast, but I think it works. I chose caesarstone countertops in Frosty Carrina, and it looks like marble but is more durable. I shelled out a few extra bucks for drawer pulls from Restoration Hardware, and got the RH knobs from my contractor from another job. The biggest splurge was the range - a Thermador dual fuel range. Since most of my time at home is spent in the kitchen, I thought it was worth it.  Plus they threw i a free dishwasher (a deal from Absolute Appliances). I also got a KitchenAid fridge, a new hood, and an Ikea farmhouse sink.

And the tile behind the sink? That is a cement tile that I picked out despite not wanting to add more gray to the house. But I just fell in love with it. Over the counters we used white subway tile since there wasn't enough room for the cement tiles. I worried the space would feel disjointed, but I think the matching cabinets by the stove and the fridge tie it all together. I also got a bonus custom-made wine rack thrown in.

There's still plenty of work to do on the house, but the two most important areas are done. I'm going to pick out some new light fixtures and do some accessorizing, but construction is finished. Two months later, I've unpacked all my kitchen boxes and can start cooking up a storm. Get ready for some more food posts!

Of course, Mimi didn't "Do it herself" this time. My contractor, Todd Segal, did a great job both with installation and design advice, with budget friendly solutions. I found him through an article in the LA Times, he was local to Highland Park, and he's a fellow New Englander. Now that my job is finished, I can share him with the world. Thanks Todd! 

And thanks to my "DH" (dear housemate), who put up with construction, was a great help, and put up with my crankiness. Thanks friend!

Decisions, Decisions

I've been a busy woman this past month+ since I last posted. After much document signing, I finally closed on my little California cottage in Highland Park. I can't wait to move in, but I still have a few more weeks left on my current apartment lease and we're busy working on the bathroom and kitchen upgrades. They say you should wait and live in the space for a while before you renovate, but the bathroom and kitchen were so grungy, I just wanted to tear it out. Which we did on Thursday!

I hope the bathroom will be done by the end of the month when I have to move. I figure I can live without a kitchen for a few weeks - there are lots of great restaurants and taco trucks within walking distance of the house. Walking distance. In LA!

However, the bathroom needs to get done quickly. It has been a whirlwind of decisions for such a small space. What kind of sink, what kind of tub, what kind of tile, what kind of faucet, what kind of finish, etc., etc. I've developed a whole new vocabulary related to bathroom fixtures. And while I had some idea of what I wanted it to look like, when it got down to actually picking and buying the stuff, I panicked a little. The vanity and sink alone almost made me give up. But then I reminded myself - it's just a bathroom. Yes, it's my first real home and I want it to be functional and beautiful and an oasis to relax in. But it's a bathroom. And it will be much nicer than any bathroom I've ever had regardless. Because it's mine! (and because the vanity I picked has a lovely marble countertop and we have this cute tile and I finally picked a showerhead with multiple settings and...).

I wish I could slow things down and plan a little more thoughtfully, but at a certain point, you have to stop Googling and just make a decision. Otherwise, you fall down a rabbit hole of specs and consumer reviews, and it's 2AM and you've spent 4 hours comparing drain covers. So I'm not going to obsess and I'm just going to enjoy the process of being on my own personal HGTV show, without the cameras or free designers.

Speaking of which, here is Puppy making sure the cable works in the new house watching Property Brothers. Of course the first thing I bought was a little rug for him to snuggle on! Don't worry. It won't be on the floor forever. I have my eye on a very cute mid-century modern credenza from the shop down the street. That will be an easy decision to make!