Exposing Brick
One of the walls in our bedroom is uneven because the chimney juts out. It's also in an awkward spot because we want to put our bed against that wall,…
Christmas 2015
Last Christmas we had just finished our first floor renovation and were finally able to relax in our home. Upstairs was a different story, however. We had a decent set-up…
First Floor Reveal
It's been a year since we bought our house and a lot has changed. We've replaced our electrical wiring, fixed our fireplace, replaced our hardwood floor, painted the walls, installed tile in our front entryway and installed…
Fireplace Renovation: Part 8 – Fixing the Brick
Now that the hearth is done, we still have to address the missing brick in the fireplace. We had a couple of people come and look at what could be…
Fireplace Renovation: Part 6 – Pouring a Concrete Hearth
Our mold was ready and we were excited. The day we were working towards was finally here! Today we mixed and poured our concrete. Prep To prep the area, we…
Fireplace Renovation: Part 5 – Building a Concrete Hearth Mold
Alex's mom is visiting this weekend, but we stole a few hours for ourselves and made some serious progress. In the couple of hours we had before dinner on Saturday,…
Fireplace Renovation: Part 3 – Installing Backerboard
Just when we think we've got it all figured out, we realized that we haven't. Our grand plan was to patch the fireplace and pour the concrete (for our hearth)…
Fireplace Renovation: Part 2 – Preparing the Floor
We've been stalled on our reno work for a while because we've been trying to figure out what to do next. Our concrete hearth idea is complicated for newbies, and…
Fireplace Renovation: Part 1 – Demolition
I realized tonight that every single thing we've done to the house so far - the electrical, the hardwood - has only made the house look worse. We haven't actually…
Fireplace Renovation: Inspiration
It all started with the floor. We tore up the old hardwood and with it came the stone in front of the fireplace (also know as the hearth). No problem,…
Replacing Hardwood Floor: Part 3 – Feeling Overwhelmed
The next step in replacing your hardwood is feeling overwhelmed. This is likely a necessary step in all renovation projects, but the first is probably the worst. There are a…
Could it be?!
Today we went to see the Parkdale house. This beautiful, character-filled home is priced right and seems to be flying under the radar. We might actually have a chance! Alex…