RENOVATION HERE WE COME!

Oh hey people hey! How are you all!?  It’s been an eternity since I’ve posted on here. So much has been going on and I’ve been spending more time hanging over on Instagram and just doin’ life. I know you all know that life happens and it’s busy. BUT, I have SO much to share with you. Particularly around the house. This blog was born from renovating our house 7 years ago while I was on mat leave and we worked on renovating this 100 year old gem. As you know, when we bought the house, we always knew we wanted to eventually add an addition to it. We’ve talked and talked and talked about it for years and then just decided last summer to make it happen. YES!! We decided on our contractor in August and we’re now at month 8 of the planning process. Obviously, this is not something you should rush in to, and winter in Canada is not so friendly for digging large holes in the ground. However, while the snow fell…and fell…and fell…it gave us the time to think, review and rethink on what we wanted. So here’s the last 8 months wrapped up in a quick bow:

Basement – renovated a few years ago. You all joined us on the journey…here, here , here and here.

Remember the beach? There is no plan to change anything in the basement except that we have to pack everything up because they need to take down the ceiling to restructure part of the house.

Main floor – Currently, there is a living room, dining room, kitchen, back random room with gorgeous windows (we’ve used this room in the past as a playroom but when we did the basement, it became a room where they kids watched tv in the morning and ate breakfast…but that’s it really…so kinda useless. And it has a gas fireplace in there from an original chimney to the house. Then there is another room that we call the “breakfast room”.  And we turned it into our breakfast room with built-ins.

Kitchen – It looked like this when we bought it.

We painted all the cabinets, new appliances and countertops etc. All the floors in the house were sanded and re-stained and some areas had new wood laid. There is no bathroom on the main floor.

Second Floor – 3 piece bathroom that we renovated shortly after we moved in.  This is a photo of Nick on the phone with a plumber. All we wanted to do was take out a window and when we removed the tile, there was mold...everywhere. We were so over our heads but we did it.

 Sorry for the terrible photo. This was early in my blogging.

The fourth bedroom has been the nursery to two of the kids.

It’s a great size for a nursery but that’s about it. It can’t function well as a bedroom. The bedrooms have seen their fair share of switch-ups from guest rooms, to nurseries to big kid rooms. There is also a tv room on this floor.

Third floor- our bedroom…was pink and blue when we bought the house. We painted it, laid new carpet and it has a bathroom up there.

So all in all, there isn’t a square foot of this house that hasn’t been touched, BUT with three growing monkeys, we needed four full bedrooms, apparently five bathrooms and a bigger kitchen. This is what the back of our house currently look like...

Enter in…RENOVATION 2019! Obviously it’s one of those things that started smaller and now we’re here. So sorry, this picture is terrible.

Basement – will remain the same, except the foundation for the addition is being dug out to support the addition. This won’t be finished, but used for Mr. Fix-It’s workroom and storage. If you live in an old house, you know that storage is a problem. I thought 100 years ago women wore huge dresses? Clearly, they didn’t have the same obsession with clothes that I do! Also, this gives me more space to store Christmas decor...Mr. Fix-It just died a little inside. Ha!

Main floor – Front hall, closet, living room (remain the same). The dining room has a bit of a change to the opening of the addition but nothing major.

Kitchen – the current kitchen will become a mudroom area and powder room.

I can’t wait to show you the tile…it’s amazing! It better be still in stock when we go to lay it because I feel like the colours in the tile are what I'm basing this whole reno around. I saw it across the showroom and ran to it. Love. Here's a sneak peak...

There will be a hallway between the dining room and mudroom into the addition, as well as a cutout from the dining room to addition. Hard to see but I’ll show you in InstaStories.

Addition main floor – Think of it as a giant box with a tv area and gas fireplace and a large kitchen. Windows across the back of the house. Heaven. I used an awesome service that I want to tell you about soon that helped me design my kitchen. Amazing!

Size of the main floor addition – Roughly 650 sq feet plus the mudroom/bathroom. Same upstairs.

Let’s go upstairs…

Second floor – tv room stays the same, Ella’s room stays the same except that she wants to add to her décor (whatever that means to a 6 year old) and we’re opening up one of her walls for a bigger closet. Carter is moving upstairs to the third floor (sweet deal for him!) and Mitchell’s room is getting smaller…sorry kid, but he’s getting a fab big closet and we told him he could decorate his room to make it a hockey room ;) I may regret that when I walk upstairs and stare into a bright red wall but for now, its a win.

The nursery will become Ella and Mitchell’s bathroom (3 piece) and a hallway will be created into our bedroom in the addition. As well as, a 4 piece ensuite and a walk in closet (I’ve never had a walk in before!) Windows again across the back.

Carter moves upstairs and will use our existing bedroom furniture up there and he get’s his own bathroom which I promised him we would paint seeing how he’s not digging my pale blue damask decor and crystal hardware ;)

So…here we go. Demo began this week and I'll be over on Instastories to show you the progress. In the meantime, Mr. Fix-It and I purged, pitched and have sold tons of stuff. The house is packed up and we've moved in to my parent's 2-bedroom condo for the next 4 months! Oh, and did I mention that Mr. Fix-It is travelling like crazy for work these days and I started  new job about 6 weeks ago. Pass the wine!!

Keep it Beautiful

Holiday Survival - Checking Off the List!

Happy first week of December! How are you feeling? Stressed? Ready? Honestly, this year, I'm determined to experience this month with as little stress as possible. Well, that's my goal. Have you seen Bad Moms Christmas movie yet? The original Bad Moms was better but honestly, I laughed out loud a lot watching this one. I saw it in the theatre a couple weeks ago with some girlfriends, wine in our travel mugs and it was great. What mom doesn't stress at the holidays? But really, we put this unrealistic pressure on ourselves. So, this year, I've done a few things differently.

 

The first one, I decorated early. Obviously as a home design blogger, I love to decorate for the holidays. Its my favourite. But I know you know, hauling out the Christmas boxes is an event in itself. Honestly, our house lacks storage space and Mr. Fix-It's workroom is filled with bins FULL of Christmas stuff. It's amazing how much we all store to celebrate such a short season. But, it's worth it...totally worth it. So a couple of weeks ago, mid November we brought up all the boxes, and the decorating began. It's one of those things that seems like a great idea when you start and halfway through, when the garland greenery is all over the floor and the decorations are strewn throughout the house, it seems never ending. However, the carols were on, I had my wine in hand, the kids loved decorating their faux tree in the basement with all their special ornaments and I'm a happy girl because it's one thing checked off the list of "to-dos". Now, its the first week of December and the house is shimmering and glowing with Christmas beauty. Only thing left is the tree, but we can't get it until this week or we'll be left with a naked dead tree by Christmas. Our old house is so dry, the tree would self-combust from the dry air.

I've also ordered a few more decor items online that I'm waiting to arrive to finish it all off. I'll share that post soon :) Here's a look back at the last couple of years here, here and here

So, decor done. Check. Mr. Fix-It, aka "Clark Griswald" worked on the outside last weekend with the kids. He's training them;) A few trips to the big box stores, and oh Lord, our house could be a runway for Santa's sleigh. Thank God he doesn't do the inside decor. But, the kids love it, it was great to get done before the snow hit the ground and it's another thing off the list. Check. We're waiting for one more online order to arrive and I'll share the over-the-top exterior decor in another post to come. Stay tuned.

So, on this "stress free" list, we've checked off a few things. For the bakers, have you done your baking yet? I'm not really a holiday baker but I do love the Christmas smell. 

I always do the "stove top" Christmas smell each year and only requires...easy. Let's keep it easy and simple, shall we?!

Who's travelling this year? We're staying put for Christmas but will travel to the cottage at some point. Honestly, how on earth did anyone travel with kids without Netflix? I know we didn't have it as kids but how long can you keep a kid occupied at the airport or on the road, colouring? For us, we use Netflix to save our sanity when we're driving to Toronto or at the airport. Well, let's be real, our kids watch Netflix all the time but when we're travelling...its a necessity for all involved. Did you know that 1 in 5 Canadian parents say one of their main concerns when travelling is keeping their kids entertained.

The best part is that you don't only need wifi to watch Netflix. You can download your family's fav shows. Netflix at home, becomes Netflix on the go. Amen! It's available for "Netflix originals" and you can click on "available for download" menu on the Netflix app on your phone or tablet and browse all the titles available to take with you whenever and wherever you want.

You don't need to feel like you're stuck in Litchfield from Orange is the New Black while being on a family road trip again. So, if you know you're going to be travelling with the kids this month, download all their fav shows now and it's another thing off your "to-dos". So, go decorate, get your baking done (or just create that delicious smell on the stove), download your shows and you're already ahead of the game.

Good luck guys! And when that stress level feels like it's rising, when in doubt, always have wine on hand.

Keep it Beautiful.

xo Alicia

Disclosure: Christmas is busy and can be over -the-top stressful. I'm sharing a few tips from Netflix because we all love Netflix and we all need survival during  the holidays. I'm part of the Netflix Stream Team and get perks to share ideas with you. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

JUST GOOGLE IT!

Is it me, or have you noticed yourself telling your kids to "just Google it" when they have a question that you don't have the answer to. Long gone are the days that you would wander upstairs to pull out the encyclopedia (not even sure my kids know what that is) to find the answer to your detailed curiosity. In University, if someone on ICQ didn't know the answer, then you knew your answer would be found at the library- but who are we kidding...I didn't spend too much time there ;)

All the Netflix binge watching that we do has left my fam looking for answers to our questions about our favourite Netflix shows. Turns out we're not the only ones. More than ever, viewers are turning to Google to answer their kids questions that have stemmed from their fav shows. "Mummy, how far away is the moon?" This is a question I got from my baby girl while she was watching Justin Time. Ummm....well, let's Google.

I have totally gotten sucked into The Crown (ah-mazing...did you know the new season is out?). Watching it spurs so many questions about the Royal Family that honestly, I didn't care much about before. Enter in Google. The answer to all our detailed Netflix show questions. 

Does this look like your house?

What are your kids asking you when they watch shows? Have you had to Google your way through wowing them with answers?

Keep it Beautiful.

Alicia

Disclosure: I love Netflix. I love sharing all the  latest shows with you that Netflix  releases and I am part of the Netflix #StreamTeam.  Everything here are my opinions. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

DESIGNING FOR THE FUTURE: TRENDS WE NEED TO CONSIDER NOW

I remember when I was shopping for my wedding dress, I kept asking myself, Is this dress timeless? Will it hold up in twenty, thirty or forty years? I thought for sure when I bought my dress, it would stand the test of time – I would look back on the photos and be able to say that my dress would still be in style if I wore it years later.

The reality is that fashion styles come and go and the basics of timeless classics will continue to be modified decade after decade. The same is for design and décor.

Often when we take on large home design projects, we ask ourselves what the impact of the space will be down the road. Will the kitchen you put in today feel dated and old in ten or twenty years? Will someone walk into your house forty years from now and wonder where your head was when you chose your stainless steel appliances?

Here’s my thoughts. Design trends are changing faster than the average person looking to renovate their living room. Design firms are working with the latest technology to advance how we decorate our homes, new furniture styles and materials we use.

A few things we need to consider now for future design:

1.      Clean Lines

Clearly, the lines of decorating are getting cleaner and finer. Does anyone buy overstuffed couches anymore? Does anyone want billowing valances and drapes? Clean living, fresh and bright rooms marry our thoughts on how people want to live. People are looking to minimize the fillers in our food, and the same is with home design. Designing for the future is about creating spaces that allow us to breathe.  Designing a room with “clean lines” is a trend that I believe we need to hold on to and continue to push the envelope as other areas of our lives seek to that clean living also.

2.      Black and White

To me, black and white have stood the test of time. As a decorator and home design blogger, I always encourage my clients and readers to make sure they have something in each room that is black. Black is grounding. It balances a room.  Black and white décor has continued to thrive when home design and decorating surged. Today we see more people painting their walls white than we ever have. Designing for the future needs to carry the black and white trend as our rooms don’t always need splashes of colour. Some of the most peaceful and gorgeous spaces I’ve seen, showcase black and white and allows for the personal touches to shine.

3.      Personal Touches

Speaking of personal touches. The trend of showcasing our family, friends and places we love has always been. We want to personalize our home and create a space where we shine. We can’t lose site of personalizing our spaces in the future. In fact, I think it will continue to grow as our obsession with social media and seeing into eachother’s lives continues. However we showcase our personal touches in the future, we need to ensure the element remains.

4.      Technology

Obviously, technology has changed the way we design homes, rooms and live in our spaces. Even now you can buy a refrigerator that can schedule your day, talk to you, remind you and tell you that you’re out of milk. These advances are amazing. They are where we are going in design. We just need to remember that when designing for the future that we keep in mind the users. How will their lifestyle be affected? Families gathered around the kitchen island sharing a feast or snuggled up on a couch watching a movie. Let’s make sure that when we design spaces and products we create them for people. Not robots. Let’s continue to encourage families gathering, being together and loving the spaces they are in.

 As for whether my wedding dress will stand the test of time? It was gorgeous, it had elements of tradition and “classic” style. However, it also followed a trend that many brides were wearing when I got married 12 years ago.  The reality is that in 40 years, brides will be wearing a different style but elements of that dress will be found in the future of wedding gowns. The same is in design. Stainless steel appliances might not be what we put in our homes in 40 years, but elements of them will still remain.

“This blog post is a part of Design Blogger Competition organized by CGTrader".

Keep it Beautiful.

Alicia

WHAT'S YOUR MOM SNEAK?

Hey lovelies,

We all do it. #momsneak

Did you know that 58% of moms admit to sneaking in TV "me-time"? I'm shocked it isn't more?!??! Seems too low of a stat for me. Im all about the Netflix Mom Sneak. How else are you going to get in your fav shows? Honestly!

My fav #momsneak is while making dinner. Love it. Or, I've also sat in the car after getting groceries and watch a little on my phone. When you find that show you love, its addictive!

Here's what I'm sneaking right now-

Orange is the New Black (I'm almost done....so good!)

Pretty Little Liars

Chef's Table

Hoarders - I'm addicted. I just am.

Leave me a comment and let me know what your #momsneak is

Keep it Beautiful.

Alicia

Disclosure: I'm a #momsneak addict and love Netflix. Just like you do too!  I'm part of the Netflix #StreamTeam and happy to share the Netflix love with you each month.

BIG GIRL ROOM REVEAL

Hey lovelies. Happy Monday! I've got a room reveal for you today. You'll remember I shared the inspiration boards for our daughter's "big girl room" and the the new "guest room". It was the big swap-a-roo day a little while ago. The kids went up to the cottage for the night and Mr. Fix-It and I worked for 15 hours straight. Killer. Actually, it wasn't really that bad. We had tunes, we had food and we had beer. Now the rooms are complete and I'm excited to share our daughter's room today and I'll follow up with the guest room.

This is what the room looked like before. The guest room was bright and simple and it made me smile every time I walked up the stairs. However, it was time to go pink. 

About 7 years ago, I found this armoire on the curb. It needed a good paint job but it's housed the wrapping paper and my files for Keep It Beautiful Designs. It's quite large and weights a ton, so we just moved it around the room while we painted and then slid it on a towel over to the new guest room later. 

This accent wall had my girly glitter running all through my bod. How cute eh? We decided to add the bright pink to the window wall. One, it meant that we weren't staring at a super pink wall every time we walked up the stairs to the second floor and I just loved that it would be framed with the drapes and window bench.

The DRAPES.  They kill me in cuteness. Typically we need 95" length for the ceilings but these guys worked out fine being the standard length because I needed them to be shorter behind the window bench. I bought them at HomeSense. Our daughter doesn't seem to mind falling asleep without a blackout blind and I love the airy fresh feel of the material. Win!

Next up was putting together the bed. This is the bed that we ordered. It's gorg.

Add all the finishing touches...

And we have a perfectly girly room for our big girl. 

This is my Great Grandmother's mirror. We hung it low so our big girl can see her gorgeous self in that mirror every morning. I love that generations of strong women have looked at themselves in that mirror and I hope they loved what they saw.

This chair was Mr. Fix-It mom's. We've rocked all our babies in it and our daughter had only one condition for her new room - that the rocking chair goes in it. This little corner is a perfect spot for stories and songs before bed. A cute pillow and throw and she got her wish.

I took the same frames and photos from her nursery and just gave the frames a "refresh spray" (pretty sure that's not actually a phrase). I was going to update the photos but when I told her that she said she wanted to keep her baby pics in there.

I took this side table from our bedroom. Poor Mr. Fix-It now has to have his stuff on the floor ;) but really he didn't have much on there before. His phone while it was charging and his watch charger...that's pretty much it. So, it found another home. I really like how the shiny silver works with the gold. Don't be shy to mix your metal finishes. 

The light is from her nursery. It was the first thing I bought when I started decorating her baby girl room. Its from Ikea and ADORABLE. Really, what girly girl wouldn't want a tutu light? 

I've been holding on to these two pieces of art of A LONG TIME. For years, they hung in my parent's house and when they moved, I knew that they would be perfect in a little girl's room if it was ever meant to be. And here they are. They hang right beside her closet and you see them as you come up the stairs onto the second floor. 

I bought this shelf and these brackets from Ikea and of course, sprayed the brackets gold. Instant glam. The shelf holds a few of the breakable treasures she's made, as well as some of the treasures from my room when I was a little girl. I totally forgot to spray the screws, so a quick tip...just spray the end of a q-tip and dab it on the screws. 

Our big girl loves to dress up so this tiny corner was the perfect spot for a couple of hooks and a basket for her accessories. Remember when she broke her leg this winter? I placed her casts on a floating shelf here. I want her to remember how strong, brave and powerful she was during that time. She's little but fierce!

This dresser from Ikea fit perfectly in the space. It's feminine, solid and long enough to hold all her jewels and hair stuff.

So that's that. 

She loves her room. It's bright, it's girly, its fun. It's special. It's her.

'Scuze the blurry photo. She was moving fast when she saw her room for the first time :)

Next reveal to show you is the guest room.

fresh.fabulous.sophisticated.

Keep it Beautiful.