Thirteen Home Improvements Canada Would Make

The "if money was no object" fantasy version.


1. The kitchen. Completely rip out, and get new everything, including flooring. Cabinets would be light (like cream with a darker glaze to give an aged look, probably maple) on the outer part, and dark cherry on the island. Honed granite counter on the island with an apron front farmer's sink that would be CENTERED!! Dishwasher would move (yes, I want to move plumbing. Cha-ching!!!). Keep built-in gas cooktop (that we put in), keep faucet (that we put in), keep range hood (that we put in). Double oven or oven/convection-microwave combo. Built-in GE profile refrigerator. Floor - either slate or a rustic tile, set on the diagonal. Not that I've given it much thought. :)
2. Replace the crap hardwood on the main floor. There were gouges in it when we moved in, and it has steadily gotten worse. Yes, we have a dog. And we had hardwood and the same dog at our old house for 5 years, with a few very fine scratches. This looked like crap about 5 weeks after we moved in! Ideally, I would pick Jatoba (Brazilian cherry) in a wide plank (maybe 4"). Maybe in the kitchen, too.
3. Patio. We have a deck, but we want a patio leading from the deck. With a built-in, natural gas barbeque. And a privacy screen consisting of three posts and two panels of wide-space lattice at the corner of the patio (we're on a corner lot, so that part of our yard faces the street. Yes, we have a fence, but still . . . the other houses look into our yard. It would be nice to feel somewhat more secluded. Not that we're doing anything that needs to be secluded!).
4. Refinish the hardwood stairs and replace the crap railing (it's all bumpy and starting to separate). Instead of painted, wooden spindles, I'd choose a simple wrought-iron with the dark wood railing and the dark wood newel posts.
5. Finish the ensuite renovation. We had an unplanned bathroom reno last fall because the Roman tub cracked and leaked into the kitchen (it had been installed incorrectly. Did I mention that we live in the money pit?). We got an awesome tub (no jets, lights, or waterfall, but we did get the alternate filling system and the faucet that is pictured). We also got a new toilet - a one piece Toto toilet with the self-closing seat that doesn't bang. New tile around the tub and backsplash was required, as the old stuff got destroyed during the removal of the old tub. Once this was complete, we looked around the rest of the bathroom and thought - hmmm, looks like we'll have to redo the rest at some point. So . . . one day we'll get a new sink, smaller counter, much better shower, replace tile to match the surround tile. Yes, I know exactly what I want. That is the problem.
6. Build a mudroom at the entry. More of a mudroom alcove. I have figured out how to do this, I know that it is possible - I just need to figure out how to get the cash! This is actually the one thing that I would do RIGHT NOW and it would make my life so much easier and make the entry area drive me far less insane, esp during the snowsuit and boots months (of which we have many!)
7. Replace the carpet and the pitifully crappy underpad upstairs. It will need to be done in the next few years. I'll be so happy to get rid of the purple stripe border around our bedroom (did I mention that this was a former model home?). The good news is that since the carpet is pretty low quality, the purple colour has faded and could almost pass as a dark brown. I'd replace the carpet with the same carpet we have bound as a rug in the living room. Sort of a sisal-look, but a soft wool blend, so it's more comfortable and is cleanable (imperative).
8. Replace the main floor windows. We've done the upstairs because they had many problems. One day we'll get around to the main floor. And more of them will open (in the family room there are two large double windows. Only one side of one of them is an operating window - the rest are fixed picture windows. We get sun all day there - talk about stupid!)
9. Rip out the patchy grass on the shady side of the house, and replace with packed, pea gravel with a few patio stones leading down the side of the house and through the gate, bordered by river rock.
10. Four Pottery Barn dupioni silk drapery panels for the dining room. Two panels for each window, hanging down as side panels with wrought iron rods and fleur-de-lis finials. (price per panel - about $200 US. Likelihood of this ever happening? Slim to none!)
11. Venetian plaster the walls in the kitchen and family room. Finish with an uneven ochre wash to add depth. Yes, I have watched Under the Tuscan Sun too many times!
12. California Closet the master walk-in. Ridiculously priced, but the organization would be awesome! There are also some really cool closet organizers at IKEA.
13. Replace the horrible gas fireplace in the family room. We can't use it because the burning smell is awful, fills the house, and makes Corwin's mild asthma flare up big time. The fireplace that we put in the basement? No problems. That's the one that we use, but it would be nice to have one that works in the family room. And I would put a mantel something like this around it.

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