We’ve been planning and living through a big renovation since the Fall and I’m excited to finally bring you into the fold! Today’s post will cover the space as it was before, why we decided to take on this project, all of the plans and benefits gaining from it, and a peak into demo! Over the next few weeks, I’ll catch you up to speed on all of the progress, decisions made when it comes to layout, finishes and more! In real time, the project is wrapping up over the next few weeks and will fully bring you to date over on Instagram – follow along there @megleonardco.
Let’s get into it!
The Before
If you’re looking to catch up, I shared our super unique home buying journey here, as well as a guided tour here. Our house was on and off the market for a long time due to seller finances, as well as the fact that you definitely needed to take on a vision and work to improve the home. The primary bedroom “wing” likely being the biggest point that turned others away. Most of the bedroom was added on to the original home, and the entrance + bathroom created an odd entrance that wasted a lot of space. While sizable, the bedroom did not house any closets, just two small wardrobes. Lastly, the bathroom, while featured all the essentials + heated floors and towel bars, had to be completely redone cosmetically. We were looking for not only an updated look and feel, but a space that maximized storage and functionality for our family.
We originally thought that we should renovate the kitchen first as it is a more frequently seen space. However, after spending time here, we knew we needed to put ourselves first and not worry about the outdated kitchen! Over the Summer, we decided to make moves on getting things going. While I can usually instantly craft a vision, this one was tough for me, so I turned to my dear friends for their professional help!
Primary Wing
You can see that you walked right into a wall, with a small hallway bump-out that opens to the bedroom. That wall houses the bathroom, which fun fact – that whole space was the original primary bedroom where the house stopped!
The bedroom had a lot of wasted space and the bathroom had horrible toilet placement behind the door. Overall, both spaces lack any storage and as this is an older home, there are no hall closets, so storage is necessary within the spaces!
Secondary Bedroom
I’ll expand on this below, but while taking on this project, we tossed out what it would entail to split this large room into two and therefore want to show you the before!
The Plans
As I mentioned, our dear friends at Bayberry Design Co. are the master minds behind the floor plans! They presented two options, but this one stole our hearts. This new plan allows for:
- Walk-through, built-in wardrobes that elongate the wing
- Laundry relocated to the second floor in it’s own space with storage
- Primary bathroom with optimal vanity cabinetry and a large walk-in shower
- Primary bathroom with an enclosed water closet
- Secondary bedroom split into two spaces with closets
I’ll be sharing more details about each of the spaces over the coming weeks, but all of these thoughtful floor plan elements increase the utilization of the space we have. We now have an enclosed office, guest room and nursery upstairs; laundry no longer in the basement; wardrobes that match the style of our home; an updated, functional primary bathroom; better utilization of the primary bedroom to allow for a dresser, mirror and TV wall!
Demo
We started demo in the Fall, and luckily did not find any issues that prevented us from moving forward with the plans. We tweaked little things along the way like wall angles and window positioning, but will get into those details over on Instagram stories soon! Here are photos of the process – stay tuned for an updated progress post on framing, drywall and finishes!
