Two years ago, when their daughter and son-in-law bought their first home together, the young couple had three dreams: a new kitchen, nicer bathrooms, and a baby. Last month, they got all three.
Aside from an outdated kitchen and a dated main bathroom, the 15-year-old Craftsman-style home had everything Paige and Adam wanted for their growing family: a great location, good schools, and enough bedrooms.
The worst part of the house was the shower. Having learned patience from her mother, Paige wanted to replace it as soon as she moved in. “The showers in my college dorms were better,” I remember her saying on the first day. And sure enough, the tiny cubicle smelled like a mushroom patch, had a calcified door, and looked like something that could've been left at a campsite.
How quickly can it be fixed? The interior designer and contractor each said that if I were to replace the shower, I would also need to replace the adjacent bathtub. If I were to replace the bathtub, I would also need to replace the flooring, and I'd probably be better off updating the vanity as well.
Anyone who's ever renovated knows that small changes can lead to big changes that eventually require a complete remodel. And in the Denver area where they live, most contractors aren't willing to take on jobs that are that small because of the labor shortage and construction boom. If you renovate your kitchen, too, you'll increase your chances of attracting contractors.
Welcome to the world of home renovations.
Disappointed, Paige and Adam took a pause. It wasn't a moment to waste. For the next two years, they envisioned what they really wanted for these rooms. They distinguished between must-haves (an eat-in kitchen with a gas range) and nice-to-haves (more counter space). They dreamed, they planned, they conceived, they hired a designer.
After a “discovery call” to understand the scope, timeline and budget of the project, interior designer Kate Clapp of Kate Saige Interiors met with them in their home, where she shared her ideas and assured them they would get what they wanted.
“She got it,” Paige said. “At this point, we were so happy that someone understood what we wanted and was at the wheel, especially with a baby on the way.”
Clapp replaced the door between the master bedroom and bathroom with a classic arch and added an oversized glass shower with Spanish ivory subway tile, a deep undermount tub surrounded by quartz decking, and an updated vanity with the same quartz countertops and cabinets repainted in Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige. The remodeled bathroom also features slate flooring and new light fixtures, mirrors, faucets and sinks. (We'll tell you about the kitchen improvements next week.)
In Adam's words, the change was “existential.”
“It all started with the shower,” Paige said, sitting in her new kitchen with her newborn baby in her arms, shaking her head at the journey. “At first, I just wanted to replace the glass in the shower, but I've learned to be careful even when you think it's a simple fix, because fixes always go wrong.”
Here's what else they learned:
draw a picture. Paige created a Pinterest board that was heavily inspired by Studio McGee, and Clapp used it as a starting point. “I love my clients' Pinterest boards,” Clapp says. “It helps me get inside their minds.” She could tell that Paige favored classic, clean designs with neutral foundations, wood, and accents of blue and green. “When I saw her Pinterest, I thought, 'I can do that,'” Clapp says. “I would describe her style as modern, organic with a classic umbrella.”
Adjust the design and price. Clapp created unique design boards for each room, including finishes and lighting, a detailed budget, timeline and contractor recommendations, giving the couple financial confidence to move forward.
Save here, splurge there. You can achieve beautiful design without spending a fortune if you allocate your money in the right places, Clapp says. One of those places is lighting, which is worth splurging on. Less expensive but still important to the finished look are cabinet knobs and handles, which can save you money if you keep the same square footage.
Focus on the kitchen and bathroom. “We were pleased to see that the builder and real estate agent were able to improve the two areas that matter most in terms of the home's value – the kitchen and main bathroom. Not only will Paige and Adam enjoy an improved home, but they'll get some money back when they sell it.” But for now, they're staying in the house.
Join me next week to find out which came first – the baby or the finished kitchen – and some more lessons learned.
Marni Jameson is the author of seven books, including the recently published “Rightsize Today to Create Your Best Life Tomorrow.” She can be reached at marni@marnijameson.com.
