What do you do when you have the dream location but your home is not your dream home? Do you relocate or embark on a home renovation?
– Randy & Val’s Story
Dream Home Renovations Calgary | We didn’t want to do a home renovation but our home was a spec home, so the finishings were the standard ones from the builder. After being in the home for ten years, we were ready for a change. We wanted a better space to entertain, and a larger, more functional kitchen. We wanted our home to be warm and inviting, with an elegant touch. My wife Val and I spent a fair bit of time looking at other homes and although many were beautiful, we couldn’t find one we liked that we could afford, or that was in a location we liked as well as where we are. For us, the solution wasn’t to relocate our home, it was to do a home renovation.
We went to the Calgary Home Show and met the Renovations by Hearth and Home design team at their booth. We initially started talking with them about a new fireplace to replace the one we had which was see-through into the master bedroom. It didn’t provide us with privacy, and it also didn’t have a mantel. Renovations by Hearth and Home designed one which is wider than our previous one. It has a beautiful mantel for our television, and it looks like a piece of furniture. Then my wife wanted a new floor to replace the 2″ wide pine slats, so we went with a gorgeous hand-scraped floor with 6″ boards throughout the main level of the house.
It just kept going. Once you embark on the home renovation discussion, you begin to realize that while you are in the process, you might as well do more of what you want all at once rather than have to bring tradesmen back again. Our kitchen was dark and dated, and it didn’t have much food preparation area or nearly enough storage space. I am the cook in our house, and I wanted to have a brighter more spacious area to prepare gourmet meals. The team was able to design a kitchen with almost double the storage by taking the custom white cabinets to the ceiling, adding a Butler’s Pantry with a beverage and serving station and just being really smart about the design.
Our old island was two-tiered and that was very limiting and a poor use of space. We went with a slightly larger, flat island built on cabinetry which is like a piece of furniture that matches the fireplace. Now we have two wall ovens, and to save counter space, the team designed a space in the island for the microwave drawer which automatically with the touch of a button. There is now a spectacular oil-rubbed hood fan over a new induction cook top stove. The hood fan serves as a great focal point for the whole kitchen, dining and living room space.
I am not a professional chef, but I like to try different types of dishes with spices and gourmet sauces. Now I have more food preparation area and an induction stove which is easier to clean. Val and I appreciate having the Butler’s Pantry to store more food items out of sight, and using the wine bar when we entertain. Our darker, dated kitchen became a bright and stunning showpiece with a high “Wow” factor. The kitchen is so much brighter now with the white cabinets, pot lights and beautiful hanging fixtures.
The Renovations by Hearth and Home team extended the custom design and profile of our kitchen cabinetry into the rest of the renovation which was the main floor powder room and the Master ensuite bathroom. For the ensuite, they installed a heated floor, new tile in the shower, and the new cabinetry. In the powder room, we upgraded to a hand painted sink and new lighting.
For several months, we lived mostly in our basement where there is a small fridge and a tiny sink, a bathroom and bedroom. We managed to make meals there or use our barbeque while the home renovations were taking place upstairs. Honestly, the challenges of living in a home renovation were nothing for us compared to what we knew would have been the hassle of moving.
Over those months, working with the Renovations by Hearth and Home team was like working with family. They are warm, genuine people who were on site a lot, and whenever we had a question or concern, we dealt with them directly, not with some other staff person on a phone. Their foreman was fantastic. He practically lived here through the whole home renovation and he made sure every task was properly done and every product was properly installed. Every design choice, every detail pulled our home renovation together into an harmonious, final result.
Our home looks so much better now. It looks like a show home, and we are proud of it when we entertain. Our house had good bones and it overlooks a golf course. We have a dream location. Now we have basically built a new home inside our house. Thanks to Renovations by Hearth and Home, it is now our dream home.
Call the renovations by Hearth and Home team to get started on your Dream Home Renovation today.
-The Renovations by H & H Team
