My New(ish) Home!

SO!!!

My computer is finally fixed and I am able to share new pictures of my humble abode….

It's been forever since I've written a blog entry but life has just been craziness. Moving. Getting everything set up ever so slowly. Trying to decide what I wanted and how it was going to come together. Quite frankly, it's been fun but it's also been consuming!!

But nothing beats those days when I get to come home and relax while watching TV and then I look around and think that this isn't my 'house' so much as it's my home. It's a wonderful feeling I have to say.

But enough waxing poetic, it's time for pics!!! I'll try to highlight things that I've talked about in past blogs so that you see how everything came together. Be on the look out, and feel free to ask any questions! I also tried to link some of the things I mentionned here to the blog entries where I went into more detail in case you want to find out more information.

I took most of these pictures already but it's been a crazy weekend so wherever I don't have a picture, check back and I'll put one in later.

EVERYONE READY!?!?!? Cause I warn you now...this is a LONG ride!! =D

Let us begin!

This is the new outside!

It actually looks like a house because Mattamy has put down the sod and paved the driveway. For a while, it was the mud pit but as you can see it's coming together quite well. It just looks sooooo purrty. =D

My garage is basically the same. I managed to keep it fairly clear of boxes because I really wanted to park my car inside. After 2 years of driveway parking, I wasn't about to cheat SilvaDiva (Yes I named my car; Don't judge! Lol…) out of her home. The garage is actually pretty deep. Deeper than the regular towns because I can fit my car and still have more than enough room for the (meat!) freezer and tools so I'm a happy camper.

You think I'm kidding,(as did my unsuspecting friends)... but I'm really not…I have chicken, beef and shrimp in that freezer along with freezies and ice cream…I'm a pig and I'm not ashamed…lol!!

ANYWHO! Back to the house tour….

So this is the new foyer. I say new because for a while it was just the empty space but then I (ok ok..my friend cause I can't do mirrors, but I helped!! I held the screws!!) put up my mirror and then placed my lil pier one bench underneath. Now it's a nice little spot to put shoes on and give yourself the final once over before walking out the door…It's nice and simple and I like the fact that the foyer is spacious enough that I can do this and still have plenty of room to maneuver. Then we move on to….

The laundry room

This is the laundry room. It's not completely done because the pedestals are what's on the side but I haven't been able to get my peeps in to put that part together BUT so far I love my laundry pair and I have big plans for the room. ALSO, I had to take this picture because I think this is the first time that the laundry room has ever been COMPETELY devoid of actual laundry and dangnabbit! That's cause for celebration! =D

This is a shot of the landing up the first flight of stairs. I thought putting two tall items on either side of the powder room door would be a nice way to even out the visuals. The scroll is the 'Deepest Fear' motivation speech which I love and I wanted to put it somewhere that I could see it every day. If I can find a nice representation of the 'Desiderata' poem, I'd be happy too. The sticks was just a really simple decorative touch. The vase was from Costco, sticks are from Ikea- stuck the sticks in the vase, fanned them out, bada-boom-bada-bing, you're decorating!!! LOL! (Ya ok, I'm cheesy...I'll admit it...)

This is the powder room. Thankfully, you're seeing it after Mattamy came to fix the proof of my ineptitude when putting things up on walls. I finally gave in and my friend put these up for me as well. BUT all the fixtures went well together and pretty much matches my mental picture. I haven't gotten around to calling my electrician but I'll be doing that soon enough….

Next is the Kitchen...

These are a few shots of my kitchen and I have to say one of my favorite places in the house. The dark wood is a really pretty contrast against the stainless steel appliances. This actually lived up to my expectations. And the storage space in here is INSANE! I still haven't been able to fill up all the cabinets and I've been here 3 months!!! The pantry is fantastic and really handy.One of my favorite features is that the bottom cabinet by the fridge is big enough to hold ALL my small appliances. That really frees up space on the counters and lends to a really clean look AND speaking of a clean look, I was able to find this sliding lid storage rack from Costo that I put it ALL BY MYSELF and works like a charm. (Oh yeah…that's right…I'm a handydiva badass… HA HA!) I love all the appliances that I chose and have no complaints on them. Little things I'd change mind you like the configuration of some things, but no complaints! The fridge fits in the space perfectly and I like how the freezer is a slide out because it makes it easier to maneuver and to see what's in there. The stove- ABSOLUTELY NO COMPLAINTS!! Works like a dream and looks wonderful. The convection oven is great when making lasagna or things like that. The dishwasher rocks my world. Washes everything I put in there really well and fits a ton of stuff. And it is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO quiet, it's insane! I literally forget it's on sometimes until I hear it draining. I'm quite impressed actually.

And of course, one of the best things is that the kitchen overlooks the living and dining rooms. This is one of my favourite spaces in the house so I'll give you a few shots from different angles.

Now I must say that I am using this space exactly like I thought I would. When I'm cooking, I'm usually on the island by the sink and watching something on TV. This is my besta set that I finally decided on and it makes me quite happy because it fits all my storage needs in a really nice and even decorative way. The entertainment system works well with the whole set up and I really enjoy the lines of the whole thing. I even put touches of white in the mix to break up the dark so that's why you see the vases at the bottom and if you look closely you can see the tea light trays at the top of the shelves. Really nice lighting effect when they're lit. The couch is super comfy and M.Y Home was an awesome place to deal with. One of the coolest things is that the couch arm came with these two sleeves that you can wash to nothing gets on your couch! Thought that was a genious idea. Perfect place to lay out and watch movies though.

The ottoman has been a godsend because it's worked exactly as I hoped it would- table, ottoman and storage. Fantastic buy!

The curtains I had made- supplies were from Fabricland. They were a good investment because at least I knew exactly what I was getting. I bought the curtain rod from Bouclair I believe, to play off of my fabulous lamp find at (where else?) HomeSense. It was definitely another 'YOINK!' moment in the house shopping. Though it's under constant guard from a friend who has threatened on more than one occasion that I will come home and it won't be there...

ONTO my chair deals that would make Sarah Richardson would be proud! I happened to find these chairs on kijiji that my sister and I went to go take a look at, but when we got there, we saw 3 of these chairs and fell in love with these instead. They had so much character and charm and went perfectly with the mental feel I had going. So we bartered with the lady and ended up walking out of there with each chair costing us….

(Ready??)

$27 EACH!!!!!!!!!!!

Now to put this in perspective, I have seen chairs SIMILAR to this but not as nice, retailing for over 300-400 dollars. The wood is sturdy, it's in great condition and I can customize it to my tastes…TWENTY SEVEN DOLLARS PEOPLE!!! (Geesh I get goosebumps just THINKIN' bout it! Lol!!! )

Ok….I'm back….onto the rest of the tour…

Dining room table and chairs are an older set from my brother. The round glass actually works well because it allows a lot of light to pass through the space. Might changes up the colour and such though but it's working well for now. The bar in the corner was my shelf from pier 1. It's a really handy little area and display. The boxes in the corner are my hoodfan and light fixture for the dining room…I'll get to that in the later stages.

Off the dining room I have the deck, where I sometimes leave the doors open so I can get this view…

I also have a hammock out there which is very relaxing on the warm days and the place where I had one of my top 10 naps ever. (Others include this quaint B&B in New Orleans and #1 was on a leather lounger on a quiet resort beach in on a trip to Ghana with the waves crashing on the shore- people have tapes of the ocean to sleep…imagine sleeping there live!!) Regardless, the deck was GOOD times!

Now upstairs is still work in progress in a lot of places but I'll give you the overview...

My computer nook that I have to sort out the books and then get shelves for. I'm workin' on the ideas portion for this so it's currently box central, and so not ready for public viewing, but I swear it looks A LOT worse than it actually is...=D. It's almost like the secret closet that Monica had on 'Friends' that was a mess and she didn't want anyone to see it....so I figure putting it on a blog..not exactly hiding so not doing it.. =D

This is the guest bathroom. Had a few people over and it's been really handy because they have their own space to get ready and do things AND I don't have to share! WHOO!

The guest room is a disaster so I'm not going to show it yet!! lol.. I have the temp blinds up there because I'm still trying to find the best deal since the blinds are narrow but long. Still confused but I did know I needed to do something so my business wasn't all out in the street. The boxes are run over from other places that I am gong through slowly. No real rush anymore so taking my time, BUT I'm not putting my business out there for the masses to see so you'll have to take my word for it.

And LAST but not LEAST,

This is MY room.

I am actually making some changes this weekend and switching up my dresser for some new ones but it hasn't been done yet at the time of this post. I really like how simple my room is. I didn't want too much fuss and muss in there. And the cabinet in the corner works out really well with the….

If you compare the vanity and the cabinet, it almost looks like it was bought like that on purpose because they're so similar but I just happened to like the colour. It's really handy and holds a lot of the 'necessary' products for being a girl. =D The fixtures in the bathroom were again put up by my friend (Don't worry- I paid him in food!) and the towel rack is one of my favs because since it can move around, it's quite versatile and useful.

And I do belive that that is everything in my home for now to share. The entries may not be as frequent because I'm still figuring out everything that I want so things don't change as often but stay tuned for when they do!! And for all the people out there who also bought Berryhursts, feel free to shoot me any questions and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.

Thanks for reading and not listening when others may have said 'Don't encourage her….'. LOL!!!!!!!

Pulling things together.....

Hello All!!

So I went by the house a few days ago and this is the newest outside shot! YAY!! Now all that's left is the garage, (and getting rid of the ugly UGLY porta-potty!!) and then it'll be HOME!!!

After hearing about the kitchen cabinets were completed, I HAD to go take a look. I went with a friend of mine and then I actually was able to meet some of my neighbours from across the way. They were really nice and I'm glad that I live across from some AWESOME people! I'll be drinking with them for sure! lol...

So after talking to my fun neighbours, my friend and I went into the house and walked up the stairs and saw THIS....

I literally SQUEALED because the cabinets looked better than my expectations!!! My friend and one of the workers laughed at me...but it's ALL GOOD!! Cause my cabinets look FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANTASTIC!! lol..

Here's another shot...

WHOO HOO!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII LOVE IT!!!

The downside to this was that my PDI was pushed back to 8 am on the holiday Monday...boooooooooo...but at least I get a PDI soon enough...moving right along...

AND (to the delight of many of my friends who have watched me go back and forth about this...),

 I BOUGHT MY COUCH TODAY!!!

I think it's a funky couch..kinda 60s inspired. I like the clean lines but it's also really comfy because you sink into the cushion, but you are really supported in the back because it's a tight back. I'll have to share the fabrics when I get a better shot of them but the main couch is almost like the picture but a little lighter brown with almost a funky tweed colour, and the accent cushions are this REALLY fun leaves pattern with black, gold, grey and hot pink leaves all over it. Very happy and very me!

So...I have completed these tasks at least, and now it's a matter of getting everything finalised slowly but surely and then I'll be IN MY HOUSE!!

10- TEN!!!!!!-more days!!  

Bittersweet...

Today was my first tentative closing date. And since I am not currently waiting on pins and needles waiting for the phone to ring, it's fairly obvious that I will not be closing today. Crazy how I spent most of the last two years counting down to this day and then it almost came and went without a second thought. Hmmmm...

BUT on the other side, with everything that's been going on, there was NO WAY I would have been ready to move today, so (never thought I'd say this)... I'm actually glad that the closing was delayed....I know!  I know! AB-SO-LUTE SACRILEGE considering how utterly obsessed I am with the whole building experience!!!  But if word gets out,  I'll de-ny, de-ny, DE-NY! *wink*

Right now, I'm still looking for furniture and the finishing touches for the house. I've looked at M.Y Home, Suede, Mobilia, Ikea (that's a given..it's IKEA! =D), the Brick, Mikaza furniture....it's been a crazy whirlwind. I haven't decided if I'm going with 2 couches or a couch and 2 chairs in the living room. That's the biggest dilemma because I want the most comfort, and plus when I have friends over for movies, I don't want to share my couch cause I like to sprawl out (lol!) ... BUT in the interests of space and function, I'm not sure that two couches is the best idea. Ugh! I can almost hear my sister saying 'I told you so!' because she's been advocating a couch and two chairs forever. NUTS! I might have to get the two couches just outta spite! lol...kidding!!

I'll be sure to post my final choices once I decide.

On the actual building front, I now have roof boards!! WHOOT WHOOT!! And this was from Tuesday so it's only a matter of time before the shingles, windows and doors ACTUALLY go in....JOY!! I'll get pictures of that up soon.

Now I'm just anxiously waiting for the framewalk call so I can post proper pictures of the inside of my humble abode...tee hee hee!!

OH! AND I got my POSTAL CODE!! I know it's just a postal code, but it's MINE and it FINALLY completes my address!!! HA ZAAAAAAA!! Technically, the code puts the house in Stittsville, but I choose to ignore that and continue to consider myself in Kanata. I wanted to buy in Kanata, I was sold my house under the impression that it's in Kanata, and therefore, I intend to MOVE TO and LIVE in KA-NA-TA! Can't just go changing the city all willy-nilly on me... sheesh! Lol....

Triple-Threat Ottoman

I went to Home Sense on Monday (I swear that store is SO addictive!) and I saw this ottoman that I thought was REALLY nice, but it cost more than I had budgeted and I left it because I wanted to think about it a bit more....

Well..for the night and next day at work, I kept kicking myself for not getting the ottoman. The mental image basically taunted me all that time, because it was so perfect for me that I was a fool to leave it! So right after work, I went to the Home Sense, intent on picking it up. I made a beeline for the area where it was...to find that it was no longer there. I was really disappointed until I looked over to another corner of the store and THERE IT WAS!! YAY!! So I bought the ottoman and now I'm REALLY happy I did.

lol...I realise I'm talking about an ottoman like it's something substantial and life changing...but I REALLY liked it! Plus, from all my other posts, you should know by now how totally into the home experience I truly am! lol...

So my new ottoman has the same configuration as this picture, except the top part is puffier and smoother.

It's great because:

a- The top part is cushy enough to be used as a nice footrest.

b- The top part has lids that have wood on the other side so they can be flipped used as a table for drinks and snacks.

c- The storage underneath will be great for magazines and blankets etc.

AND it was actual leather upholstery so that was a nice bonus! Quite happy with my purchase if I do say so myself! lol...

Boxing Day Bonanza!!

So this year, because of the new house, I actually braved the Boxing Day madness and went shopping for electronics...all I can say is WOW!! I got out of bed at about 5:30 am..puttered around the house because I was still recovering from Christmas dinner, and then my sister and I set out, despite freezing rain, to the Merivale strip for Futureshop and Best Buy deals. The place was PACKED and I couldn't believe that THAT many people were out despite the time and weather...but then again, I thought, I'm currently one of those people so I can't exactly judge now can I?? Lol...

All in all, despite barely being able to keep myself upright and awake while standing in the line, I managed to get some good deals so overall I'm happy.

My new TV is 46" of TV goodness from Samsung. I cannot WAIT to watch Mike Fisher close ups on this screen with those beautiful blue eyes, dark hair and manly goodness as he plays for the Sens...even though he's marrying Carrie I-am-not-worthy Underwood...but that's neither here nor there...(Jealousy??  What's that?? lol!)

Now that that little tangent is complete, I also managed to buy a surround sound system for, again when I'm watching the man that is supposed to be MY husband, as well as the great action movies that I plan to be indulging in once I move. I totally plan on having at least one LOTR marathon day as well as the Godfather trilogy..maybe even the Matrix....you know it's a good theatre system when you're already imagining the movies and shows that you're going to watch once it's all set up!!! EPIC BATTLES AND AWESOME DEATH SCENES IN HD, HERE I COME!!

Again...pulling myself back to this version of reality..here is my sound system, also by Samsung, with a blue-ray system, 4 tall-boy speakers, one larger speaker and a sub-woofer:

I also got a Panasonic Microwave for a good price...and those 3 purchases basically completed my electronics list, since I am not sure what I will be doing for my computer equipment. ONE MORE GROUP OFF MY LIST! YIPPEEEE!!! I also went to Homesense and bought two mirrors that will go perfectly in my main and master bathrooms thus completing the set up for those rooms as well.

It's kinda cool to finally see more checked items on the list than things that are still outstanding, and with only 121 (but who's counting??) days to go, I'm starting to climb that peak into the excitement zone all over again. I have not been to see the house site in a while, as the last handful of times have yielded no change, but I'm hoping that very VERY soon in the new year, all that will change.

Next...Furniture...Oy veh! Stay tuned!!

Awesome Appliances!!

I went to the Brick today and chose my appliances. I'm pretty sure that I'll keep these choices, but I still have some time to change my mind just in case.

And without further ado.......... my appliances!! lol...

This is my LG Dishwasher. I liked this one because it was a nice clean front with the integrated controls at the top of the dishwasher. The handles also match my range as well, which is good because they are different brands and it all worked out for the best. One of the nicest features I found on this one is that the steam from the cycle doesn't vent to the outside but to an inside vent, where it condenses and goes down the drain. That is supposed to be good for areas with hardwood because it doesn't affect the humidity. Since my house is all open concept as well, I wanted a really quiet dishwasher and I've heard that this one is one of the quietest out there so I'm quite happy!

This is my Kitchenaid Gas Range. I really liked the clean lines on this stove, and that the controls of this range are at the front. I'm so clumsy that I thought controls at the front were a good idea so I don't accidentally set myself on fire or something..lol. It is a slide-in so it'll be really nice to have it look 'integrated' into the counters. A bonus is that this range has a warming drawer which I think is a nice lil' feature, and Kitchenaids make very good gas ranges so I'm happy to know I have a quality product. Plus..it's just plain purrrrrrty! lol...

And last but not least, this is my new Samsung Fridge. I had originally wanted an LG fridge, but I was convinced of this one because it actually fits the height and width of my fridge space perfectly and it's counter-depth, which was something I was looking for, but didn't think I would be able to find.  It's a good sized, stainless steel fridge with a bottom-mount freezer pull-out, and the finish resists fingerprints fairly well (I actually touched it all over a million times to test this!) so it'll look clean for a while yet.  I also like the clean lines of the fridge- the handle is a groove on the side- and the cool digitial readout at the bottom of the fridge is nice too. AND most importantly, it's big enough to hold MY meat, which let's face it, is the MOST important criterium of all! lol..

I bought this set a while ago, but it's a Samsung front-load washer and dryer set. The set came with the pedestals, which is really beneficial because it brings the whole set up to full height so I don't have to bend down to do my laundry. I had originally wanted a silver set that I saw of the same set, but then I saw an episode of Sarah's house with this beautifully sunny, and inviting laundry room so I decided that the white ones can suit me just fine! lol

SO! Those are currently my appliances which I think will be very nice in the house. AND the best part was, yet again, I came in UNDER my original budget....WHOOOO HOOOOO!!! I don't know how it keeps happening, but I LOVE it!! Now I can focus on paying everything off...oy! lol...

Mirror Image

I went shopping (again) this weekend, and bought a new mirror this weekend that I am very excited about!! I can't wait to hang it up in my foyer. It kind of looks like this one here, but the border panels are more offset so it looks like a prism with more refraction. It's beautiful!!
WHOO HOO!!

Let There Be Light (Fixtures)!!

Canadian Tire has been having a sale on Light fixtures for the past week, so I've now chosen and picked up all the fixtures for my bathrooms. The mental images of my bathrooms are pretty much complete now. And of course, as with everything else I've done house related, I wanted to share!

So without further ado................

This is the fixture for the powder room. It should go well with the other brushed nickel fixtures I have planned.

This is the fixture for the guest bathroom. It should go PERFECTLY with the browns and bronzes that I have planned for this bathroom.
This is the fixture for the Master Bath. At first, I wanted each bathroom to have a completely different light, but I liked this style so much that I just made my bathroom have 4 lights instead of the 3. I'm really glad I did!

Well that's everything for now. Nice to know that I have at least some of the rooms complete. Now I have to worry about furniture and appliances. Although, I got an awesome deal on a Samsung Washer and Dryer set so that's off the list, PLUS a deep-freezer for all the BBQ meat I intend to have on my wee deck soon enough. YAY house!!! :D

Range Hood

I got a great deal on a range hood today! Checked it out yesterday at Costco and then actually picked it up this afternoon. It's a nice and simple stainless steel range hood that should fit perfectly in my kitchen, PLUS in doing my research I've seen rangehoods in stainless steel range from about $500-$1000 and I got that for a fraction of the price!! It's ALL about the deals!! lol..

Anywho, here is my new range hood...

I also went to the house site today and they were digging up a storm. I saw that they were also doing some burying of the large concrete posts so they are moving along quite well. I'll have to try to take a closer look this weekend because every time I go, they are still working and I can't get close enough for a good shot with the camera. I'm sure these will be just the first of MANY trips to the site before the house is finished...lol

Speaking of closing..today marks 5 months, 3 weeks and 2 days until closing day..or 174 days..however you want to slice it..lol! WHOO HOO!!

My kitchen

This is an idea of what my kitchen cabinets will look like. This is actually a picture of the Brentland model in Kanata, and then after I chose my cabinets, I realized they were the same ones. I guess the gentle powers of model home persuasion are stronger than I thought!! In any case, I think it looks very nice and I'm even happier seeing it on a grand scale now.

Waiting....and SHOPPING!!

So I had a bit of a shopping spree yesterday and among my purchases was this folding shelf from Pier 1. It'll be great for parties and such because space might be a little limitied so people.... say hello to my new fold-out bar (the little one..not the big one...don't judge me...lol!!!)
lol..I find it amusing that I do not have my house, I do not have a sofa, I do not have appliances....BUT I have somewhere to stash my alcohol!! Guess MY priorities are straight! =D

I also went to Linen Chest where they were having a really good deal on glasses. An 18-pc set for 10 bucks!! So I scooped up two of those in a jiffy and of course, I can't go to Linen chest without a stop at Ikea a.k.a Blue and Yellow Heaven. I found a lot of things there that I liked, which is something that always happens. I got some plate sets that were a pretty good deal, and a few little odds and ends for my bathrooms. I also got this TV stand that I wanted priced out to give me a better idea of what I'll be spending once closing comes along. This feels good spending money on house things! And I figure since it's actually for the house and not some kind of personal blow out, I'm not ruining my budget cause this was my plan all along. Buy the small things bit by bit during the waiting period so that once I move in, it's not a lot of money all at once...yes...that was and is the plan...I also want to say that denial is a very POWERFUL thing...lol!!

Well on the actual house front, my Customer Care Coordinator told me that as it stands now, there are no black or green boxes on my property, which is a big relief because I REALLY didn't want any of those. I don't have a lot of room as it is so I didn't want it marred by a big metal box. I was also told that, as of now my house is still proceeding as scheduled which means construction should be beginning next month!!!!!! After all this time, construction is only mere WEEKS away!! Craziness! OH the excitement! I cannot WAIT! I also managed to virtually meet more of my neighbours and everyone seems so nice and cool! I have a feeling that our block is going to be a kick ass block for sure!

My Matrix Lamp!!

Rona was having a sale on Light fixtures this weekend! I originally went to look at a long crystal box type of chandalier but then I found this one instead. It's really cool and the inside has flexible arms that remind me of the matrix sentinel (hence the title). :) I'm quite excited and I think that it'll look perfect in my dining room. Happiness and Joy!

Small Changes..

Well the only small changes I ended up making were to delete the mirrors in all the bathrooms and change the style of my berber carpet. Not too much, but it serves to make my house that much more perfect!

Design Centre Choices

Hello All,

Here we are...this is the moment that we have all been waiting for!

*Drum roll please*

MY DESIGN CHOICES!!!

Granted there may be some changes right now but not any major ones so these are my general colours...

Now the whole house is going to be painted the 'Sandringham' colour. I didn't take a picture of it because you can't get the true colour of it from a picture and a small sample, but it's like a tan/beige colour. Almost like the tone of this blog backgroun actually. Very neutral, with just a hint of colour. As for the vinyl floors, I seem to have forgotten the names of all of them, I only have codes..lol. However, I used the same vinyl, a grey and browny combination, for everywhere but the kitchen which has a deeper grey tone to it.

And by the way, sorry about some of the spaces..I can't seem to get my pictures to behave.

Well let's get the plain stuff out of the way...

This is the standard showerhead for the bathrooms.

















This is the standard faucet for the master bathroom and the powder room.

This is the standard faucet for the main bathroom.

Now onto more of the FUN STUFF....!! These were some of my easy choices...


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Railings
These are the railings that I upgraded to. I didn't want the rounded colonial style (?) railings that were standard. I find that this one is just sleek and contemporary. I love them! They will be stained to match my hardwood floors.

Flooring
This is the flooring that I chose for the main sections of the house.

- Hardwood: I chose maple 'Vienna' floors in 2 1/4 width, in the living room, dining room and 2nd floor hallway, all placed on a diagonal lay.

- Carpet: I chose the 'Sweet Talk' colour of berber carpet for both the staircases and entire 3rd floor with upgraded underpad. I liked the colour, and then the name just kinda sealed the deal. LOL!



















Handles
The first picture is the inside front door handles and the second picture is the ouside front door handle. Kind of antiquey but I can handle it.

(I guess this wasn't really a choice but still.. =) )



















Kitchen

(Sorry, I couldn't get the picture to turn for some reason.)

I had an inspiration kitchen of dark cabinets with gray counters, glass backsplash and tile floors. So far I have half of that, so I chose:

- Cabinets: Salem Birch in Cocoa Control

- Counters: Suede Ash Fiesta

- and the Floors...a vinyl that I currently can't remember the actual name of, are a bit of a gray tone to pick up on the gray in the counter. I'll prob be changing them to tile soon enough but in the meantime, I'm happy. =)

Guest Bath Choices:

I had wanted a warm brown colour for this bathroom. I chose:

- 'Rocky Road' laminate for the counter,

- 'Chocolate Pear' for the cabinets,

- the bathtub tile is 'Olympia Imperial Noce Brown' with the listello border (I didn't take the tile with the insert; it'll just be a solid tile),

and the floor is a brown and gray vinyl that I forgot the name of. :)

Master Bath Choices:

I was looking for a gray, cool, spa like feeling for my ensuite so I chose:

-Olympia Keliker Bronze tile with Listello Border for my bathtub wall tile,

- 'Chocolate pear' Cabinets

- Tatami Matte Countertop

and again, I forgot the name of the vinyl in the bathroom..lol.

Well that's everything so far. I can't believe I made it out of the design centre in one piece! I actually came in UNDER budget by a couple thousand dollars! Of course, I think I over prepared for the worst case scenario, just in case I had to upgrade everything, but the fact that I didn't upgrade so much actually made me really happy!

Anyways, I'll be looking for furniture and such next so I'll keep everyone posted when I find something I actually like. =)