Finally Spilling It ALL: What the Heck are We Doing With Our Home

Photo & Design: Gillian Stevens

Okay so if it isn’t totally obvious, we can’t make a decision regarding what the heck we’re planning to do in our home (most specifically: our renovation plans). The reality is that we know that this isn’t our forever home and there are so many factors that are weighing on us and keeping us in limbo…

Our current kitchen truly needs some attention; the laminate countertops are beginning to peel, the doors are falling off their hinges, and our temporary kitchen update is starting to show it’s age. We only have one bathroom, and we’ve always dreamed of adding a powder room to our main floor. In addition, our third bedroom currently acts as my office and if and when we decide to add another little one to the mix, I’d need to carve out a new space for my business. I don’t need much as I often end up working in our dining room or from our couch anyway, but a dedicated space is still essential for my needs.

I have the ability, the contacts, and the skillset to help this home reach its maximum potential. It seems like a no brainer on paper. But since we don’t plan on staying here for much longer, and we’re hoping that our next home will be our forever home (aka a big project that we will truly make our own), and it all gives us pause.

READ NEXT: Our Exterior Renovation Plans or
A New Renovation Update (We’ve Pivoted)

When it comes down to it, the thought of doing two big renovations in the next few years feels like a lot, especially with a little one in tow. We often decide we’re going to go full steam ahead with our renovation plans, and then we back out because it’s just not where we want to spend our limited energy right now. I’m fully aware of the sliver of time and space I’ll get with my daughter while she’s still so little, and the thought of missing any of it while I’m knee deep in drywall dust doesn’t sit well. Most days I’d rather eat off of our peeling counters, covered in play d’oh and banana bread I baked with my girl that morning!

But then we factor in the insanity that is the current Toronto real estate market, where homes regularly go for 500 thousand over asking. We look at our current kitchen which needs some love no matter what. And we wonder if we should just spend the time and resources making this place our own. We’d then stick around for just a little while longer in hopes that the market will cool its jets. 

All that said, while we still haven’t quite made up our mind on our next move, but I’ve had the space designed in my brain for years, and on paper for months and months now and I thought it’d be fun to at least share our intentions.

SHOP THE LOOK:

Here is the current layout of our home: 

And here is the dream renovation plan: 

Essentially, I want to fully take advantage of our currently barely-used front porch. There’s a ton of valuable real estate that’s being under-utilized at the moment. It includes two vestibules, which is redundant. And flipping the location of our front door opens up so many avenues.

Not only does this change allow me to tuck my office into the front porch, freeing up our third bedroom. But it also allows a more welcoming foyer – with a coat closet! (a premium here in Toronto where coat closets are often non existent).

In this renovation plan, the current second vestibule can be turned into a main floor powder room, meeting that ultimate need and eliminating it’s redundancy. In addition, removing the wall between our staircase and our living room opens up the space a ton, all while ensuring that each room still remains distinct as I’m not personally a fan of open floor plans, especially not in our 1900’s Victorian home. 

Lastly, we’d widen the doorway into the kitchen, add a massive window on the back wall to encourage some additional natural light (our home gets so dark in the winter). We’d then relocate the back door to allow us to run some cabinetry around the perimeter of the space. A big beautiful island gets tossed in the middle and voila! There is so much potential here, and it all involves a significant amount of work, but the whole thing really excites me. 

I tend to blog things long after they’re complete, but I thought I’d try something different with this project and take you on the ride alongside me as we figure this whole thing out. Who knows what our next update will be, only time and indecision will tell, but I promise to come back and fill you in when it happens. 

SHOP THE LOOK:

RELATED POSTS

START HERE: OUR INTERIOR RENOVATION PLANS

OUR EXTERIOR RENOVATION PLANS

A RENOVATION UPDATE (THE PIVOT)

OUR KITCHEN INSPIRATION

OUR KITCHEN DESIGNS

A CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

OUR KITCHEN ELEVATIONS