Name: Sher and Ritch
Location: New Brunswick, Canada (our first submission from a reader!)
Favorite: The finished bathroom and watching "little things get completed" during the seemingly endless, and occasionally disastrous, renovation process
>>Enter House Tour Gallery!
"I'll take renovation therapy over retail therapy any day," says Sher after what was clearly not an easy 2 months worth of full-home renovation.
Ritch and Sher had been renting in Toronto for the last few years when Ritch was transferred to New Brunswick and they decided to embark on a house search. The result was a slightly neglected, 1950's post-war home with bright southern exposure and wood vents in the upstairs floors...
>>Enter House Tour Gallery!
The goal in renovating was to retain the original character as much as possible, incorporate environmentally friendly materials and end up with a re-sellable house. Luckily, their small budget forced them to update rather than overhaul the kitchen--my favorite part of the house.
Contractors upgraded the electrical system, replaced the roof and renovated the bathroom, while Ritch and Sher with volunteer family labor refinished the existing floors, laid new flooring in the sunroom/guest room, painted everywhere, tiled, replaced trim, etc. Sher chose neutral tiles and countertop, favoring color on the easily altered walls. After years of renting, white walls were out of the question. The main rooms are all equally saturated in color in response to, and to enhance, their physical interconnectedness.
Surprises included hardwood under the two layers of tile in the kitchen and hallway and 4 layers of paint under the carpeting that had been covering the stairs.
Sher is trying, against her nature, to let the house evolve slowly. They are still waiting on some custom-made pieces for the kitchen and dining room, and will eventually add a rug, pillows and curtain panels in the living room. Sher and Ritch prefer a clean-lined and uncluttered look, warmed by some vintage charm thrown in.
>>Enter House Tour Gallery!
Originally Posted December 7th, 2005
_small.jpg)
_small.jpg)
_small.jpg)
I am totally enthralled by your new kitchen! Are those the same cabinets, massively improved? I have a "thing" for the proportions of older cabinetry.
great job!
My first reaction was 'wow, people are really learning from this site!' But you probably already had a good sense of color!
And I can't begin to tell you how much I love the Kitchen Before shot with the wallpaper . . .
I LOVE your kitchen. It is beautiful.
I'm home sick from work and I'm still logging in to AT. Sad?
Great color choices!
I too am renovating in New Brunswick. I HOPE my kitchen turns out as gorgeous as yours did!
Thought I was the only AT follower way out here.
Kitchen is really nice. Cat is adorable.
kitty!
great colors!
god i am in LOVE with the cabinets in the guest room before picture
did you keep them???
are they real wood??
the colors in the woodgrain make me feel so warm and fuzzy
they're just goregous!
i too love the proportions of older cabinets wende, i am SO there with you on that one!
i'm loving the earth tones mixed with the pastels in the kitchen.
Can you tell me the type of paint and precise color in the livingroom? I'm looking for exactly that.
Interesting information.
1950's eh?
I'm on the other side of the country from New Brunswick: yet we could almost have the same house. Stair detail is the same, the arch, the hardwood floors, the eaves. Uncanny. Though my kitchen cupboards are no where near as numerous or as funky as yours. Well done!
I have to admit, I thought the afters were kinda predictable and uninteresting (although I love the kitchen reno!), until I clicked on the before pics of each room ... what a frightfest that place used to be!
At the very least, bravo on seeing a gem under all those hideous colors and crazy patterns and putting obviously a ton of elbow grease into making it a nice home!
Although, the bathroom is greatly missing something ... even if you didn't want to introduce some color by way of the walls, if you wanted to leave it white, perhaps you should have tiled them for texture as well instead of leaving them flat white paint ...
go canada
nice subway tiling
nice flooring
nice white on the bathwalls don't worry about it
Where are those chairs from (sunroom)? I would love to hang out in there.
Lovely!
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for your comments! We have since moved back to Toronto so seeing our house posted again brings back lots of great memories.
Sassy,
The chairs were made by a family friend and were given to us as a wedding present. They are so comfortable.
Love the kitchen, love the bathroom - wonderful lights in both. Love that cat!
view catspajamas's profile