Construction And Interior

Happy news! We are planning several new home projects this year! I’ve held off on updating a few key spaces in our home (other than paint or minor changes) because I knew, if we were going to stay in this house, that someday I was going to do “something more than paint” to make these rooms and spaces our own. I didn’t know exactly what. Or when. I didn’t want to rush it. So I’ve just been patiently (and sometimes not patiently LOL!) dreaming of ideas … and considering the options for years ! The good news is, I finally know “what” I want to do… and I’m ready to share the inspiration and ideas with you! I have a few small projects we’ve almost completed in our lower level that I will be showing you soon (plus our stairs ), too. There is so much more to tell you, so many new ideas to share and backstories to explain, I hardly know where to begin! So let’s just start with one simple update I want to make, and then we can go from there. I shared this idea on my Instagram stories...

From L-shaped or galley to an island kitchen, use these ideas to choose which kitchen layout is best for your home  Kitchens are tight spaces, so, it helps to thoroughly plan every square foot before starting a remodel. Kitchens also are complex spaces where many elements must meet code. Supply and drain pipes compete with wires, ducts, and cabinets. The kitchen is not the place for last-minute, informal planning. Where should you start when considering different designs and ideas for kitchen layouts?  Simply: homeowners should consider using the most common layouts found in kitchens. There are many benefits of starting with a tried-and-true layout in your kitchen: smooth traffic flow, and less wasted space. Additionally, kitchen functionalities—sink, stove, fridge, and dishwasher—will end up in sensible places. Ultimately, this saves money for routing plumbing and electrical work (expensive!) Below you’ll find renovations by Sweeten homeowners with kitchen layout in...

We recently spoke to a couple of homeowners as well as asked our readers on Instagram what some of their renovation regrets were. If you’re currently planning your home renovation, it helps to see what others have gone through to learn what should have been done better. We’ve also included our tips so you can make a more informed decision in your own renovation. These are what they had to say: #1 “Didn’t realise my laminate choice looked so messy.” Our tip : Unless you’re opting for solid colour laminates, don’t just rely on sample sizes. Head down to the laminate supplier if you can and request to see the actual size. Laminates with woodgrains, or any other patterned laminates for that matter, can look very different in sample sizes versus actual sizes. Design: 9 Creation #2 “Marble countertop.” Our tip: Gorgeous as they are, marble is an incredibly high-maintenance material, especially for a hardworking place like the countertop. Marble is a soft, porous natural stone t...

One summer twenty one years ago, just a few weeks after I had given birth to our son, a vacuum cleaner sales guy stopped by. I was so tired that I didn’t have the energy to say I wasn’t interested so I invited him in for a demonstration. WOW! I had no idea a vacuum could clean so well, hahah. Was I just delirious from sleep deprivation? Maybe, but I was sold. I bought our Kirby vacuum that day. I’ll never forget the look on my husband’s face when he saw what I had purchased for $1,000. I tried to justify it to him my reciting all of the bells and whistles, but he wasn’t convinced. Yet, he eventually fell in love with that vacuum and it became the standard by which we still judge every other vacuum. In fact, we STILL have that vacuum! I’d say it was worth every penny! Recently my daughter Kylee came by to show me her fun cleaning tool, a steam mop. It reminded me of the day I saw our Kirby in action, although she wasn’t selling mops! Ha! She just wanted to show it to me because she...