JT & Alyssa’s Remodel

 JT and Alyssa tackled a ton of new projects when they moved in to their new home! They had an idea of what they wanted, and they got several quote to see what some of it would cost to get done – not everything is worth doing yourself. Sometimes projects are worth paying a professional, and the quotes also come with a design suggestion as an added bonus! After they decided to tackle the project themselves, they made a list of all tasks and materials, and Alyssa started doing tons of research. In her opinion, some of the best resources are online; for example, DIY forums, Google searches, manufacturers websites, and YouTube. Alyssa also talked to employees at the home improvement stores. One time she remembers picking up the floor and shower wall tile and ended up also recieving help for grout, the right mortar, and the suggest tools all at the same time. They also decided to buy the shower pan and wall niches from tile-redi because it simplified some time – consuming tasks.

Some of the remodeling projects they completed in their new home: their half-bath, their dining room, and their master bathroom. Their half-bath was repainted in white, and they added wainscoting panelling with a tile strip. They painted the vanity, replaced the faucet, got a new toilet, replaced the medicine cabinet with a decorative mirror, and replaced the existing light fixture with something more stylish. Alyssa is a fan. There wasn’t a ton of “new” tasks or work items for the half-bath, but it was a great starting project because it was limited in scope and they had 2 other bathrooms to use while this one was in-construction. It was a small space so they splurged on some of the finishing touches. The dining room was repainted in navy for a sophisticated contrast to the light gray walls in the rest of the house, and they added similar wainscoting to match the style in the other rooms. The couple also built custom china cabinets (but are still in need of the right doors.) Lastly, the Master bathroom was repainted, with the outdated vanity top replaced with quartz. The toilet was replaced, the fixtures updated, the floor tile redone. JT and Alyssa also replaced the medicine cabinet with a decorative mirror and light fixture, framed the shower with built-in cabinets for towel storage, and tiled the shower with recessed niches for storage and added glass shower doors.

The whole project was a lot of work for the two of them, but it was really rewarding and they love how it turned out. It turned their new home into a little piece of them. Alyssa’s best advice to novice DIYers, is that you cannot do too much research. Any advice is great to start with! They just started on the kitchen..and they might have underestimated how long it would take to paint the cabinets. But I have full confidence in their skills and look forward to seeing what other ways they fix up their little home.