Before purchasing the duplex, Drisco had never embarked on a project this size before. His only handyman experience was from being forced to help his father around the house as a child. But armed with the power of YouTube and Google, with many hours of fatherly advice given via Facetime from Florida, he managed to turn the place from an outdated dump into a space fit for a design magazine.
Split into upper and lower units, the bottom apartment was in decent shape, but the top unit was an absolute disaster. Garbage was everywhere (dirty diapers under the bed!), and even after a bunch was moved out by the previous tenants, there was still over 1000lbs of junk for Drisco to clean out.
Before: the kitchen, living room, and bedroom.
Even after clearing out most of the junk (and selling some on Kijiji), there was still a ton to get rid of. I can only imagine the smell.
Before: master bedroom and bathroom.
The bathroom was outdated and dingy, and the master bedroom was particularly nasty.
Back to a blank canvas.
Once all the garbage was cleared out, it was time to tear out the old carpet and baseboards. The walls were painted a flat white
Ready for new floors!
Drisco knocked down a wall between the kitchen and living room, allowing the illusion of more space. With the flooring purchased, it was time to get started.
Don't worry, the tearing down process is almost always the worst part of any renovation. Next up: the fun parts!
New underlay installed.
To help with the noise between floors, Drisco splurged on a higher-end brand and taped all of the seams and edges to get as tight a seal as possible.
The flooring goes in.
To save money and reduce wasted boards, Drisco chose a staggered, brick-like layout for the flooring, which runs through every room except the kitchen. It's starting to look like a home again!
Onto the kitchen!
The dingy old flooring was replaced with large, dark tiles. To save some money, the original cabinets were retained, but painted a clean white to match the new space. A gap was left in the floor between the kitchen and the living room, where a bar would be installed.
Time for an accent wall!
Things are starting to get exciting! If you worried that the white walls were too plain, Drisco solves the issue with a pair of classy accent walls. They were a lot of trouble to do, but the results were worth it.
Can't put that bathroom off any longer.
Most of the bathroom tile had to be torn out, and afterwards, the walls required a lot of sanding and primer to smooth back out. The tiles were stuck on good. I'm having flashbacks to my own bathroom renovation. (Twitch.)
Bathroom tile goes down (and up).
The new floor tile runs right up into the bath enclosure, giving clean, modern lines to the narrow space. The new tile was installed over the old to save time.
Modernizing the old tub.
Instead of wasting money on a more modern tub, Drisco built out a frame in front of it. Lots of careful measuring and math was required to ensure a proper fit.
Bringing it all together.
Finally, the same tile as the floor and shower is used to cover the new enclosure. You'd think everything was built for a custom tub!
Ta-da!
The final results are stunning. Each bedroom has its own look, while still feeling like they're part of the same space. The accent walls provide visual interest and also warm up the white walls.
A shiny new bathroom.
I love the way the new tub enclosure changes the whole look, and the wooden shelves provide a nice, natural balance to the room.
The kitchen now feels welcoming.
The bar provides a decent amount of seating while also opening up the space. You could now entertain a small group without feeling confined in the kitchen, away from your guests.
A comfortable, bright living space.
The pale floors and white walls really open up the space, making it seem larger than it is.
Good job, Drisco! The final result is stunning and modern, while still remaining comfortable. I could totally see myself living in a little place like that!
h/t: Imgur / Drisco
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