How to Create Your Own Budget-Friendly Home Reno — Without a Contractor

Both creative types and avid travellers, Denise and Russell wanted their home to be airy and art-filled. They liked the existing layout of the house so it was a matter of lightening and brightening finishes, widening doorways and creating integrated storage space. Have a clear vision for your finished home and revisit it often throughout the renovation because it’s easy to get lost in the details.

Related: 30 Basement Renos That Will Blow You Away

The cozy gas fireplace is surrounded by a custom-built mantle made of Laminam porcelain, which is heat resistant. The homeowners were able to use the extra material from large slabs purchased for the kitchen in the design of the fireplace – a cost-saving advantage.

Related: 25 Gorgeous Fireplace Mantel Decorating Ideas That’ll Keep You Cozy

“With a small child, we really felt that a place to tuck away boots, coats and a diaper bag was essential,” says Denise. They gave the front entrance a facelift with grey chevron tile and a broadened doorway large enough to accommodate a stroller.

Related: 25 Eye-Catching Entryways That Make the Ultimate First Impression

It’s possible to achieve a high-end look without having everything custom-made. Keep a spreadsheet handy with room measurements to reference when you’re shopping for shelving or storage. White aluminum shelves fit this nook in the living room perfectly to display a colourful selection of books.

Related: These Living Room Shelving Ideas Will Make Your Organizing Dreams Come True

The open-concept wardrobe in their daughter’s bedroom is actually a PAX system without doors from Ikea. “We had our carpenter finish the edges to hide any gaps so that it appears built-in for a fraction of the cost,” says Denise. The finished look is a polished piece that displays an adorable array of baby clothing and accessories.

Related: 10 Creative Colour Palette Ideas for Every Kids’ Room

Much of the overall impression of a finished home comes from small details that may at first go unnoticed. Decorative vent covers pepper the house with a pretty ribbon detail.

Related: 10 Creative Ideas for Decorating Awkward Corners

Crystal knob sets on matte black plates give a nod to the 1950s era when the house was built and provide a nice contrast to the white doors and walls. The homeowners used custom vents on the marble floors for a clean finish.

Once you’re ready to decorate, start with the spaces that are most used by your family and invest in quality tech gadgets like televisions and smart home systems.

Avoid a completely boring design by making a few surprising selections, especially with relatively inexpensive items like paint and light fixtures. “We didn’t want a typical pink room for our little girl so we decided to paint the ceiling a pale pink,” says Russell.

Related: 10 Whimsical Kids’ Room Accent Walls (And How to Score the Look)

Built-in ceiling speakers and hidden amps pipe festive tunes in the kitchen during dinner parties or holidays. “We decided to include ceiling speakers when we were installing the potlights, since our electrician was onsite and it was a minimal added expense,” says Russell. “We left a small slush fund in the budget for unforeseen costs but it also allowed us to capitalize on opportunities.”

A decorative tile perfectly highlights the modern custom cabinetry from Lev2 and wall-mounted Dyson cyclone v10 in the laundry room. Most tile distributors offer contractor or designer discounts so it’s worth telling the sales associate that you’re acting as a contractor to score a discount, especially if you are buying a large quantity.

Related: 18 Laundry Room Ideas That Are Beyond Stylish (And Super Functional)

“I don’t think there was one room in which we didn’t modify the storage,” recalls Denise. They merged the two adjoining bedroom closets into one larger wall-to-wall unit for the master. That meant losing a closet in the guest bedroom, which they made up for with a small dresser and a spacious queen-sized mattress to keep overnight guests happy.

Related: How to Create a Beautiful Guest Bedroom Space Like Hilary Farr

Renovating a bathroom can provide the biggest return on your renovation investment so choose your finishes and fixtures carefully, as they can be costly to swap out later. A palette of white, black and grey is widely appealing and timeless. The homeowners wisely chose white marble subway tile for the master bath with black fixtures from Delta‘s contemporary Trinsic line for a striking look.

Related: 20 Clever Ways to Save Money in Your Bathroom

Classic American Standard chrome fixtures are used throughout the basement bathroom, which is anchored by black hexagon tile. The couple sourced the trendy round-framed mirror and soap pump from Homesense.

When the couple originally set out on the renovation project, they weren’t planning on completing the basement but were convinced to finish it by some of the trade workers. “They told us that if we didn’t do the basement then, we probably never would,” says Russell. “When we saw the amount of dust and debris it created throughout the whole house, we were so glad we did it at the same time.”

Related: 15 Ways to Maximize Your Extra-Narrow Cooking Space

The result is a finished basement space that provides additional storage, a swoon-worthy pantry and a laundry area complete with a functional silgranit sink and faucet from Blanco. “It’s actually my favourite area in the whole house,” says Denise. “It was totally worth re-jigging the budget and timeline to complete.”

Do your research on the energy savings and rebates available to you and work with licensed companies to ensure eligibility. “We discovered we had a leaky basement once we started to put up drywall so we had to invest in waterproofing the exterior and installing a sump pump,” says Russell. “We were able to get a $2,000 rebate for the work through a city subsidy program.” The couple put the rebate towards a new BBQ, which they enjoy on their waterproofed back patio in the summer months.