#HDBlogSquad

DIY or DIFM (Do it For Me)? Hardwood Installation with The Home Depot Canada

February 16, 2017 By Lena 44 Comments

If you’re lucky enough to know a general contractor or someone who specializes in flooring installation, I am really, really, jealous.

Seriously. A home reno that involves a flooring install is a BIG deal, and it involves time, money and a general upheaval of your living conditions. And, when you have to trust the work to strangers, it makes it all the more ominous: will I like the results? Can I trust the quality and workmanship? You’re gluing what to where and how?

Yeah, it can get a little ambiguous.

Thankfully, you’ve got me – I’ve recently survived a hardwood install! Today, I’ll tell you what you need to know to make it as painless as possible.Tip #1: Buy Your Own Wood. If you call a contractor, chances are they will offer a selection of hardwood or engineered hardwood for you to peruse, and may even try to lure you with their “contractor’s discount.” Don’t be persuaded, unless they present you with a sample you love at a price you can live with. There are other options, promise.

You see, the selection at The Home Depot Canada is unsurpassed! From the type of flooring to the species and finish, YOU get to decide what is best for your home. And remember this advice: ALL wood species are suitable for everyday use. An associate in the flooring department can help you find a look and finish that you’ll love. …

New Year, New Home: Top Five Factors When Selecting Hardwood Flooring

January 16, 2017 By Lena 43 Comments

From my previous post, Love It or List It? The Case for Decision-Making Renos, you’ll know that after nine long years with our berber carpet on our home’s second floor, it was time for a change.
HD1 However, settling on the perfect hardwood flooring – even when you’re simply matching one floor to the next – is not a quick and simple process. There are many variables that can influence the colour, type and price of the flooring you choose. Today, let’s go over the Top Five Factors When Selecting Hardwood Flooring. …

Love It or List It? The Case for Decision-Making Renos

November 4, 2016 By Lena 30 Comments

Next July, we will have been in our home for 10 years.

Our home was supposed to be a “starter home”. The first real estate purchase as an entry point into the market; a tidy semi-detached house in the suburbs that would be a stepping stone to a more expansive property down the road.

Except, while we were unpacking boxes and re-stocking kitchen cabinets, I was running to the bathroom with bouts of sickness.

Folks, I am a statistic. We conceived a honeymoon baby.

Suddenly, the dark hardwood we had selected for our main floor was doomed to show scratches from children’s toys. The expensive, hand-woven berber carpet on the second floor would no doubt be victim to spills and stains. The money we had spent on builder upgrades – oh, all the upgrades! – should have been spent on strollers and diapers. However, we had no choice but to plough ahead, effectively turning our starter home into our “TBD” home.
It didn’t make sense to move. The boys were growing and the house grew old with them. As predicted, the hardwood floors became scuffed and the carpet bore stains. But, we also put a lot of love into the home, finishing the basement, landscaping the front and updating the back with a stamped concrete patio.

And every so often, we got the itch to move. …

Patio Perfection? It’s Possible with The Home Depot

July 7, 2015 By Lena

I want to have it all.

I want a gorgeous outdoor dining set that’s functional, stylish and ever-ready to entertain guests for a scrumptious barbecue feast on any given weekend.

I want a modern, luxe outdoor sofa set that reflects my personal style and preference for quality finishes, allowing for relaxation and friendly conversations, wine glasses in hand.

And I want to have them both in a suburban backyard with limited space. Crazy, right?

But who says I can’t have it all. I can – and I do – courtesy of a little shuffling on my part and this stunning Settina 9pc Estate Collection from The Home Depot Canada.
I’ve been working on turning my backyard into an oasis for some time now. First, we designed a stamped concrete patio and furnished it with a beautifully intricate outdoor dining set from The Home Depot. Next, I adopted a green thumb, and with the help of a foliage master, created a mini garden to flank either side of the patio. My backyard retreat was finally coming together! It was just missing one thing: a place to stretch out and relax. However, given the limited size of our patio, I was unclear about my options. …

Simple Steps to Mini Garden Success with The Home Depot

May 21, 2015 By Lena

You know how some people have a green thumb? I have a black thumb. The black thumb of foliage death. And for years, I avoided any mention of gardening, flowers, landscaping… you name it. In fact, if it wasn’t for Frank Ferragine and his deviously straightforward advice, I probably would have been garden-less for yet another year.

I was peer pressured by Frankie Flowers, folks. Peer pressured!

He said I could totally do it. He offered simple steps. He recommended the right products to get the job done. And he gushed how it would turn into a family tradition that my boys would cherish.

He was right, of course. And as a member of The Home Depot Canada #HDBlogSquad, I was more than up to the task.

Sad, clay-packed flower beds? Check.
Overgrown grass and weeds? Check.
Patches of death on the lawn? Check.

A mom with an award-winning garden and penchant for landscaping? SECRET WEAPON.

Oh yeah, I enlisted the big guns. I called mommy and asked her to spend a day gardening with us. And why not? If we’re going to turn this into a family tradition, it might as well be a multi-generational tradition.

First things first. I picked Frank’s brain. Yep, I had a chance for a Q&A with the gardening guru himself! And I’ll be frank (pun intended), he is a master at his craft. Easy-to-follow, succinct and relevant advice – with product recommendations – that turned what I once considered an ordeal into a fun day outdoors.

Introducing… our very anti-climatic flower bed. Sans flowers, of course.
Yeah, that’s what we had to start with, times two. When we first designed our patio, I envisioned gorgeous flower beds filled with bright colours on each side… but I never realized that dream. Because I’m lazy. And don’t know what I’m doing. …

I’m Part of a Squad. A Home Depot Blog Squad. Fabulous!

February 19, 2015 By Lena

It’s no secret that I’m a little less DIY (“do it yourself”) and a little more DIFM (“do it for me”). And there’s no shame in that! I am happy to keep contractors gainfully employed, and with every home reno and small room makeover we complete, we get a little more confident… a little more creative… and a lot more willing to take on bigger projects.
B-OdvBqCMAAGpID Of course, taking the time to complete a room facelift or renovation is 50% ability, and 50% inspiration! And as part of the very first Home Depot Blog Squad, I am thrilled to be in the company of some of the most inspiring design and decor bloggers in Canada.

Together, we’ll be tackling small reno projects – with products and advice from Home Depot Canada – and working to encourage YOU to take on some projects of your own. Let’s just say that you can do it, and we can help.

Today, I’d love to share some of the home decor and design projects that have been happening behind the scenes by the #HDBlogSquad.

Tim Lam of Design Maze
Shannon Acheson of AKA Design
Brittany Stager of My Daily Randomness
Jennifer Flores of Rambling Renovators

And… moi! Okay, so I don’t have my small reno project available *just yet*. Between our recent family vacation and a tiny (really, super tiny, like minuscule) plumbing fiasco, we are a bit behind schedule for a laundry room “facelift”.

(Can a laundry room be pretty? I’d like to think so! And trust me, I’m working to make the most of the tiny cell that has been zoned for laundry purposes on our second floor. You can look forward to my reno in the coming weeks!)

In the meantime, check out the DIY’s above, and be sure to follow the #HDBlogSquad hashtag on social to stay on top of our exploits.

Are you currently working on any home renos? Do tell!