Do as she says — and as she does.
“Do it right once!” advises design diva Jennifer Brouwer, who did just that with her own major reno project.
The charismatic consultant usually pulls it all together for clients, but this time she was doing her own home – and pouring in thousands of dollars of her own money.
For Brouwer, there was more joy than pain in the 16-week-long reno, which involved a massive $175,000 makeover of a 32-year-old home that she purchased last fall.
“I loved the possibilities of this particular home immediately,” she says. “It had great bones, including a private mature lot with a pool … and was priced to sell.” It was Brouwer’s diamond in the rough. “I knew with a little hard work, effort and, of course, cash that it was going to be a priceless jewel.”
Once she purchased the home she had six weeks to plan and “walk my own talk.”
Says Brouwer, “I engaged my own services, so to speak. It’s always harder spending your own hard-earned money ... and hoping my plans stay on track.”
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The good, the bad and the ugly of renovating?
The good: “You get all of the benefits of landscaped mature lots, older locations and, typically, more spacious exteriors, while having the ability to customize what suits you and your family the best,” says Brouwer, of decorbyjennifer.com.
“If you need a bigger kitchen, rip it out and start again.” And she did just that. The back of the house was ripped out, the kitchen and family room flipped and glass doors added all along the back.
“I wanted to be able to prepare lunch and watch the kids enjoy the pool,” she says. “Now I have it all, including a fabulous view and larger new kitchen with fabulous cabinetry and great layout.”
She admits the sun quickly set on the idea of a sunroom addition: “A sunroom was costly – even I was shocked. It wasn’t even remotely financially feasible.”
She found the perfect solution with four sets of glass sliding doors along the back of the house – “26 feet of view was achieved at a fraction of the cost of an addition.”
The bad? She overspent by $30,000.
According to Brouwer, the home was a dated disaster, not touched or improved upon since the day it was built. Heavy smokers had lived there. It was dark and gloomy.
“It was a full gut. I just had hoped the entire house would not require all new insulation and drywall…” But it did!
Cutting corners was out of the question: “You do not invest thousands to squeeze hundreds at the finish line,” she says. “I could have been tighter and pared back elsewhere, but I chose not to. The glam items I invested in were important to me. I love them, and it was not an option for me to remove them.”
The ugly? The bathrooms. They were bleak and not properly maintained. She found mould, rotted floorboards and decaying support beams.
Ka-ching! “Arghhhh, it’s only money. So we picked ourselves up — off the rotted floor — assessed the extra costs incurred and pressed on. It was painful, but still worth every penny.”
The extra $30,000 was spent on insulation and new drywall. Water damage had ruined the insulation; smoke damage couldn’t be repaired.
“So I am over budget but thrilled with the value of what that will bring, to me and my family for years to come.”
Brouwer says she spent wisely and is thrilled with every single item and upgrade. “I think the previous homeowners wouldn’t realize it’s the same home.”
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Bang for the buck
Here are just a few of the improvements Jennifer Brouwer got for her $175,000:
• Entrance from garage moved to original mudroom/laundry
• Laundry room moved to upper level
• Kitchen and family room flipped for best use of space
• Main-floor dining room converted into office
• Single entry doorway opened up for a double entrance with side lights to increase natural light
• Four sets of sliding doors added to the back wall
• Two-sided fireplace, for warm seating area inside and out
