Here are the final design boards for the duplex renovation we have underway! Now that we are in the process of adding all the finishes: tile, floor, fixtures and cabinets; I thought I'd share the inspiration images behind them to give you an idea on where we're headed.
Throughout the home, all the doors and trim will be painted a subtle, warm gray. The walls in every room will be a delicate white. This light color palate will be contrasted by black light fixtures and hardware.
The floors throughout the home will be a weathered, wide-plank faux wood. We're using luxury, waterproof vinyl instead of real hardwood because it looks great, it's durable and it's cheaper or comparable to hardwood in terms of cost.
We're also doing a few custom trim projects to add character to the home. If you follow me on Instagram, you saw the board and batten going up! This DIY project only cost an estimated $50. I've done this project before. You can read about the materials I use here.
I've already built the chevron barn door you see on the design board. It just needs paint. This will go into one of the bedrooms. You can click here for a full "how to" on that DIY project.
In the kitchens, we had to be flexible with our cabinetry color choice thanks to COVID-19. The cabinet manufacturers are closed down, so certain colors are very limited. I originally wanted to do two-tone kitchens in both units. But because some white cabinets are sold out with no restock date in sight, I had to compromise and make one kitchen all gray.
We will be installing shaker-style cabinetry, black hex hardware and a white shiplap backsplash. A black sconce will go above the sink and our sink faucet will also be black.
Many countertop manufacturers are also closed right now, so anticipating that order being a challenge, I am looking into doing butcher block counters. We could even DIY the countertops, if we're left with no other option. As you may know, counters are close to the last step in the project so I don't want this finish to hold us up from completion!
Finally, I'll also be installing some open wood shelving around the sink area.
I think the bathrooms may end up being my favorite rooms in the house! I decided to go with a deep navy blue vanity and built my bathroom around that. I found an elongated, navy blue subway tile to match, which we will run in a herringbone pattern on the back wall of the shower. I don't want to overuse this blue tile, so we're keeping it within a "picture frame" and we will use a white, marble-looking tile throughout the rest of the shower, similar to what is shown in the final picture of my design board.
On the floors is a tile I've used before: a large white hexagon tile with marble-like striations. The top of my blue vanity is true Carrera marble.
For all the plumbing and electrical fixtures, I'm going black. But you can see the light fixture also employs gold. The light is by George Kovacs. I've used his fixtures before. I love this brand of lighting!
Finally, we'll add a gold round mirror and some modern gold hardware to the vanities. It comes with gold knobs, but this simple $10 upgrade will really put them over the top!