Beacon Solutions

Here are some photos of the changes to the living room and front hallway. Some paint, new window treatments, and new hardware and storage options.

Some more before and after photos - this time it’s a project I actually did myself! Refreshing the upstairs kitchen. I didn’t have the budget to replace the cabinets, so I removed the old peel and stick tile and replaced it with ceramic tile (with great difficulty - that’s a story for another day but the short story is that the old house has plaster, not dry wall and plaster is very hard to work with!). I also refinished the brown wood trim and painted it blue and added gold cabinet k***s. Very happy with how it turned out for just a few hundred dollars.

Here are some before and after photos of the stairway to the basement. Goodbye old carpet, replaced by vinyl plank for the stairs and new carpet for the common areas in the basement. Flooring installed by End of the Roll.

The last two months have been so busy that I haven’t even had a chance to post about some of the exciting things I’ve been doing! So you may see a backlog of photos coming up. I had such a great time buying and renovating the rental house last year that I decided to refinance and purchase (mostly with the bank’s money!) another rental property this year. This one was a small 1930 house in Crescent Heights with lots of charm, an upper 2 bedroom suite and one bedroom suite downstairs. I call it the Gatsby House!

Now of course, a 90 year old house came with her share of problems. But we got through it with the help of great contractors, and there are happy tenants in both suites who love the place. For now, this is what the exterior looks like.

There is a garden front and back. I have to comment on the two tone brown colour! I was planning to paint it with a grey, white, and blue theme. But the upstairs tenants actually love the brown and love everything that is old and full of character about the house. So I decided to delay painting the exterior and save myself some money!

I had an amazing day on an organizing job out in Springbank. The clients were lovely, the sun was shining, and the team made good progress on the storage and laundry room. Here are some before and after photos of the laundry/ cleaning supplies. And of course I forgot to take photos of the rest!

As I don’t have enough projects on the go, I’ve decided to try reupholstering! I started with my dining chairs. I’m really happy with the outcome so far. I wish I could say it was difficult… but it was really easy. I unscrewed the seat, removed the dust cover, cut the new fabric, stapled the fabric and dust cover, and voila! I should also say I watched this YouTube tutorial which really helped. https://youtu.be/MmQpQmhXbMo

Spent a fun afternoon at the reno show getting ideas for future projects. There weren’t a lot of people so I also entered every draw I could, as I figure my chances of winning are pretty good. Just waiting for the call about the 10 day trip to Hawaii!

I’m having withdrawal symptoms - I miss the house and the renovations. My regular life seems boring now! But the tenants are happy and making it their own, so I have to let go. I made them each a welcome basket with hand towels, tea towels, tea and hot chocolate, After 8 chocolate, a Christmas ornament, and some other things they’ll need as they settle in. And of course I labelled all the keys with coloured tags!

Another little improvement project - the bay window seat had been used for plants and was damaged by water. I refinished the wood and replaced the rusty hinge with a black piano hinge … but couldn’t find black screws the right size to match. So I spray painted the heads. If you’re thinking - Laura, it would be great if you’d taken ‘after’ pictures - you would be correct. But I forgot … and now tenants are in there!

I’m particularly proud of this project - I took apart a large wooden box that had been used to store firewood and the contractor repurposed the slats to build a small wall to divide the bathroom from the kitchen. I love how it turned out.

It’s the end of the month so the renovation is *theoretically* over and tenants are moving in. Unfortunately there’s still a bit of work to do as the upstairs kitchen tiles are delayed - so I can’t do a full ‘before and after’ comparison. But the kitchen is functional and I’m so happy with how it turned out … even with missing backsplash and cabinet doors. Check out the after and before pictures.

I can’t do a proper kitchen reveal as the tiles for the backsplash are still on a truck from Vancouver after the highways were washed out in the terrible storms and mud slides. But it’s starting to look good! Here’s a sneak peak of the pantry door - I kept the glass inset as it’s in keeping with the house’s character but painted it a blue-grey which looks great with the white-grey kitchen. Also switched out the dated almond wall colour for white with a tinge of grey. Renovations are almost done!

From the first day I saw the house, I had a dream of painting the red brick fireplace white. In my mind I thought it would take just a few hours. Well this whole job took closer to 18 hours (including shopping and prep). But totally worth it 🙂.

A busy day at the house with just a week to go! All the contractors are here - painter, electrician, carpenter, and the drywall guy just left. The concrete in the basement is being cut up to open the floor drain that had been filled in by previous renovations (which was not according to code!)

While the weather has been so ‘warm’ (relative only to the usual November weather!) I’ve been doing as much outdoor work as I can. New gate hardware and house numbers for the basement suite.

What do you do on a Saturday night during renovations? Turn on the fireplace, paint some shelves, drink some wine, and listen to ‘The Shrink Next Door’ podcast!

New hardware for the upstairs bathroom - a curved shower curtain and a new TP holder. One of my favourite rooms to do small improvements.

The sunroom has new light filtering drapes - the old blinds were broken, falling down or missing valances. You can even see a sheet covering one of the windows.

Most of the big renovation jobs are either complete (new window, new roof) or waiting for countertops to be cut and polished (the kitchen) so I’ve been working on some of the smaller improvements - replacing the old brass house numbers and the rusty mailbox. I have learned that I do not like working with stucco! It’s hard to drill the holes exactly where you want them with the rough texture.

A new roof - not the prettiest or sexiest part of the renovation but certainly one of the most expensive - and important! Glad it’s getting done properly. I can’t see much of what’s going on up there but I sure hear the noise. And I got a picture of the garage roof shingles being removed.

Today was extra fun - I chose the tile for the kitchen backsplash. I really liked the options at Julian Tile (supporting a Langley, BC company!). But in the end I fell in love with this hexagon pattern at Ames Tile. Even better, it was well within my budget! The cabinets are white and the counters are white quartz with subtle grey veining.

Today the new shingles were delivered up to the roof, ready for Bricor Roofers to install next week. I have gone with class 4 hail and impact resistant shingles so hopefully they last many years!

Let there be light! Within one day, I got a 48” x 30“ window cut and installed, making the basement suite so much brighter. I highly recommend True North Cutting http://www.truenorthcutting.com/. It was done on time and for exactly the price quoted. Even the city inspector was impressed.

Kitchen renovation - Day 1. I was sad to get rid of the classic 1960s style but time for a new century! I hope someone can use these handles. In case the photos are misleading- I am working with a contractor on this job! All I did was salvage the k***s. Laura WB

It’s a beautiful day for a renovation. I woke up at 5:50 am and couldn’t get back to sleep because I was so excited. That meant I got to watch the sunrise at the new house. Today the kitchen is coming out. Check back for photos if you’re interested in following the renovation! Laura WB

Beacon Solutions updated their business hours.

Check out my blog post on Grey Areas and Crosswalk Signals! https://beaconsolutions.ca/blog/f/grey-areas-crosswalk-signals.

Are there any methods that you have found helpful for making better, faster, and more effective decisions?

Grey Areas: Crosswalk Signals Part 1

I'm excited to attend and "circle up" at the Lean In Calgary event next Tuesday, do some networking, and learn from other strong women.

DYK that 86% of women in Circles say their group has made a positive impact on their life?

Join us at 5 p.m. on November 19 in Calgary to experience the strength, camaraderie, and community that comes with joining a circle.

Whether you are building your confidence or working toward a promotion, re-entering the workforce or starting a business, your circle will help you get there.

See for yourself how a circle can make all the difference.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/lean-in-calgary-circle-up-tickets-80070847059

Thank you to Communicatto Inc. for the valuable Digital Strategy Seminar yesterday and congratulations on the launch of !