Saturday morning we met at the new condo with Ble (pronounced “bun”) and his contractor, Guang.  The objective: review the next steps that need to be taken to get our renovation underway.

Below is the floorplan of the condo as it currently is, with circles representing some of the key areas we need to address.  One thing that will have to be done throughout is an updating of the floors.  While at recent point I had thought they were hardwood, closer inspection by the contractor confirmed that they are veneer.  So we will either replace it with hardwood or with a higher quality of laminate.

A: Refashion the wall between the living area and the second bedroom.  The goal is to create more of an open feeling between the two rooms while preserving the ability to have a private space in the second bedroom when we have guests or, more commonly, when the bedroom is being used as a home office.

Below are two pictures, the left showing the wall as it currently exists and the sketch on the right (my work) showing the proposed changes.  The changes would include demolishing the wall and replacing it with a wall that has a pair of sliding pocket doors as well as built-in cabinetry on either side.  This look would be similar to the Victorian houses we found in San Francisco.

B: The second major area of renovation is the kitchen, pictured below.  The existing cabinets are poorly laid out.  The narrow door on the right hand side of the cabinet along the window is a narrow opening that then opens up to the entire back right corner of the cabinet – a large space that is nearly impossible to get to.  Anything you put back there will end up “out of sight and out of mind”.

Additionally, as the clothes washer and dryer were originally in the kitchen, there are now two large gaps in the cabinetry that need to be filled (left and right side of picture).  We’ve talked about some interim steps to fill in the gaps but they would be awkward and would not address the other issues of the cabinetry.

This will be an expensive step and we might have to delay it until some time in the future when we have more funds.  This is especially true because I want to buy a 4-burner induction stovetop and a full-size oven, both pricey items here but necessary for having a kitchen in which I can do the type of cooking I like to do.  One thing that is going to go even if we don’t remodel: the ugly track lighting!

C: The bathroom will be another major area of remodel.  One of the biggest challenges is the space we want to put a stacked washer and dryer.  Behind the two doors in the bathroom is a space that has a water source, an electric supply, and a drain in the floor: perfect place for a washer and dryer, right? 

Well, there’s a minor problem: the space behind the door is exactly 60 cm deep (pictured right), the same depth of a washer or dryer.  There’s no room for the door to open fully without the handle hitting the washer.  Nor is there room for a cabinet to be built to hide the washer and dryer. 

So at this point it looks like both doors will be relocated: the door with the glass (which will be replaced – who needs light spilling form the bathroom into the bedroom?) will move to the right about 10 cm and possibly narrowed. 

The door on the left will move left about 25 cm, which will allow for a narrow vertical storage area to the side of the washer and dryer: perfect for brooms, mops and the ironing board.

The vanity and toilet area will be replaced (left).  A smaller mirror will be placed over the sink, and some nice narrow cabinetry will be installed over the toilet to provide storage for personal items and toiletries.  Lighting will be improved, too.

Finally, we’re going to take out the bathtub (below).  It is so tall that I have to stretch to step into it and our contractor, who is a short man, had to vault over it to take some measurements.  The tub will be replaced with a walk-in shower with a glass wall and mosaic-size tiles probably in an aqua green.  The ventilation fan will be moved so it is in the ceiling rather than on the wall.

So as you can see, we have quite a bit of work ahead of us.  This week the contractor is supposed to provide an itemized price list for all the major work.  After we choose which items to do and consider less-expensive alternatives, we have to submit a master plan to the condominium management so their engineer can review and approve any changes.

Estimated time frame at this point: hopefully move in sometime in late September.  Hopefully.