Last spring we started thinking about getting our condo painted. That led to a discussion about how much I hate popcorn ceilings, which led to the floor issues we had -- worn-out and dirty-looking carpet, and Pergo in the kitchen and hall bathroom (not ideal). Jim agreed we should get a price for all of the work, plus 2 new vanities in the bathroom. A local contractor gave us a good price for all of the work. He has done a lot of work in our complex so we figured he knows the buildings well.
Our place was in good condition when we bought it but I felt like these issues - especially the old carpets - might discourage return renters. Those with vacation rental properties know how valuable return renters are!
So, we got a move on. First up, we selected flooring. We had good luck with the peel and stick luxury vinyl tile in our master bathroom so I was inclined to go that route, but our contractor suggested the floating type that locks. I did a ton of research and saw that it had some advantages and was potentially quieter than peel-and-stick if you use an underlayment (not required though). I had been considering a rustic pine floor, but when I saw this option at Lowe's, I knew that was the winner.
For the walls, I went with an off the shelf bright white from Sherwin Williams. We had white before and I always liked it.
Finally, we chose a 3.5" plain stock baseboard. My dad had already installed this in the master bathroom after we did the floor last year. I want a clean cottage feeling in here.
All of the work took place over the course of a month or so. It was a little nerve-racking to use a contractor we had never met in person and pay him for work we could only see in pictures! Fortunately he came with great reviews from other owners in our complex so we took a shot. It worked out beautifully!
Last week I went down by myself and spent 3 days putting things back together and updating a few of the decor pieces. Our contractor had rehung all of our art but we needed a few more things like a mirror in one bathroom, a new shower curtain rod, and a couple of new lamps.
And here's how it looks now:
You can see the baseboards in this photo...
I had ordered 2 rugs from Overstock during a big summer sale (isn't there always a sale on Overstock?!). This for the living room (LOVE!):
And this for the master bedroom:
I love the living room rug, but I'm still getting used to the navy rug in the master. It's darker than I'm used to but I don't think it's a bad thing. It will certainly hold up to renters since it looks distressed and it's dark - no stains will ever show!
Neither rug was an investment piece so if something does happen to them (or I decide I hate them in a year or two), they can either be hosed off or thrown out! You may also notice that we updated all of the ceiling fans last year.
We also had new vanities installed in both bathrooms. Although they are a big improvement over the old ones - higher, drawers, clean (!) - they still feel a little small and cheap. The cultured marble counters are not likely to last for the long haul but they will certainly get us through a few years.
Hall bath:
Master bath:
I will never understand why the original designers put a tub in the master and a step-in shower in the hall bath!! This is not a luxurious tub - I would much prefer a shower in the master bath. Some day maybe.
The color in both bathrooms is blogger bathroom favorite - Sherwin Williams Sea Salt. When you read a lot of blogs like I do, you start to see patterns with paint. There are countless blogger bathrooms painted in Sea Salt and now I can see why! It's a gorgeous, classic color that goes with pretty much everything.
All of the art you see in the pictures came from HomeGoods in Venice, Florida. That place is the gold standard of HomeGoods stores and I have been to a lot!!! For those in the Sarasota area, don't mess around anywhere else. The art pieces there were unbelievable and so perfect for what I was looking for. The mirror in the master bath came from Ross - only $24. Can't beat that. The one in the hall bath came from HomeGoods YEARS ago - it has a big scratch on one side but it was only $12.
I also bought this new piece of art for over the sofa also at HomeGoods.
I stared at this piece for at least 20 minutes in the store. Walked away to the register and then went back to buy it after sending Jim a picture. He came back very quickly that he liked it. When I told him it was $40 he said to get it! He loves old cars, I love the beach, and my kids love to surf so this seems like the perfect piece for our beach condo.
I should also mention that coffee table which everyone should get! I saw it on another blog (Mix and Match Mama maybe?). Then I broke the glass on our old coffee table. I could have replace the glass but the wicker on that table was not in good shape (and I am really trying to de-wicker this place as much as possible). Seriously, for $149 and free shipping, what's not to love!?!
Final update was to change out the bedding in the guest room. I never really liked the striped comforters but they served the purpose for 2 years. I really wanted quilts since they are easier to wash than a comforter and they stay neater. I also like sleeping under a cotton quilt instead of a duvet. I found one of these on clearance at Marshalls and then stalked several Marshalls/TJ Maxx/HomeGoods stores without any luck. Finally found a second on eBay for only a little more than the first. Sold! I love them. the gray-blue pillows are also from the Venice HomeGoods.
We also put this sweet little desk in there last year. It was from Target (no longer there that I can find), and it's the perfect small size for a lap top set-up. The drawer holds some random desk supplies like a stapler, pens and notepads. Most of our renters are there for a month or more so a desk area is a nice plus for them. That cute lamp was from Ross. The cord is braided and blue. So adorable.
The chair is a spare dining chair that can be pulled into the kitchen as necessary for guests. I haven't found a rug for this room yet. I am thinking about getting something pretty neutral because the comforters are borderline obnoxious! I saw a shaggy rug at Ross that I might send down with my parents in a few weeks. Another option is a fake sisal rug. The closet in this room holds a lot of beach chairs and gear so the sand gets everywhere eventually.
If you are interested in renting the condo, we have availability for October 2017 and late June 2018 through October 2018. It's a 2-week minimum rental but the affordable price makes even a 9 or 10 day stay worth that price. A lot more info can be found on our condo web page.
