easy stairs

Thought you couldn't use that space in the attic? Or build a little loft?

Well, think again...

Eestairs’s 1m2 staircase can take you up a storey using less than one square metre of floor area. Made of steel and available in several colors, the contemporary design commands attention.

This modern interpretation of a spiral staircase is irresistible with its shiny, powder-coated finish and its sleek design.

Their head office is in The Netherlands and they have locations (and ship) all over the world -- but luckily their USA & Canada location is in Brandford, Ont.

Oh...and they make a TON of other really beautiful staircases...check them out! (eestairs.com)

Thanks to the November issue of Style at Home for this one! (www.styleathome.com)

See you again soon!

xx rouge.

Join us at www.facebook.com/rougesuzanne where you’ll find links to weekly blog posts and design ideas, tips, random thoughts and photos.

For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

laundry room / mud room -- take a look!

So…here it is!

After many months of savings, a long and frustrating permit and variance process, 2 ½ months without the ability to do laundry, a gazillion days of rain, 11 inspections and a whole bunch of other things….I’m ready to show you the inside of my new laundry / mud room. Here are a few highlights (some of which I’ll post further blogs about!):

• upcycled – vintage dressing table, vintage tulip chair, old wood door and a Value Village lamp.
• an amazing set of custom-made sliding doors on an industrial track
• new washer/dryer (Samsung, Future Shop)
• customizable shelving unit that gives me lots of storage space (Rubbermaid, Rona)
• a cool black utility sink and a DIY backsplash (Smart tiles, Home Depot)
• black silk curtains hung from the ceiling that beautifully disguise lots of hooks and shoe & purse storage snuggled up behind the door (Bouclair Home / Rona)
• a black and white floor with vintage charm (Kent)
• black walls (Black Iron, Benjamin Moore) and trim (Jet Black, Benjamin Moore)

I am very happy with the end result. It turned out even better than I had been picturing it all this time! I love it when something in your head finally all falls into place.

Believe me when I tell you that I never thought I’d enjoy doing laundry, but today, I do.

And I love coming home, opening the door and seeing this room. I’m not used to it yet…the last bits just got finished yesterday.

Actually, if I’m being truthful, there may be still a couple of little things to finish up but it’s so close to being done, I couldn’t wait another week to show you.

Hope you enjoy...I'm going to take a little rest now!

For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

wonderful contractor revealed!

After 25 blogs about my renovation (there are still more to come…namely the totally decorated laundry/mud room reveal), I’d like to tell you more about my contractor.

Up until now, I’ve only referred to him as “wonderful contractor”. As many of you have asked…and I can only guess…some of you have wondered, who is this wonderful contractor? Does he really exist?Of course he does!

Wonderful contractor is Mike Burns of MRB Contracting (www.mrbcontracting.com)

And I really can’t say enough good things about them. Really, I can't.

Mike, owner/operator, truly is fantastic -- experienced beyond his years (you’d be making a big mistake to judge him based on his age), conscientious, honest and straight-up.

Mike discussed everything with me…as little or as much as I wanted to know. I was updated every step of the way and there was a discussion each time there was a variation from what we agreed on. I always knew and understood all my options and felt very comfortable taking his advice and making decisions.

He’s a perfectionist (so am I!) and his standards of quality are high. He set the same expectation for his crew, and his subs, and his suppliers. And he delivered it from beginning to end.

And he’s got a wonderful sense of design and style, too. We were ALWAYS on the same page (one small exception here with some good, healthy debate). How exciting is that?!?

The crew at MRB Contracting are also top-notch. They showed up on time, worked hard, worked smart, kept a clean work site, were polite, respectful, and even seemed to have a bit of fun while they worked.

It was an absolute pleasure to have them around (in fact, I miss them quite a bit!).

Obviously, I won’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone for any kind of job – big or small. And they will be the very first call I make if I ever do anything to my home again. And who I'll recommend through rouge.

But don’t wait too long if you are looking for a wonderful contractor…if MRB Contracting is not already one of the most sought-after contractors in the city known for excellent quality, experience, approach and outstanding finished product, I have no doubt they will be. And soon.

Tell them "suzanne at rouge" sent you!



For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

reno chronicles #24

Things are really coming together now!

This week the outside lights were installed, the inside light was installed, the flooring was installed, all the trim was made and installed, and the wall and the doorway were opened up.

Special thanks to wonderful contractor for all the "extras" this week. You rock.

Yesterday and today, my free labour (a.k.a: mom and dad) were put to work painting…as of right now, the walls have two coats and the trim has one.

Phew…that’s a lot of work, but also very exciting. Nothing changes the look of a room like a can of paint!

I bought a new washer and dryer on Friday and can’t wait for it to be delivered on Thursday night...it’s been far too long since I did laundry (yikes).

Next week, the deck will be built…horray! And I think we’ll even reach the finish line by the end of the week.
To that end, I’m going to save the great reveal of the finished room until it’s completely done and picture perfect…that will include the repurposing of some furniture, another lamp makeover and lots more.

Tune in next week for a peek at the deck.



For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

reno choronicles #23

Here’s what happened this week….siding (so awesome…who knew siding could look this good?!?), next layer of roof is almost done (interrupted by rain on Saturday), and a little coat of concrete on the floor to smooth things out (that dried over the weekend). Next week, the big push to the end by wonderful contractor will continue. And my own “work crew/ free labor/ mom & dad” arrive at the end of the week for a visit and to help do some of the finishing work. Should be a busy and fun week!



For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

reno chronicles #22

So this week was an exciting one -- another inspection and all the drywall – installation, taping, mudding, sanding and priming – have been completed.

Thanks in part to five days of work by a harmless older fellow who's level of efficiency and productivity was in stark contrast to that of wonderful contractor and his crew. Absolutely no complains about the end result, though! To me, that's a sign of excellent management.

My exterior light fixtures arrived on Tuesday and they did not disappoint. Actually, they are even better than I thought they would be and are going to look really great. Three, two-light (one shines from the top to uplight, and one shines from the bottom to downlight) black metal, flush wall-mount fixtures arrived safe and sound.

My guess is that they are going to look much more expensive than they really were when they are installed. Gotta love that!

I finally ordered my flooring and had it delivered on Thursday. Because I was willing to sacrifice some space in my living room to store it for a couple of weeks, I was able to buy it in-stock and at a clearance price. That saved me somewhere between $200 - $250 for the same product I was going to buy at a specialty flooring store. In my books, any unexpected savings like this is a welcomed bonus!

Aside from that, I must admit I’m getting restless not having an outdoor space. Especially since Saturday was the first day it’s really felt like summer. Now, I’m not admitting to anything, but there may or may not be a couple of footprints matching my feet in the tar on the roof (ouch – it was hot!) of the addition...

It won’t be too much longer…I have a feeling things are going to be moving quickly now.

More next week!




For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

reno chronicles #21

This week at the reno, things slowed down a little bit, but there was still progress…two more inspections on Monday and spray foam insulation on the walls and ceiling on Wednesday.

Nice and toasty in there now...can already imagine how nice that will be in the middle for the winter. Horray for not having the pipes freeze anymore!

Wonderful contractor has definitely not disappeared, but he is now stretched between two jobs. I don’t mind so much, because there are still signs of progress. And because if my house could talk, it would tell me that it’s happy, and patient and enjoying the journey.

Next week will see another inspection and all the drywall – installation, taping, mudding, sanding and priming.

The week after that should be full steam ahead again.

I’ve been looking at flooring until my eyes bleed…and I think I found something that’s going to work. Actually, I found a great option at Floors Plus, then happened to see the same product at one of the big box stores – on clearance and in stock! It’s on hold right now for me…just have to call to actually buy it and arrange to have it delivered later in the week.

Not that I need it right now as I’m going to install the flooring on my own later, but when it’s on sale and in stock, I don’t want to take any chances. The only downside is that I’ll have to store it in my already cluttered living room for a couple of weeks. Ugh.

Also waiting for my fantastic exterior light fixtures to arrive…seems like I ordered them ages ago on-line, but it’s really only been just over a week. I guess I'll wait a few more days...

See you next week!



For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

reno chronicles #20

So…here’s what’s been happening at the reno…

Wonderful contractor put in the awesome windows and the door right away to help avoid another incident like last week. He even put a temporary deadbolt in until I could pick up the hardware I wanted for the door.

That became a priority and I swung over the Armitage Hardware on Stanley Street at lunch time. Not sure they knew what to make of me there…it’s really a commercial shop…don’t think they get too many gals in there. Must have been the sparkly belt and pink shoes that threw them.

Electrical was put in this week as well. That’s where you really need to put some thought into the details…not just washer, dryer and heater needs but details like two-way light switches conveniently located so you never have to walk through a dark room and the location of both interior and exterior light fixtures and basic outlets for other purposes.

Don’t forget an outside outlet is very handy for vacuuming the car and/or whipper- snipping the grass. An outside outlet on the second floor deck is necessary for plugging in lovely little white lights, too.

On Friday, the roof was put on. After a little back and forth with the neighbor, wonderful contractor, and a building inspector/”independent party”, the roof on the addition is now nicely snugged up and sealed to the neighbors roof (remember it’s a semi-detached house).

This is best for both houses as now, no water will run down in between my new addition and the neighbours old one, preventing future water damage to both.

I also approved the great deck design wonderful contractor came up with, so we're all decided on what that's going to look like and ready to go on that front when the time comes.

Finally, my floor was delivered…and was a huge disappointment. It didn’t look half as nice as I expected it to based on the photos and the description on-line. Not happy with it at all. Luckily, I could return it locally -- no hassle, no fuss -- and am continuing on the search for flooring. Waiting on some price quotes from Floors Plus (Bayer’s Lake) for two different options I looked at yesterday.

That’s about it from the reno this week….see you next week!



For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

reno chronicles #19

Ok…now we’re really moving!

A slow start at the beginning of the week due to weather, but a very strong finish! I’ll let the pics tell the story of the incredible and exciting progress.

I ordered the flooring this week (not because it’s critical in the project, but because it was on sale this week). I also gave up the dream of using a vintage light fixture that’s got some family history to it because, of course, it’s not CSA approved, so the electrician won’t put it in.

That’s fair…and I learned that it would take more hassle than it’s worth to try to build a new fixture around the old part. So, I did a little shopping yesterday and found a new one that I really like (and was in my budget!)


That’s the update, but here’s the real story of the week…

Early yesterday evening, I find a homeless man trying to sleep in the half build addition…he’s lying down on the floor, eyes closed…

Me: “Excuse me, what are you doing?”

He: “Um…(opening his eyes and raising up to lean on one elbow)…I was just looking for recyclables.”

Me: (although clearly that’s NOT what he’s doing) “sorry, no recyclables here.”

He: (getting up on his feet now and brushing construction dust off him, looks at me indignantly) “WHAT? You don’t recycle?!?”

(As if that’s the crazy thing going on here!)

Me: (somehow hear myself saying) “Of course I recycle.”

He: “Well, will you put them aside for me?”

Me: (finally recovering only a tiny bit of my sensibilities) “Ah…no. I put them on the street for recycling day.”

He: (as he walks away) “Fine, I’ll come by then.”

Me: (left standing there wondering what just happened).

That invaded my private space, and left me feeling uneasy. I didn't like it. And wished there was a boy here with an hammer or a golf club, or something else that looked menacing to handle this...just in case.

It was also one of those really strange moments where the video and the soundtrack did not match.

And it made for a funny story to tell later that night over wine with friends.

The lesson learned? When you want to totally change the subject at hand, just belt out “What? You don’t recycle?!?” or something else completely unrelated to what’s happening and see how people react.

Can’t wait for next week.








For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

reno chronicles #18

Rain, rain, go away!

Seriously. Go away.

Wonderful contractor is frustrated because this job is going so slowly. I don’t have much to compare it to, but would agree that it’s not happening fast. I don’t mind so much, but I can understand his perspective for sure.

Recording breaking rain must be very, very hard on business. Not to mention that it can't be any fun being outside and soggy all the time. The progress this week included the roughed-in plumbing, another successful inspection, the crushed rock for drainage, and with a break in the weather on Friday, spray foam insulation under the floor.

The electrician was here on one of the rainy days checking things out for his upcoming part in the renovation, too.

And I found awesome vintage hardware for the inside door…just needs a new paint job!

Now, we wait for another non-rain day to finally pour the floor. Doesn’t look like it’s going to be Monday.

Or Tuesday either, according to the current weather forecast.

Sigh…looks like I’m not going to be having that deck party on the May long weekend after all.





For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

reno chronicles #17

Mother Nature was not a friend of the renovation this week.

And come to think of it, not last week either, but I was trying to cut her some slack. It is Mother’s Day, after all.

Regardless, wonderful contractor hustled it as best he could under the big blue tarp and progress was made…concrete forms and more concrete poured for the foundation.

Waiting for the concrete to dry and for a break in the weather to backfill, the plumber was here checking things out to plan his part in the job, and another inspection was passed.

Finally, bright and early on Friday morning, the big blue tarp was pulled down and the excavator boys were back to take care of the backfilling.

Seems a bit anticlimactic, but I now have a solid foundation. And I even got my parking spot back for the weekend, so that is exciting.

In the meantime, I’ve done some more research and am fairly certain that I’ve finally decided on flooring for the room.

And yesterday, I found a great old door at Renovators Resource that will go between the kitchen and the new addition. Just wait until it’s a perfect fit, has some vintage hardware and a couple of coats of paint! This week…a hole in the original foundation to run plumbing, more concrete for the floor and lots of other good stuff…

Now, Mother Nature…you know you are the mother of all mothers. And I love you and appreciate you each and every day. If it's not too much to ask, I would greatly appreciate a little more lovin' from you this week…please?






For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

reno chronicles #16

An exciting week here at the little reno site. The hole was dug, the footings were poured and the first inspection was passed.

All of that in a week that had only one nice day and lots of pouring rain. Luckily, wonderful contractor had the foresight to rig up a giant tarp over the work site.


Fun facts from this week…there were a bunch of old, still intact medicine bottles discovered in excavation, sometimes it takes a whole day for an inspector to show up, a blue trap can filter the light through your windows so you feel like you are inside a pool (or in a blue-light club!), and any kind of activity like this brings out neighbours, random people and the nosey alike to ask questions, check out what’s happening, and to chat.

This week…foundation, back-filling and some framing. Should be exciting!!



See you next week.



For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

reno chronicles #15

Here are the before and after pics of Thursday's demo day. The renovation has officially begun!


Goodbye rotting laundry room…you survived well past your expiration date, and I thank you for that.

I promised to dish on all the good , bad and ugly through this entire process...but I have recently skipped over a couple of minor issues along the way. One was a tussle with my neighbour on the difference between a "deeded right-of way" vs a "deeded parking spot". After a little unfortunate back and forth between lawyers, this issue appears to now be resolved. A good lesson as a property owner to have everything in writing all the time. It will save headaches in the long run. Trust me.

Anyway, moving on...

As you can see, the washer and dryer are waiting for pick-up by someone who said they were coming back to get them on Thursday night. My guess is that wonderful contractor will be getting rid of them on Monday!

It's a bit chilly in my house right now because the downstairs heat is off...and well, the side of the house is half gone. Thank goodness for the pellet stove...I was really toasty last night!

Tomorrow will bring boys and their big machines to play in the dirt (excavating).

LOTS more next week.

For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com