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- This topic has 13 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 6 months ago by
FlyerInHi.
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October 19, 2016 at 12:20 AM #22160October 19, 2016 at 3:52 AM #802475
moneymaker
Participantstainless and glass, anything else near the beach will probably be toast in no time,spend the big bucks if you want it to last.
October 19, 2016 at 9:38 AM #802477FlyerInHi
GuestWow, ocean view! Sounds old but wonderful.
I assume for rent
I would go for vinyl planks ($1.99 at Home Depot) over the laminate floor. You will need a sound barrier. Laminate sucks, gets damages with water, and is very noisy.
If you’re on the ground floor go with tile.I would do semi gloss pure white paint (flat is nicer but harder to clean). Same color trims (are you kidding with blue trims?) Get rid of popcorn ceiling.
Modern Ikea kitchen and bath. Sleek modern is what people want now.
Hang an Ikea Besta TV cabinet with glass top on the wall and pre-wire for TV inside the drywall. That gives the condo a nice modern appeal for potential tenants.
October 20, 2016 at 12:05 PM #802494gzz
ParticipantFlyer I appreciated your other design posts. “W Hotel” would not work in the rustic craftsman houses I own now, not at least without really complete remodels, but this condo is a 1960’s building where it would look great.
I enjoyed my stays at the W in SF and LA, as well as the lobby design in the San Diego location (never saw a room there). Also the Standard in LA. I especially like how high-end hotel bathrooms are often completely covered in marble.
It is on the top floor. I never heard of vinyl planks, looked them up, pretty interesting. Did you use the glueless interlocking ones or the traditional ones? I used 59c a square foot laminate planks from HD in my basement and it turned out great. No noise issues there.
$2 is not that much higher for something that looks better and lasts longer in a 900sq ft place, but it is starting to get close to the range of the cheapest hardwood. Is it pretty close to real wood on bare feet?
What do you think of floor colors? I have looked at pictures of renovated units in the building, and the ones with dark wood floors do not look good. I kind of like pale grey:
Do you have any suggestions on decorators, bathroom/kitchen contractors, and popcorn removers?
I can handle the painting and flooring myself with the help of family and some cheap general laborers. Seems like the asbestos in popcorn ceiling can be removed safely DIY, but probably not with it.
October 20, 2016 at 3:46 PM #802495FlyerInHi
GuestHumm, i depends if you will live in the condo or rent to out.
Moving furniture in and out can damage your improvements and if do too much, your style may not work with the tenants’ furniture.A luxury hotel suite is supposed to be “rich” which means some wallpaper or paneling.
You could do an accent wall, I don’t like them but most people do, so something to consider
You can install new drywall over popcorn to cover it. Usually it’s done that way. Otherwise you need a permit and a licensed contractor to do asbestos, especially in multi-unit buildings. Or you can hire a handyman to do it for you and don’t tell anyone. But I’d be worried about the health of the workers. I think asbestos cut off date is about 1979 or so.
In bathrooms, i would do tile or imitation marble. Real stone is needs to the sealed and is hard to maintain. In bath area tile all of the way to the ceiling. You can tile everything if you want. Or use aluminum trim around the edges.
Decorator is expensive. You sound hands on so, I don’t think you want to pay one. Plus many of them are not qualified. And they talk your ears off, haha
You should visit the new modern apartments/condo downtown and get ideas.
I’ll post more as things come to mind. Those are things that worked for me. Other people may have better ideas.
October 20, 2016 at 6:13 PM #802498gzz
ParticipantThe thing I most specifically want from the decorator is to choose and install the blinds and curtains, which need to all be replaced and chosen carefully to enhance the ocean views. I don’t want the view obstructed even a little when they are open.
I don’t trust either myself or my male laborers to do this task.
Did you have an opinion on pale grey flooring? I’ve only seen it a few places but liked it when I have.
I hear what you are saying about using real stone. Travertine in my current house’s living and bathroom requires very frequent resealing, and if you let it go too long it gets pitted.
October 20, 2016 at 8:35 PM #802501FlyerInHi
GuestI’m a big fan of fishbowl living. I don’t like window coverings. But I understand the need for privacy. You can just have curtains open up over the edge of the windows.
Pale grey floor sounds nice. The picture you showed looks good. The modern look is fine for a beach condo. I would do glue down vinyl. Looks and feels better than laminate IMO.
One of my friends just did polished concrete flooring. Looks great but expensive. Your have to pour concrete and polish. That creates lots of dust. My dream is to have terrazzo, but too expensive.
My style is minimalist which works well for small space like 900sf. If i were to live in such a place, I’d do lots of built-in so maximize space. Some people say my style is cold, not cozy.
Oh, lighting is very important. Next time you go to the store, or hotel/restaurant, check out spot/focused lighting.
Design is a complex thing. The sky’s the limit, budget wise. I’m a perfectionist but I hate spending money on custom fabrication, so I use commodity stuff that I adapt for my purposes. I would buy a cabinet, remove the legs and hang it on the wall.
For example, in bathroom, I like floating lavatory cabinet with ambient lighting underneath, and mirrors lift up from behind, on the sides. You can buy commercially available LED strips but you have to plan power source ahead of time.
I should have been an architect. Problem is the profession is not lucrative for most architects.
October 20, 2016 at 11:59 PM #802505La Jolla Renter
ParticipantFrom personal ocean view condo experience. If you get direct sunlight on the windows. Exterior sun screens are your best bet. If you can’t do exterior, then interior is okay.
October 21, 2016 at 2:19 PM #802516FlyerInHi
Guest[quote=La Jolla Renter]From personal ocean view condo experience. If you get direct sunlight on the windows. Exterior sun screens are your best bet. If you can’t do exterior, then interior is okay.[/quote]
Yes. Exterior shades are awesome.
In my experience you have to compromise for durability, timeless look, and low maintenance. You want to make it atttractive but easy to clean and maintain long term.
For bathroom I like rectangular undermount sink with flat bottom. Looks the best and easiest to clean. The overmount ones are cool, but hard to clean and the caulk/silicone line will look bad.
Also busy granite is out is style. Quartz is simpler and more timeless.
If you decorate well, in 10 years your place will still look fresh and new.
October 21, 2016 at 7:03 PM #802525flyer
ParticipantHere are some visuals that might inspire you at the link below from Country Living. We’ve used a lot of white and change the accent colors (mint is very popular right now) from time to time to keep things fresh in our beach homes. Using white as your primary canvas will give you lots of options over the years.
October 22, 2016 at 1:01 AM #802534gzz
ParticipantFlyer, I looked at the Country Living slideshow and did not really like it much. There is a certain style of beach house decorating that seems to involve flimsy looking wood furniture painted white and pastels and old nick-knack clutter everywhere like sailboats. I have never liked it much, but I can see how it would look good in a big rural seaside house someplace like the low density North Carolina coast or a summer lakehouse in the midwest.
I like my wood furniture heavy and with clear finishes and uncluttered clean spaces. Especially with a condo in densely populated OB.
My house in OB has taken my caveman style to an extreme with a lot of rough log furniture from this company:
My renter in my large rental house in OB has somewhat darker shabby-chic variant of the “Country Living” beach style going on that looks great.
October 22, 2016 at 6:08 AM #802536flyer
ParticipantThe slides were from beach houses in Nantucket, The Hamptons, Laguna, Newport, Martha’s Vineyard, etc. We ‘ve used some variations of those ideas in our beach homes–along with other ideas that blend and enhance the elements of our lifestyle–which, for us, is the most important factor. We especially like the east coast beach house interior design ideas we’ve seen when visiting friends.
We all have different tastes–so enjoy–whatever you decide to do.
October 22, 2016 at 12:37 PM #802550gzz
ParticipantFlyer, I have never been to any of those NE coastal resorts, but it reminded me of the huge 10 bedroom beach houses my family used to rent for vacations in North Carolina.
October 22, 2016 at 10:17 PM #802555FlyerInHi
GuestI like lighting behind headboard.
I have bought Ikea cover panels to make half walls. In the kitchen department, they sell high gloss panels that work nicely. A little fabrication is needed. You can achieve a nice custom look.http://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/e6113de300b654d5_4-4969/industrial-bedroom.jpg
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