In Our Kitchen

November 14, 2018

The all white and gold kitchen belonging to top Winnipeg lifestyle blogger Cee Fardoe of Coco & VeraTop Canadian lifestyle blogger Cee Fardoe of Coco & Vera stands in her kitchen reading from a Laurent Jeanin recipe bookA cooper Mauviel pot in the stove in top Winnipeg lifestyle blogger Cee Fardoe of Coco & Vera's kitchenTop Winnipeg lifestyle blogger Cee Fardoe of Coco & Vera pours tea in her kitchen, using a white Chapters Indigo teapotThe fridge and stove in Cee Fardoe of Coco & Vera's small condo kitchen in WinnipegDetails of the white skin and gold faucet in Cee Fardoe of Coco & Vera's Winnipeg kitchenTop Winnipeg lifestyle blogger Cee Fardoe of Coco & Vera stands in her condo kitchen wearing an Aritzia kimono and pouring Sloane teaCupboards, sink and fixtures by Ikea
Countertops, backsplash and floors by Carrara
Vintage teacups
SS Printshop print
Chapters Indigo frame
Chapters Indigo teapot
Brunette the Label mug
Sloane tea
Mauviel pot
Lumira candle
Patisseries au fil du jour by Laurent Jeannin
Larousse gastronomique
Cinq saisons par Hugo & Victor

When we began looking for our Winnipeg home in June 2017, we chose a very specific geographic area to live in. Based on the area we chose, we knew we would be buying a home in an older building that, even if it were in good condition, would need renovation. The buildings in our neighbourhood are almost exclusively part of a nineteen-sixties development, situated on what was once a large estate. A few beautiful old homes still stand, but mostly, there are highrises all around, which is fine with me.

We aren’t first-time homeowners, so the prospect of a project didn’t concern us. We’ve (reluctantly) done renovations before, with good results. And the vast majority of newly constructed condos in Winnipeg aren’t to our taste, so we were happy to start with a blank canvas. The apartment we bought was well-maintained but extremely dated. After tearing out nine hundred square feet of beige carpet to reveal beautiful parquet floors, we turned our attention to the kitchen.

Of all the rooms in our new home, the kitchen was in the worst shape. The linoleum floor, once a shade of yellow, had faded to beige; there were large chunks out of it in some spots that we had to tape over, and it was peeling at the edges. The original cupboards, a dark wood that our next-door neighbours still have, had been replaced, leaving us with a seventies-inspired cream and maple style that, while bright, were both ugly and impractical because they had no dividers inside – they were really just one long cupboard with a lot of doors. And don’t get me started on the countertops. The one recent improvement to the kitchen came in the form of thick black granite. Not only did it not match anything, but it also sucked all the light out of the room. Suffice it to say, everything had to go.

We knew exactly what we wanted our kitchen to ultimately look like: white and bright. The kitchen space is tiny and immediately visible when you walk in the front door. Nothing but white made sense, especially since there are no windows nearby. We mistakenly thought that because we chose to use Ikea fixtures, and because the room is small, the project would be easy.

Let me be the first to say we were so, so naive.

After two days of rapid progress, everything stalled, and our six-day renovation turned into an eight-week saga wherein everything that could go wrong did. It was beyond frustrating. Contractor errors, railway delays, a broken air conditioner… the laundry list of problems and setbacks was long. I ate takeout for almost two months straight. We wore shoes in the apartment all the time because there was dust and dirt everywhere. But, eventually, everything did get finished. And we absolutely love the end result. (The trauma of the actual renovation will fade in time, I’m sure.)

We still have lots of work to do in our apartment, including a major bathroom renovation. But after the kitchen saga this summer, we’re taking a break to simply enjoy our space as it is. And probably make some more cosmetic changes, too. I can never let a project sit untouched for too long, and the apartment is definitely my biggest project at the moment.

Have you ever done home renovations? If so, I hope they’ve been less fraught than our kitchen makeover!

6 comments so far.

6 responses to “In Our Kitchen”

  1. Lyddiegal says:

    Your kitchen looks so perfect! I love the fixtures and your tile floor is so gorgeous! I’m glad that when you moved in you had the glory of pulling out ratty carpet to reveal hardwood, that has to be such a great moment! Especially in the comfort that you don’t have to spend thousands on new flooring.
    Even though the project didn’t go quite as planned, you can’t deny that the end results were worth it.
    Chic on the Cheap

  2. Yay!! I’ve been SO excited for your kitchen reveal. It turned out so beautifully (but sorry to hear about the length of time it took) and love that you’re sharing more home posts on Coco & Vera – you know home decor is totally my love language! 😉 As for taking on a reno project?! Funnily enough as we slowly plan our next property… we’re discussing whether will go new, or choose a fixer upper. The price will be the same in the end, but I do love the idea of making it 100% ours. Wishing you the loveliest day ahead!! xo

    http://www.veronikanovotny.com (life + style blog)

  3. Courtney says:

    Geez, that’s terrible that it turned into such a drawn out process – renos can be a total nightmare sometimes. But your space does look really, really wonderful and I love the gold touches. I remember our 2016 kitchen reno not being terribly excruciating, in that it only took a bit over a week … but I do remember having to wash dishes upstairs in the bath tub during that time.

    Courtney ~ Sartorial Sidelines

  4. Sarah Winton says:

    Well, the end result is beautiful! Your taste in home decor, as with your taste in fashion, is impeccable.

  5. Bravo Ma Belle on your superb renovation 🛠. The kitchen may be small but we all know that beautiful things come in small packages, like diamond rings 💍. I particularly love the floor tiles and your accessories – brass saucepan, teapot and gold tapware.
    There are 3 gals in Australian (where I’m from) who do magnificent Reno’s, mostly all in white (their company name is: three bird renovations) so take a look as you might find some styling ideas for the bathroom project.
    As you approach winter and we summer, I’m sending you sunbeams of sunshine to fill your new beautiful kitchen 🌞🔆👓🏖.
    Smiles always…Charlotte (www.hattitude1.com)

  6. Lorena says:

    Your kitchen is beautiful, the gold accents make it look so luxurious.
    We actually have to do a kitchen remodel. I am terrified, its a 1940s home and the budget is limited. Let’s see how that turns out.

Cee Fardoe is a thirty-something Canadian blogger who splits her time between Winnipeg and Paris. She is a voracious reader, avid tea-drinker, insatiable wanderer and fashion lover who prefers to dress in black, white and gray.

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