Lakehouse Home Renovation

 "Who knew garage floor epoxy could look so good."

My love for epoxy floors begin back at my old home when I had my epoxy guy do my garage floors. Getting my floors done here at the Lake House was a must because I have loved my epoxy floors ever since I had them installed.

Luckily, I was blessed to have the awesome Mr. Epoxy of MTCustomConcrete come out and install my epoxy floors.

The Installation

Prep Floor

The first step was removing the existing surface off of the floor. Anything underneath the epoxy would cause the epoxy to fail if it ever failed, so I wanted to start from a clean slate.

Grinding the surface took most of the time of the whole install, they spent most of the day doing this.

Power Wash the Floor

Once the floor was all grinder off, Mr. Epoxy took his pressure washer and cleaned off the surface really good. This was a pretty quick step, but he did have to let it all dry before proceeding to the next step.

Pour Floor Epoxy

Once the floor was dry, he started pouring the epoxy. He probably spent around 45 minutes pouring and laying out the epoxy. Once it was laid, he let the epoxy dry overnight.

Seal the Floor

 After the epoxy dried overnight, they came back the next day to seal the floor. This was a pretty quick 30-minute process and I was able to walk on my floors by the end of the next day.

Overall, I am super happy with my epoxy floors and I would highly recommend them to anyone working in their shop/garage.

 "There's nothing like the sweet smell of fresh carpet."

The first time I walked into the Lake House, I immediately knew the first thing I wanted to change was the carpet and it couldn't come fast enough. 

So today I'm sharing all of the details on my process of getting carpet. Let's get into it.

The Before 

The existing carpet was pretty beat up; a 20+ years old carpet that definitely looked and smelled like it. For now, I just decided to replace the carpet downstairs, and worry about the upstairs later. 

The two rooms I replaced were the master bedroom and the guest bedroom. I wasn't able to actually sleep in my bedroom until the carpet was installed so I was so ready for this carpet install.

Step 1: Choosing the Right Carpet for Me

Now choosing carpet may seem like a daunting task because there are so many colors and types to chose from. Me personally, I wanted the softest carpet I could find, so I set out to find the softest carpet and the thickest pad, because it's all about the pad!

To help me choose, I actually went into my local Home Depot and felt all of the carpets that they had and eventually landed on Lifeproof with Pet Proof Technology Gazelle II in the color Shale and the Prime Comfort 1/2" carpet pad.

Again, my goal was to find the softest carpet and this was the softest I felt. I decided on a darker color because I felt like it would give more of a luxurious feel.

Step 2: Get the Room Measured

Once the room was measured by Home Depot's Measuring Serviceman, they sent me a quote for what the install would be. Luckily, they had a sale going so I was able to get 10% off and get it a little cheaper (good thing I asked)!

Once I let them know I wanted to proceed, they ordered the carpet and let me know it would be anywhere from three to four weeks out. Although, I was slightly sad to have to wait so long, I was able to use the time to get my room prepped before the carpet came.

Step 3: Carpet Install

After about three weeks, I got a call to schedule the carpet install for the next week and I was all scheduled and ready to go.

Once the guys got here for the install, it went fairly quick. They were able to install everything in less than two hours.

The good thing about using Home Depot is having the installation free with the purchase and free haul away. So they took my old carpet with them; Thank God!

They first removed my old carpet and pad and then installed the new carpet and I can't be happier with my carpet choice.

This small milestone was a huge game changer. If you've ever lived in a live in renovation, you know exactly what I mean.

Thanks for reading guys, XOXO Ashley.

"I tried Yardzen, an online landscape design platform."

As most of you know, I recently just moved into an amazing Lake House, and one of the most exciting projects to think about has been the exterior of the house. However, I quickly learned that exterior design is not my thing, and don't get me on landscaping. Let's just say, it's a good thing I called in the professionals on this one.

I first learned about Yardzen about a year ago, when I saw another blogger working with them and have been waiting for the opportunity to work with them, now I've gotten my chance and I'm sharing all of the details.

Yardzen Design Packages

Yardzen has a range of design packages including but not limited too; landscape design, plant design and exterior design. My main focus was the exterior design, so I decided to go with the Curb Appeal Package for the front yard!

Starting the Design

To start off with the design, Yardzen requested that I go through a nine step project planning phase. During this phase, I was able to upload photos and information for my home as well as share my wants/needs, must - haves and more.

I really appreciate that Yardzen was thorough during this step because knowing your personal visions and wants really plays a big factor into creating a design you love. So I went in confident that Yardzen would deliver an awesome product.

One thing I really loved was the wish list. Sometimes when designing, it's hard to think of everything, so it was nice to see selections listed to choose from, so you don't feel like there is something you're missing.

Once I was able to enter in all of my information, we were headed to the next step in the process.

House Model and Conceptual Design

Next up, was the House Model, where I was able to review a simple 3D model of my property.

Once I reviewed my house model, the Conceptual Design process started, which is the first round of designs where you're able to see your designer’s initial vision and provide feedback.

Reviewing the Concept and Final Design

Now on to the fun part; the design. This was a two step process where they first shared the designers conceptual design and then once feedback was given, they sent over the final design.

Once they sent the first design, I was really happy right off the back with what my designer came up with, but I had a few small teaks I wanted to make.

I must say, I was really impressed with Yardzen's system to give feedback. I was able to click directly on the items that I loved and wanted to change and write feedback on what I wanted to change. This option was available for all pictures and I really liked that I was able to pinpoint what it was I wanted differently. Yardzen gets an A+ for that.

I wanted a lighter version for my final design, but now that I've seen both designs,  Yardzen has made it so hard to choose, because they both look so wonderful. Ultimately, I think Ive decided to do a little mix of both!

I'll be sharing both the Conceptual and Final Design together, so you guys get to take up the awesomeness that is Yardzen Design.

The Design

FRONT VIEW

POOL VIEW

FULL VIEW

ADDITIONAL VIEWS

My Thoughts Overall

Overall, I really enjoyed working with Yardzen. Their process was very impressive and well streamlined, which was super impressive as a former engineer. But the design overall was really well done in my opinion.

For me personally, I think the design I eventually go with will be a mix of the two ending designs, so I didn't necessarily get the final design in one rendering, but I now feel like I can move forward in the process with a much better vision for what I'm doing.

Seeing is believing and Yardzen really made it easy for me to decide on a design that I think will bring the lake house to the next level.

How to Get the Best Bang for your Buck

Ive had a few people voice their concerns and hesitation about trying Yardzen because they were scared they wouldn't get a design they'd like. If that's you, here are a few tips to ensure you get a product you love!

Be Realistic about Your Costs

With Yardzen , anything is possible. There are so many additions you can have and changes you can make. But make sure you are staying true to your budget. If you give a big budget, Yardzen will design your home with the budget given. You don't want to give a unrealistic figure and then can't do anything with it. Make sure you take the time to figure out what's comfortable for you and have Yardzen design to your exact needs.

Be Specific as Possible

This is the time where too much information is a good thing. With design, there are so many elements that can be created, so knowing specifics will really help your designer hone in on a design you will love. If there are specific things you don't like, please share, things you love, share, colors, plants, you like and don't like, share. Are you getting the list here? Over explaining can only help you in this process.

As explained above, my final design will probably be a mix of two of the final designs, had I been a little more specific, I probably could have gotten them to get everything I wanted on one rendering, but I'm still really satisfied with my end product!