How ‘Fixer Upper’ Motivated the Latest Renovation on ’50K 3 Ways’

In the episode “House of Desires,” Brooks performs with Chris and Lauren, a pair who have been ready to update their Chicago household considering that their 12-year-aged was in diapers. They have $50,000 to set towards their renovation, but they aren’t confident the place they want to expend the dollars.

Brooks gives them a few good options: a kitchen renovation, a learn suite enhance, or an improved basement and entryway. Obtain out which challenge they pick—and how this homage to “Fixer Upper” suits in—which could possibly encourage some updates around your possess abode, way too.

It pays to splurge on a kitchen area counter

Although Chris and Lauren are on a spending budget, they really don’t want to skimp when it will come to picking out the right products. Soon after all, they have two busy kids and they want this kitchen to last. So whilst Brooks options for a price tag-powerful kitchen counter, Chris and Lauren are drawn to a extra high-priced quartzite slab.

“With the quartzite, you get the purpose of becoming so powerful, but this is nuts high priced,” Brooks warns. “This will effortlessly out the doorway be about $9,500.”

Even now, Lauren and Chris determine to devote double their counter spending plan to get the slab they really like. It’s a hefty cost tag, but with quartzite’s durability, this counter will final a extended time (even with two young ones).

Gold cabinet pulls include glamour

To finish the kitchen, Brooks adds an elegant white backsplash with brass bead detailing and gold components. These finishes aren’t automatically extra high-priced than a black or silver edition (the cabinet pulls expense just $362), but the gold coloration will help brighten up this white kitchen and can make it really feel excess particular.

“I chose these pulls simply because a touch of gold in any kitchen area adds elegance,” Brooks explains when the kitchen is completed

Relatively than swap dated wooden flooring, stain it as a substitute

Chris and Lauren are enthusiastic about their new kitchen area, but there’s an additional project they’re hoping to insert to Brooks’ workload: staining the floors.

These two reveal that they hardly ever cherished the flooring, but as a substitute of pulling up perfectly fantastic hardwood, Brooks claims she can have the flooring stained a far more present-day shade.

“By restaining all the flooring on the most important stage, this household is getting an instantaneous update,” Brooks says.

Staining the wood expenditures a rather penny, $4,700 for the floor floor, but it’s a lot considerably less high-priced than replacing all the hardwood.

Use shiplap in a surprising location

Though Lauren and Chris aim most of their revenue on the kitchen area, they ask Brooks if she can also update the dated staircase. Brooks wishes to hold her expenditures minimal, so she paints the wooden railings and, as a previous-moment addition, adds some shiplap to the staircase.

“The shiplap just is heading to add so much texture and so much visual interest,” Brooks claims. “It’s heading to make a huge big difference devoid of breaking the budget.”

This addition also matches the new shiplap hood vent in the kitchen—and it prices only $2,000.

Include a 50 percent-wall in a big rest room

Whilst this pair chooses to repair up the kitchen area and residing space, Brooks does a good position when drawing up strategies for the grasp suite upgrade.

When the master rest room is a fantastic measurement, it does not have any house separation. The bathtub is ideal at the rear of the sink, which is right subsequent to the bathroom. Brooks realizes that there is not quite enough home for a good water closet, so she proposes putting in a 50 percent-wall to individual the bathroom from the relaxation of the rest room.

This half-wall is a ideal compromise: It does not consider up as well a lot place in the toilet, but it generates a little more privacy and separation (although also adding a beautiful wooden feature wall). Although Chris and Lauren decide to update the kitchen area instead, it’s distinct this lavatory would have been lovely!