Condo and New Build 2018 _NEW2_Digital_Condo_2018 | Page 29

To maintain the visual divide between the two rooms,
Lauren strategically employed a breakfast bar, full height
marble tile from countertop to ceiling, and a floor-to-
ceiling backsplash in the kitchen. "We splurged on the
kitchen backsplash tile and countertop," says Lauren. 
"It was a challenge for me to decide where to save and
where to splurge on the space," Lauren divulges. "We
wanted to keep the budget to $40,000 but I quickly
realized that was not nearly enough. The renovation
ended up costing around $60,000 and that was with
the designer discounts that I was able to use to my
advantage." She notes that while they definitely splurged
on a few quality furniture pieces, such as the sofa,
ottoman, and bed, many items were sourced from IKEA
and Craigslist in an effort to diminish costs. The eye-
catching light fixture displayed over the dining table was
another save item, which Lauren describes as being a
stroke of luck. "I had specified this light fixture in one of
my client’s homes and when it arrived, it was damaged.
We contacted the company and they sent us a new
chandelier for our client and told us to keep this one!"
"We selected light colored, neutral finishes to add to the
brightness that this space so desperately needed." When