We had a lot of fun this weekend. My angel parents came up to Albany and helped me tear apart the Carriage House. But let me be clear, there are very few enjoyable things about demo. It's messy, dusty, loud, and extremely labor-intensive. The flip side is that when you see everything transform as you envisioned it in your head or your computer program (it's HomeStyler!), it is worth all the grunt work.
Today I'm sharing the current state of affairs, a few before and after shots, and the general design for the kitchen.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
The gift we got this weekend was discovering the ceiling in the kitchen. I'm not sure why the person who "restored" the apartment in 1978 covered the planks with melamine board. I'm assuming they thought the look was too raw, but that is what I'm choosing to embrace throughout this project. The ceiling will feature exposed ductwork, wires, and outlets, but everything will be painted white.
THE PLANS:
After all that demo, you might be wondering why there are still upper cabinets. I mentioned on stories that I'd be taking them down, but decided that the storage was necessary for the kitchen and we didn't want to keep food in the lower cabinets; I imagine future tenants would feel the same. To improve the design, we'll add a long shelf to store everyday dishes and connect the uneven cabinetry.
One reason I advise living in a home before completely committing to renovation plans is it takes being in the space to understand how it will function best. After we knocked down the GRAND arch (a 5-hour affair spearheaded by my dad), the kitchen revealed itself to us. A plan to build a pantry, expand the downstairs bathroom, and position the dining area by the back doors was born.
The next steps are: building the pantry wall, installing the glass door partitions between the living room and kitchen, lots of patching, and then prepping the cabinets for paint. I haven't committed to the color yet. Initially, I was dead set on a dark color, but now that we've decided to keep the upper cabinets, that plan no longer works. There is a soffit above the cabinets that will stay. I don't want the upper cabinets to stick out on that wall, and believe the cabinets and walls should be the same color.
As for the upstairs, the sheetrock has been stripped. Next, the studs will come down, and then we'll press on with the design. I feel confident about the decision to eliminating the office walls. We're getting more light in the living room, and it gives the home a lofty feel.
BEFORE
AFTER
Until my next update, I'll see you on stories!