Progress Photos

Monday 04.23.2010
Not quite, done...but significant progress.

BEFORE

AFTER (or at least current)

What stayed the same:

• Furniture (except for chair covers)
• Furniture placement (with small adjustments)
• Window trim color.

What is biggest change:

• Tone of color.  While both green, very different feel of cool and calm now.
• Carpet...talk about tonal color change!  From HOT and crazy to cool and neutral.
• Window treatments - from dorm level mis-fitting mismatched shades, to elegant drapes.
• Crown molding.  Really stepped up the room to a more elegant feel.
• Light fixture - although new one is not in the new shot...at least we don't have the broken saloon fan anymore!
• DE CLUTTERING!  We removed a tall misfit bookcase and an antique school desk opening up the space.  We added a closet organizer to better store our materials.  We freecycled several boxes of things and tossed out 4 bags of shredded papers from our files.  We are also trying to be very selective about what lives on our desk and under our desk.  This will be an ongoing battle.

Overall, we've already achieved the greatest goal of this project, even though a few things remain to be accomplished.  This room no longer looks like a dorm room.  It actually is starting to feel like a home  office suited to the two corporate managers who live here, instead of two starving college students (which is so many years ago!).

Still to do:
Wash windows (if only I had done this before moving in the furniture...duh)
Hang artwork and guitars.
Recieve and move in new bookcase (and load with books)
Hang closet doors.
Add wood roman shades (still on order).

Longer term to do:
Radiator cover (but it is hidden under my desk, so not too worried about it right now).

Status Update on Home Office

Saturday 04.24.2010

Remember the Monday punchlist?

We're making progress.

Trim bottom of bathroom door to accommodate new carpet clearance (Mon/Tues) - DONE

Kip took care of this one while I was working late....I haven't inspected closely, but I can assure you it looks like a straight and even cut and it works!  We've had bad luck in the past removing doors and re-hanging them...somehow it never seems to close right after that...but this one hangs straight and true and closes/locks well.

Schedule closet organizer install (Mon/Tues) - DONE

Done and installed.  Remember the design?  Well, we forgot one little thing...the closet is bigger than the opening.  

I believe I put in the measurements on the website, but the design mockup came without showing the walls in front of closet.  Everything fits and works, but a little tighter than I imagined.  Also, one small corner of the closet is essentially only usable for those - "will access once in a blue moon" items.  Items, which we have been trying to rid ourselves of.  Anyway, what's cool is the drawer set is standalone, so I can move that to other places.  Of course the shelves are all adjustable by height as well. So, I can live with one little awkward corner.

Disassemble old ceiling fan/light (Weds/Thurs) - DONE

Install new track light (Weds/Thurs) - DONE

We replaced the old brass saloon style ceiling fan (with broken globe light) with this sleek little number.  It was a PAIN IN THE ASS to put up.  Little tiny screws, big fat fingers.  But we figured it out.  The bulbs are those very delicate halogens too, which means you have to use a rubber suction cup to install them...that was fun too.  But the look is worth it...and the focused light is going to be perfect for desk tasks and also for artwork and guitars.

Measure drapes and clips and hang rods. (Fri/Sat) - DONE
Add drapes to rods. (Fri/Sat) - DONE

I'm really pleased with myself for this.  After reading some of the blogs out there where people are designing and building their own furniture, this seems like such a little achievement.  To hang a curtain rod - and make it level and make sure the drapes just kiss the floor (aren't at flood height and aren't puddled on the floor) ...well...it seems puny.  But in my life, it is major.  

I initially unpacked the materials for the large window...but then decided to cut my teeth on the small window first.  Glad I did, I didn't make any mistakes and it gave me confidence (and idea) how to ensure I measured and leveled the 4 hangers needed for the big window.  The custom ordered blinds are still to come and will be installed as inside mounts. I almost wish I was just doing the drapes, but with the way the sun beats in at certain times of day, we really need the light control.  And what I didn't consider earlier was with 4 mounts it is difficult to pull the drapes fully closed (not in my plans anyway, but if that had been my plan...would have been problematic.)

Order new chair covers - current don't work with drapes.(Mon/Tues) - DONE

Picked out another surefit chair cover - this time in Chocolate...because who can go wrong with a color named for such a yummy thing?  We'll see how it goes.  Bought the stretch version this time, so may be a better fit.  Just hoping to keep Penny Cat from using it as a scratching post.

Check on custom shade order - when to arrive? (Mon/Tues) - DONE

Looks like they are expected to ship by the 27th, so that should be a project for next weekend.

Begin reloading room with furniture (Tues-Sat) - STARTED

As you can see in pictures above, the storage space is already filling up and my desk is back in place.  The printer stand is in the room, but in the wrong location and Kip's desk (where I'm sitting) is still upstairs.  When I stood in the empty room, I could envision a double or queen bed under the small window with two small tables and lamps.  The desk along wall adjacent to the closet and maybe a small reading nook in opposite corner.  A true 3rd bedroom/guest space.  So there may be changes in the future.  But the upstairs guest room is another room on my list for this year...so depending on how that room shapes up....(Kip rolls his eyes here).

Determine yes/no on bookcase to order - does it fit? (Sat) - YES, ORDERED

Since I ordered the bookcase today, I guess my ideas of changing the room around are a little more difficult...but that bookcase can always go to another room!  Kip again rolls his eyes here and now they glaze over....but we need book storage so that will be a much needed arrival.

Sunday To Do's
Hang closet doors (we hope!)

Hang guitars/mandolins - position track light to highlight
Hang artwork - position track light to highlight
Merchandise and accessorize 

Return Dining Room to normal!

...and begin planning next room...hmmmmmm

14 hours to go!

In about 14 hours the guys from ARTISTIC FLOORS will arrive with my carpet.  A beautiful gold broadloom stain resistant berber that will make my toes so happy. 

Last night we tackled some more of the room (isn't it amazing how long details can take?).  While I carefully poured out three different paints (wall, trim, ceiling) into small trays and allocated a brush to each, Kip tackled the containers of odds and ends still in the closet.  I worked my way around the room with my new favorite tool - a handy dandy little corner/edger that helped me to get the blend I needed on the interior corners that the roller had missed and also got a clean(er) edge around the trim.  I added trim paint to the sanded and caulked crown molding, and touched up the ceiling where there were some paint smears, and hammer smears left over. 

Kip, we discovered, is not a true freecycler.  He has standards that are much too high.  He doesn't understand that a freecycler isn't picky....well...we are...but garbage picky, or pickers really.  He doesn't understand the dumpster diver mentality has gone all cyberspace.  He doesn't understand the rush one gets from a CURB ALERT!  So before I could stop him all the loose computer wires and outdated computer accessories, partially used stationary supplies, and other miscellaneous items were in garbage bags and hauled to the bin.  Sorry Freecyclers.  Next time I'll pay more attention.

When we were done, we surveyed the space.  The room looks pretty darn good.  And tomorrow it will look even better!

It will be a bit wrenching to leave it behind in all it's gold floor covered glory when we have to head upstate for a family weekend.  I know I will be tempted to spend just a little more time loading furniture in...measuring and hanging the new drapes...hanging pictures and guitars...making a shopping list for other items we may need...but we'll save all the anticipation up for our return. 

I may, just maybe, post the before/after pictures tomorrow before we go.  But if time runs out, you'll just have to live in anticipation too.  All two of you who read my blog.

Crown Molding - A day of revelations.

Sunday 04.11.2010

 It's Crown Molding Day!  I finished sanding and painting the molding and waited impatiently for our friend Rob to arrive.

He finally arrived and brought his toys!

He took some measurements and promptly set to work.  First revelation was watching him cut the profile of the crown molding into cardboard and then creating a reverse template in wood.  By doing this he had a repeatable consistent way to hold the molding in place with the same angle every time. 

He and Kip set to the work right away.  See Kip drooling over this saw that does both right and left 45 degree angles?  But we quickly realized the tools are a great part of what we needed, but we could NEVER have done what an awesome job Rob did.

This is the tool (nail gun) I drool over, but that compressor is huge, heavy, and loud!  See Kip holding the wood template to keep the crown at the consistent angle?  The 2nd revelation of the day was watching Rob use glue (duh) and caulking on the molding before installing it.  We'd always just nailed it up and filled in gaps.  Ours, as Kip made sure to point out, has not fallen down, but Rob's looks tight and finished and, well, professional.  Guess that's why he does woodwork for a living.

A little hard to see in this photo, but the right side is the old molding, the left is the new. The old molding is hard to see because the paint doesn't go all the way to the edge of it.  But believe me, the difference is big.  It really finishes the room.

Just look at that corner joint.  A thing of beauty.  And when we saw what a difference it made, we not only broke out the mexican takeout dinner for Rob and his wife, but also the checkbook.  So worth it.

Some touch ups remain, and then carpeting on FRIDAY.  The room is finally coming together.