Wednesday, August 3, 2011

We-Design-Day: Blood, sweat and more sweat

After riding the high of last week's very successful demolition, bright and (not so) early Thursday morning, I came up with a list of needed materials. I drew and redrew the reflected ceiling plan*, trying different solutions that would minimize the need for new grid pieces (don't forget, I'm all Earthy and like to reuse, reduce and recycle where I can) and simplify the work. There wasn't an easy solution so I opted to purchase all new equipment for the space so that we could connect it to the existing ceiling. We needed lumber, drywall and some fasteners. Our total spend came to a surprising $332.68! If you recall, my budget was very near this number. I also realized I made an error (who, me?!). Design Tip Just so you know, a "Dummy Knob" is just a single sided door knob. I'm not really sure of what purpose it serves but it won't work for what we needed it for! So the cost of our knobs increased to $20.97 per piece. I also decided to not get new registers. What we have is fine and getting anything new may require alterations to the existing duct work.

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Building a Bulkhead

We got to try our hand at construction. I am a great planner - I see everything from start to finish but I don't always understand how to make that vision a reality. This is where my husband is great. Between the two of us, we talk through the issue and "air draw" the solution. Hence this bulkhead. I could see it in my head and I could illustrate it on paper but it was the air drawing that solidified the plan forward.

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Mud Trouble

Once we patched all the walls and erected the bulk head, we set to mudding the walls. I am most definitely the one with the "touch" for this job but the boys always help me. It took me a while to figure out why the full bucket of drywall compound was disappearing so quickly. I soon learned that TroubleMaker had his own method of applying it - thick, thicker and thickest!

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The Weekend's Work (new floor)

We learned some helpful stuff along the way. Design Tip When you are patching a dropped ceiling, ensure that you line up the holes on the t-bar. We learned this the hard way... Thankfully, I had bought enough to rebuild the old ceiling (I had hoped to reuse what we took down). Having done it once, I wouldn't be afraid to do it again but it is fairly labour intensive. Having said that, it certainly is easier than hanging drywall!

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New floor with ceiling grid

The floor was a labour of love. We decided to install it over the existing carpet. We patched the area where the walls once stood and laid it down. Over all, I am happy with the look of the floor and the decision. To take up the carpet and patch the million Hilti nail blasts to the concrete would have added time and cost to the renovation. It is a bit spongy but I'm hopeful that once we get the furniture in place, it will lose some of that soft feeling. TroubleMaker loves the new floor and has spent plenty of time dancing around on it!

I'm extremely proud of the work we accomplished over the six days. Although I had hoped to get the room fully finished by the time I went back to work on Monday, I've come to realize that there was far more work involved then I initially thought. Adding to my upcoming expense and time line are refinishing the walls. As we removed the baseboard, much of the paint peeled with it (and yes, we did "cut" the seam) and TroubleMaker thought it a good idea to try and rip some of it off! I look at this as a good thing - I wanted to real customize the studio and this will give me the chance to do it!

Next week, I'm going to go over some important information about refinishing furniture. As you may recall, I'm refinishing a hand-me down cabinet for a fabulous Upcycled Interior Chic project.

Thanks for stopping in and come back soon!











* A reflected ceiling plan is much like a 'floor plan' but it looks up, instead of down.

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