After Pictures: Living Room and Dining Room

Before Shots: Living Room and Dining Room February 2014

2015 Summary: Painting, Help, Getting Started

 We were grateful for help getting started with the process of painting and designing.

Allen Baker pitches in.

Dominik Schleppinghoff of Cote Maison Design.

2015 Summary: Painting

Choosing paint color took a really long time.  
Benjamin Moore/Ricciardi Bros. in Chestnut Hill were patient and helpful.
We ended up with custom blend color, a grey/white with blue tones.
Painting was challenging with everything else going on.
Reconstruction of the 12 doors took over a month.
Sometimes, surfaces had to be painted multiple times because of holes, scratches, etc.
The result is subtle and cool - see other photos.

2015 Summary: Floors

Original floor was linoleum/asbestos tile, old and breaking apart.
We decided to go with linoleum, this time without asbestos added.
First photo shows old floor.
Second photo shows old tiles below, new tile on top and planks at bottom of photo.
Third photo shows linoleum planks going in.
Fourth photo shows linoleum tiles in kitchen.
Last shot is 'Flor' carpet tiles with design by Alan.

2015 Summary: Fireplace Gains Facing Bricks

Clean, remove insert and mantel, clean, select/order and obtain facing bricks, clean, measure and cut bricks, 'glue' them on with mortar, grout between bricks, same process for tiles on the floor, refinish walnut mantelpiece and reattach, add artsy tea set for display on mantel - plus nice rug and furniture!

2015 Summary: Molding

Guided by advice from designer Dominik, molding was removed from around doors and along the floor.  Photo below shows before and after, with large crevices resulting.
Second photo shows first coat of cement.
Third photo shows plaster of paris applied on top of cement.
Last photo shows Alan using joint compound as final coat.
Of course, then the whole thing has to be sanded, primed and painted.
For final result, notice smooth surface around doors and floor in other photos.

2015 Summary: Bathroom Deconstruction

The first shot is the bathroom in February, with original tile.
In fact, there was a newspaper in the wall with the date of December 1948!
With trepidation, we decided to remove those tiles, gain a few inches and put in more modern, efficient and space-saving amenities.
The deconstruction process was dusty, dirty and resulted in lots of construction debris.
The next chapter photos show the vision and goal:  definitely worth it in the end!

2015 Summary: Bathroom Construction

After stripping the walls, foam insulation was put up between studs and Hardee Backer Board screwed on top.  Seams were sealed.  Mortar was trowelled over the backer board and tiles laid in.  Grout was put in between the tiles.  Bathtub and shower head, plumbing hookup, sink and vanity (built by Alan).  Concrete layer in floor with thermal warming.  Walls painted.  Toilet (very small Toto model).  Stone tile floor.

2015 Summary: Utility Room

Old cabinets taken out, walls repaired, cleaned and repainted.  Old furnace and AC removed and replaced with new gas furnace; this involved filling a hole in the floor and redoing duct work.  Floor replaced with linoleum tile.  New cabinets built.  Small size washer and drier installed.  The first photo shows utility room in February 2015.  
Second photo in April after old cabinets and appliances removed.
Third photo in May after walls painted.
Fourth photo shows Alan filling hole in the floor after old furnace removed.
Fifth photo shows new gas furnace in August.

2015 Summary: Landscape

These are just a few highlights.  Peruse the full blog posts for each month if interested.
February, May, June, and October.