Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Demolition Woman

I decided the best way to shake some serious new year's inertia was with a serious new year's project, so forgive me for being kinda quiet over here, guys; there's been much plotting and dreaming and steampunky research going on. Yesterday we finally "broke ground," so to speak - by breaking my back room. [evil grin]

Here's a quick phone photo dump to show you what I did:

First, I packed our entire back room into the dining room:


I'm actually impressed it fit so well.


I managed to move everything on my own except the couches, treadmill, & loaded book case, which John handled:


  Bringing us from this:


To this: 
I assembled that Wal-Mart entertainment center the first year of our marriage, about 15 years ago, and I've stubbornly refused to replace it ever since. It only took a good push to collapse the whole thing into scrap. Heh. End of an era.



At this point I paused to play soccer with the cats, who REALLY enjoyed the wide open play room.
Now we're both tuckered out.



 Onward!
See the buckling paneling in the upper right? One of the many reasons this room is due an overhaul.

This back door behind the treadmill is getting removed and walled over as I type this:

A Jen's-eye-view of cutting & rolling up the old carpet:

We've been systematically removing all carpet in the house, so after this only John's room will be left. Between the cats and the fact that we like wearing shoes inside, carpet is just impossible for us to keep clean - so I couldn't rip the stuff up fast enough. Bleh.

 What lies beneath: shiny, slightly-pink 80's tile. Don't worry; it'll be covered again soon enough.

Next we removed all the wall screws, window coverings, and John hammered up all the old tack strips. Then he went after the walls:


The studs look to be in good shape, so after a collective sigh of relief, we called it a night. (This one room is stick-built, not block, so we were afraid of termite damage.)

Today we're finishing demo, John is walling over the back door, and then hauling all the scrap to the dump. I'll be replacing all the outlets and possibly pre-painting some trim. After that, we begin installing the new walls. 

Wish us luck!

38 comments:

  1. Sounds like lots of fun but lots of work too. We're in a rental so demoing walls is out. I'd really like to though. Whoever designed this place was not very familiar with kitchen and bathroom use and just stuck them in there any which way.

    Can't wait to see what you do with the room!

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  2. As you like to say, Sweet StayPuft! That's quite a way to shake the new year's blahs. Wowzers! I can't wait to see what you two do with it!

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  4. Y'all never cease to impress me with your amazing DIY powers! Can't wait to see the finished product! =)
    -Jo

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  5. Wow, what a project! Sending lots of good vibes your way so nothing crazy happens while you're working on it. Also, super excited to see the end results!

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  6. My husband and I are undergoing a HUGE remodeling project in the coming year, including a complete gutting and construction of our kitchen, chimney removal, new basement bathroom, a beekeeping room (we're beekeepers and need an open, sanitary space to extract honey and filter it), a laundry room, AND a tool room!! Whew...I got tired just typing that! Please infuse me with your crafty-juju Jen! I really need it this year and am continually inspired by your many projects. :)

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  7. Wow, best of luck to you both, and best wishes for safety and fun during your overhaul. Can't wait to see the end result!

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  8. I love how well you and John work together when it comes to projects, and I love how willingly you tackle them! I'm officially channeling your remodeling energy this year, as we have a mantel that is going on five years of sitting on the to do list with nary a thing done.

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  9. That sounds so fun!! I can't wait to see more!

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  10. Wow, you weren't kidding when you said serious.

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  11. You two are UNSTOPPABLE! Can't wait to see the next installment!

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  12. The benefit of living in the cold, cold state of Wisconsin - no termites.

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  13. I'm so excited about a "steampunky" back room that I'm bouncing in my chair. Yey!! Can't WAIT to see what you two masterminds come up with! Every project you do is flawless.

    -- Piper P in Washington State.

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  14. OH.MY.GAWD! I'm ridiculously excited about this! I LOVE demolition (Odor Eaters made carpet padding?!), and I can't wait to see every step of the rebuild! You *are* going to show us every step, right? Are you guys going to do drywall? Laminate flooring? Ceiling tiles? Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait! I hope your DIY mojo is contagious, because I have stuff in my home that I need to work on pronto.

    Wishing you best of luck and lots of fun!

    KW

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  15. Happy New Year Jen and John. Best wishes on your new project. Looking forward to the before and after photos.

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  16. Happy New Year and lots of luck from someone also doing a bit of New Year renovation!

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  17. I'm reading this as the temperature is dropping steadily to 12 degrees with a wind chill below zero...and thinking of tearing out walls is making me shiver! Then I remembered you live in Sweatland, and all is well. :)

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  18. What's the MATTER with off pink 80's tile? Where will you do your 'Jem' medley if you cover it over?

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  19. Every time I see a photo of that round table with the hand crank on it I feel the need to head on down to Florida and steal it.

    Anyway, that's a big project. Many lucky wishes (from a person who just stripped 3 layers of wall paper from her living room, patched the holes!?! that she found under the wall paper, and painted the entire room while cutting in around all of the hand hewn beams). I love my brand new sage green living room.

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  20. I am so not a DIY gal (and my hubby is not a DIY guy). We haven't even painted a wall since we moved in 5 years ago because it just seems like too much work. You guys never cease to amaze me. I can't wait to see what you end up doing with the room!

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  21. A rare Tonks siting! AND a video! Hi, Lilly!
    What a great project to start out the year. And I have to tell ya -- I'm happy to be sitting comfortable in my chair, watching it and experiencing it vicariously.
    Maureen S

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  22. In my house, too, it's always the dining room that takes on the temporary chaos. Evidently that is why they were invented.
    Your cats are adorable.

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  23. Hi Jen! Looking good! Save those carpet remnants and build a nice custom cat-tree with it. Those things run about $200 for a very basic unit and I am sure the kitties would love something just for them.

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  24. Good luck!! I am so excited to see what you do

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  25. woohoo! This is exciting. We moved in October and are sloooowly taking much more modest changes (excepting the bathroom, which is half redone right now). I just reallllly want to get new paint on the walls...

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  26. You don't need luck, you two have skills and a can-do attitude! If you can dream it, you can do it!

    Thanks for the post about the foam ceiling tiles! They worked out great for our Haunted Mansion home theater.

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  27. I have that EXACT.SAME. TILE. The problem with mine is that the people who had the house before us decided to use it to cover almost the ENTIRE main floor, same colour, just different sizes of tiles. and oh yeah, they put it in in 1992!!! and since it's a bugger to take out- not to mention messy and expensive, it stays.... until you gave m the idea of going overtop of it! Have no clue why that wasn't in my head at all, but thank you so much!

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  28. Oh I *do* so love watching major renovation projects develop... I wish I had the skills/patience/focus/motivation to actually do one myself. My house is FILLED with half-finished projects, and we've never even tried something more than painting walls!!

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  29. Can you send John out to San Jose when he's done? I've got a bathroom that needs remodeling...I so wish we were handy in this way, but Todd's skill is primarily programming, and costume props are about the limit of my building ability. Love watching your projects though. I would totally watch a "John and Jen" remodeling/decorating show on DIY!

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  30. NEED MORE PICTURES!!! EEE MEEE JET LEE! (say it fast)

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  31. I was sitting here thinking, "WOW! They're doing all of that now?? Look at John in the last picture! He's in a T-shirt! Oh wait...."

    *Googling*

    Florida: Feels like : 80 degrees.

    I'm sitting up here in the midwest with with temperatures feeling as low as -17 degrees!!

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  32. I am tired just looking at how much you've done! Very IMPRESSIVE!

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  33. Looking forward to seeing the results of the hard work and creativity of you and John. And I am seriously jealous of your Star of Bethlehem handing lamp. I have been looking for one for ages! Keep up the wonderful, steampunky work! K

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  34. Can't you repurpose it as "The Cats' Room" and give them their own indoor gym / day spa? And isn't Lily looking well!

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  35. That carpet makes a fabulous cushion for a pond liner. :) Just in case once you are done here, you want to tackle something fun in the yard!

    You make me glad. Good luck and have fun!

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  36. Can't believe you can just change walls like that. Brick houses here in the uk are so much hard work to sort. Need plaster removing and re plastering and general looking after. Admitadtley no termites.
    Good luck.

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  37. Lilly is such a pretty, pretty cat. :) All perky ears and bright eyes. <3
    Can't wait to see what happens with the room-- I thought it looked nice before; but everything you guys spin out turns out so nifty this should be amazing to see-- :)
    -Robyn

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  38. BTW; when you've run out of rooms to redo in your house, I volunteer mine, ok? SC isn't that far from FL. pleasepleaseplease.

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