Knocking out a wall

In all of my DIY and decorating and renovating our house, I've never gotten to take out a wall. But I want to.

So Brent and I are thinking about starting small. And by small, I mean a four foot long half wall. It's a silly little thing in between our kitchen and family room. Why it was ever there to begin with, I don't know. All the houses in our model had it.

Here are some pictures showing said wall...

During kitchen reno before we moved in

From the opposite angle looking into the family room

Last night at our HOA meeting (yes, we're both on the board. That's another story...), the house we met at was our model. They'd just taken their half wall out and it made a huge difference.

So the wheels in my mind start turning...and Brent started seeing the dollars fly.

But the good news is that the cost of this project is minimal...the bulk comes from having to move an air return that is housed in that half wall.

Now I just have to figure out what we'll do with the flooring at the transition. One thing always leads to another!

Stay busy,
Karli

A Kitchen Remodel Project: Part 1

I am so excited to start sharing one of my latest projects........we are remodeling our Church Kitchen.  Our Church was built in 1958 and the only thing that has been done to it since then was paint.........I have repainted almost every room except the sanctuary!
We have dreamed about giving the kitchen a major face lift for ten years, but every start has ended without success.  We recently had a major donation which gave us the financial help we needed to make this project happen.


So, I am going to share some pictures of the before and the during.  Trust me, this is not happening overnight.  We have an entire congregation to please (many of them were involved when our Church was built).   Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, right? 


Here are a few pictures of what we started with, our cabinets were built on site, painted copper with copper appliances..........really right in line with the era:

 

 

 

 
Our ventilation was only slightly outdated:  (This is on the "to do" list!)

Our plan is to remove this wall and doorway:  (Opening up our space)

This also meant that I had to strip some of the wallpaper border I had put up with adhesive nearly 14 years ago.  At the time, I guess I planned on it being there forever.  It did take me several hours of work.  Tip:  Water and Downy Fabric Softner sponged onto the border softens and soaks the paper making it easier to strip.....still quite a job.



Before starting our demo, we had to clean all the cabinets (accumulated since 1958).
We are storing everything in a trailer parked outside during the process:

Our remodel project includes the following:  taking down one wall and door, replacing flooring, all new cabinets, new paint, and all new appliances.  We will also be installing a Hunter Douglas window treatment as a room divider, insulating a breezeway, replacing doors, and then reusing some of the old kitchen cabinets in a storage area.  I have been working on this project since February and am so excited to keep you updated on the progress.

Stay tuned........Kandy