Sunday, September 6, 2015

And So the Journey Begins! Week One (LONG post and photo intensive!)

Full disclosure - I PROMISE not to put you through weekly updates of the condo remodel as that could become quite agonizing. but I DID promise updates and this is a major one.........

WE STARTED!!!

I have been thinking for a few days about how best to share this - or what to share and thought the most fun might be to just share a few of the before pics - and the after (well - not quite at the "after" stage yet!). Now keep in mind some areas look like six hurricanes collided in one spot in some of the pictures, but that's progress, right?  And I have to say - the more mess the more excited I become because I can ALREADY see, in part, how it is going to look.  And I am beyond thrilled.

That being said, the weight of the decisions that need to be made can feel absolutely overwhelming - things you know you have to do like appliances, furniture, bathroom vanities, shower tile, flooring etc - and things you don't even stop to consider like shower heads and door handles - and a gazillion other things that take turns vying for equal time in my brain!  OMG!  I thought I was good at compartmentalizing, but not right now.  I go from thinking about tile to window coverings to fabric on a couch and back again.  I am trying really hard to check off the things the contractor (who shall be called Frank from this point on because that is his name!) said are the things he needs first. And so far, I think I am on track - or close.  I have to finish ordering the appliances tomorrow - all picked out but the gas cooktop and oven; shower tile done; flooring done; vanities ordered and on way - trying really hard not to drop the ball on my end and set him back.  I know there will be delays because that just happens with remodels, but I don't want it to be MY fault! :)

I will share the office/craft room separately as it is a totally challenging, contorted, fabulous room with tons of possibilities! It was supposed to be the master bedroom --- but not longer!  I have flipped the the condo. So the guest room that is on one side of the condo is the new master bedroom with a long closet on a different wall. The guest bath is the new master bath, and will be made larger (going into the old closet area) with a walk in shower. And the access doors are coming all the way out to the hallway making that whole area private.

Confused? Just wait! :)  Then across the hall there is a furnace and stacking washer/dryer behind louvered doors before you get to the original master. The furnace will remain, but the washer area will become a guest closet.  Then the original master closet will become the laundry area with full size washer/dryer side by side (with my physical issues I could not manipulate between stacking units). That access will be on the outside of the new office/craft room (formerly master) and will lead to the new guest bath.  Crazy right? And that is just the front half of the condo.  More later before I give you all a headache.

Didn't mean to write so much but trying to give you a feel for it...  Will be more concise in future posts!

So here are some in progress photos that will hopefully make sense...


Original guest bath....


Guest bath demo - on way to becoming master bath!


Original living room (note weird fireplace placement!)


Popcorn ceilings gone! Carpet gone! Check!


Now that is a LOT of trash!  (and that is not all of it!)
Behind that mess is the long living room wall - just to orient you!


Different views of original kitchen


Walls GONE - no pony wall or wall between living room and kitchen.
No the refrigerator is NOT going in the middle of the room!
It's serving a purpose (cold drinks for the crew!)

SO...... seen enough? That's quite a bit of work for one week . WOW!   Will share more in a week or so.  Don't want to bore you.

Keeping my eye on the goal..........


This view EVERY day! 

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