MAJOR Updates to the Main Floor

In the last two years we have completed a major renovation on the main floor with the Kitchen and Living room. The kitchen has been expanded into the living room space and the Nook has been gutted and tiled along with new windows. As usual, we did all the work ourselves with the exception of my Dad helping with the cabinet build. He is the cabinet master.

The basic steps for the kitchen remodel where:

  1. Remove the wall between the kitchen and living room to expand the kitchen

  2. Replace the tile and extend into the living room

  3. Remove the old makeshift pantry from the nook

  4. replace the old nook solid glass windows with modern windows that open

  5. Replace the paneling in the living room/entry with drywall.

  6. Remove the popcorn from the ceilings in the living room and kitchen, repair-repaint

My Dad was super helpful building these cabinets. The design was tricky and I haven’t built cabinets since I was in College back in the 80’s.

Once the wall between the kitchen and living room was removed we needed a post to support the weight of the 3rd floor/roof. I decided to build something art deco.

I have to say something about the ceiling paint. It was a disaster! We normally use Sherwin Williams paint for everything. However, I decided to try Behr paint from Home Depot.

We had removed the popcorn using a water sprayer as we have always done. The paint we chose had primer mixed in. After the first coat dried for several hours, I began to roll on the second coat. Imagine my horror when the 1st coat began to peel off in chunks and stick to the roller! This was a huge section of ceiling, 20 ft X 18 ft. I wasn’t sure what to do so I finished the second coat despite the mess.

After about 10 minutes the paint started to blister. At first just one spot, then another, then after a full day there were dozens of blisters all over the newly painted ceiling. I was going to have to re-sand the entire space!

I called Home Depot and after several conversations, they gave us a free coupon for an upgraded ceiling paint. I wish I could say it fixed the problem. This paint blistered as well. Not as many spots but enough that I will never use Behr interior paint again.

We remodeled the laundry room (top right) years ago and the new tile had to line up with the tile from this space. So I had to start my new tile there and work outward.

Archeological Dig exposes multiple carpet and wallpaper layers in the Nook

Here are a few photos of the kitchen completed. The living room is still in a state of renovation.

The tile floor was a huge challenge. I actually cut the curve in the hardwood using a circular saw.