Renovation

Read Kevin’s previous post here.

Now that the hard work is done, it is time to focus on the finishing touches. Ever since I decided to finish the basement this spring, I would spend time in the basement trying to imagine what the finished product would look and feel like. What were the little touches that would separate it from every other quick and dirty finish job, instead making it a space that could be a sanctuary, somewhere I could be proud to host a poker night or Super Bowl party. All of that comes down to those little touches that make a space become a room.

The easy decisions were with the base boards. I want to do my best to match the rest of the house in elegance, but the trim in the rest of the house is more than six and a half inches tall, and in the basement where ceilings are seven feet or less, that would be too visually distracting. So for the carpeted area I went with 1×4 boards with a half inch OG molding on top, and for where the hardwood area the same 1×4 and OG with shoe molding. For all the baseboards I went with clear pine, which is pine without knots. And I choose to match the built in cabinet in color and used a natural cherry stain, and a matte finish clear coat.

To try and make the basement feel like a part of the rest of the house, when I was doing the staining I tried to not be perfect. No big mess ups, but just enough imperfections to give the wood a weathered and slightly aged look. I did this by brushing the stain on a little thicker, letting it start to dry for about 10 minutes, and then brushing it down a little more to smooth it out, but not so much that it looked crisp.

Another neat finishing touch was the window treatments. Because they are basement windows they have very deep sills, and since the brick work wasn’t the best, we decided to make 12 inch deep shadow boxes, this time using birch. Birch has a similar grain to pine, so it will match the rest of the room, but it is more durable and better suited to be near the temperature fluctuations of windows. There were originally two windows on the front wall of the house, but one was under the front porch, so we bricked that up, but kept the window space to turn it into another shadow box for balance. Near the middle of the room at the support beam, we had to build the wall thicker because the beam was thick and crooked, but it gave us the opportunity to build another shadow box that is only five inches deep, but helps balance the room. All of these were stained cherry like the trim.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

Dear PoPville,

I recently bought a home in Brightwood. I wanted to expose my brick in my entry way. I got a chisel and went at it to see what was underneath. I didn’t find brick but what seemed to be thin brick or metal slabs. Do you know of anyone whos run into this? Wondering if it would still look good if I exposed this style of brick if anyone out there had tried doing it?

I can’t remember if they encountered these slabs on this video? Anyone ever deal with these before?

Read Kevin’s previous post here.

We officially started finishing the basement! After thinking and planning for more than three years, it is exciting to see things start to come together. Framing and electrical started on Friday, and my father and our contractor friend Ron got all of the exterior walls framed, all the rough wiring run and hooked up all 15 recessed lights. Because the ceilings are only seven feet in the basement, and the AC duct lines run through the middle of the room, there was some interesting soffit work done, but we were able to maximize every space possible. I left the common wall on the side with the stairs as exposed brick, which saves on materials, and I love exposed brick.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

Before

See Kevin’s introductory post here.

After

When I first saw the basement to my home was unfinished, my eyes lit up with thoughts of the possibilities of what to turn that space into. My 29-year-old self instantly went to “Man Cave” with a huge TV and sound system, pool table, poker table and a kegerator…or two. But as I’ve matured and developed the need for more space (and less beer), my plans have changed. There will still be a big TV, but 70” is more than big enough for the space. A pool table just will not fit, no matter how I try, but a utility fridge for beer and other things is not a bad idea (besides I’ve come to enjoy a variety of quality beers more than large quantities of shitty beer.) So now instead of a man cave, I am building what my girlfriend likes to call a “Gentlemen’s Parlor”.

Because the basement was completely unfinished, I did not have to worry about saving or recreating any original elements in the space. But I didn’t want to create a space that wouldn’t fit with the flow and personality of the rest of the home. So while I had a blank canvas to work with, I will incorporate design elements and materials from the existing house to try and give it an old home feel.

I began the basement work in December of 2011 by replacing all of the old windows with glass block and building out the full bathroom/laundry, which was completed it in early January.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

Hello PoPville,

My name is Kevin and this is the first in a series of posts about two major remodeling projects I am undertaking on my Columbia Heights row house. I am excited to share my experiences with you because as the third owner of a 101 year old house that is nearly all original, I feel a responsibility to balance modern amenities while conserving the original character with any improvements I undertake. I hope documenting and sharing this process will inspire others to try to maintain as much of the history that has helped turn their house into a home.

Before I get into the fun of remodeling, I wanted to share a little background about the home. The three bedroom one bath Wardman house was built in 1911 and purchased by a couple who then passed away in the early 1940s. Their son worked in the government and had recently hired Ms. Carol Fig, who had moved to the area from South Carolina. Knowing she was looking for a place to live, the son of the original owners offered her the opportunity to buy the home fully furnished. In her more than 70 years living in the home, Ms. Fig kept it in amazing condition, maintaining all the little details which make this home a gem in an era when quick remodels are the norm.

Continues after the jump. (more…)