All Walled In

Drywall makes all the difference. The great room/kitchen is really starting to take shape.
I came home from work to this welcome sight. The greenboard drywall is installed around the sink area because it is water resistant.
The arch is looking awesome! (the red stuff is glue used to secure the plastic trim)

Here's Merrill inspecting the workGene and Holly came over to check out the progress and Gene and Merrill discuss the details of the work completed and what's next. Jan and Merrill are really grateful to Gene for the supervision he is giving the project. Things get done when Gene's around. They are also very grateful for the many hours John has put into working on the remodel and meeting with the Inspectors. John is always willing to do whatever he can to help.
What GREAT brothers they are!

Color Speaks to the Soul!

So many colors to choose from....Sunbeam Yellow, Warm Butterscotch, Birdseye Maple, Twine, and Olive Hint. Every square inch of drywall becomes a canvas.

This picture also shows a sneak peek of the kitchen cabinets!
The front runners are Regency Cream (bottom left), Root Beer Float (bottom right), and Desert Floor (green on top)
Here are the colors again with the inspiration piece.....any opinions??

Insulation In

As previously noted because the under counter lights and the over the cupboard lights were energy efficient they were were able to pass the electrical inspection. Next step install the insulation. John and Jan got up early one morning, to make yet another trip to Home Depot, to buy insulation. (Where was Merrill you ask?? Having a fun filled couple of days in VEGAS with his brothers!)

John installed a major portion of the insulation but made sure to leave some for Merrill to finish when he returned. Even Dad got in on the action supervising the work but unfortunately we didn't get a picture.

These pictures show the insulation complete

Windows and Electrical

This past week, all the windows were installed and the electrical and plumbing progressed.


The old kitchen window has been replaced with a window that is a little bit smaller.

Looking at the windows from the outside really shows the difference of the old and new window. The next couple pictures show the electrical installation ready for inpsection. This is the kitchen window.
The back wall of the kitchen.

Looking from the back wall of the kitchen toward the front door, this picture shows the new can lights installed in the ceiling. UPDATE: Unfortunately the electrical did not pass inspection because 50% of the new lighting must be energy efficient. The cans will need to be removed and replaced. New Update: Because the undercounter and over cupboard lighting was energy efficient they were able to pass inspection without removing the cans.The new slider and bathroom window. The steps under the slider will be extended to the wall of the house. You can see the bathroom window is a bit smaller than the original leaving holes for the stucco/drywall to be repaired.
With the demolition of the kitchen we needed to have a place to set up a temp kitchen. Solution - our Outdoor Kitchen!

Now we're getting somewhere!

On Monday, the framers were onsite to remove the walls that we demoed and install the beams that will replace the support needed for the second floor. When I got home from work they had the beams shored up so it didn't look that much different than when I left that morning.


Yesterday however, was a different story. They removed the shoring, and fabricated this slight arch at the beam. The room is now open all the way to the back . This picture was taken from the front door. You can't see if from here, but the window at the far end on the left was replaced.

The new window is a little longer than the original window. In the remodeled kitchen the sink will be below this window.

The back door is gone and in it's place is a new sliding door. The plumbers were also there yesterday installing the connections for the refridgerator and the washer and dryer.

Demo Done, Ready for the Contractors

With the exception of the washer and dryer still on duty in the Laundry Room the work is all done and ready for the Contractors to show up and start work.

This picture is from the front door looking in towards the Kitchen.
You can see part of the ceiling in the Front Room. During the week Merrill and I removed the Acoustical Ceiling Spray (Popcorn Ceiling) from the front room. It was an awfully messy job to do and if I was asked my advice, I would recommend hiring professionals to do it!

This picture is where the sink and counter used to be. Soon it will house the refrigerator and three large pantry cupboards.

This is another picture looking into the Laundry Room, the door leading to the backyard will be removed and a wall will be in it's place with Sliding Glass Doors installed next to it.

The Demolition

Saturday October 29th the demo began. Ed and Merrill removed the cupboards and counters the night before.


Grandpa and Wes worked together to make sure the electricity was off before we started tearing out the walls.

Ed and I got in on the action. And in case you're wondering, yes, those are steel toed flip flops I have on!

Sorry this picture is so blurry. But it's a good shot showing our progress near mid-day. Grandma and Grandpa went and picked up Subway for lunch. It was great to take time out of the work.

This is Will working to remove the drywall from this wall which will eventually be removed by the framers.

Jan, Merrill and John working on the wood floor in the kitchen that had to be removed. Jan and I got our "work boots" from the same place!

Unfortunately the camera missed a few other people who came to help. Jay was there right at 8:00 am ready to get to work. Like the good Dad that he is, he had to leave to go to Owen's soccer game before I remembered to get out my camera. He did come back after the game but still didn't get in any pictures. Gene and Holly were also there helping and I'm sorry I didn't catch them either.

I know Jan and Merrill are grateful for all the help, it was a big job but it was fun doing it together!

The Before Pictures

The following pictures are what the Bailey Home looked like before the demo started.

This picture is from the front door looking into the kitchen with the Laundry Room door closed.


The sink area looking into the Laundry Room
















This is looking from the Laundry room door out towards the front door



















This is the Laundry/Storage Room

The Beginning

I've determined myself to be the self acclaimed "Official Blogger" for the kitchen remodel of the Bailey Home, and as such have decided to use this blog space to chronicle the progress of the work.

First things first, "The Plans." The following plan shows the existing floor plan, of the 1st floor, with areas to be demolished marked in red. In addition to the areas indicated the entire floor of the Utility Room and half of the kitchen floor will be removed.

The work commenced on October 30, 2010 and should be completed on or around December 20, 2010.


This second picture shows the floor plan after the remodel is complete.