Addition Demo | Phase 1

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Ready to roll, we had our building permit and blueprints in hand. But the hardest challenge, we’d learn, was finding a builder.

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Installing Ceiling Beams

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Ceiling Beam Installation

We deciding faux barn beams were the way to go for our particular situation. I hope you caught the first post where we catalogued the whole process of making and weathering our beams. In case you missed it, we joined together three boards to look like one solid beam. However, it’s hollow in order to encase the retractable movie screen. After building them, bashing them and staining them, we’re ready to install them. It’s time to get these puppies onto the ceiling!

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DIY Wood Ceiling Beams

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DIY Wood Ceiling Beams

Back to the basement. There were a few reasons for making ceiling beams. We have a weird, lumpy low ceiling in the basement. Despite having just told you this, we wanted a way to draw attention away from its imperfections, and ceiling beams do just that. They’re also functional – this I will explain in a bit. And lastly, they just plain look good.

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LED Lighting Guide

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As you know, Joe has a bit of an LED obsession. As we’ve worked on various rooms, we’ve tried to replace our lighting as we go, upgrading to LEDs from fluorescents. They definitely save you money in the long run and are the overall more efficient option. Lighting is often overlooked, but it can make a serious difference in the look and feel of a space. So we’re going to shed some light on the subject.

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DIY Movie Room Remodel: Big Plans

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I’m as surprised as you are that we’re knee deep in a basement remodel. It sort of just happened.    ¯_(ツ)_/¯  Thanks football season, for spurring Joe on to set up his movie screen. (Shoutout to the Vikings!) We’ve actually been dreaming this room up for, well, since we moved in. We got a head start on the bigger parts of the project this month and will probably wrap things up in the winter. We’re excited to take you guys through our big renovation!

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Bathroom Remodel: Knockdown and Niches

DIY shower niches inset

Niches get Stitches

First things first. We had in mind that we’d like some shelves in the shower, right? Not any after-the-fact shelves, but real built-ins. There are a few ways to get recessed, inset shelves installed from the get go. Let’s explore the options.

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Bathroom Remodel | Framing the Shower

framing the bathroom

We Have Walls

They’re up! We just have to get them covered with sheetrock, but they’re looking good already. I’ve never done this, so it was all a learning experience for me. I even got to use gunpowder to nail into the concrete! It took me a few tries, but I finally made it through.

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Bathroom Demo | Phase 2

Bathroom Remodel Phase 2

Bathroom Background

Let’s back up a little and talk about this bathroom remodel. If you missed the first video, pop over to that and come back here when you’re done watching. Here’s a little intro of us getting hyped up to start, and me swinging a sledge hammer for the first time! Awww, my first (intentional) hole in the wall.

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Total Transformation

Under Construction

It’s been a whirlwind week! From finding a dream house to making an offer. Having the offer accepted to putting Joe’s house on the market… Wow. There was so much work put into his house, I can’t even believe it all started only one week ago. All I can say is THANK YOU to everyone who came over to move a truckload of boxes, shampoo the carpet, paint a room or jump on deep clean duty. We would have never been able to make that kind of progress alone. You were unconditionally there for us when we needed you.

Pulling Back the Curtain

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Labor Day Weekend

lake life is the good life

Laboring Days

Did you have a restful weekend? As much as Joe tried (or I tried to coax him) to relax, he found ways to work. We snuck away to my grandparents’ cabin in Wisconsin for a couple days and soaked up the summer/fall goodness.

Activities included the mandatory games of Phase 10, walking around the lake, boating, giant garage sale in the city of Siren, Shell Lake Days, and plenty of stories and laughs. But by Sunday afternoon, we were right back to fixing up the yard and boat.

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