And the wall comes down

Nearly a year after we moved into our house, we have finally saved enough money and gotten up the courage to tackle our first real construction project.

Well, actually, we hired a professional to tackle our first construction project.  We are not stupid, we know our limitations.

When dealing with load bearing walls, headers, electricity, flooring, cabinets and granite, we feel its best to call in the professionals, mostly because we have no idea what to do or where to start.

I was a little bummed that we happened to be out of town when the "take down" happened.  I had envisioned myself with safety goggles on and a sledge hammer in hand, making the first hole.

Oh well, it was really fun leaving it like this:

And coming home to this.

Luckily for us, my little sister came and stayed at our place while we were gone and took over the job of photographically documenting the progress. Thanks Chels!

Buh-bye lath & plaster

Getting down to the 1918 studs

New header and the wall is going back up

Its so open!

We are loving the progress and should be finished up in a few weeks.

There is still a lot to do, but we are already thrilled with the progress, and our contractor is fantastic!

Still to do:

1. Finish installing new recessed lighting
2. Lay hardwood floors in kitchen and den
3. Intall island cabinets
4. Install granite counter top on island
5. Install wood siding to box-in the fridge
6. Pick and install new subway tile backsplash
7. Paint the kitchen
8. Sand and seal the hardwood floors
9. Pick and install a new dining room chandelier

And then, once all that is done and the dust has settled (literally), we will have to clean and clean and clean. The lath & plaster coming down, created so much dust and dirt.  I don't know if we will ever be done with the dust.

I'll keep you updated on the progress as it happens. I'm sure you are waiting on the edge of your seats.