The Living Room

Part of our kitchen/laundry remodel includes updating and improving our living room. We couldn't very well continue living in the Frankenstein house, with a gorgeous new kitchen and a frightening living room within sight, could we? Besides, we knew that once we opened the walls we'd have many of the same issues we've found with those in the laundry room and kitchen, mainly that the window openings were never properly "headed" and the load-bearing status of those walls were pressing down upon glass windows. We have torn out the paneling on the living room walls, exposing the studs underneath and finding that the windows themselves were load-bearing. We've strengthened the headers (and, in some cases, put in new, never-before-installed headers), shored up the walls with glued and screwed plywood, replaced the windows, replaced the paneling with drywall, covered the paneled ceiling with drywall, textured, painted, and put in decent baseboards. Many thanks to Chris and Ross for their tireless hours improving our lives. Thank you!

For those of you unfamiliar with the "before" status (photos are truncated, click on them for full view) ....



The old windows, which were single-pane, and which wouldn't close properly and leaked heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. We've since determined that they didn't close properly because they were under so much pressure.


The new windows installed with proper headers and support studs underneath.


Notice how the 40-year-old (dark) stud is bowing to the right from supporting too much weight by itself.


Ross's solution for one of the windows on the South (porch) side wall which was to be replaced with a smaller window and had little-to-no support to begin with. Pardon the clutter beyond the window opening ... this is what our porch looks like while we store our kitchen contents on the pool table out there!


The living room with raw drywall installed.


Drywall, taped and mudded.


The state of affairs during priming.


Can you say ... nearly finished? We still have to do crown moulding, A/C vents, and re-installation of the ceiling fan, but I. am. thrilled!!!!!