Living Room re-build

[alex grams]

I figure I would post a before and after of the re build on my living room built-ins. All work was done by myself (with help lifting the TV of course). Cabinets are birch with glass shelves and the recessed/built-in lighting is on a dimmer switch you can see on the left side.

Now, to build some side tables for the couch and such! I just have to convince the wife to let me buy a band saw so I can use some rarer woods and make some veneers for them!

[Nancy Laird]

What an improvement, Alex!!! Nice work (we still need a thumbs-up smilie!!)

Nancy (65 days)

[alex grams]

I had to take down the existing tile and refinish the fireplace face (since they had used adhesive to hold the tiles to the wall and also overlapped the tile over the metal fireplace front, which ruined it. So i sanded it down and refinished it with special paint.

The most annoying part was trying to build cabinets to go into a slot that wasn't square. Each one is about 1" wider in the back than it is in the front., which made it a pain to make the cabinets fit squarely. Also, the ceiling is about 1" higher over the right cabinet than the left.

I have done tilework before, but making sure they were at a perfect 45 angle was difficult for the first cut, because if you are remotely off on the angle, by the time you get the pattern to the opposite side, your pattern can be shifted a few inches, and it will really show.

[Jim Kountz]

Some good use of space there, I may have to steal some of your ideas for a jbo Im doing for a customer. They are still in the development stage right now but are looking for ideas! Good job!

[Glenn Clabo]

Well done Alex. Coming from someone (or two) who is remodeling...when you take your time and do it right...it just fits. Ya done good here.

[Jim Becker]

Quite a transformation! Very nice work.

[frank shic]

alex, did you do the original built-in's as well? they don't look half bad either!

[Mike Cutler]

Nice work Alex. They look fantastic, and so does the fireplace surround.

I'm in the middle of a remodel myself, but I'm still atthe gutted to the studs phase.

[alex grams]

I did not do the originals, they were from when the house was bought. They look decent in the picture, but if you got up close to them, it was all chipped up and crayon/marker was all over the sides of them, and the doors were shotty construction (previous owner had 3 kids, obviously with better things to do than stop them from destroying things).

We also didn't care much for the dead space above them, so we added the cabinets on the top for more storage of games/picture albums and such.

[Tyler Howell]

I like them both well done.
TJH

[Pete Brown]

(previous owner had 3 kids, obviously with better things to do than stop them from destroying things).

As the father of just one very active toddler I can tell you they probably didn't have much of a choice! :p

Pete

[alex grams]

I am sure your parenting skills were well above those of the people who lived in my house prior to myself. It was a nice house, but cleaning was not a word in their vocabulary.

The house has great potential, and thankfully the mess was mostly superficial and nothing major. But when previous neighbors said that when they came over for a kids birthday that they would go home to use the bathroom instead of using the ones in the house, you know that is messy.

[Ralph Okonieski]

Beautiful job. The natural wood is so much nicer than the painted. Very well done!

[Mike Vermeil]

Alex - just curious - is the TV comfortable to watch at that height?

[alex grams]

We were concerned with it being high, but it isn't bad.

It certainly changes your regular sitting position from laying down across the sofa to being more comfortable to put your feet up and sit/slouch. We are going to buy a sofa/love-seat combo with recliners in each end when we can find a set we like, this will be much more conducive of the TV.

The other concern we had was being able to use the track lighting while watching the TV, but the angle of the light is so steep that there is no problem at all with using both at the same time.