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You are here: Home / Renovations / Family Room Renovation / Making Progress on the Family Room (Family Room 4)

Making Progress on the Family Room (Family Room 4)

September 17, 2014 by SmartGirl 6 Comments

So it’s been awhile since I gave you an update on the family room.  Partly because I never work on it.  Partly because I never write about it.  Ha!  We left off with the electrical work (post HERE), which I had an electrician do because I don’t mess with that stuff.  I had already hung drywall next to the fireplace, but I still needed to drywall the other side of the room, where I tore down part of the wall on a whim (post HERE).  I must say I L.O.V.E. the extra light that comes into the kitchen now.  But before I could put up the last piece of drywall, I decided that the dimmer switch the electrician installed had to be moved to the left a bit.  Last minute changes to the wallYea, I’m annoying like that.  But my thinking is that I am going to do some sort of build in bookshelf on that wall and the switch would’ve been covered.  The only problem was — there was a stud right where I wanted the switch.Moving a wall switch 8 inchesHubby actually handled this one and made a hole in the (non-weight barring) stud and moved the box over.  Yay!   Now it’s about as close to the end of the wall as it can get.  Hey, at least I realized before I finished the drywall.  This is what the wall looked like after my painstakingly slow process of mudding-sanding-mudding-sanding.  Drywall is up and mudding doneYou were privy to this process if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram.Me after sanding the family room ceilingSnart Girls DIY - sanding a ceilingAnd then I finally primed the walls and ceiling.  F.I.N.A.L.L.Y.  The tape on the floor is acting as my markings so I can figure out where I want my built-ins.  Of course the step will have to be widened too.Corner of family room all primed and ready for paintFrom the other end of the room…Love the way this end turned outleft side of family room

Now for the fireplace wall

The bottom piece of drywall wouldn’t sit completely flush to the studs because part of the brick remained behind the wall.  But it still looks damn good, if I do say so myself.  🙂wall where fireplace used to beAnd there were lots of holes in the walls and ceiling after demo night.  I patched them all up and it’s all good.Lots of holes in the wall after demo nightIt’s a huge improvement from the paneling and over-sized, lopsided fireplace.  As you can see, we’re going to hang the TV to the right of the fireplace.  (Read before post HERE)huge improvement to the fire placeThis side looks a lot worse.  I’m still not sure what I’m going to do with the fireplace, but I’m starting to narrow it down.  Check out my fireplace pinterest board to see all my inspiration.This side of the fireplace needs workThen there’s the floor.  This is where the fireplace hearth was.  I’m going to tear the carpet out anyway, so it’ll all be good soon.  I’m thinking of tiling the whole room!what is left of the floor after removign the fireplace

No more beams

This is one of the best parts — taking down the faux ceiling beams.Brighter larger family room after removing beams and part of fireplace sanding the ceiling after removing the beamsLast minute sanding before I primed the ceiling. final touchups on the ceiling

removed beams and spackled ceilingNow the room seems so much bigger and brighter.  I love it!  It never made sense to me that they put beams in the one room that already had a drop ceiling.  Family room renovation- removed ceiling beamsAnd I’m so happy that you can’t even tell there were beams there.  I hate a poor patch job on a ceiling!

Here’s what’s been happening with the family room:

  • Ladies Demo + Wine Night
  • Family Room Can of Worms
  • Family Room Gets Wired Up
  • Making Progress on the Family Room  <<You are here
  • Design Choices for the Family Room
  • Family Effort this Weekend
  • The Built-in Bookshelf and Why It’s Not Finished
  • Built-in Bookshelf Using IKEA BESTA
  • Self-Leveling Concrete 
  • Tiling Herringbone Floor
  • Grouting the Herringbone Floor
  • New Step into Family Room
  • Lego Coffee Table
  • Under Couch Lego Storage
Brick fireplace wall gone

It’s Ladies Night and the Demo Is Right (Family Room 1)

I sledge hammered the wall

Family Room Can of Worms (Family Room 2)

We hired an electrician to put in recessed lights

Family Room Gets Wired Up (Family Room 3)

Family Room Mood Board

Design Choices for Family Room (Family Room 5)

Buying out IKEA Philladelphia this weekend

It Was a Family Effort This Weekend (Family Room 6)

Family room bookshelves - Copy

Built-In Bookcase and Why It’s Not Finished (Family Room 7)

Ikea BESTA made to look built in

DIY Built-in Bookshelves Using Ikea BESTA (Family Room 8)

Lego Coffee table was perfect for our LEGO Christmas

New Year — New Lego Coffee Table

Tiling family room -- using self-leveler

I Always Wanted to Try Self-Leveler (Family Room 9)

How To Tile a Herringbone Floor (Family Room 10)

Grouting a Herringbone Tile Floor (Family Room 11)

New and Improved Step Down to Family Room

Under Couch Lego Storage Drawer

Pulling It Together For Christmas

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Filed Under: Family Room Renovation, Renovations Tagged With: drywall, family room, paint

« Kitchen Dilemmas
Design Choices for Family Room (Family Room 5) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cindy says

    September 17, 2014 at 1:15 pm

    It looks great! Did you pick out a paint color yet?

    Reply
    • SmartGirl says

      September 17, 2014 at 2:32 pm

      Thanks Cindy! No. I haven’t picked out anything yet. My head is spinning with choices and that’s basically what’s holding up the operation at this point. I like the way it looks with the ceiling and walls the same color. It kind of masks the low ceiling. So maybe a really light shade of green/blue like what’s in the kitchen now. Both rooms are going to be the same color. Decisions, decisions…

      Reply
  2. marie says

    September 17, 2014 at 8:08 pm

    Thanks for the inspiration! I’m in the middle of skim coating my entire.basement (there were 4 different textures going on!) ugh.

    Can’t wait to see what you do – tile would be so stylish!

    Reply
    • SmartGirl says

      September 17, 2014 at 9:01 pm

      We should start a support group Marie!! I’m working on a post right now with all my design choices. Please check back and give me your input. Thanks!

      Reply
  3. nicole says

    September 17, 2014 at 11:30 pm

    It looks amazing! I need you to come to my house and help me with pocket doors! Way to go friend! So glad I popped by! You are rocking it! Nicole xo

    Reply
  4. Julie at Being Home says

    September 18, 2014 at 3:02 am

    Lookin’ good! You have made some really good progress! 🙂 I look forward to seeing your next post about design choices. So – are you going to use those corbels in the fireplace? lol 🙂

    Reply

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