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You are here: Home / Renovations / Family Room Renovation / New and Improved Step Down to Family Room

New and Improved Step Down to Family Room

March 12, 2015 by SmartGirl Leave a Comment

The family room renovation has been dragging on for nearly a year, but I am making progress.  I need to hurry up and finish so I can tear apart my kitchen.  And renovate the downstairs bathroom.  I’ve also been doing a few side projects since I started the family room, the biggest one being the upstairs hallway.  If you remember, demo started on the hallway and the family room the same day.  Check out that post HERE.  Would ya look at that?  March 22, 2014 is when the demo started.  No further comment.Smart Girls DIY - removing paneling at demo and wine night

Anyway, this is a quick post.  Part of the family room demo included taking out the step leading from the kitchen.  It’s one of those one thing led to another…  If you recall, I took out a piece of the wall between the two rooms (which was a brilliant idea if I do say so myself!) which left a drop down into the family room.  Random Wall Demo

I also took out the half wall between the two rooms.  Actually, I let the rest of the family do most of the work on that one.  Then the wall sat in my yard for a few weeks until bulk trash day rolled around.  Yes, you know how my life revolves around bulk trash day!  The half wall will be replaced with cabinets with a counter top and bar stools.  I can’t wait!!

Little man helping with demo

You can see the random wall is gone in this picture and the carpet is removed from the floor, but the carpeted step is still there.

So clearly I needed to make a wider step.  Out came the old one.  Removing family room step downHere’s a quick (and silent – so you can watch it at work) video of me fumbling around trying to get the damn thing out.

I planned on tiling around the step, but I didn’t want to build the step first.  Instead I built a temporary dam that worked to keep the self-leveler out (post HERE) and gave me an outline to tile around.  By building the step after I tiled, I was able to hide the edges of the tile without having to use any type of molding.  I hate unnecessary molding.  But for about two months we had tile floor and NO STEP.  Solution?  Use boxes of tile as a temporary step.  We hosted Thanksgiving like this… because, yep, that’s how we roll.  My father-in-law was so not happy with this arrangement.Makeshift step using tile boxesNew step will be much wider - how to replace a step down into family roomThere’s been a lot of review in the post.  Moving on…

I used 2×6 around 3 edges and attached a 2×3 to the back wall.  None of these pieces will be seen in the end.  Those boards standing up on the left are to help me figure out where the new planked cabinet wall will come to.Building a wider stepBuilding a new wider step-downThen I added supports.Ryobi tools used to build frame for new stepI tried to stain the treads and riser to match the wood-look tile floor.  Mah.  It’s not so good. Using multiple stains on wood stepsNext it was time for a test fit.  I used one 2×8 and one 2×6 because I wanted something wider than 11″ but not quite as wide as 15″.  It will look a little more balanced once the top riser is added.  But that won’t be until I tile the kitchen floor.  Test fitting the new wider stepIt fit together well, so it was time to make it permanent.  I didn’t want to use screws because I don’t think it would be attractive, so I used nails instead.  After a few months of use I’m thinking I might have to add some nails with bigger heads.  I haven’t yet.

Clamps are a girls best friend.  Using clamps to attach riser to new step

Whereas nail sets are a necessary evil.Setting nails -- building new DIY stepUsing a nail set to --- set nails on new stair treadTime for the last piece…Last piece to install on step - you cant even see the nailsAnd it’s finished.  I purposely did not seal the step because I am reserving the right to add more stain at any time.  It also adds to the rustic look.  For instance, I added more of the driftwood stain this morning before I snapped these pictures.  Dude, it’s cool I can walk on it almost instantly because I add such a small amount and rub it in with a rag.  Boom.Driftwood Stained DIY family room stepNew family room stepNew wider step down from kitchen to family roomNew DIY step down from kitchen to family roomYes it will look a bazillion times better when I do the kitchen floor too.  I know.  Here’s were the family room renovation stands:

  • Demo fireplace
  • Remove ceiling beams
  • Remove random wall
  • Move electric that was in random wall
  • Remove half wall
  • Drywall everything, tape, mud, etc
  • Patch ceiling
  • Paint ceiling
  • Add recessed lighting (electrician did this)
  • Add outlets and cable on new TV wall (electrician again)
  • Build wall to wall built-in bookshelves
  • Remove carpet and clean floor
  • Remove step
  • Use self-leveler to level concrete floor 
  • Tile and grout floor in herringbone pattern
  • Paint walls
  • Build new step
  • Buy couch
  • Hang TV on the wall
  • Switch back to cable
  • Build new paneled cabinet wall
  • Extend heat duct in cabinet wall – needs to be redone
  • Install counter top and trim on cabinet wall
  • Build coffee/Lego table
  • Add lighting to built-in
  • Modify and repaint dresser into TV console
  • Tile fireplace and build mantel – I need to figure out what I want to do here!
  • Add base molding
  • Curtains for both windows
  • Renovate adjoining kitchen!
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)

Making Progress on the Family Room (Family Room 4)

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)

Under Couch Lego Storage Drawer

Pulling It Together For Christmas

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Filed Under: Family Room Renovation, Renovations, Woodworking Tagged With: family room, stairs

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