Posted by jsexton – October 31, 2006 10:03 PM
It took the flooring crew about a day and a half to install the hardwood floor, which is white oak. It then took three days to sand it and put down three coats of polyurethane. We had to move out... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 30, 2006 10:28 PM
I've read plenty of stories about all the stress that occurs when a family does a big home renovation. I've even experienced a few big projects first hand. Throughout them we've maintained a pretty good degree of sanity and humor.... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 30, 2006 10:06 PM
Next we needed to choose the type of wood for our floors. We have a hickory floor in our family room. The entryway is white oak. So the choice came down to which floor to match.... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 30, 2006 9:47 PM
We really like wood floors, particularly for the public spaces in our home. We like the visual warmth wood gives a room, how simple it is to clean and how it's easy on allergy sufferers. For the record, we do... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 29, 2006 12:08 PM
Hi, this is Angelique Medow, architectural and interior designer for the Sexton home. If you are looking for a designer to help you create a new look in your home or business, it's important to know two things: how you... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 25, 2006 9:54 PM
The LVL support beams have all been installed; the old walls are gone. Wow! Now we're making progress. My friend Tim Doyle, who lives across the street, took these photos with his wide angle lens. This is the view from... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 23, 2006 9:50 PM
Installing these LVLs super beams is very challenging for a couple of reasons: 1) they weigh over 300 pounds, 2) you have to cut into the existing framing to make room to insert them. A lot of sweat went into... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 22, 2006 9:10 PM
When you remove load bearing walls (we're taking out three), you have to provide serious support for the areas where the walls previously stood. Otherwise, you weaken the structure of your home. And, worst case scenario, your upstairs comes tumbling... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 18, 2006 9:46 PM
This is a guest post from Gretchen, the wife/mother of this operation. She has spent a lot of time with the construction team. This is her take on them. My kids call our crew "the guys." When I pick them... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 16, 2006 9:22 PM
The construction team we're working with is Tennessee Property Restoration. These guys have been very impressive. When our first choice wasn't available, we asked Angelique for a recommendation. She had good things to say about this team: honest, dependable and... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 15, 2006 12:07 PM
Many people have asked about the cost of working with a designer. For us it was $5,000. At first, this sounded like a lot money; I wasn't sure we needed to spend this much. But in hindsight, hiring Angelique has... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 14, 2006 8:32 PM
As you can imagine, the dust and debris from this project is significant. Our crew does a nice job of cleaning up at the end of each day. But still, we track sheetrock chunks and sawdust upstairs into the bedrooms... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 11, 2006 9:10 PM
Our kitchen remodel is a "tear everything out and start fresh" job, so the first week of hands-on-work is simply ripping everything out. That's not just the cabinets, stove and the obvious stuff. We're taking it down to the studs.... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 10, 2006 9:43 PM
One of the choices we got stuck on (actually it was me who got stuck), was the color of the wood floor. We're planning wood floors in the kitchen, dining room and eating area. Angelique felt a dark wood floor... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 7, 2006 10:00 PM
Early on when Gretchen and I were thinking about this kitchen remodel, we decided we needed help from a designer. We had a basic game plan in mind, but since we wanted to change the floor plan, we weren't confident... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 3, 2006 10:35 PM
I've mentioned that walls are coming down -- between our kitchen and dining room, between a small eating area and the kitchen, and between the eating area and the family room. We're also moving the bathroom from the middle of... Continue reading »
Posted by jsexton – October 1, 2006 12:18 PM
I should tell you that I have more than a passing interest in kitchens. I work at Scripps Networks -- the company that runs the cable networks HGTV, DIY, Food Network, Fine Living and GAC (Great American Country). I oversee... Continue reading »
