basement remodel :: part 2 :: DEMO DAY! (or week....)

if you missed part 1, read this first!

ok. if you look at this little kitchen area, there is a closet on the left...that really cuts into the kitchen area AND creates a long hallway leading into the bedroom behind it. we wanted to get rid of all that and open it up some (and get rid of the hallway.) we also wanted a reason to use a crowbar and sledgehammer ;-)

so, our first order of business was gutting the kitchen cabinets...

they are taking out the screws that held the braces that held the shelves in the closet. SO not necessary since we took out those walls. but it kept them busy ;-)

 upper cabinets are out. now for the counter...

 trying not to destroy the walls TOO badly.

 now just the lower cabinets are left...

 as we were taking out the cabinet with the sink we caused a leak. we know our limits. we called in our friend at Wacker Plumbing :-)

next was to take out that closet and the bar area!! I spent a number of afternoons working on this. it was so fun. and messy. bags and BAGS of drywall. that's the part they don't show on Fixer Upper ;-)

since we took out that closet. and the door that led to the bathroom, we had to buy some tools and a new door. and watch a lot of youtube videos to figure out how to frame a door and hang a door.

this was ALL Pat. he did such an awesome job. there was a vent in the ceiling that didn't give him much space to work with. and of course nothing was straight or level. he is such a detail person, and it paid off with a door that is very well installed!

finished door!
then we hired people to come in and fix all the drywall where we had made holes. and put recessed lighting in the whole basement. besides the plumbing mishap, this was one of 2 days that other people worked on our basement. (the other day was installing the carpet on the stairs.) it doesn't seem like that big of a deal, "just moving the door back 6 feet"...but it ended up being a TON of time and energy! but we LOVE how it opened the area up.