Favorite Repair/Remodel Project?
 

I live in an older home (for this area). It was built in 1929. There have been few major remodels performed on the house since it was built, and the previous owner was rather neglectful in terms of maintenance (she bought a house that was too much for her). My husband and I have tackled several home repair/remodeling projects since we've moved in. Thanks to reading and watching a lot of "This Old House", we both feel more competent.

One major project (NOT my favorite, although I like the way it looks) we've done: repainting the kitchen. We still need to paint the ceiling and another wall in the kitchen to finish it. Maybe I'll finally get to it this weekend, but the problem with working on the kitchen for someone who likes to cook a lot on weekends is that the kitchen is out of commission while you're doing the project.

Another major project we've been working on by bits and pieces is a remodel of the one full bathroom in the house. It isn't a complete remodel in that we aren't looking to replace the tub or shower surround. So far we've replaced the toilet (my favorite project; I did it myself with some minor assistance from my husband tightening screws), the sink/vanity, and we've stripped off all the wallpaper. I'm sure ZombieSquirrel is tired of using a bathroom with four (five?) colors of paint visible on the walls, but we're trying to work out how much to replaster while we wait for the landlord (my dad) to send us a bathroom fan. Whoever threw up the wallpaper on the walls did so without repairing the plaster underneath it.

The problem with our house is that once you start a project, you invariably discover some way in which the previous owners tried to cover up a mistake they made or tried to jury-rig a solution, and what you thought would be a simple project turns out to be more complicated.

So what are some home projects you've enjoyed? I would say I enjoyed installing the toilet. It really wasn't that hard. Plus, two water-saving toilets, a new dishwasher, and a new washing machine means we're saving $25/mo. on our water bill. Eventually, everything will pay for itself!

I like creating usable spaces where there wasn't one before. I made this built-in desk for my wife's birthday from hacked together ikea bits:
http://i.imgur.com/v45PN.jpg

At our old house, I turned our front door entry, which we didn't use, into a craft room:

http://i.imgur.com/T2Vag.jpg http://i.imgur.com/K6R8e.jpg

I really like the ceiling fan that I installed in our living room, particularly the light kit that I made out of the stock light, as it matches the rest of the lights in our house perfectly.

http://i.imgur.com/oR5PL.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/m7hSe.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VqBlU.jpg

I also love our side yard...it's one of the few things I didn't do myself, but it's been great. Our house was new build, so when we moved in, the yard was just dirt, so we had contractors relocate the ground AC unit into the corner, build a little divider wall so you wouldn't have to look at it, and install artificial grass and pavers.

http://i.imgur.com/ajnOxl.jpg

Another good magazine is the "Old House Journal" which puts a little more emphasis on the historically correct approach.

My dad's favorite saying: "Wallpaper covers a multitude of sins."

Dad calls this the "mushroom factor."

When I bought my old house, it had been converted into four small apartments.:sad: I (with help, of course) knocked out some walls, removed two kitchens, and turned it into a nice spacious duplex. Mostly by myself I gutted two rooms completely, down to the studs, and put in new electrical wiring. Passed inspection, too.:thumbsup:

Lindy

I'll have to check out Old House Journal. We're still learning some of this stuff. Fortunately, my hubby is very handy. He's also a perfectionist, so the job had better be done right the first time or not done at all. I appreciate it; the house is technically my dad's, after all, and we want to hand it over to my parents when we move out in better shape than when we moved in (it already is).

by far the coolest remodeling project i've done is a camper. not the kind that are the size of a bus or anything, but rather the kind that sit in the bed of a truck. it was small so it led to massive amounts of personalization but then my hippie grampa took it to burning man and died shortly thereafter and left it to his newlywed wife at the supple age of 60-something

I was unhappy with my office chair, so I engaged in what became a two-stage conversion.

Step 1: increase leg-spread room, and create space to play my guitar without having to lean too far forward to avoid chair-arm. This was achieved by sawing away all of the chair arm except the L-Bracket which attaches the seat to the back.
http://www.glynmuir.co.uk/photos2/_DSC1025.jpg

Later, I decided I wanted it to be able to recline without tilting the seat. I un-anchored the top rear bolt from the arm, pushed the back waaay back so the hole would be proud, and re-affixed the bolt. The chair-back with that bolt was now free to swing back and forth, secured, as it was only by the lower rear bolt. I did the same mod on the other arm, happy to sacrifice elbow rests altogether.

I loosened the bolts to the seat. I was now able to wind stout nylon cord three times around the forward seat bolt and the upper back-bolt. Adjusting the angle was then a simple matter of untying the knot, tightening or loosening the 'pulleys' on either side, then re-knotting.

put in lumber liquidator bamboo flooring, was easy and almost fun.
I say almost, cause the beginning is fun, the end is fun but the middle is just laborious.

at $1.89sq/ft its cheaper than carpet.
just listed the house on the market in a SLOW area and got a full offer the FIRST day! it really makes a difference.

http://photos.imageevent.com/remy149...5779KatFCB.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/remy149.../_MG_0493a.jpg

i also made custom slide out drawers for kitchen stuff from spare wood.
http://photos.imageevent.com/remy149...nteriorIsm.jpg
got REAL ADD and stripped, routed out wood and put in glass for my plain old kitchen cabinets to resemble an IKEA style.
http://photos.imageevent.com/remy149...nteriorFsm.jpg

on any given project it just matters what inspiration I have and how much CAFFEINE I get during it.