Amy’s Second Floor Renovation: Phase Two

ByElle Murphy

Phase 2 of renovation… demo and planning phase.

As you probably are aware, I am a planner! Planning not only makes me sleep better at night but also makes the job go faster, saving time and money. 

As a quick recap…On a Saturday, we moved my youngest child into her first apartment. On Sunday we packed up what was remaining on the 2nd floor. On Monday, we started construction on the second floor. They removed the carpet and gutted the bathroom in about 3 hours!

I had ordered the plumbing and tile prior to starting construction but I wanted to make my final selections on furnishings before final ordering the lighting. And honestly, I have a full-time job, all of these selections take a long time (hence the Abrigo Home Interior Design Package offering) so I was a bit behind on decision making. I have updated the PSL (project status log) that you can view HERE. 

I have secured the following subs in advance of starting but I had to circle back about exact timeline once the contractor showed up: 

  • Painter & Wallpaper Hanger – she came over a week before starting and we reviewed the wallpaper samples and finalized exact colors for each room.
  • Electrician & Plumber – They both had to meet at the house to do a walk-through to make sure his staff knows what is going on and to budget time
  • Countertops – I had decided to go with a vanity that I ordered online because the custom one was going to take too long. This allowed me to also go ahead and order the countertops with backsplash and the shower threshold. They won’t need to template but they will deliver and install.
  • Hardwood Flooring – he came out and measured so that he can order materials and provide pricing.
  • Glass Door – I just need to make him aware that the project is happening and rough timeline. I’ll circle back again when I have a firm date for template. 

Layout:

Now that we are under construction, I need to make sure that everything is in place so that I can: Locate the sconces and switches exactly. In order to do this, I need to have the bedside tables and the bed frames selected. As well as anything  else that is going on that wall. For example, in one bedroom I have a built-in bookshelf, in another I have a shelf over the bed frame and in another bedroom I have a mirror with shelf and hooks. So all these items need to be selected on the bed wall and then the sconces can be placed for electrical rough-in. This is a very exact process and just provide the centerline of the fixture AND the diameter of the sconce plate (they come in 3.5” and 4”). From there, the electricians should be good.       

Now that everything is in place, I’m ready to order the following:

  • Lighting
  • Vanity
  • Wallpaper
  • Shelf
  • Mirrors

I want all of these items on the job site asap so that they can be used as reference for the contractors and they are ready to go when final install time comes around.