Basement Remodel: Week #9 + 1 day

   Things are definitely wrapping up on our remodeling project! This last week we had a lot of finishing detail work happen, and were able to see the space as mostly done! We're so glad that this project was able to be completed ahead of the original schedule, and we're glad that we have time before baby gets here to get furniture and storage items back in place!

   A couple weekends ago, when I left for Wisconsin, I didn't get pictures taken of the work that was finished on that Friday, June 19th. So I'm including that work in with this last week's work. The work that was completed that Friday was pretty impressive, and made the space more complete in just the one day! We had the trim guy here finishing his work by installing the stained doors with hardware, installing cabinet and bathroom hardware, finishing the crown molding work on the linen closet in the bathroom, and finishing the attachment and securing of the stair railing.

   On that Friday we also had a carpet guy here installing the carpet in the theater area, guest bedroom, and on the stairs. It came together really fast, and looks amazing! I was glad I was able to see most of it done before I left town!

   This past week we had final touches happening throughout the basement, and wow does it look great! On Monday our vanity countertop was delivered and installed in the bathroom and sink basins were put in. Then on Tuesday the plumbers came back to install the vanity fixtures and make sure all the water lines were ready to go.

   From Wednesday to Friday we had a painter here touching up the dings in the walls, putting on a final coat of paint, touching up and filling nail holes in the trim, and patching any stained wood work that needed any re-touches. He definitely had his work cut out for him with all the trim work and fixtures he had to work around, but it looks great and the colors are perfect! He still has a little bit of trim to finish up this next week, but for the most part the final paint work is done!

   We also had our custom trimmed-out mirrors delivered this past week for installation! I haven't seen them yet out of the box, but I can't wait to see how they turn out in the bathroom space!

   There are still a couple little things that will be happening next week, but, for the most part, the basement will be ready mid-week and ready for us to "move" into! Here are the pictures of all the finishing work from the last week and previous Friday:

Numbered Blueprint of where pictures are taken for your convenience

1.) Stairway leading to the basement with the carpeting and handrail installed

2.) A view from the bottom of the stairs with both banisters and the carpet

3.) A view of the guest bedroom with the closet doors installed, the paint finished, and carpet installed.

4.) Other half of the guest bedroom

5.) The gallery wall painted and finalized

6a.) A view of the vanity from the doorway of the bathroom.

6b.) A closer view of the hardware on the vanity

6c.) A view of the vanity countertop and faucet fixtures from inside the bathroom

7.) The custom linen closet trimmed out and with hardware installed

8.) A view of the majority of the theater room with carpet, paint, and trim done.

9.) A closer view of the theater wall and sconces. You can also see a little of the hardware on the cabinet doors.

10a.) The bar is still housing some odds and ends right now, but you can see the hardware and beverage cooler installed. The large box on the left is our vanity mirrors, and some of the tools are Ian's because he is working on building storage shelves in the back room this weekend.

10b.) A close up view of the bar hardware and beverage fridge.

11.) An overall view of the living room area with the paint, trim, and flooring done!

   We are so pleased with this space and with Ispiri for working so hard to get it done for us! We can't wait to use it in a couple weeks when Ian's brother and his family get here, and then again in August when our parents are here visiting our little guy! Ispiri has been awesome to work with, and we definitely will be hiring them again in the future when we decide to remodel our master bathroom!

   Next weekend I will be posting more of the finishing touches of the basement project (with some of our furniture, too)! Thanks for following along with our project, and we look forward to sharing more exciting things with you soon!

Basement Remodel: Week #8 - 1 day

   Another week has come and gone and our basement is looking practically finished! I can't believe all the details that were wrapped up this week, and how amazing everything has come together!

   I am actually in Wisconsin this weekend for my baby shower. So I didn't get to see the finishing touches that were done in the basement on Friday, but I thought I would post the progress from this week anyway! I will include Friday's work with the finishing touches next week instead!

   This week we had a lot of people here doing the odd and end jobs that needed to be wrapped up. We had the electrician here installing light fixtures, puck lights, and cover plates throughout the basement, the plumbers were here installing faucets, fixtures, and our new water heater, the trim guy was back installing quarter round, doors, hardware, and the rest of the molding, the beverage fridge was delivered by the appliance guys, the stained doors were delivered by the painters, the glass doors and shelves were installed by the glass guys, and the HVAC guy came to install the bathroom fan and vent covers. All of this happened Tuesday through Thursday! Crazy, right??!!?!

   On Friday when I left for Wisconsin, the trim guy was finishing up his stuff and carpet was being installed in the theater, bedroom, and stairwell. I can't wait to see what this looks like when I get back home! It'll definitely seem more finished that's for sure!

   We only had a couple small hiccups this week, but nothing that will set us back. The vanity countertop for the bathroom was still not done, but should be here on Monday for installation. However, this means that the plumbers will have to come back to install the vanity fixtures next week, too. We also have not heard when our custom framed mirrors will be delivered for the bathroom. We ordered two mirrors that are framed out in the same wood and stain as the vanity, but there was a huge delay in processing for these. Hopefully they will be here by next week as well.

   Electrical and plumbing also had a couple hiccups during final installation, too. We are missing 3 shades for a couple light fixtures that were installed (1 was shipped broken, and the other 2 we aren't sure where they are). As far as we know, though, replacements were ordered right away at the beginning of this week.

   Plumbing was missing our bar faucet when they first got here, but was able to call in the part for special delivery that day. However, the water heater gave them more troubles. First the wrong tank was delivered to the house at the beginning of the week. Then when the right tank came, the back panel on the tank had issues with the wiring. So they had to call in another same-day delivery for a new panel. It was all straightened out, though, and the water heater was up and working by 5pm that day!

   It's really looking awesome down there, and we can't believe we're almost done with this project! Pretty soon we'll have to start moving all the furniture and holiday decorations back down there to get ready for our July visitors and the arrival of our little guy!

   Here are the progress pictures from Tuesday to Thursday's work this last week:

Numbered Blueprints showing where the pictures below were taken in relation to the whole project.

1.) Ceiling fan, smoke detector, and vents were all installed in the guest bedroom. We also installed two switches for the fan: one for the light, and one for the fan. That way our guests can conveniently use whichever they want!

2.) The rest of our doors were delivered by the painters for installation this week.

3.) The quarter round trim was installed in the hallway, bar/living areas of the basement.

4.) The puck lights were installed in the gallery wall at the bottom of the stairs, and are set on a dimmer.

5.) The light fixtures were installed in the hallway and stairway, and vent covers and the smoke detector were also installed in the hallway (Boji is checking everything out, too)!

6.) The pocket door was installed in the bathroom. I love the stain color!

7.) Our light fixtures, exhaust fan, vents, and can lights were all installed in the bathroom.

8.) Trim was installed around the linen closet in the bathroom. However, we're checking to see if there is crown molding yet to be installed over the header.

9.) The glass door was installed in the shower.

10.) The toilet was installed.

11.) Here's a picture of our brand new water heater! We didn't need to replace ours yet, but we needed something more efficient now that our family is expanding. We were running out of hot water quickly after only a couple showers or running a couple loads of laundry. This new one is 98% efficient and will heat water in less than 10 minutes! We also switched from an electric one to a gas one, and are excited about the cost savings with that as well! Love it!

12.) The sconces on either side of the projection screen wall were installed. All the lights in the theater area are on dimmers!

13.) The bar had a lot of finishing work done! The puck lights and under cabinet lights were installed, the glass doors and shelves were put in, the new beverage fridge was delivered, the bar faucet and drain were installed, and the rest of the crown molding and quarter round was installed, too!

14.) Here's an overview picture of the living and theater area with all the can lights installed and vent covers put on as well. The quarter round was also installed in this area, but it's hard to see in the picture.

   That was our week of final installs! I am super excited to see the rest of the work they got done on Friday after I left! I'm sure it looks even more complete with the doors and carpet installed! Plus I think all our hardware for doors, bathroom, and the bar were also installed on Friday!

   It's the final stretch now, and we're really excited to have this extra living space for our family and friends to enjoy with us! I will be back next weekend with more updates and pictures to keep you all updated! Have a great week!

Basement Remodel: Week #7

  Hey, everyone! Sorry I wasn't able to get this posted over the weekend. I was in Iowa for my second baby shower, and the blogger website was not working on my tablet for some reason. So I waited to finish loading all the pictures once I was back in MN!

   Last week we saw some big finishing changes happen in the basement: the painters finished sealing and edging out the trim, the granite countertop was installed in the back bar, the luxury vinyl tile (LVT) was installed in the bar, hall, and bathroom, the bar back-splash was installed, plus the sinks, plumbing fixtures, toilet, and light fixtures were all delivered.

   The project is moving along really well and we are still on track to be completely finished in 2 1/2 weeks!
We only had a couple hiccups this week, but nothing that should set the schedule back. When countertops were being delivered, the installers found that the vanity top holes for the sinks were cut too large for the model sink bases that we have. The company is putting a rush on re-fabricating this countertop, and it should be ready for install as early as this week (June 18th set date).

   The other minor set back is in relation to the vanity top not being completed. The plumbers will have to make another scheduled visit later on to finish installing the sinks, faucets, and fixtures in the bathroom. However, this won't set the schedule back either!

   We are still waiting to hear when the glass door for the shower, glass shelves and doors for the bar, and a replacement window (for the broken one upstairs...I will have to post on this later...I don't think I took pictures) will be installed. Again, nothing that sets us back, but just another detail we are waiting to hear about.

   Okay enough babbling! Here are the updated pictures from last week's progress:

For your reference, here's a numbered blueprint of where pictures were taken.

1.) Trim was painted and sealed in the guest bedroom, around the closet, and around the egress window. It's a little hard to tell in the pictures where the trim is exactly because the over spray from the paint is on the walls, too.

2.) Here's the other side of the bedroom with the trim pieces up. You can also see Boji in the doorway.

3.) Here's what the stair rails look like finished! The dark stain will also be on our doors, but the spindles are staying painted! I love how this turned out!

4.) A view of the whole bathroom. The vanity countertop will be installed next week after it's re-fabricated.

5.) Here's the LVT flooring that we put in the bathroom. We also opted to grout in between these panels to make it appear more tile-like.

6.) Here's a view of the hallway/gallery wall with the LVT plank flooring installed. The paper covering is to protect the floor as countertops are installed.

7.) We had enough of the plank LVT to finish off the closet space under the stairs!

8.) Here's the back bar progress! They installed the granite countertop, the bar sink, the tile back-splash, and the plank flooring all this last week! I love the colors and how this turned out!

9.) Here's a closer view of the bar sink, granite countertop, and back-splash! The colors are even better in person!

10.) The theater room had the baseboard trim painted and sealed, and the quarter round pieces (seen on the floor) are ready for install next week.

11.) Here's a full view of the living space with the plank LVT flooring more exposed. We love how this turned out, and are excited to see all the other finishing touches in this space next week!

   We can't believe how fast this is coming together! We also can't believe that we're almost done with this project! This week will be even crazier as we have "final sub-contracting" scheduled all week. This means final electrical/fixtures done, final plumbing (except the bathroom vanity), final HVAC, carpet installation in the theater, bedroom, and stairs, final trim install (of quarter round and doors), and the delivery of our bar appliances! It's going to be really awesome to see it all wrap up with all these final details!

   We hope you all are enjoying following along with our crazy remodeling project! I will be posting pictures of the other projects Ian and I have been doing as well these last couple months soon! Have a great week!

Basement Remodel: Week #6

   Hey everyone! This last week has been a very busy one around the McQuistan house! Unfortunately, my pictures of the basement progress this week are not very complete. I usually wait until the end of the week to take pictures, but it's hard to tell what all was done because some of the stuff is covered or taped off again for painting. Guess I'll have to start taking pictures mid-week, too! Anywho...this is how crazy our week has been:

Monday:

1.) Boji to the vet for a tooth extraction and cleaning (we finally had the broken canine tooth removed that she broke in half when she was 1 years old)
2.) Ran up to the dealership to drop off the title to the Saturn and pick up the CDs and garage door opener I left in my old car (ugh...pregnancy brain)
3.) Babysat our friends' kids after school for a couple hours to help out
4.) Trim guys worked on putting up more of the trim throughout the basement (as seen from my last basement post)
5.) Ian worked days

Tuesday:

1.) OB Appointment in the morning to check on our little peanut
2.) Trim guys finished the install on the cabinets and trim throughout the basement
3.) Ian worked days

Wednesday:

1.) "Dead day" for basement remodel since trim guys finished a day early
2.) Glass guy came by to measure the glass panels needed for the shower doors, glass doors in the bar, and glass shelves in the bar.
3.) Had someone stop by the house to purchase the ellipical we had for sale on Craigslist
4.) Babysat our friends' kids after school for a few hours into the evening
5.) Ian worked days

Thursday:

1.) Painters were here bright and early and had us sign off on a stain color for some of the trim and crown molding pieces.
2.) Ian and I had an 8:30am appointment in town to pick out our granite slab for countertop fabrication
3.) We then headed downtown to update our driver's license address (finally) and have some breakfast
4.) Ian, Boji, and I headed out of the house for the day (because of the stain fumes) and did some furniture shopping for the basement and updated more of the baby registries
5.) At 6:30pm we had our first birthing class at the hospital together
6.) At 8:30pm we packed up an overnight bag and headed to Inver Grove for the evening since the house was too potent to stay the night.
7.) Ian was off for a couple days now!

Friday:

1.) Ian had an executive meeting at 7:30am at the hospital, but Boji and I stayed at the hotel in Inver Grove
2.) Ian came and picked us up around 10AM, and we went back to the furniture stores and bought furniture pieces that we decided on from the day before.
3.) We went and looked around Pete's Billards just for fun, and then ran to the MOA for lunch.
4.) Headed back to Babies R Us to put more stuff on the registry.
5.) Headed home for a meeting at 6:30pm with our in-town (non-basement) painter to go over exterior paint work that we're having done in the next couple weeks.

Saturday:

1.) Ispiri painter decided to work the weekend to wrap up some trim painting.
2.) Took the dog for a long walk late morning into the afternoon.
3.) I cut Ian's hair while he watched the Twins game.
4.) Ian mowed the yard while I made a grocery list and did stuff inside.
5.) Ran a stamping order to a customer in town.
6.) Ian and I headed to Apple Valley for a date/relaxing night (Menards and Home Depot stop, Thai food for dinner, and went to a movie in Rosemount)!

Sunday:

1.) Drove up to St. Paul around 10AM for our first (of many) baby showers thrown by Ian's nursing staff
2.) I went grocery shopping and picked up paint samples for our exterior trim.
3.) Ian started back on nights at 5pm.

   I know there was other stuff we did in there, but these were the main highlights! I'm so excited we found furniture for the basement already! We got a super great deal on it, and most of it will be delivered by June 30th (right around final walk-through on the remodel)!

   I do have a couple pictures to share of the basement progress from this week, but, again, I apologize that they don't show everything that was done since the painter had to tape and cover a lot, too! Here's what the basement looks like going into week #7:

Numbered Blueprint so you have a reference for where pictures were taken!

1.) A view down the stairs of the primed baseboards! The railing was taken down to stain.

2.) I wish I would have gotten a picture of this mid-week to compare the progress. The rail and base are stained (but covered right now), and the spindles were primed on Saturday (yesterday the 6th).

3.) Picture of the hallway with the doorway trim and baseboards primed.

4.) A view of the main living area now. You can see where the doors were stained along the floor to the right, baseboards are installed throughout, cabinets are covered up because of spraying the trim, and the tray is installed and stained. You can also see the quarter round in the middle of the floor that were primed as well.

5.) Here's a great view of the ceiling tray in the theater area. The crown was installed at the beginning of the week, and the stain was finished by Friday!

6.) The doors were all taken down to stain, but we are having issues with the finishing coat sticking to the stain. So they are covered and going to be taken off-site for a different stain and finishing coat application next week.

7.) The rest of the doors wrapped up in storage until they are transported for off-site finishing.

   Well that's all I have for you this week! A lot more finishing touches will be happening this next week, so I'm excited to see how the rest of our major selections turn out in the space! I hope you all had a great weekend, and I'll check in next week with more pictures and updates! Night, everyone!