It seemed fitting that when I visited Chuck Larson again to check on his rehab progress I found him working on the basement stairway he talked about in Diary of a Thoughtful Rehab, Part 1. Instead of just slapping some paint on the existing flimsy walls and some carpet on the stairs, he was in the process of anchoring new stair treads and framing the walls for sheet rock to do it right.
The kitchen was all cleared out this time, and he had expanded the opening between the kitchen and living/dining room to maximize the space. He decided not to custom build cabinets this time, but showed me the cabinets he purchased which he said were of similar quality... with solid wood interiors rather than pressed particle board covered with laminate veneer as is pretty standard in most cabinets you would find at a 'big box' store. You might not initially recognize the difference when you open the cabinet doors, but it is a definite difference in quality!
He said that as he works on a home he imagines living there himself and thinks about what he would want in a newly remodeled home. Hmmm... sound thoughtful? This results in things like these that you might not expect... or even realize are there once the finish work has been done.
The existing ductwork really cut into the basement ceiling height... so they went to the trouble to replace it with custom shallower ductwork! Again, something you likely wouldn't even know had been done that will likely make a big impact on how the room feels.
They said I should see a pretty dramatic change the next time I visit, they were almost done with the de-construction and taking care of the hidden details. The re-construction is the fun next stage where we see dramatic changes. Expect to see some before and after photos next time!
Every house has a story, and it has been fun watching this house's story unfold. They expect it to be ready for some lucky St. Louis Park homebuyer sometime in May.
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - St. Louis Park Realtor
