DIY: The BIG LIVING ROOM REVEAL Building an In-law Apartment

 

Admittedly I don't have many "BEFORE" photos on this project - because it began as a garage.  A dark, spider-infested garage....not really picture worthy.  But, I do have some mid-process photos that will get the point across.

Enjoy!

 

BEFORE:

When it came time to start demo, we put the roll-up door/opener up on craigslist for free and someone came and dismantled the entire thing and hauled it away!  Good deal all around.

 

 

AFTER:

Yes, this is actually the same room!

 

We framed out the window and front door under the original header in the garage door opening to minimize the labor/cost.

BEFORE:



Now, this was after we tore through 60 years of siding, insulation, paneling, and wallpaper, but you get the idea. 

BTW: those cinderblocks were the actual "stairs" from the garage in to the house. Classy, right?

 

 

AFTER:

Goodbye cinderblock steps - hello, beautiful! 

 

  Mr. Steady custom built the shelving for my MIL's book collection and military collectibles.


BEFORE:

Please understand that photography is NOT Mr. Steady's strength, but as you can see, I had my hands full with our youngest (who is definitely a handful!). At any rate, I'm glad he at least got the shot of this angle...so you can truly appreciate this:

 

AFTER:

Although, we ran out of room in the kitchen area, my MIL's spice cupboard (custom built by Mr. Steady with the pieces of her father's hutch that was destroyed in the great moving truck catastrophe) found a home just outside the kitchen doorway.

 

We continued the kitchen flooring on to the bottom step and did carpet tiles in the living room - right on the concrete slab! We were on a very tight budget (like highschool jeans TIGHT). Carpet tiles were a bit of a gamble, but they have been great. They were SO EASY to install (even our Curious Cowgirl helped) and we just made it through a TN winter without complaint.

 

BEFORE:

This is also a mid-process shot. Working with a garage slab foundation, we faced some logistical issues.

AFTER:

 We turned that lemon in to lemonade by only building out the bottom half of the wall to match the foundation, and left an inset shelf for display -a great place to show off my In-laws' favorite memories.

 So....what do you think? Thoughts, comments, questions?  Send them our way!!
More reveal posts coming soon!
From our home to yours,
Katie

Check out more of the process here:

THE BIG KITCHEN REVEAL

DIY: Converting the Garage - Building an In-Law Apartment From Scratch

 

 Up until this point, most of the work had been carried out without disturbing the garage area. We were still storing some things there that we hadn't moved/sold yet, namely a gigantic china hutch we called "The Beast" that wouldn't fit through any other doorway.  We tried our best to work around it.

 

 

 

We brought materials and tools through the garage door and locked it securely at night.  But, there came a day when we knew it was now or never. We had sold "The Beast", the weather was right, and someone was on their way to remove and retrieve the garage door/opener. 

 

 

We quickly framed a wall, using a powder-actuated nail gun to secure it to the concrete slab. 
This was a defining moment because this was the location for the new front door - the official entry to the new apartment. But, first we had to seal it.

Rather than buying "house wrap" as a weather insulator, we were offered a large panel of "wood wrap" (an almost identical material the lumber yards use to protect the lumber during transportation) for free. Sold!

 

The window and doorway were trimmed out and secured with flashing tape. That stuff doesn't joke around! It is STICKY!

Then, we installed the window in place - and just for fun, opened it and had a little chat from either side to get a feel for it. So great!

 

And then....the door. A front door! This was the big moment! It was officially a home. Not just a wing on the side of a home. But, it's very own home.

 

Not too pretty yet, but still very official. We had some extra pieces of siding that were behind the shed when we first moved in. We set the dingy old pieces out on the lawn and set our Curious Cowgirl to work with a bucket of soapy water.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Steady trimmed the door out - wow! Starting to come together...

 

And the last of the siding is in place....

 

Ta-da! All in a day's work!

Neighbors who have driven past this house for decades were blown away to cruise by and see this. Didn't that used to be a garage door? Am I losing my mind?

 

I just LOVE a good before and after!



We'd love to hear your questions, thoughts, and comments!

 

From our home to yours,

Katie

 

 

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