Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Before and After: The Foyer (aka Mudroom)



You may remember from a previous post that the foyer was one of the things that helped me decide to buy the Duplex.  I just love that space as you come in the front door!

But it was kind of tired looking and had some funky things going on.  The windows?  They were on the back of the showers in each unit (hence the painted glass).  The vents you see in each top corner?  Those were for the bathroom vent - stinky!  The grey indoor/outdoor carpet?  Well it was time for it to go.  And underneath, we found this beautiful pine floor - it just needs a little refinishing.

So the guys got to work.  First step, tearing out the old windows.  But it did seem odd, when they were gone - we could see all the way through the house!  Foyer to bathroom, down the hallway and straight through to the kitchen door!!






I wanted to create a mud bench and closet for each unit of the duplex.  I started the plan with an IKEA PAX wardrobe as the foundation.  I added their 5 panel BERGSBO glass door, to provide a little reflection in the space.


The guys assembled the IKEA unit and mounted it on a 2x4 frame.  They added bracing above and then installed crown moulding around the entire space.









For the back of the bench, we used V Groove paneling.  We mounted 2x6's horizontally, to provide a solid foundation for IKEA coat hooks.  Then we installed nailers for the plywood bench seat top and added pre-fab chair legs for additional stability.





















We added a soffit on either side, to vent the bathrooms to the outdoors.













Now we need paint and accents!
I had this great clock in the storage facility and framed a copy of the original neighborhood plot plan - this area was called Brooklyn Heights in the 1920's!


We installed one of these wire cage light fixtures for each duplex unit.  And painted the original bead board ceiling a fresh white.
And now that the painting is complete and the hooks are installed - we think it looks great and provides some much needed functionality in our harsh Maine winters!


One of my favorite decorating tips is to take old postcards and frame them.  These Willard Square, Spring Point Lighthouse and old SoPo postcards are such a nice touch!  






Sources:
Light Fixtures - Lamps Plus - Franklin Park Vintage Metal Cage
Closets - IKEA
Coat Hooks - IKEA
Copper Clock - Smith & Hawken
Pre-Fab Chair Legs - Home Depot
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5 comments:

  1. Oh my GOODNESS! I love this...and even more so the fact that you are in Maine. :) Just spent my morning scrolling through all of your houses...stunning work! We live about an hour and a half north of Portland and have been renovating our old house...trying to make it light and bright...which is unusal in our area because most people tend to stick to the primitive/americana/cabin-y feel around here. I adore coming across posts like this; if we were to ever relocate to Southern Maine I would seek one of your places out in a heartbeat!! GREAT job!!

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    1. So glad you discovered us! These old houses look fantastic when they get a little TLC and some modern updates. Best of luck with your renovation!

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  2. Fabulous job!!!! Love this space. New follower :)

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  3. i happened upon your blog via ikea hackers, and assumed there had to be another place referred to as sopo... turns out, youre right in my town! i just spent quite a bit of time reading through the 7th reno posts, and i love the work youre doing. too often i see "house flipping" that only slaps on new paint and landscapes the yard. insulation/weatherization is something generally overlooked in cold climates [i do energy audits on the side], and your tenants will appreciate it more than they know! i love the cad drawings you have and the in process pics.

    i'm doing a very small scale and incredibly slow remodel on my 1920's bungalow, and would love to pick your brain [and your carpenter].

    i'll definitely be following along with your next project!

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    Replies
    1. So nice to (virtually) meet a neighbor! And so glad you found us. We try and focus on the infrastructure as well as the pretty stuff when we do a renovation. It's so important to get things like plumbing, electrical and insulation right!

      Best of luck with your reno.

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