Lipstick on the Pig

The existing fixtures in the main level bathroom.

As you can probably tell the previous owner made some improvements to the house to make it more marketable. Note the three light fixture above the new mirror, the outlet above the sink and the new sink and cabinet in the bathroom. It was nice to have a relatively "nice" bathroom to use before we moved downstairs. I just wasn't aware of the quality (or lack thereof) of the bathroom renovations.

When I started to demo the plaster in the adjoining the bedroom I realized how shoddy the construction truly was.

Back of the bathroom wall.

You can see the electrical rough in boxes for the light above the mirror, the outlet above the sink and wait, two more boxes to the left and right of the mirror. There are no wall sconces in the bathroom! What is that black material in the center of the hole? I wasn't sure until I touched it. Yep, it is the back of the bathroom mirror. Apparently the renovation workers took out a medicine cabinet, added the outlet, and a junction box for a new light fixture. Then they installed an oversized mirror to cover the existing conditions. That kind of work is what I call "putting lipstick on the pig."

I was able to demolish all of the plaster in the next bedroom. The only wall that is going to remain is the load bearing wall that you can see to the left through the open door in the foreground.

Future office in foreground and master bedroom in the background.

In preparation of demolishing the kitchen I needed to temporarily install cabinets and sink in the laundry room. The ceiling and back wall need to remain accessible so I can run the plumbing and electricity to the space above. Once the kitchen is totally done I will have to remove the cabinets, install the insulation, hang the drywall and rehang the cabinets.

Laundry room and temporary kitchen.

This area will be our interim kitchen while the upstairs is under construction. We will be using a toaster oven and hot plate to prepare what few meals we eat at home.