Office Renovation Update (Drywall)
The last office renovation update I shared was in May, so I figured it was time for a progress report! I’ve got good and bad news in regards to my home office project, and I’m also thrilled to share that the drywall is up. This is always the turning point in our projects and I’ve been making some fun decisions for the space. Click through for the latest and to see construction as it currently looks!
Let’s start with the good news… drywall! Emmett worked really hard over the weekend to get the drywall installed. As I previously mentioned, this is always the phase that gets me excited because it begins to feel like a room again. It’s kind of a double edged sword though because it’s my least favorite part of the process because it’s a giant mess once taping and sanding begins. Everything is covered under a layer of drywall dust and the amount of cleaning I need to tackle is daunting. Despite the dust, I’m choosing to celebrate this victory because it took us a LONG time to to get here. The ceiling in this room was sloped by two(!) inches, so Emmett spent a lot of time leveling things out and correcting mistakes from the contractor who built our home.
This week I also made selections for my cabinetry glass. While I love a good textured glass (we have reeded glass on our kitchen cabinets), I wanted to stick with something simple and clear for my office built-ins. They’ll have those X details that will look like mullions and I wouldn’t want any sort of texture to compete with that gorgeous woodworking. If you missed the built-in design plan, check it out here.
I opted for restoration glass, which is handmade by a local Salt Lake City company (Beehive Glass). It’s clear, but looks vintage and isn’t perfectly flat. Unlike other “antiqued” options, there is no cracking finish, seeds, or texture… just clear, organic movement. It cost a bit more than standard glass, but these are the details that make a big difference. I want my built-ins to look like they belong in our Georgian Colonial, and I also don’t want them to look like they were installed in the 90’s (which is when our house was actually built). Good bye builder grade finishes, hello timeless and vintage looking materials!
I also finalized the air return die-cuts for the built-in base. We ended up moving these from the crown to the base because it was less work for Emmett. Aesthetically, I was fine with either… I just wanted to ensure the spacing and size looked decent once it was routed. Here is a test cut, to give you a visual… I did end up making some changes after this sample though. I just failed to get a photo of the updated version.
Prior to drywall, Emmett kindly (with minimal complaining) reworked the electrical for me in this space, when I protested the paddle switches found throughout our home. I wanted pretty light switch covers and they weren’t going to work with our existing setup. Even though it was more work for him, he took the time to trade things out for me. Design acts of service is my love language. Haha! I’m halfway joking. Anyway, we got new switch plates in the Tuesday Made shop, and I was bummed they wouldn’t fit (since I ordered them with my office in mind).
I also approved samples and swatches before leaving on vacation, so our custom credenza stain color is officially set (clear poly on rift cut white oak)… as well as the built-in paint color (Sherwin-Williams Extra White- just like our living room built-ins). You can get a visual of those swatches below…
Ready for the bad news? After countless hours on the phone with One Kings Lane, I learned that they “accidentally” canceled my daybed order (without notifying me). I placed the order back in February. It was supposed to arrive in May. I followed up and didn’t hear back. I followed up again in June and was told lead-times were crazy (understandable). I followed up again in July, and was told, “Oops- please place your order again… it was cancelled.” The price of the daybed increased by $700 and now the lead time is end of January 2022. I’ve continued to call and email customer service, but have yet to hear back. I think at this point, I’m pretty screwed. It’s an exclusive custom piece that is only available from OKL, and we’ve already planned and started the built-ins… which were custom made to accommodate that specific piece of furniture. Oof. I suppose I’ll swallow my pride (and a hefty $700) and re-order the daybed that will now arrive in February, most likely. That’s really my only option at this point. I will say- after this experience, I don’t know that I’ll ever buy custom upholstery from One Kings Lane again. I shared this photo in a post back in February, right after ordering the daybed… wishful thinking on my part that it would arrive on time in May.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- this room renovation is probably going to be a year long situation thanks to lead times (and the fact that my daybed will be here in 2022). I’m being pretty cool about it, if I do say so myself. I’d rather it turn out as I had envisioned then switch things up or rework plans for the sake of time. We don’t have any sponsorships for this project, and it has been really nice to do things on our own time. Despite the struggles and challenges we’ve faced thus far, this is the least stressed I’ve been about a project. I’m just allowing things to unfold in their own time and roll with the punches. It will make the finish line that much sweeter, I suppose.
That’s all I’ve got for now. We were dog sitting, Arthur, our friend’s newfie last weekend, and I snapped this hilarious shot of the three of them watching Emmett work. They wanted in so badly! Anyway, I hope you’ll still follow along despite the delays in this space. It will truly be our longest project to date, but that’s life and realistic renovating right now. I’m not trying to cut corners, and switching things up would cost even more money. Upholstery and materials are difficult to come by right now. In the meantime, when we run out of things to keep us busy in the office, we’ll be jumping to our entryway renovation. I’m really excited to share those plans with you in August! Our tile ships next week and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work.