Day 0: Introduction

I work for one of the biggest Construction Management companies in the city and country. I'm an Assistant Project Manager, and my dream is to one day be a builder/developer. Growing up in my house was pretty much like growing up on my very own construction site. Bob Villa was like my uncle who visited every Sunday. Home Depot was the playground I visited every Saturday afternoon. I knew how to use most power tools by the time I was a teenager. And as a teenager, I changed the "theme" of my bedroom to go along with whatever mood my hormone-crazed self was feeling-- and just as often as those mood swings. In the end, I realized how satisfying it is to design and build a home: home being one of the most sacred and intimate places we ever come to know. I decided to pursue a career in construction after engineering school, so that I could eventually give people their own customized place. And slowly, I am getting my start by helping friends renovate their apartments.

While my boyfriend is away on business, I will be renovating his 500 sqft studio apartment, located in the West Village. I finally convinced him to let me do it. He intially wanted me to wait until he returned, but he realized that there is no better time than now to do it, while the place is empty! Hooray for me! The best part is that he is literally leaving it all in my hands. He offered suggestions and made requests, but besides that, he is leaving all the details to me. That trust alone is sooo exciting. It makes me all the more motivated to do a fantastic job and knock his socks off. I don't even have to send pictures or updates, he'll just wait till he gets home to see what I've done. So let's get started!

Ever since I had started hanging out at his place, I noticed that things could be rearranged which is my nice way of saying that it needs some adjusting. The studio is great- the kitchen was renovated by its previous owner; the living space is separated by the kitchen, by a recessed floor (sort've like a reverse loft); he has a window and balcony door that both face onto the street and could provide ample natural light. However, the way the furniture is currently arranged, there is a projection screen (his TV) that is almost always covering that window, preventing any natural light from seeping in. Right now, where the bed is placed, it is the first thing you see when you walk into the apartment-- not so inviting; and when you sit on the sofa, you are staring right at the bed-- not so appealing, especially since it's never made. The current layout makes the apartment feel like a studio, and feel so much like a tiny college dorm room. There's also this pretty awful-looking built-in wall unit, that may or may not have housed a murphy bed. But to be honest, it looks ugly and cheap, and it compromises the quality of the apartment.



So over many excited conversations, we exchanged ideas, goals, and wish lists. He gave me a budget of $1,000, (which I'm pretty sure I will at least double when all is said and done). In the world of construction, the owner changes their mind enough times that it costs them a pretty penny in the end. There's that notorious image of the original contract vs. change orders:



Anyway, so I'll provide commentary on all the progress, and provide photos and tips as much as possible. Here are some of the BEFORE photos, to give you an idea of what I'm working with.





Wish me luck!!