From the first day we saw this entertainment center, we knew it had to go. Modern spaces call for open clean lines and simplicity; not boxed in. We were going to redo that entire wall. The plan would be to have the space left of the fireplace completely open, for our current free-standing LCD TV stand. The tile around the fireplace had to go. Also, the stubby mantle was pretty much useless. Seriously, what can you display on that mantle, HotWheels?
All kidding aside, we get to the serious (and fun) part, demolition!
There is something utterly satisfying about smashing stuff. Must be that Y chromosome. The left side of the entertainment center shown above was pretty tough to remove, because the framing also served as a support for the top shelf. But, not even 6 layered 2x4s would get in the way. After getting the support structure out of the way, I found that the top shelf was going to be incredibly stubborn.
Remember when I removed the kitchen sink? It was time for the use of the same simple machinery, the car jack. Definitely not a uni-tasker. Alton Brown would be proud. With the crazy setup below, I was able to get the top shelf loose enough for it to come crashing down on its own.
I also got rid of the tile around the fireplace, and the stubby mantle. These parts did not put up the fight that the retro entertainment center did. Here's the remaining fireplace. At the time, it was too much work to take the entire unit out, because we would have had to redo the ventilation as well. This is a simple ornamental fireplace (read: no usable heat).
One of our future projects may surround modernizing the fireplace interior, possibly with glass rocks instead of fake logs, and a snazzy ribbon flame.
Once again, Craigslist came to the rescue. Since I don't have a pickup truck, I can't easily haul this much off to the dump. After making a quick posting with this same picture, I had someone haul the whole thing away for me, on the cheap.
Doing the drywall patching went rather quickly, as I had already done a larger section in the kitchen. When it came time to texture though, I needed to subcontract it out. Always looking for value, I asked the contractor if I could observe and chat while he was working. I was able to pick up a number of tips and tricks in drywall finishing, especially around the corner bead.
Here's how it looked after all the fun.
Note there's no mantle...more on that to come!
oh wow i am so excited to see how this turns out!
ReplyDeletecould you use the fireplace as a gas insert with proper insulation? That would be cool- especially if it was cobalt blue with fire inside!
ReplyDeleteThat would be cool. From what we've seen, it's possible just to change the burner loop. We have to keep the front closed though, as it's only passive ventilation with a lateral intake from the outside.
ReplyDelete