Today's post features the main living area or great room of the lux townhome project which was a complete gut renovation. The homeowners were prior clients and basically let me run with this project which was so fun! From the get go, the goal was to open up the long narrow space and let in as much natural light as possible. Here is a photo of the space before construction.
One of the best ideas we had was to open up the stairwell by replacing the sheetrock wall with an open rail system. It would be especially helpful on the second floor landing which blocked a lot of light from the window located over the front door. We also wanted to replace the carpet with the same flooring that runs throughout. Lastly, we removed the handrail on the right side of the staircase which narrowed it. Here's a couple of photos during the construction phase.
I'm not going to lie, it was painful figuring out what sort of rail system we needed! I typically rely on a general contractor to source stair parts but we didn't have one for this project. I knew I wanted a modern cable system but wasn't sure where to find one to meet the budget. I also had to find someone to install it. I looked high and low and met with two stairwell suppliers who struggled to offer an affordable price. If you notice in the photo on the left above, there is a landing with a short run on the left side. Long story short, there would have to have been two posts almost back to back to account for the different cable height on the lower and upper stair runs. And let me tell you, metal posts are $$$. One estimate came in at nearly $7000 without installation!
In the end, I called around to some local contractors who referred me to a local woodworking company which is where I should have started. They recommended making wooden posts to connect the cable system to and could install it... DONE! They worked with Builders First Source to select the stainless Rail Easy system which ran about $2000. Labor to build and paint the posts and railings plus installation of the everything ran about $5500. Here is a picture of how it looks today.
Amazing right?!? The stairwell feels so much larger by eliminating the hand rail on the right side. We did add one on the left at the top for safety. We also moved the wall sconce up about 18" to make it look proportionate with the tall ceiling. The loft looks so much larger with cable rails on both sides and lets in that beautiful sunlight. Here's a picture of the loft looking into the foyer.
We went with BM CW-680 Mopboard Black to paint the posts and railing to match the stunning fireplace across the room... let me introduce you. Below is a before and after photo.
I mean! This sleek new fireplace sits right on the new flooring without a hearth as this is a gas fireplace. We covered the drywall with 1x4 tongue and groove aka finger joint pine also painted BM CW-680 Mopboard Black. Originally I asked the trim carpenter to cut the ends of each board on a 45 degree angle for a perfect clean edge, but alas the walls were not plumb enough so he added molding on the corners and it turned out amazing.
We used 12x24 black tile for the surround and made sure to use black grout because the goal was for it to blend in and more or less disappear.
Lastly, I want to share another great feature of this gorgeous fireplace. There is a recessed niche for the tv to sit inside plus the mounting bracket which is recessed even farther. This eliminates the unsightly arm that sticks out of the wall on a daily basis while allowing the tv to be pulled out and turned when necessary. Will be recommending this for all my future projects!
The rest of the great room came together with new furnishings and accessories. We installed wall sconces from Shades of Light above the sofa as there wasn't room for end tables or lamps. It turned out great and helps frame the moody artwork over the sofa.
And that's a wrap! Hope you enjoyed reading today's post. Next week I'll feature the bathrooms that were remodeled in this unit plus the cozy master bedroom. Questions? Ask away!