The Great-Wall Transformation

The Great-Wall Transformation

If you're like me, you know what you want but can't exactly explain it to anyone else. If you're like me then you might also scour Pinterest hoping someone smarter and a few steps a head of you already did what you have in your head. Here are some of the things I loved.


fireplace-built-in-shelving-6-via-the-sweetest-digs

plank-wall-6

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Great-tips-on-making-the-most-of-the-little-space-you-have

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DIY Board & Batten Entryway Redo-3blog

Soooooo, yeah. Didn't find anyone who combined what I was going for. I mean sure, slapping a mudroom-like wall on a giant wall in your living room right next to the front door with an entertainment center in the middle of it doesn't appeal to everyone...or maybe anyone. But, my hubs and I decided a long time ago that we would LIVE in our home. We want it to be comfortable, functional, fun, and inviting.

After looking at tons of pins, thinking through the thousands of things I wanted this is the list of thing I needed from this wall and the simple sketch of what I came up with for my hubs to work with.

the original sketch for the Great-Wall transformation

Mudroom

  • Lots of hooks for winter gear
  • Space for each individual's shoes
  • Washable baskets to collect shoe grime
  • Kid-friendly usability
  • Classy enough look for adults
  • Ledge for my picture frame obsession
  • Bench for more seating
  • Ability to walk from front to back door with shoes on
  • Decorative board and batten
  • Bright White wall to lighten up the entire room

Entertainment Center

  • Wall-mounted TV
  • Lots of DVD and some video game storage
  • Easily reachable DVD player, sound system, and Wii
  • Storage for all small electronics from around the house
  • Charging station for camera and iPad
  • Decorative "ship lap" to hide wiring

Process of Building the Wall

  1. Move all furniture
  2. Clean wall and flooring
  3. Build structure of the entertainment center
  4. Install chair rail and ledge pieces {horizontal boards} 
  5. Hang TV mount
  6. Remove baseboards
  7. Pull up carpet
  8. Tear up tack-strip
  9. Cut off excess carpet and padding
  10. Cut tack-strip to appropriate length
  11. Reinstall tack-strip
  12. Staple padding in place
  13. Tuck carpet around tack-strip
  14. Complete entertainment center
  15. Attach drawer faces and tracks on drawers boxes
  16. Push entertainment center in place {don't install}
  17. Measure 8000 times
  18. Build benches
  19. Moved outlets up {above bench tops}
  20. Patch drywall/add wall texture
  21. Attach wire spacers on the wall
  22. Attach ship lap to spacers
  23. Spray paint primer coat on 3 loose pieces
  24. Install entertainment center and benches
  25. Install trim pieces {vertical boards} on wall
  26. Install baseboards and quarter round
  27. Fill all cracks with caulking
  28. Paint...everything
  29. Sand rough wood
  30. Install hooks and hardware


hanging chair rail and ledgeremoving carpet hole on the back part of the entertainment center where the cords feed in from behind the ship lap

Entertainment Center before and after mudroom-like before and after

I could write a gazillion posts on my thought process behind each logistical reason I wanted things a certain way but not too many on the construction steps- maybe I'll tak my sweet hubs into writing more on that. Sorry I don't have more process pictures. Thanks for coming by to see our new Great-Wall! Weeks later and it's still making me smile.

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