Author: urbanspacepgh

While having the occasional afternoon of guilty pleasure on my parents’ couch watching cable tv, my favorite part of any HGTV show is the reveal.  The best part is always where they cut screen between the before and after transformation.  It makes sense then that I love walking into these lofts for the first time after a big move has been made (read: walls out!)

The big reveal last night was the first floor front apartment.  It’s the one I felt had the least potential… it was dark, cramped (sectioned off into 3 weird small rooms), and felt really “basement-y” for lack of better terms.  This space had originally been a store so we knew there was a chance for high ceilings.  My fingers were crossed that we were right… because this place needed serious help.  So, check it out… the reveal:

I may or may not have squealed with delight…  check out the line of the old dropped ceiling vs.  the original height.  Standing in the middle of the space (messy as it is) it really felt good.  This is going to make a great little loft!

2nd Floor Loft: Before

2nd Floor Loft: After

2nd Floor Loft: After (with the front window at your back)

Don’t blink…or you’ll miss something! Our demo guy is flying right along.  Check out the 2nd floor loft!  Very similar layout to the third floor that you’ve been reading along on: we’re taking out a wall to expose the sweet front window (square here, as opposed to the round-topped one upstairs) and moving the kitchen into this now larger room to be a lofty kitchen/living room combo.  And once again, there are pocket doors!  Don’t worry we’re totally finding a new home for those guys, even if the original wall is gone.  And all in one day’s work!  Definitely worth hiring someone else to do it, for real.

We’re back at the loft building this week taking care of infrastructure issues so we’re ready to rock when we get the demo finished and a contractor officially on board.  Current focus: Gas.

During the pre-purchase inspection, the Gas Co. inspected the lines and meters.  They pointed out numerous issues, including insisting the meters be moved outside.  We thought we were in the 21st century and they’d get remote readers for those things by now, but apparently not!   Thus, the meters were on their way out.  To the sidewalk.  Right on the sidewalk.  On the front of the building…  To the tune of thousands of dollars.

The bill was one thing, but we were really sick about having to set these things right on the front stoop and really wanted them around the corner.  We assumed that doing this would cost more and be a huge fight.  But asked anyway and guess what?  No problem and no difference in cost.  Awesome.  So the meters are around the corner!

One giant check later, all the work is done and the Gas Company inspector comes back out to inspect the work and turn the gas on.  Upon arrival his first question is “why’d you move the meters outside?”  

Uh.

Because you told us we had to move them outside?

“Oh.  Well you should have fought that.” 

………

It’s beyond us why you would tell someone they have to do something, knowing full well they really don’t have to, and actually probably shouldn’t.  But that’s really how this world of regulations and inspectors and corporations work, isn’t it?

What we’ve learned here:  If someone tells you something that doesn’t seem logical (ex: you seriously can’t think of a good reason those meters need to be on the sidewalk apart from meter reader laziness),  ask about it.  Complain about it.  Be ‘that person.’   Chances are you’re right.
Urbanspace Lesson No.0001

Things are on hold at the loft building for a bit while we are doing some work on a second property:  a cute little duplex – also in Lawrenceville.  We weren’t planning on doing any work on this property immediately, but pretty much couldn’t help ourselves.  We have thus embarked on ‘the great allergy hunt’ trying to rid the place of cat dander or sources of, well, nasty smells.  So far this has included tearing out carpet, dropped ceilings, and lots of  bleach.  Although the air quality is only somewhat improved, the place looks way better.

And we were not without buried treasures… check out the 1935 Coke ad, found under 2 layers of carpet and 3 layers of vinyl flooring.  This one’s getting framed.  Did you know that all trails lead to ice-cold Coca-Cola?  And sometimes… hardwood floors!

We haven’t posted any updates this week and the suspense is killing you.  Don’t worry, we haven’t run out of steam and given up!  As well as believing in clean, cool city pads, we here at Urbanspace also believe in the beach and that’s where we’re at.  We’ll be back at you next week with more adventures… until then, surfs up!

Today the bathroom and kitchen bit the dust.  See the before and afters…  so we admit “removing” the kitchen wasn’t all that hard when you see what was there.  But it’s one step closer to becoming a bedroom!  Also, anyone have any great ideas on how to remove a cast iron tub?

Unfortunately the bathroom in this unit is pretty small, with little room to expand.  It is also very awkward because of the skewed wall (check out the fancy tile detailing above the tub faucets for an example)  It would be really sweet to put a clawfoot tub in there, eliminating the “what do you do with this piece of triangular wall” question, but that’s way out of the price range.  Have you ever looked up the prices on clawfoot tubs?  sheesh.  We also played with the idea of  putting in a stand up shower to open up the space but ultimately came back to just re-installing what’s already there, except flipping the faucets around to the back wall so they are on the same side as the shower head.  A little less awkward, still kind of quirky.  We can live with that.

The jury’s still out on the pocket door wall.  The wall is not technically structural, but there is a 2×4 (or so) header above the wall framing that is attached to the roof joists.  Probably just to stabilize the wall, right?  But over the 100 years of the building’s life, has the roof come to sit on that framing?  Decisions, decisions…

Also, the original plan was to remove that entire wall  for a lofty feeling.  But, uncovering the pocket doors was pretty neat.  Keeping the doors adds nice character and defines the spaces, but you also lose the open loft feeling.  So… to pocket or not to pocket, that is the question!

We had a sneaking suspicion this may be the case, and today we were able to pull up enough of the carpet to confirm that… we’ve got hardwood!  Now to decide whether the floors are worth refinishing or if we are going to just put laminate over them instead.  As we get more of the carpet up, we’ll be able to make a better assessment.  Another day, another exciting find!