Monday, February 2, 2015

54 IHeart Kitchen Reno: Beaming With Character!

If you were to base the post on the title, you just may have guessed that our ceiling beams are done!  And you would be right!  As of last night, we officially have fabulous ceiling beams!


This could have easily been a weekend project, however, I decided to get the flu and I am now going on 8 days of body aches and fever, so my husband took complete ownership of this one while I did my best to be his personal cheerleader.

We purchased all of our wood for the beams at Home Depot.  Because we purchased the ceiling planks pre-primed, we also wanted the beam boards pre-primed as well.  This will speed up the paint spraying process and ensure nothing yellows over time.

After we planked the ceiling everything felt much more unified, however, the darker boards instantly brought the ceiling down.  That is when I knew that as much as I loved the beautiful dark beams in my inspiration photo, they wouldn't work in our space.  Here is a reminder of where we left off last.


All of our ceiling support is within the trusses, so our beams are purely for aesthetics.  To prevent them from becoming too heavy, we created hollow boxes which we attached to simple 2" x 4" and 2" x 6" boards.


For the center beam, because it is chunkier, Bryan cut 2x6 strips and doubled them up every two feet into a ceiling truss.


The 2" x 6" boards acted as a frame for the outer 1" x 8" primed boards of the large center beam.  The outer boards were attached with 2" brad nails, while the bottom piece was nailed in with 1 3/8" nails.

The center beam is just over 21 feet long, so we ended up piecing together 2 - 12 foot sections.  We were able to match up the seams pretty flush, however, it will receive a lot of Bondo and a lot of sanding.  I am still trying to talk the hubby into a little decorative moulding as well.


Above, you can see how each side beam began.  Bryan started by attaching 2" x 4" boards to each truss, every four feet.  Each one is just under 12 feet long.


Because the ceiling is vaulted, the boards needed to be cut at an angle.  The first step was to measure the total length of each side, as well as find the top angle of the board with a sliding t-bevel.


Keeping the angle of the t-bevel, we traced the angle onto the 1" x 6" beam board.


And cut it with a skill saw.


He repeated this step for both sides of the beam and attached them to the 2" x 4" board with our brad nailer.


For the bottom of the beam, we used primed 1" x 4" boards.  Where the board met the wall, we needed to cut an angle to ensure the board would fit tight on the face side.



The bottom piece of the beam was carefully tapped into place with a rubber mallet between the two 1" x 6" pieces that were already affixed.


A grip clamp was helpful in adding extra "hands" and pressure while the bottom piece was nailed in place.


And repeat, times ten!



The second the white beams were in, the entire kitchen and living area felt twice as big!  It is extremely hard for it to translate in photos how much more grand it feels, but the white in the beams brought that ceiling right back up where we wanted it to be.




Currently on the docket for this week is to patch all of the sheetrock and prepare the ceiling to be sprayed white.  That will mean a lot of filling and sanding for a seamless look, and with over 550 square feet to cover, it is going to be a pretty labor intensive process.  I am really excited for a few specific milestones with this renovation, and the sprayed ceiling is at the top of the list!

And in other news... no color selections have been made... sigh...


You can follow all of the kitchen progress here.


And don't forget!  My Joss & Main sale runs through early tomorrow morning!  Last chance to scoop up some IHeart Organizing inspired goodies!


54 comments:

  1. It's beautiful! The ceiling looks so darned tall, too!! And I love that they're basically boxes, so if you ever change your mind, or need them down for whatever reason, it could be a one or two person job (unlike an actual beam that would weigh a ton!).

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  2. Absolutely stunning!! You don't live in a contractor standard home anymore, my dear!!! Hope you are feeling better soon!

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  3. This is looking gorgeous already! Wow! :)

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  4. It looks amazing! I love it! The beams really make the room look bigger!

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  5. Absolutely GORGEOUS!!! I hope you feel better! (:

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  6. Wow Jen... absolutely, jaw droppingly breathtaking! I can not wait to see the end result!

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  7. Looks amazing! I admire how much you guys are getting done yourselves!

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  8. Amazing! Those white beams were the right choice for sure. You must be excited about the transformation the white paint is going to make. We live in a log house and I'd love to have beams visible. Greetings from Finland!

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  9. I almost can't believe how much you are able to do yourselves. That is really so impressive!
    And the results are be-au-ti-ful! So much to learn from you, many thanks for sharing!!!

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  10. So so gorgeous!! Hope you are feeling better!

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  11. I actually like the white beams with the natural/tan color on the wood! I know it doesn't go with the color scheme in your house...but just looking at it on the screen....it really looks nice.

    I can't wait to see how it all comes together.

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  12. Ahh! So beautiful! I'm SO sorry you got the flu. That sucks. My brother got it too. I hope that you are feeling better!

    I am so excited for your kitchen progress. My mom and I chose a navy for our kitchen, and as much as I love it, I don't think I would go dark again with our (Ikea!) white cabinets. I think that it just competes with the beauty of the light and brightness, especially in our galley kitchen with just a few windows. Good luck with the paint! Kudos to you for taking your time, I know that I'm super bad at that. Can't tell you how many times I have chosen based on the swatch or because I liked it in someone else's house. Have you decided what kind of hardware you would like? Excited to see! This kitchen reno is sooo much fun to watch along with. However I'm not jealous of having no kitchen! I know how it feels!

    Sarah

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    1. Thank you for sharing your experience Sarah, all good things to know! The darker swatches were colors I was considering for our center island, I am most likely keeping the walls a lighter shade. :) I have some ideas for finishes (hardware, lighting, tile, etc...), but nothing has been finalized yet.

      xoxo!

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  13. Looks so great!! ;)

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  14. I gotta admit, you lost me with the technical aspects of building them, but this is simply gorgeous! :)

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  15. Hope you are feeling better. Three cheers for Brian! It looks great!

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  16. I have never been more in love with one of your projects! And I love ALL of your projects. This is amazing!!!

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  17. Curious - how high are your ceilings?

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  18. Oh my heavens Jen! You and your husband have out down yourselfs! Just amazing!!!!

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  19. Hope your feeling better soon! It all looks amazing so far and as usual, you are inspiring me in so many ways. My kitchen is my next big project too and our spaces are actually similar, so I am holding off to see what you do first! No pressure! I may have missed it in a previous post but is your hubby a carpenter for a living? He is so talented! Keep up the great work.
    Best-Lara

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    1. Thank you so much Lara! And I will admit, there is a little extra pressure doing something of this magnitude and sharing it on the web. We know we will make mistakes along the way... :)

      And my hubby actually works on computers and networks by day. But his family has a lot of DIY knowledge which has been super helpful over the years!

      xoxo!

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  20. It looks amazing!! Good call on the white beams. I can't wait to see it when everything is all done! I hope you feel better soon........my family all caught the flu last month, and it was the worst. Hang in there!

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  21. Have you looked at Sea Salt and Dover Gray by Sherwin Williams? I think they are gorgeous colors that would fit with your overall color scheme--the perfect blue/green/gray.

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    1. Sea Salt is one of the colors on the wall currently (and one of my favorites), I will have to look into Dover Gray also. I am finding that all of the colors read very differently on each of our walls, which has made the paint selecting process a little more challenging than I thought it would be. The good thing is that it is just paint! :) Thank you for the suggestions!

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  22. In my humble opinion, I would go with the slate-blue next to the TV or the gray on the same wall. A darker mineral color will really pair nicely with the white ceiling, allowing it to pop but also keep the openness of the room. Love the progress! Your blog posts and renovations are always inspiring!

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  23. Wow! It looks amazing! You guys are very talented. I know you're probably, like, "No! You could totally DIY this!" But, I'm telling you, "Nuh-uh." That hubby of yours is a gem. :) It's going to be such an awesome transformation!

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  24. Absolutely gorgeous! Good call on the white beams!

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  25. Hi Jen - So sorry you got slaughtered by the flu bug! Hope you are well on the road to recovery by now. The ceiling work looks wonderful - you and your hubby are so talented. Get some massages from all the overhead work!

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  26. Looks great! You are so blessed to have a willing and handy hubby! :-)

    It was very challenging for us to pick paint for our open-concept house as well! Trying to tie in all the finishes, fabric, furniture, lighting... I never knew it would be so difficult!

    I like the color right next to your TV, on the top. But, i'm sure whatever you pick will look stunning and it will all go together beautifully!

    Hope you feel better soon!

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  27. Love this! We have 70's looking beams on our ceiling and are planning on painting them white to open everything up!

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  28. Hey Jen, all I can say is LOVE IT!!!!! Sorry you aren't feeling good and I hope you feel better soon! In my opinion, as far as your color swatches all over your walls go, I'm leaning towards the big square painted just above the top left corner of your tv in the 18th picture. But anything you pick will be gorgeous, as always! Getting more and more excited to see the final results!!!! ~ Meliesa

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  29. Looks great! That's a lot of work. Your hubby is a rock start ;) I hope you're feeling better soon!

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  30. Your ceiling looks amazing Jen. I check in on your kitchen status multiple times a week and was just floored my your gorgeous beams! I hope you are healthy now and that the rest of this project runs more smoothly.

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  31. Wow. Wow, wow, wow. I love where this is going. :)

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  32. This is a comment for any future flu or other viruses you catch. Go buy some Elderberry on Amazon. I swear by this stuff and lab studies have shown that it kills viruses like H1N1. When my kids start to show signs of a cold I give them Elderberry 2-3 times a day until their symptoms subside. It cuts the down time in half! http://www.amazon.com/Gaia-Herbs-Elderberry-5-4-Ounce-Bottle/dp/B0036THLPE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423022535&sr=8-1&keywords=gaia+elderberry
    Oh and I do love your beams! You are so lucky to have a handy and willing husband. Mine is handy but not so willing ;)

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    1. Thank you so much for the tip Daniella! This influenza stuff is no joke - I will take all the help I can get. :)

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    2. Looks amazing! You are truly, truly blessed to have such a capable and willing hubby. We could never undertake such a massive project!

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  33. I can't even believe you guys did that!!! Well, of course I can...you guys are amazing. But that is stunning...not even the same house?!?! Such great vision, and execution. You are my idol. Seriously.

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  34. Loving the progress posts with your living area, and I can't wait to see what you do with it once everything's fitted!
    You're such an inspiration, I do hope whenever I buy a house I can make it as beautiful and organised as your is! We're currently renting, so a bit restricted with what we can do!

    Ceri
    October Eleven

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  35. I actually love the look of the natural ceiling with the white beams. It brings out the interest in the beams and the ceiling itself!

    And, of course it's impossible to really tell color via a computer screen, but looking at the patches on the wall next to the front door, I would definitely go with one of the lighter colors. I love the deep tones of the darker ones, but I think the lighter colors will go with your overall feel so much better. But maybe that deep blue could go as an accent wall next to the stairs or something. :-)

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  36. The space looks amazing already and its not even done yet! I love the plank and beam look its one of my favourite and I hope to achieve this in my future home :)

    Hope you are feeling better or at least on the mend! Can't wait for more progress :)

    Lauren
    www.lbdesigns1.wordpress.com
    xx

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  37. Love all of the hard work you've put into the room already!

    Amanda
    www.queenofthelandoftwigsnberries.com

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  38. OH my gosh, I'm in LOVE (and jelly of your vaulted ceilings!) Those beams are perfection!

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  39. Poor dear! I am so sorry you've been feeling like crumbs! :( WHOA BABY! That ceiling is looking quite snazzy! Your hubbers is a doll!

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  40. Oh Jen! I am so happy for you! I looks absolutely amazing! I can't believe how fast you guys are whipping that ceiling out! My husband and I just did two small walls in our home with tongue and groove and it took forever. Way to go! You are such an inspiration to me.
    If you ever get a chance you can check out our wall project here http://mattersofamodernmom.blogspot.com/
    Keep up the amazing work...and I hope you feel better soon!
    Heart,
    your greatest fan,
    Emily

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  41. Jen! This is gorgeous. I totally agree with your choice on the white. It looks fabulous. I love watching it all come together after reading about it and anticipating it the last few years! Beautiful work!

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  42. this is gorgeous! I love remodeling and renovating things, it's exciting. I just finished remodelling my entire second floor into a bedroom/living room space. It's still pretty bare of furniture, but you can check it out here if you'd like: http://shehlagrr.blogspot.com/2015/02/turning-dusty-attic-into-bedroom-suite.html

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  43. Love, love it! Have you shared where you purchased the planking for the ceiling? I would like to do planking in my living room. I thought it was just 1 x6 boards but yours looks much nicer than that. You guys have done a great job!

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    1. Hi Janet!

      We purchased locally from a lumber company. They ordered us AllPrime boards, and they were very good quality smooth tongue and groove boards. You can read more here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2015/01/iheart-kitchen-reno-planking-progress.html, and find more product details here: http://www.activupdate.com/content/midwestlumberinc.com/files/AllPrime.pdf

      xoxo!

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