Renovating the library…
After completing the master bedroom, we decided our next project was going to be our “library.” The plan was similar to the bedroom – new paint, new carpet, new light/fan, and maybe some new drapes. We did not plan on changing the furniture – we had bought some nice bookcases a few years ago and they were just fine.

Step one was to triage, catalog, and box up all our books. We bagged up and donated a couple hundred books. I cataloged the remaining thousand books (I knew that MLS would be good for something one day) and packed them away in about forty double-sided storage boxes. And as luck would have it, we had a nicely renovated attic to store them in. I installed a pulley above the access door in the attic and, with Angela at the bottom and me at the top, we were able to haul all the boxes up into the attic in about an hour.

Step two was to move out all the bookcases. I used plastic sliders and carefully slid the bookcases out of the library, into the hallway, and then over into our front bedroom. The bookcases are taller than the doors so I had to tilt them a bit. This was a bit awkward but it worked.

Step three was painting. Angela agonized over the color but finally made a decision. I removed the baseboards and doors and painted them separately out in the garage. Since we were replacing the carpet I didn’t have to worry about drop cloths or spills.

Step four was getting the new carpet installed. We found a local floor store that had lots of carpet options. Angela picked a color that would match/ complement the new wall color and the bookcases. The installers did a nice job.

Step five was to move the furniture back in. This was the weekend before my hip surgery and I was hurting a bit but Angela helped out which was great!

Last step was to install a new ceiling light/fan. We got one similar to the one we put in the master bedroom, just a different color.

Once I’m fully recovered from my hip surgery we’ll bring the storage boxes back down from the attic and repopulate the bookcases.