Starting Fireplace Project

Although the wall is difficult to see behind all these Christmas
presents, we are building a gel-fuel fireplace for this wall between
the door and the window.  We will be covering this entire wall
in library paneling matching the interior door at left.

Today I started working on our newest home improvement project... Building a gel-fuel fireplace with an attached shelving unit for our entertainment components. This project also involves upgrading the entire wall with custom library-type paneling to match the fireplace.

Today I started the project by clearing off the entire wall.  I also cleaned and primed the new front entry door.  This door is a steel, 15 lite door currently adorned (sarcasm) in its factory primer coat. Today's priming job is simply an undercoating for a grain-like appearance which will show through a brushed-on wood stain topcoat. In the end, this door should look like a beautiful wood door. I've used this same technique on a few other doors in the past with beautiful results. 

Our hallway is now filled with lumber including some nice maple plywood for the library paneled walls.  This library paneling will be all maple and aspen.  

This wall, in its current condition is a vast improvement over how it looked just a few short years ago (see below).  We're renovating the house in phases so this is the next phase for this particular wall. These relatively small projects/phases help keep cost outlays to a minimum and spread out over a longer period of time.  Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, these smaller phases of construction are much easier on my health.  

I'll write again when I get a bit more accomplished...

The same living room wall just a few short years ago when we
began our renovations.  We removed that leaking picture window and
replaced/moved the front entry door...  and the interior has been updated
considerably as well... a little at a time...

And here is a shot of this particular living room wall after our
first phase of renovations...  so now the dresser is being replaced
by a fireplace, shelves and a mantle just under the height of the
wall switch plate... a little at a time...