Our garage is starting to look like a real room! My contractor wrapped up all of his portion of the renovations this week, which means we now have: 2 new windows, insulation, drywall, a new ceiling, lighting, hardwood flooring, stair railing, and an opening into a bonus nook.
And now this is where the fun really begins, because it’s all DIY from here on out!
The TV Wall
The first DIY project I want to tackle is the TV wall. It’s the most intensive project I have planned for this room, and it will serve as the room’s main focal point.
Designing and modeling
Designing the TV wall has been a journey so far. This is the biggest and most complicated project I’ve ever attempted, and keeping all the details and measurements straight has been a huge challenge for me. For previous projects I’ve been able to do all the necessary planning in a few sketches and maybe a quick 2-dimensional mockup on the computer, like this one I created for the TV wall:
But this TV wall design demanded more, more, more! I finally had to stop and try to find another solution because I was going in circles trying to finalize the design and remember what went where and how long or short it needed to be.
So this week I learned how to use SketchUp and created a 3D mockup of my TV Wall design. The choice to halt all progress by stopping and trying to learn to use a 3D modeling app was a really difficult one–I’m someone who constantly needs to feel like they’re making tangible process. But I’m so glad I took the risk! Creating a 3D mockup has been an absolute game changer! It’s made it super easy to keep track of all the different sized pieces of wood I need and how to assemble them.
I’m by no means an expert in this tool, but having this model to work off of allowed me to finally start building!
Learning to use a new tool
Continuing the trend of learning new things, this week I finally faced my fear of a tool that I’ve been putting off learning how to use for months because I’ve been so intimidated by it–the table saw. I whipped out that manual and studied it, plus a ton of video tutorials.
And wow! It has made it so easy to rip down the 8′ sheets of plywood that I need for the TV wall bookcases. Check out these shelves I cut on the table saw for my new bookcases.
I know it might not look super exciting yet, but this is such a huge personal achievement for me. I’ve literally spent months procrastinating on using the table saw because I’ve been paralyzed by fear. But I finally realized, it’s week 4 and we’re halfway through this challenge. I had no choice but to get it done.
And that’s the wonderful thing about this challenge–it pushes us! It pushes us to do what it takes to reach our goals, even if that means temporarily stepping out of our comfort zone and facing anxiety head on. Thank you, One Room Challenge!
Check out what other participants are doing this week at the One Room Challenge blog.
