Before and After Gallery
Here, summarized in photographs, are the major renovations I've made, starting with the foyer, which was originally a useless "mud room" (I called it the "sneaker room") and is now my library.
Kitchen
The kitchen underwent the greatest change of any space in the unit. I turned what was originally a poorly-organized "bachelor pad" affair into a fully-functional kitchen, complete with a full-size refrigerator, induction range, dishwasher, and a fold-up breakfast bar that accommodates five people. Not to mention well over four times the cabinet space.
Dining Room
The prior owner had no dining room per se. Evidently he didn't do any entertaining. I saved considerable money by building my own dining table (using the same butcher block material as the countertops) and reusing the plastic patio chairs from my prior home.
Living Room
The living room was a strange space: television almost up against the ceiling? Sofas that didn't even face the television? I had to wonder if he actually spent much time living here. I turned it into something of a mini-sanctuary for myself and my guests, complete with a DIY butcher block coffee table.
Laundry
Amazingly the laundry could easily accommodate full-size appliances, yet it had a compact "apartment" washer/dryer stack, and all of the remaining space was used for storage. It's so spacious that, even with new full-sized appliances, there was enough room to create a "kitty service center" (food, water, litter box, etc.).
Hall Closets
I never did photograph the hall the way it looked when I got here; the nearest I can get is the image below left, after I'd removed the furnace. I converted the space into a second closet, finished to match the first.
Bathroom
The bathroom saw a great many cosmetic as well as functional renovations, the biggest of them was replacing the ancient water heater with an on-demand unit. This left more than enough room for a proper linen closet.
Master Bedroom
The changes I made to the master bedroom aren't immediately apparent: I reorganized the clothes closet, and totally rebuilt the electrical panel.
