Transform: Re-Imagining an Existing Space

Philadelphia is a frontier of sorts on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. As one of the oldest and largest cities in the United States, history swirls. Sadly, the docks and bustling waterfront until recently has been neglected. Manufacturing and skilled labor jobs moved overseas due to the cost of labor. As a result the city suffered. This all has begun to change at a rapid pace. Philadelphia as a city boasts a slew of high profile colleges and universities. Between graduates and business professionals, a land grab is underway. Their is no hiding it. Sandwiched smack dab in the middle of the Northeast corridor of I-95 with New York, Boston, and Washington D.C accessible by car, bus or train, the real estate tycoons have discovered a new high yield mining field.

Today we are technically in North Philly except it’s now been renamed Brewery Town. Nearby is Strawberry Mansion but if you asked a local, its North Philly. As history has shown, one way to erase bad connotations and history is the rename or re-brand. The Ottoman once an mighty empire is now a piece or furniture. Alright, bad but the point is made. Rename a section of the city to attract new unbiased residents. The new residents want clean safe streets and nice homes. The homes at present are in the form of dilapidated but spacious row houses. These homes are major cash cows for developers. With a little work, these places are highly flippable at unbelievable profits or turned into spacious rental units for the changing demographic that would rather rent then own. As a result, the We Buy Homes signs are out in force.

What that means is skilled labor is in high demand. Most often these homes are gutted and turned inside out in the space of a few months. On any given street, keep an eye peeled for work trucks and work vans. As Exclusive Wallcovering commandeers a spot, join us as we walk you through a recent rebuilding project in a house 5 minutes from downtown Center City Philadelphia.

Demolition and Removal

Things would have been easier and much cheaper if the consensus decision would have been to retouch and refresh. Instead, the job would be done the right way without cutting corners. A drop ceiling needed removal as well as wooden wall paneling. After reviewing the now visible 9ft ceiling, we continued to remove everything down to bare beams due to the condition it was in. A bonus to removing the drop ceiling tiles was a beautiful arch was uncovered. It would however need restoration.  The debris was packed up, carted out, and removed from the premises to provide a clean slate.

Structuring and Framing

This looks like a terror of a project with the naked eye. The professional expertise of Steve & Company made this manageable.

The goal was to build new walls over the existing walls. Wood was procured, and the room started to shrink again. An electrician brought the building up to code with additional boxes and outlets. Insulation was then added, and a hole was patched that was discovered that allowed elements and vermin to enter from the outside. Drywall was lugged in and installed for a new ceiling and over the wooden framing to complete the new walls. Everything was secured with a multitude of drywall screws. Windows were boxed, and edges beaded for a fine finish. Next the arch was repaired to its former glory.

Finishing

The foundation was set. Now it was time to make everything look pretty. This meant Spackle, Sand, Tape, Spackle, and then a last bout of sanding. It was a chaos of dust which was controlled and contained to that one room. The walls and ceiling were then primed for paint and completed. Things were moving along.

The baseboard was installed, and a decision was made to install crown molding. Both the baseboard and molding needed to be finished in white. A second and third coat of paint was then added to the walls to complete the painting aspect of the job.

 The final touches consisted of over sized outlet covers, a stylish fan, faux wood blinds, LED lighting, and modern carpet. The result was a great room where people could gather and enjoy time together. Steve Outterbridge and Exclusive Wallcovering played major roles for the duration of the project. For your next job

Exclusive Wallcovering is a call away! ☏ 215.412.3079