apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

...and as you will see, there is a long road ahead. "It's a little adventure", says Harold, still trying to retain his original pledge of "being Zen about it." The problem is, he says, "the deal was too good to be true."

The contractor bid a price that seemed exceptionally low for the amount of work Harold had in mind. The contractor is skilled and when he does the work, it is done well. Unfortunately, the contractor has a bevy of personal issues that stand in the way of completing Harold's apartment. They are in constant negotiations, trying to work around a variety of things that keep the contractor away from Harold's job. Harold has invested too much to pull out of the relationship at this point so he forges ahead. He provides both physical and emotional support to his contractor, and tries to remain hopeful.

Budget constraints have also altered some of Harold's original intentions. Instead of glass bricks and glass mosaic tiles in the kitchen and bathroom, respectively, Harold has downgraded slightly to sheetrock and stone. As we look around the apartment, filled to the brim with construction material, an electrician working on circuitry, and all the appliances and cabinets for the future kitchen and bathroom, Harold points out that the apartment will eventually have a very minimalist look and feel. He says, "I imagine this place being very clean."

So, far the plumbing and framing of walls and built-in's has been completed. Almost all the electrical work is finished. What remains is primarily cosmetic but none of the appliances can be installed until such efforts are achieved. This includes plastering and painting all the original walls, and sheetrocking all the new walls.

I say that it will be beautiful in the end, and Harold thanks me for being so positive.