I often say that opening up a wall is one of the least expensive, yet most dramatic ways to change your home.  Usually, it’s the kitchen wall that people want to remove because kitchens were historically smaller and more separate from the home.  At this home, two blocks from the IU stadium in Bloomington, Indiana, the homeowners wanted to get rid of the wall between their dining room which adjoined the kitchen, and the living room.

Before I started any demolition, we talked about different ways to approach the project.  Of course, we could just completely remove the wall to the ceiling.  This method can be more expensive because the header across the opening has to be hidden in the ceiling, which means it is more involved.  They opted to leave the header below the ceiling joists and let the height of the opening match the doorway that was there previously.  I find that is is usually best that all the openings and doorway heights match.  This gives continuity rather than disjointedness to the design of the room.

Another aspect to consider is whether I should remove all of the lower wall or if I should leave it as a counter of some sort.  In this case we decided to leave a counter that they could use for serving food or displaying items.  Rather than an expensive countertop, I just took a poplar board and rounded off the corners with my router and sanded it smooth.  Even though a poplar board can sometimes give me sticker shock, it’s much less than a 2″ oak countertop!    This way it can be stained to match the kitchen cabinets (which also looked like poplar), or be painted to a smooth finish.

The before and after photos (above) show the change to the house.  Not only does it give more light too the rooms from all the windows, but it effectively makes the living space of this smaller ranch home feel more like one large room.

Recent AngiesList.com review for this project…  “We were very pleased with Peter’s work from the point of contacting him through completion.  He was very friendly, professional, and easy to talk to, providing advice on what he had done before on previous projects while also making sure to ask what our purposes would be for the space and meeting our wants and needs.  He was gracious in talking through all of the options and possibilities and flexible to make sure we got something we’d be happy with – and we are!  He stayed true to his estimate and time frame, and did a beautiful job. Highly recommend!”   –Stephanie D, Bloomington, IN  (Reviewed 12/29/12)