Genius Hour - Week 6

Post #6 - Working the Process

This week, I began the fun part of envisioning the different spaces and designing them.  I have found that sitting in a space that is quiet and free from distraction works best for me.  So in a busy house of 2 teenagers and a dog, that in itself can be challenging.  However, Saturday morning in my dining room before the kids wake up is my magic time.  When my husband brings home a Starbuck's Vanilla Chai Tea Latte and I'm in heaven.  Let the process begin. 

So I started to think about each room and the numerous conversations we've had at the dinner table about what everyone wants.  My husband really wants a space for his tools and woodworking hobby. My youngest daughter wants a space for dancing, and my freshman wants a space for gaming, sleep overs, and art.  Knowing our space isn't that big, I've tried to design each room to be multi-purpose. 

I've also started to look for inspiration online and in magazines.

Here is a look at my designs:

 As you can see, the space was divided into 3 zones: family room, workshop, and the music/dance studio.  In the dance space, we're planning on installing 2 large mirrors we've saved from bathroom remodels.

 We've hoping to get a pool table/ping pong table that will be a hit at all our teenage get togethers.  The family room includes a counter for art, homework, or it can serve as a buffet area.

Here is my husband's workshop space.  I really hope we can afford to get him a nice workbench and cabinet storage.

Here's my dip chart:

Genius Hour - Week 5

Post #5 - Keeping Motivated

This week I was struggling with the software program 5D Planner.  It was very limiting and not at all what I wanted.  I need a print out that I can give to my contractor that has measurements and correct scaling.  Although giving them the link to my plans is nice, when they're on the job they need the paper print out and this one did not print anything that was legible.  So my mission this week was to essentially start over and find a new software to use.  After reading some online reviews, I landed on Cedreo.  They offered a 14-day free trial period and so I gave it a try.  Here is my new blueprint:

As you can see, the room names and dimensions are much more legible.  

The other major accomplishment for this week, was the installation of shelving in our crawlspace.  Knowing that right now we use our entire basement as storage, the need to utilize our crawl to its maximum potential will be key in order to allow the rest of our basement to become usable entertainment space.  So my husband and I emptied everything out of the crawl and then reutilized our existing shelving by hanging them from the rafters.  This was actually my idea after realizing that the floor was covered with uneven stone.  Here are the before and after photos.  Warning - not for the faint of heart -lol!

Before - Our crawlspace full of luggage, coolers, boxes and a Christmas tree. 

After - Installed hanging shelving to organize all of our stuff that will have to be relocated in order to have the space we desire.  We also repurposed the floor mats and old area rug to cover the rocks and prevent the plastic from getting ripped.  

Getting cleaned out, really motivates me to keep going.  Plus it was fun to work on this project with my husband.  I just keeping think of how great our new space will be - that's what keeps me motivated.

Genius Hour - Week 4

Post #4 - Making a Plan

I've decided that Saturday and Sunday are the best days for me to devote to Genius Hour.  The weekdays get busy helping my kids with homework and running them to their activities, but the morning hours of the weekend, when they're sleeping in, allow me to be the most productive. So my plan is to devote Saturday morning to Genius Hour and Sunday afternoon to the rest of my class work.

This week was an interesting one. My husband and I met with a contractor to discuss our project.  I learned there are a lot of choices and decisions to make just to get an estimate.  Things I didn't considered were the size of the base, how to finish the stairs, and how we'll need access to certain utilities.  We did learn that our one clean-out drain could be moved so that it is not in the middle of the family room - so that's good news!

I have also been attempting to make some plans and have been fairly disappointed with the software.  The online version is okay but very limited.  My biggest problem has been the stairs.  I can't adjust the them to match our staircase or design a half-angled wall to meet the treads.  I might investigate different design software this week and see if there is anything better out there.

These are my designs so far and as you can see the labels and dimensions aren't readable.  I had to handwrite size information on the printout.  That is just one of the many disappointments of this 5D planner software.