We did a construction!

So we’re basically building contractors now. Before we moved into our new office, we had to get a contractor in to redo the tile and carpet, paint everything, and make sure the wiring and everything was up to code. With a building that’s been around since 1969, that’s going to happen sometimes. We had a strict budget, so not everything on the wish list got done. Maria decided we could handle some of it ourselves, because that’s how she is.

One particular thorn in her side was the rather ugly, less-than-clean coat rack. It was behind some heavy wooden doors and featured years of cigarette tar from before the building went smoke-free. We simply didn’t use it. Then Maria decided we needed to get rid of it. Suddenly. At 4:30 in the evening before everyone was going to go home.

She recruited Mike, Jeff, and Brett to try to get the divider taken out so we could pull the wooden frame away from the wall. The four of them were not at all graceful…

Maria finally got the center wall down.

Unfortunately, once we pulled the wood frame away from the cinder block, we realized that this closet wasn’t just original to the building, it was set into the concrete of the floor. So now we had a rough, 2-inch deep, literal closet-sized hole in our floor. We stood there shaking our heads, but Maria was not to be deterred. She knew exactly what she had to do: delegate.

She told Mike and Brett this was their project. So they watched a bunch of YouTube videos and, while Mike painted the wall, Brett went to the hardware store. First order of business was to fill in the hole with concrete. Brett decided to leave a little surprise for future generations, and wedged a metal Tak capstone in the corner before they poured the concrete.

Then they added the leveling compound…

…and finally the floor tiles, which we had left over from the renovation. Then Brett installed some rails for the ceiling tiles and Mike cut a couple of them to fit, and we had a closet area! It will have a freestanding coat rack and some shelves. We’re thinking of calling it the Coat Cove.

So the next time you visit the Worldbuilders office, make sure you ask Maria where you can put your coat. She will suddenly get all proud and show you our new closet area and tell you all about how we did it ourselves, and how we’re pretty much professionals now.