This is week 5 of the Kansas City Contemporary Home Renovation Series. Just in case you missed it, here’s Week 1, Week 2, Week 3 and Week 4.
This week, we’re taking a break from the construction of the entire project and taking a deeper look at the family room bar with a built-in fish tank. The homeowners love to travel and go on scuba diving expeditions. They wanted to bring a little piece of under the sea beauty to their home in the form of a salt water fish tank.
Donna’s design placed the fish tank in the upper cabinets of the family room bar. Installing a 200-gallon fish tank at eye-level viewing is no small undertaking! The fish tank required a room directly behind the tank to clean and support the system. Furthermore, the weight of the tank required a stand and structural supports in the floor.
Framing & Support
Billy and his team first started with the structural framing below the floor of where the fish tank would be located. Once the support was in place, they could begin the framing. They framed the fish room as well as the bar wall base cabinetry. The base cabinetry required an opening for the fish tank stand’s four legs. The fish tank stand was custom built, by an outside company, to fit the space and accommodate the weight of the tank.
Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing
In addition to the fish tank, the bar design also included a wine fridge, beverage cooler, and sink. The fish room included a mop sink, the tank system, and a control panel. These additions required quite a bit of mechanical, electrical and plumbing work.
The plumbing included adding new supply lines and drains to the tank, tank system and sinks. New waste and water lines were added and tied into the existing systems. Additional plumbing was required on-site during the placement of the fish tank stand.
The electrical work included adding new circuits for plugs and appliances. Additionally, plugs were installed for the fish tank lights, lights in the bar and the aquarium room.
Cabinets, Flooring, and Counters
Finally, the time came to start installing the cabinets! The design included two different types of cabinets with the upper cabinets being a metallic black acrylic cabinets and the lower cabinets being a Madagascar veneer. The acrylic material in the upper cabinets will help to withstand wear from the salt water. The cabinet directly above the tank will lift up as one unit. The team had to slightly re-work the upper cabinets due to the fish tank being a slightly different size than the original design.
Once the cabinets were installed the team installed LVT on the fish room floor and installed the counter on the bar. The fish tank bar is almost a reality!
Check back next week as the home renovation gets closer to its reveal, and the remainder of the project’s cabinets are installed.
Donna Kirsopp has been with the SDR team since 1999 and in the industry since 1982. Donna has been recognized by NARI and KCH&G as an award-winning designer for 15 consecutive years. “I am so fortunate to get up every morning loving what I do.” Donna, a native of Pittsburgh PA, has one grown daughter. “In my spare time, you can find me in my garden or on the golf course.”
Are you thinking of renovating your home? Contact us today to speak to a Schloegel expert!