If you look at the image facing the door, you will notice our TV hanging on the wall. Also, if you notice the layout of the apartment, you will notice a distinctly rectangular quality to it. This has led to a problem with television viewing: we have a somewhat small area in which people can sit and comfortably see the TV. This has led to one of our couches being put behind the other, which can lead to people in back not being able to see. Since we had just gotten new carpet, and this had led to a slew of home improvement measures in the apartment of late, it was time we solved the television viewing problem once and for all.
The solution? Why, homebrew stadium seating, of course.
With only a couple of days before classes started for the summer, I figured I would start in the same place every great project starts. Google, of course. After searching such in-depth terms as "build a platform" and "do-it-yourself stadium seating" I came up with a couple of useful PDFs in regard to home construction. I made the appropriate measurements, drew myself a diagram in Photoshop, and then it was off to Home Depot for lumber and supplies.
By the way, if you ever need any help cutting lumber, the guys at the Waco/Bellmead Home Depot are some of the friendliest folks I have ever met. It practically changed my whole opinion of Wacoans entirely; seriously, these people are very nice and incredibly helpful. Maybe it was because they were morning people and I was the only person in the store at 6:45 that particuarl morning, but I have never receieved better service anywhere. This project would not have come together nearly so well if they hadn't been willing to answer my newbie questions and point me to the right supplies (hammer staplers, deck screws, etc.). Just thought I'd throw that out there.
So, anyway, upon returning from Home Depot I set to work. I meant to document this process better through photos, but I got wrapped up in working and only managed to get three "in-process" photos. If somebody has done a Google search similar to mine and this page has come up, I'm sorry I haven't provided better instructions. If you need help, you should ask the people at Home Depot.
After about an hour and a half of actual work on the platform, I had made significant progress:
However, the battery on my cordless drill was dead, which meant no more pilot holes. I had to take a break. I let it charge overnight, and the next morning I managed to finish constructing the platform itself:
Next I had to find carpet. I called our leasing office and got the name of the supplier for our apartment complex; I called those guys, told them how much carpet I needed, then spent some time online learning how exactly to lay carpet. A book on laying floors from (you guessed it) Home Depot came in very helpful as well. Also, former roommate Ben Cozad (God bless him) happened to be passing through town just as I was needing to cut carpet and gave me some very helpful hints on how to do that. So, about a hundred staples and 60 square feet of carpet later, we had a finished product:
The apartment looks pretty good now, and Ray and I are pretty proud. It's been a good week for Apartment 114.
