I always hesitate to write these types of blog posts because they usually come with judgement or criticism, but I also know there’s a decent amount of people who appreciate the costs outlined for larger projects so they know what to plan for themselves.
Our family room (a 14′ ish x 18′ ish walk out basement) cost the most amount of money ever spent on any other project in our home, but it also took the longest to complete, so the total costs were split over about a year and a half. For before & after photos and all the details, please check out the reveal post here.
Here is a breakdown of the labor and renovation related costs:
- $5,500 for fireplace, fireplace install, taxes and permits. The install included venting through Angelo’s office to our outside wall (vs. venting directly through an outside wall, which would have been a little cheaper). We went with an Astria Gemini 40 Millivolt Unit
- $1,300 for gas labor. This cost was for hooking up existing gas line from previous fireplace to new fireplace as well as patching some holes in exterior gas lines. It would have been $900 without patching the holes
- $1,200 for marble & fabrication for fireplace surround/hearth (I could have saved by going with a different material)
- $1,500 carpet install
- $11,500 for the work my contractor did (including materials he needed). Here’s what he did between December 2023 and December 2024:
- Removing old slab doors and old trim and replaced with new doors and trim
- Framing for new fireplace
- Electrical work for new fireplace and built-in lights
- Casing out the column
- Drywall work once fireplace was installed (plus misc. drywall work like patching some spots throughout the room)
- Cabinetry materials, labor for building cabinets and installing the cabinets. I think the cabinetry alone was around $6,000 for labor and materials
Total: $21,000
- Sherrill sofa: $225
- Chinese Peony drapes + trim: $2,700
- Strie velvet pillows for sofa and chair from Little Design Co: $495
- Pull out sofa mattress: $200
- Antique Louis Philippe mirror from France (found on Etsy) $725
- Skirted table + table skirt: $120
- Society social console table from Facebook Marketplace $800 (includes cost to ship via uShip)
- Visual Comfort lamps behind sofa – $820 total (bought open box on eBay)
- GP&J Baker Grantly fabric for lampshades – $290
- Catherine Booker Jones art for gallery wall: $795
- Frames & mats for gallery wall: $240
- Jennifer Pino art: $350
- Frame for Jennifer Pino art: $120
- Katherine Wirth art $200
- VC Hargett lamps (found secondhand on Chairish) $500
- Frame TV: $900
- Frame for TV: $250
- Open box picture lights $190
- Random accessories for built-ins $400
Total: $10,320
Total amount I paid (not including gifted or discounted product):
$31,320
- Martha & Ash – curtain rod and labor
- Worlds Away – coffee table
- Kravet/Lee Jofa- discounted fabric and trim for drapes
- Perennials – Jake Stripe fabric for sofa
- Sherrill – Katie chair, gifted Lane table, and Lee Jofa fabric for chair
- Couristan – Seychelles carpet
- Novo – door trim
Total amount I paid:
$31,320
+ the gifted product amount:
$14,600
= 45,920 total cost of the room
When all was said and done, it was a big number for me to swallow. But this room turned out exactly as I envisioned and we increased the value of our house in the end. I hope this helped provide some context!
The room looks amazing. I think you did well on the labor and materials for the contractor. Or perhaps Boston prices have warped my brain. Thanks for sharing the process as well as cost !