Crickets

The carpenter working on the master bath and kitchen renovations has come up with many excuses for his absence/tardiness. I thought they needed to be shared with a wider audience. They usually start with "Unfortunately..."

I forgot I had to go to court
my truck was in the shop
the part didn't come in
the door didn't come in
I'm on a roll at this other job
the other job ran over
I had a doctor's appointment
my mother had a doctor's appointment
it's going to rain
I had to finish that other job
it rained
I got stuck in traffic
my stomach was upset
I just had to stop by the other job
Snow Day!
I had to pick up a few things
I must have eaten something bad
I had to drive my mother to work
I must have picked up that bug that's going round
I woke up early, turned off the alarm and my cell and went back to sleep
I was going to work but I didn't feel better

this one was, until Friday, my favorite

someone cut through the telephone wire and the alarm doesn't work so I have to stay here until the phone company comes to fix it...

but this, this is the killer - the voicemail he left June 4 at 3:24 PM:


"unfortunately a bartender friend of mine last night played a silly trick on me not knowing I was working today and over-served me... certainly that's not a great excuse but it is what it is. I am going to be at your house first thing tomorrow the morning... I'll see you in the morning"

... and no, he didn't turn up "first thing" next morning to finish up the work.

On wheels

That whole match the cabinet to the picture idea was a real winner - twice over. We took advantage of the carpenter's absence to do a dry run of the cabinets under the window and decided to change the configuration slightly. Then we swapped the images on the window and voila - the carpenter, when he returns, will know exactly what goes where.
By moving one cabinet from the extreme left to the right side of the run we can place the dishwasher next to the sink rather than adjacent. The footprint remains the same but the countertop won't project into the room as far. This will open up in the kitchen even more, so much so that I'm thinking of ordering roller skates and waitress outfit to get around!

Pictures speak louder than...

The cabinet installation is motoring along with only one minor speed bump, a confusion over which box goes where. Yes, we do have a labelled plan and diagram but after a fifteen minute search for a missing part that wasn't missing just misplaced to a different part of the kitchen I reckoned things would go a lot faster if I printed images of the finished cabinets and sticky-taped them to the walls in the correct configuration. It worked. No more holding the plans upside down and squinting - just follow the pretty pictures...

Taped

The hardwood floor is down in the kitchen and I spent much of the weekend playing with the placement of the island. In order for it go back the direction it was before we would have had to move the extractor vent to the west by 6 " - and there is a joist in the way! We could "jump" the joist but there would be a lot of holes in the ceiling, possibly some exploratory cuts in the wall behind Verity's bed where the hvac system runs to the exterior blower and it all seemed a lot of work, plus there was the possibility of a reduction in venting power if we had to insert an elbow into the vent pipe. An easier option was to just pivot the island and run it north-south rather than east-west.



Once it was all taped out something magical happened to the feel of the kitchen, it just fit better in the room - opening it up and emphasizing its trapezoid shape. This room is the same size as the great room but it never felt as large, now the kitchen will be one large area rather than two divided and disjointed spaces. We'll also end up with fewer pinch points than before - by using the full width of the extractor fan cutout the island will be relocated 5" towards the eating area, giving me a 36" pass at the tightest place, everywhere else will have 40" minimum clear. A big selling point is that I'll be able to cook while looking out at the yard - taking in the scenery (and watching the wildlife) from my island in a sea of hardwood.

Kitchen Reno: Flooring Progress!

So far so wood...

Hot Lava

Once the fabulously decorated great room, it's now full of furniture from the kitchen and dining room - the perfect place to challenge the peeps to a game of Hot Lava!

Gone

The leaky sink and faucet, huge range hood, beat-up cabinets... all gone. But what about the elephant in the room, I hear you shout? Don't worry, we didn't discard the refrigerator just because it had tested our patience on several occasions. We simply moved* it to a temporary locale...

*four strong guys and a dolly

Great snakes alive!

Well maybe not snakes per se, just cables that used to service the island. Actually, it reminds me of Medusa's curls* but I digress. Five electric cables plus that huge black insulated one for the halogen cooktop. If you're counting that represents one for the built-in toaster, one for the electric can opener, one for the outlet and one for the range hood... and a spare.


With the island out of the way you can really appreciate the size of the kitchen - we've lived in apartments with less square footage.


*Medusa may be female but I got a preview of the stony glance that The Guy will be using on the carpenter next time he sees him. It's also the face of a man who gets back from a business trip with a case of Montezuma's revenge and finds he has to rip out a kitchen in 24 hours because said carpenter phoned in sick. If looks could kill...

Drastic but effective*

All

my

own

work

The Guy is in Mexico, the carpenter let me down three straight days in a row, the floor guy starts Monday and the kitchen needed to be out before he can rip up the carpet/vinyl/plywood. Someone had to do it and it might as well be the woman with the sledgehammer and a raging temper.
*For full-on rage I recommend cranking the volume to 50 and playing Eamon, Green Day, The Fratellis and Macy Grey until the windows shake. And no, I'm not quite over it yet!

Renovation shocker

This can mean only one thing...


The kitchen renovation is actually going to start ahead of schedule.


Cupboards have been emptied, non-essentials packed into boxes to be stored in the basement


while stuff we will use on a daily basis is evenly distributed between the bar in the den and the laundry room


I knew all that extra space would come in handy


One other thing we've learnt... we probably keep too much coffee in the house!

Exhausted by Design

I'm ashamed to say I'd actually forgotten - it was a couple of years ago - blogging about this design duo who, unhampered by their family of six (now seven) young kids, manages to renovate dilapidated buildings and turn them into chic living spaces. I'm overawed by their limitless energy and ability to get things done without a) falling over a toddler or b) having a complete, rocking in the corner, hair-tearing nervous breakdown.


Add to the mix a new baby and a camera crew trailing around after them filming their reality show 9 By Design and lesser mortals (me) would be self-medicating by 10 am. The show on Bravo is my new guilty pleasure and I'll be watching tonight with a celebratory G&T. Why the celebration? After years months of planning the kitchen renovation is officially locked and loaded. Demolition begins middle May and I predict many, many relaxing cocktails over the next few months.

Cork or Wood Flooring?

Help! Now we've decided to go for it, the only thing holding up the kitchen renovation is the flooring choice. I've gone over it a bezillion times and I'm no nearer reaching a conclusion but the kitchen cabinets are about to be ordered so I need to make a decision right now.


Here are the issues: We have a sink, water dispenser in fridge. two dog bowls, cook top and wall ovens - that's a lot of potential spills. There are seven (7) doors/entryways to this room - it flows into the foyer, powder room, dining room, great room, mud room and basement and then there is the sliding kitchen door. The foyer and great room have waxed mahogany/walnut parquet floor, the dining room is presently carpeted and the mudroom, which is off at a 120 degree angle, should have the same floor as the kitchen. Oh, and did I mention the kitchen is a trapezoid?


I need the floor to be the same level as the parquet; I don't want anything as visually intrusive as a saddle nor do I want to trip over the transitions. So no slips no trips and as unified as possible. Also eco-friendly and able to stand up to two large dogs and four indoor/outdoor cats. Then there's the New York winter with its mud, snow, ice and ice melt trekking throughout the space and the Long Island summer - pool water and chlorine plus sand from the beach. Ceramic/Porcelain/Stone tiles are not an option here - too hard on the feet and too cold (we don't have room for radiant heating).


I had planned a cork floor for the kitchen - green, easy to install and soft underfoot. The tiles are square so will follow the same pattern as the existing vinyl that works for this space. They can either be waxed or polycoated to seal and are to a certain extent self-healing in the natural state. The flooring guy asked to quote for the job tells me it will be more expensive than wood floors and more easily damaged. I think he's balking because he's used to hardwood installation. His argument? Wood floors can be stained any color, sanded down if they get damaged and are better for resale (not that we're considering selling). Interestingly, Paul Anater of Kitchen and Residential Design had a post on cork floors last week that's worth reading.


So dear interwebs, weigh in with your thoughts. What would be the ideal flooring for The Cool House? Anyone who suggests indoor/outdoor carpeting will be growled at...

Kitchen Inspiration

The inspiration for the kitchen is simply the original kitchen here. If it weren't for the chewed up cabinet interiors I would have just replaced the couple of pieces of cracked laminate, installed new Corian/Caeserstone/Cambria/Silestone counters and replaced the floor with something more eco-friendly than stick down vinyl tiles. As it is the shelves are warped and the hinges have been re-screwed to the cabinet sides so many times it looks like a moonscape inside the high cabinets. So it's time to let go and start afresh.


We were also struck during our tour of the Racquet Estates in Palm Springs by the pairing of inexpensive laminate cabinets (mostly ikea, which I love) and high-end appliances and countertops. The laminate in our kitchen has stood up well to 40+ years of kids, dogs and cooking and today's finishes are even better so this is the way we'll go. I'm also very taken by this kitchen I found while trolling the interwebs - from TurningHouseIntoHome - that has similar window configuration to ours.


After the four month long master bathroom renovation, I want the kitchen to go much more smoothly. This is feasible because there will be no wall tiles or wall board to remove - it's simply a matter of unscrewing the countertops and cabinets, stripping a layer of marine board off the floor, re-flooring, installing the new cabinets and counters and wheeling in the wall ovens, cooktop and island hood. Wheeee! It'll be that easy! I've set a schedule that will be take no more than two months beginning as soon as the replacement window goes in - you know, the one that has the mock travertine formica interior sill that's higher than the outside window frame...

There is a light

... that never comes on. The light on the refrigerator side of the alarmingly expensive Sub-Zero 690 that is - the freezer is lit so I can check the vodka is ok and I know the fridge is cold but I have no idea how cold because THE LIGHT SWITCH IS NOT WORKING. I had the condenser replaced in the summer, the water dispenser re-fitted, twice, when we first got it in 2004; I am not a happy bunny.
A gem from their website "Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances are built to exacting standards..." Yep, that's exactly the adjective I would have chosen! Oh, and have I mentioned that every summer when it gets hot (like EVERY summer in New York) the ice maker stops working and you have to reset the system? Every summer. It's become something of a joke, except that it's not funny.
A guy is coming today to fix it. He's been before, doubtless he will come again. As they say on their website: Your relationship with Sub-Zero and Wolf doesn’t end the second your appliances are installed. In fact, we hope that’s just the beginning of a long relationship.
To keep my sanity (and my temper) I'm singing this song with slightly altered lyrics. Enjoy!

Next to no-cost maintenance

A quick round up of the week's chores. In addition to fixing the pool skimmer covers so we can lift them up without breaking nails, fingers or bits off the brick we:


Restore(d)-A-Finish(ed) six doors - and they look excellent - cat and dog scratches disguised, walnut colour revived. Love this product, I've invigorated tired furniture, trim and now doors.


Fixed the elephant in the room Sub-Zero just as it was exiting its warranty, thus saving me $529+labor. Tell me: How can a condenser last less than 5 years? I've known fridges go decades without needing to do anything but defrost the ice box.


Fixed the exterior light outside the front door by banging my fist on the underside of the housing. If you remember banging my head on it was how the lights went out in the first place. (The Awesome Designer says she'll help when the house burns down because our wiring is loose).

The total fix for the pool skimmer handles was just under $40, and that was the most we spent on repairs all week. We did splurge and buy two new hosepipes 150' and 75' at $34.99 and $24.99 - not cheap but not prohibitive either. The other repairs were cost free.

Green Kitchens

Maybe it's Spring, maybe it's the Zeitgeist that reflects an era of environmental awareness, but green kitchens are all over the style magazines. Some are green in colour, others manufactured to "green" principles, but all appeal to me. Once I'd have worried that picking such a strong color could quickly feel dated but these kitchens are so fresh and modern I think they'll go the distance.


Andy and Karen Lacey, the UK based designers behind retro children's furnishings collection Olli & Lime, shared their appropriately lime green kitchen with Design Public's Hatch blog. The kitchen pairs bright green cabinets with soothing grey concrete counters. It may be tiny but it's very efficient - when everything is within reach you edit your kitchenware down to the indispensable, and you limit your movements, too. Small is gorgeous!


UK design magazine wallpaper* features another compact kitchen, this time in Hunter Green, in their May issue, styling it with abundant herbs and vegetables. Hunter Green has long been a standard in British kitchens, with AGA stoves to cook on (and warm your house) that have been available for decades but this takes the deep colour to the rest of the kitchen.


Bon Appetit magazine showed an award-winning eco-friendly kitchen from Arclinea San Diego that pairs chartreuse green (they call it Papaya Yellow) cabinets with stainless steel counters and all the bells and whistles you could possibly want from a kitchen.

Think green cabinets are too modern for your traditional house? Check out this pantry that's part of a "green" article over at The Kitchen Designer blog. It's sure to change your mind.

What do you think of the green kitchen trend? Strikingly beautiful and sure to stand the test of time or too reminiscent of the seventies avocado nightmare?
This post is part of Friday's Hooked on Houses blogfest

Pot fillers

I'll be upfront here and say that I don't understand the pot filler's place on the list of most desirable kitchen gadgets. I know they save you from having to lug a heavy pot full of water across the kitchen but you still have to lug that same pot over to the sink when you're done cooking, and then it's hot and steamy as well as heavy. Much like a laundry chute where it's super to be able throw all the dirty laundry through a hole in the ceiling and have it fall next to the washing machine, but you still have to fold the clothes and carry them back upstairs when they are clean, it's efficientish.
Having said all that here are a few modern-looking pot fillers that from a design perspective I'd give a little wall space to.


Grohe Ladylux Pot Filler. If this is as robust as the Ladylux faucet we had in our last kitchen it will be worth the money. And who can resist that come-hither lever? Available in wall or deck-mounted versions, in stainless steel. $1029.00 retail, around $625 from online faucet sellers.


The very simple Whitehaus Decohaus available in brushed nickel or chrome, for half the price of the Grohe. It also comes in a cross-handle model.


Hansgrohe Allegro. This faucet has cute stubby little levers that I just want to pinch. It's available only in chrome, list price $662. But once again there are bargains out there. Hansgrohe also make a similar model Talis, but the lever is so tiny I'm not sure how I'd operate it.

All Fall Down

We weren't planning on taking the tree down until Sunday but it had other ideas. I'd just finished cleaning up from New Year yesterday morning when I heard the crash. No animals were anywhere near the tree when it fell to the ground so we can't blame them and I closed off the room pretty smartly so they wouldn't get cut paws from the shattered ornaments. Lessons for next year: Make sure the tree is centered before you decorate it and keep it well watered; the poor thing was bone dry. Surprisingly though, it had lost hardly any needles until it hit the floor; it looked as fresh and green as did when we dragged it in two weeks ago. The tree ornaments, however, didn't fare so well. In the end we lost most of the hand-blown icicles, all the red glass ornaments and a couple of the hand-painted ones. I was amazed the whole lot didn't smash but we'll still be looking at a couple of dozen replacements next year.


We removed the rest of the decorations at the same time. The house is pretty bare now but the Satellite bowl looks good in its new home.

Satellite Fruit Bowl of Love

The Satellite Bowl designed by Carlo Contin for sale at MoMA. The simple, geometric and uniquely modern fruit bowl I've been lusting after for a long time. The one The Guy drove all the way into Manhattan two days before Christmas to get for me.

Hangover: Cause and Cure

It may not amuse everyone but I think it's worth a post. This is the door of my freezer: half-empty bottles of alcohol and lots of ice packs. What else would you need for the holiday season?
Why, full bottles, of course.