The tentative plan.
Having had this discussion with TFBIM, here are the plans for fixing up our house.
Wait.
I'm getting ahead of myself, ain't I?
When we bought this house, we stole it. Part of the reason why we stole it was that the seller was desperate to get out and part of it was that the house had some aesthetic touches which were, um, "daring choices" in 1962 and the last part was that it needed some fixing up. We knew that and we moved in all eager to start bashing and clanging and knocking and putting. Which we did and then we got tired of it and we left it at Two Projects Per Year, because one of us would kill the other one at the pace we were going.
Given that we have very different tastes (e.g. rococo vs. bauhaus) and are not congenitally capable of yielding easily it was better that we proceed carefully. After all, if it took forever (no, really, you have no idea how long it took) to reach an agreement on a dining room table the matter of what to do with the master bedroom takes on an ominous significance.
Anyway, this is what the latest thing is:
1- GUT* and redo the boys' bathroom. I mean we have to knock this damned thing down to the wall studs and do-over.
2- Kitchen. There I have some sway because it is, unarguably, MY domain.
3- Master bathroom
4- Master bedroom (including new furniture)
We also need new family room furniture in there somewhere.
Now, our house has this tropicalized Arts & Crafts thing going on with which I'd like to be congruent. Which makes it hard to find things, and there's the layout. Oy.
Since the 1st bathroom is the subject of a contest and I have little or no idea what I'll end up doing there, let's skip over to the kitchen.
There are only two things I like about the kitchen as it is: The floor and the indoor griddle/grill. The floor stays since it's this extremly cool Saltillo/terracotta tile with handpainted Azulejo tile inlays. Also likely staying is the grill/griddle thing with the downdraft blower. I'm not adamant about this, but I'd surely miss it if it went, especially since I like pretending to cook over live fire but could not manage it as often as I'd like when it's the rainy season.
So, I'm thinking of white beadboard cabinetry (with glass-front cabinets to show off the glassware and plates and things) and butcher block countertops and stainless steel appliances with a REAL hood with Category 5 suction capacity. Oh, and pot racks.
Remind me to tell you about my exo-closet.
That is all.
-J.
P.S. Why is Blogger @#$%ing with my line spacing?
* We have no choice. What used to be plumbing is now a porous mish-mash of ferrous oxide, cheap galvanized steel of midcentury vintage, eroded sheetrock and plumbing detritus the details of which I am blissfully ignorant.
Wait.
I'm getting ahead of myself, ain't I?
When we bought this house, we stole it. Part of the reason why we stole it was that the seller was desperate to get out and part of it was that the house had some aesthetic touches which were, um, "daring choices" in 1962 and the last part was that it needed some fixing up. We knew that and we moved in all eager to start bashing and clanging and knocking and putting. Which we did and then we got tired of it and we left it at Two Projects Per Year, because one of us would kill the other one at the pace we were going.
Given that we have very different tastes (e.g. rococo vs. bauhaus) and are not congenitally capable of yielding easily it was better that we proceed carefully. After all, if it took forever (no, really, you have no idea how long it took) to reach an agreement on a dining room table the matter of what to do with the master bedroom takes on an ominous significance.
Anyway, this is what the latest thing is:
1- GUT* and redo the boys' bathroom. I mean we have to knock this damned thing down to the wall studs and do-over.
2- Kitchen. There I have some sway because it is, unarguably, MY domain.
3- Master bathroom
4- Master bedroom (including new furniture)
We also need new family room furniture in there somewhere.
Now, our house has this tropicalized Arts & Crafts thing going on with which I'd like to be congruent. Which makes it hard to find things, and there's the layout. Oy.
Since the 1st bathroom is the subject of a contest and I have little or no idea what I'll end up doing there, let's skip over to the kitchen.
There are only two things I like about the kitchen as it is: The floor and the indoor griddle/grill. The floor stays since it's this extremly cool Saltillo/terracotta tile with handpainted Azulejo tile inlays. Also likely staying is the grill/griddle thing with the downdraft blower. I'm not adamant about this, but I'd surely miss it if it went, especially since I like pretending to cook over live fire but could not manage it as often as I'd like when it's the rainy season.
So, I'm thinking of white beadboard cabinetry (with glass-front cabinets to show off the glassware and plates and things) and butcher block countertops and stainless steel appliances with a REAL hood with Category 5 suction capacity. Oh, and pot racks.Remind me to tell you about my exo-closet.
That is all.
-J.
P.S. Why is Blogger @#$%ing with my line spacing?
* We have no choice. What used to be plumbing is now a porous mish-mash of ferrous oxide, cheap galvanized steel of midcentury vintage, eroded sheetrock and plumbing detritus the details of which I am blissfully ignorant.
Comments
I am having serious tile envy ovah heah, though.
Seriously nice looking tiles.
I may be the only person on the planet who dislikes stainless steel, brushed or not!
And sorry to see you've given up ranting via the labels. I was enjoying it.
As the proud owner of stainless appliances and a category 5 suction vent hood who rejected butcher block counters, I'm wondering who is going to buff the wine stains off them - and who is responsible for keeping the effing handprints off the steel.
I'm pretty "meh" on white cabinetry but I can't find anything else that "ties" the floor with the butcher-block countertops. I am open to suggestions.
Meggie,
It seems all the Very Serious Appliances only come in stainless steel.
bb,
It's a risk I have to take. The galley-shape kitchen is of such a size (and the footprint is unalterable) that prep space is at a premium. I find I have more need for space to chop than places to rest searing-hot pans (i.e. granite) or room to roll out assorted doughs (i.e. marble). But I'm also open to suggestions; or will be once we're ready to pull the trigger on this 1970s nightmare.
-J.
I've had butcher block countertops. They looked fine until I started working IN the kitchen. Then? Not so fine. Very worn/sliced/stained by the sink. Yes, you can sand and re-oil them. But truly? Give me a solid STERILIZABLE surface. I always suspect that wood has nasties lurking.
I hate white kitchen cabinets. I am a servant to 50+ linear feet of white cabinets now. Some drawer or cabinet front is always dirty.
And if you get squirrel cages in that MoFo fan, please tell me how you clean their infinite razor-sharp fan blade edges. With a Q tip, frequently slicing your fingers? Or will your fan(s) be recessed?
Sorry to swoop in and pooh-pooh your plans. I do love your flooring. With that tomato-red reflecting on you, you must look gorgeous while you are fricasse-ing and frappe-ing. It's just that I've lived in 15 different mid to high-end kitchens. And - um - I'm older. But probably not as opinionated.
You know what I want? A concrete and steel kitchen, with floors that slope slightly with a big drain in the middle so I can use a fire hose and boiling water to just hose the whole thing down every night. Okay, slight exaggeration.
-J.
P.S. For some reason the tile showed up darker than it really is, it's really more of a "faded flowerpot" color.
You could also do that sort of poofy Mexican tile for the backsplash. We have limestone, and that is great looking - but Very Porous.
The floor is limiting - granite or solid surface is the wrong look and no way I'd have tile countertops again - unless you could set them with 1/32nd grout lines...then I MIGHT consider it. How about concrete counters?
I'll browse my kitchen design books and see what pops out for the saltillo floor look.
Have the subz and the dishwasher fronted in the cabinet facing - that'll help with fingerprints.
I think you have to go with white cabinets - you're in Florida for god's sake -- it's one of the only places on earth where white is okay.
We never realized that the 'serious' appliances need serious care as well - fine tuning and frequent checking (K screamed at a Viking person: THESE ARE THE ROLLS ROYCE OF APPLIANCES AND WE ARE TUNING THEM UP ALL THE TIME! Precisely, replied the Viking person.)
As someone who drives cars that are simultaneously esoteric, ancient AND Italian, I am very comfortable with the whole concept of high-maintenance.
As re. the butcher block, I managed to find some excellent end-grain maple that is so "tiled" in the different shades thereof it may make the upkeep SLIGHTLY less onerous.
What do you suggest for a hood? I want something that approximates a black hole or, failing that, requires that small pets and young children approach it only if they have been safely tethered.
-J.