If you were not a remodeling-induced hallucination, we'd be really happy to get a quote sometime soon.
If you were a hallucination, never mind.
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Ever after
Time for a look at how it all turned out. Like a child, this kitchen truly seems as if it's always been here. And I take that to mean it fits us and suits our house. Thanks for all your support during the long, long gestation period!
Office with a view
Iowa gothic
Spotting similar cabinets in a magazine got this whole kitchen started. Thanks for the inspiration!
Nice niche
So handy to have pepper, olive oil, and salt at the ready.
A clean mud room
Look fast - before the kids come home and dump all their stuff on the window seat!
Home Sweet Home
Having this mirror, the "Prairie Gold" folk art shown below, and our key rack back up on the wall really makes the space feel like we're moved in.
Feeling up about down lights
The pendants went in on Wednesday, the day before school started ... just in time to light up breakfast and homework at the island! Niece Leah was the first to crack a book there, followed by Anna and her planner.
Another angle
It took one return to Rejuvenation and some extra adjustments by the electricians, but we finally got these pendants to the perfect height. They're on a dimmer, which I love.
Island hardware--check!
We can finally open the drawers on the island! I used the pulls on the two big bottom drawers. Anna is lobbying me to store breakfast cereal in one of the six drawers, which does make a lot of sense.
More Gothic doors
Thanks to Cynthia for the wonderful idea of replacing the old oak doors on our dining room cabinet with walnut Gothic doors! Jay installed them yesterday, and I think they are remarkably handsome. I can't even imagine how long it took Joe to make them (and I probably don't want to!). They will be stained to match the walnut woodwork next week when the painters return.
The old barn door
Here's the original dining room door. Note the barn-like X at the bottom. Since it's original to the house, we'll save it somewhere for posterity.
Have a seat
We found these stools at Pier One last night. They're wider from front to back than most saddle stools, making them quite a bit more comfortable. The finish is a little darker than the counter, but not as much as others we saw.
Dishy
Villeroy & Boch French Garden, where have you been all my life? The coordinating patterns are just as cute! Anna thinks I have become obsessed with yellow, and she might be right.
Majestic Yellow
I have wanted a stand mixer since 1988, when we got married. A mere 22 years later, here it is: a KitchenAid Artesan Series mixer in Majestic Yellow.
Island living
It's here with top attached! There seems to be plenty of room on both sides, thanks to Cathee's superlative design.
I have two stools ordered from Overstock.com, and will post a picture when they arrive tomorrow. Anna is thrilled. She just said, "Will they be here in time so Will and I can have breakfast at the island??"
Playing around
With a little help from Steve the electrician, my friend Jackie and I tried out this living room chair in the office space.
No more dishpan hands!
The dishwasher is back, and I couldn't be more excited!
Home of the range
Our new GE Cafe range has a gas top (not hooked up yet) and electric oven. I can't wait to use it! The hole in the drywall is a precursor to the niche that is supposed to be built, someday when the backsplash tile arrives.
Still not in the right place
The island continues its madcap, on-the-go lifestyle. Right now it's placed up against the wall of cabinets, waiting for the piano to be moved back into the living room. Once that happens, and the old dishwasher gets moved up from its basement waiting place and installed, we can set the island. I think the drawers and countertop will improve its looks.
So cool
The new KitchenAid refrigerator is up and running. It looks like a bachelor fridge inside, with just Diet Coke, Fat Tire, G2 and water bottles.
Lighten up!
While we're still waiting for the pendants, this stair light and the light over the back door went up yesterday. I love them both! The back door light needs to hang a couple of inches lower, but the electricians are on the case and looking for chain that will match.
This fixture matches the garage lights. It will look even better with a longer chain.
Island relocation
Doyle single-handedly moved the island to its proper orientation last night. The top will overhang by 12" for counter seating. Right now it's just sitting on top and not affixed in the proper position.
Cue the angel choir
The cabinets are exactly what I envisioned, and so are the wood tops on the island and desk. So worth the wait.
A desk of my very own
There is enough space for a corgi to lounge at my feet, or two kids to play a computer game.
Rood's Peak
Ever since I hatched the idea of this Gothic arch (while admiring the arches at Plymouth Church), I"ve been looking forward to seeing this one completed. I love it!
Tile and more
The top of the window seat matches the island countertop and the desktop.
Getting there
There's a lot to be said for paint.
The long way around
We must have swatched 8 or 9 colors before I got the bright idea to check the strip with Dover White (the cabinet color) at the top. Two shades away: Compatible Cream, which is exactly the color I've been searching for. A warm, goldish, buttery tan, it looks beautiful with the cabinets and the granite.
Twelve o'clock, and all's well
The granite is in, and I love it! They did a fantastic job matching the color and movement on the only seam (not shown here).
Ready for its close-up
Love the wavy pattern and the colors!
Welcome home
With the herringbone brick walkway extended and plants in place, the back entry is nearly finished. The hanging light above the back door will be the final touch. Most of the bricks say "Iowa," but you get bonus points if you can spot the single "Des Moines" brick embedded in the walkway.
Before the granite
It's being installed as I write!
Hello, herringbone
Doyle picked up the tile yesterday. Good news: We love the look and the colors. Other news: Each tile is 1/4 inch smaller in width and length than we ordered. I'm not sure yet if that matters, or what our options are.
The door that started it all
I still remember walking past our house before we lived here, when Tracy and Scott were at 4333 Allison, and exclaiming over the front door. Now it's ours, and it has inspired a whole kitchen.
So close, and yet ...
The curves just aren't quite right.
Meet Molokini
Don't be misled by this photo--the island drawers will face the sink, not the walkway. It's not placed yet, just sitting in the kitchen.
A work in progress
The desk is on its way! At around seven feet wide, it's the largest desk I've had to myself since the turn of the milennium. There is a lot of chair space to allow two kids to be online at once ... and a dog to curl up underneath.
Locker room
We decided to divide our storage by the basement stairs into four mini lockers. They are full of shelves now, but we can easily remove those and add some hooks. The doors match the kitchen cabinets exactly.
Pick a color
Three paint store trips, more possible colors than you can count, and no resolution--yet.
Up on the roof
One of the best things about the new shingles: They don't look new. They just look like they belong on the house.
New paint, like-new A/C
The exteriors were painted last week, and the air conditioner reappeared today. I think it will look much better once we get some plants around it. I hope it won't be too much of an impediment as Will is learning to back out the driveway (once he gets his permit, naturally).
Love it!
The crown molding is almost all up, and transforms the look of the ceiling. Love it!
The ceiling in progress
There will be little crown moldings on either side of each board in this grid, and it will all be painted white. Cathee describes it as a lattice for the ceiling. It also echoes the panels on the walnut door to the dining room. The pendants will go in the square without a recessed light.
Doors and drawers
Nothing dresses up a cabinet like doors, drawers, and end panels.
The former home of the range
The amount of storage packed into this wall is amazing. All the cabinets are 13" deep (like normal upper cabinets). The three middle upper cabinets will have glass doors with Gothic muntins.
Door relocation and its benefits
When the dining room door was smack in the middle of the south wall, the space on either side was essentially wasted. Now that we've moved it, there is room for two cabinets and the range to the right of the door.
Let there be lights
This flush-mount fixture for the basement stair landing has the same hexagonal shade and satin nickel finish as the island pendants. They're all from Rejuvenation.com. I think the curved lines on the shades will echo the Gothic curves on the glass-front cabinets and vaulted ceiling.
Oh my goodness
Explain this paradox: The more cabinets go in, the larger the kitchen looks to me. Why is that? When I saw the first doors go on, I almost started hyperventilating. It's thrilling.
Two down, lots to go
The first two upper cabinets are installed (sans doors). It's quite a shock to see them. We've been thinking about them and discussing them for so long, it feels as though a celebrity has shown up in our midst. A really beautiful, Dover White-wearing celebrity.
First look at the new cabinets
So far, so good!
Warning: Objects are lighter than they appear
The granite shown here looks much, much darker than the whole slab. Interesting. This shows Dover White paint, Pan Gold granite and the possible marble backsplash together.
Pan Gold granite
We have a slab of this new granite from India on hold. I love its warm shades of gold and tan, and its wavy pattern, which reminds me of the bottom of a stream. I took the backsplash sample tiles into Cold Spring Granite, and they looked beautiful next to the slab. After months of debate, we have a decision! I think.
The Beehive Kiln
Right now, our quarry floor tile is inside this historic beehive kiln in Attica, Ohio.
Oak as far as the eye can see
The space looks much bigger to me now that the floor is all installed. The old floor didn't go the same direction as the dining room and hallway floors; I'm glad we had the new floor installed to match.
Table for two?
The desk and low dividing wall aren't in yet, but it looks as though we'll have room for a small round table and two chairs, which is exactly what we were hoping for. Now we just need to find a table that works with our chairs.
Gimme more floor
Good news: The new hardwood flooring looks fantastic. Bad news: The installer works short days, so this is as far as he got yesterday.
All the trmmings
Chad and Jordan were here on Friday installing trim, which they crafted to match our original woodwork exactly. This window looks as though it's always been there.
Welcome back
I'm so happy to see this redbud tree in bloom. We weren't sure it would survive first a severe trimming, then the foundation work on top of its root system.
Hello, gorgeous!
We have a sample cabinet, and it's beautiful! The recessed panels on the door and on the side are modeled after those on our interior doors. It's so exciting!
Here's a straight-on view. Notice the full inset design. It looks even better than I hoped!
View from the dining room
I love that I can see out the sink wall windows as I'm walking into the dining room.
No flash required
This space is just filled with light.
Work in progress
An overexposed view of the reworked front step. We still need to clean it and have the concrete pad re-poured, but we're still in a lot better shape than we were a week ago.
Straight shot
Replace the scaffolding with a not-so-big island, and you can see the straight path through the new kitchen--outside of the work triangle!
Dusty, yet exciting
The drywall is up and it's amazing to see the walls in place. Suddenly I can picture everything! The refrigerator will be in the area that's holding sheets of drywall in this photo. I love the way the ceiling "pops up" in the middle of the room.
I was warned about all the drywall dust, and it's every bit as bad as everyone said. We cleared a pathway so we could get down to the basement.
The vault in all its glory
I admit it's a quirky little detail, but I think this vaulted ceiling is totally cool too.
As long as the bad news is piling up
Here's the culprit in the living room carpet caper. Bad dog!
The new flue
It's the shiny pipe in this picture, and I do believe it's just as large as the old flue. Big disppointment. I thought we were getting something smaller.
The old flue
The grayish-white pipe will be removed and replaced with a new flue in the coat storage area.
Here comes the herringbone!
The floor tile will be made from the three colors shown, in a 1" by 2" herringbone mosaic (pre-meshed so our tile installer doesn't hate us). The colors aren't a perfect match, but they're close. Besides, no one will ever see the the front and back entry floors next to each other. I'm ordering 40 square feet, and the total cost is a mere $16 over our tile allowance. Sweet! We should have the tiles in four weeks.
Marble subway backsplash
These 3x6" tiles have a nice beveled edge. It's hard to see the color here, but it really complements the granite. At least I hope it does!
But wait—there's more!
We can get a little gold marble mosaic for the niche behind the range.
Like a little glass doorknob
I love the feel of this knob from Restoration Hardware.
What about this on the big drawers?
Rear view
Is that grass I spy?
A lot of roof for a not-so-big house
They've been roofing for what seems like a very long time. The good news is that they're doing a great job. The flashing and valleys (lines where two parts of the roof meet) are copper, to match the little roof.
Flashy
Finally complete with flashing and finished seams, the copper roof is even more attention-riveting. To all our neighbors, I promise it won't stay this shiny!
Watch your step!
Apparently feeling envious of the kitchen and roof, the front step chose this time to fall apart. We've been patching it for a few years and knew this would happen eventually, but the timing stinks. As long as we're at it ...
Copper topper
I'm even more excited about this than I thought I'd be. I will probably slow down every time I'm driving toward our house, just so I can admire it.
The new space
It's full of light thanks to all the windows. The three at left will be over the sink area.
Here's a look out the back. When it was snowing yesterday (yet again), being in here felt like being inside a snow globe.
Out back
This backyard looks even better in green!
Shiny as a new penny
The copper roof is going on, and looks beautiful! It will lose its shine in a couple of months, and then take years to turn from brown to green.
Will wonders where the kitchen went
Through the plastic: the new office/entry area. Below: The sink wall, with old plumbing and framing still in front of the new windows. It all looks huge!
Our lifesaver
The whole time we were setting up this basement kitchen, I worried it was too much of an extravagance. Now that the upstairs kitchen is gone, I am so glad it's here.
Kitchen layout, circa 1939
Underneath the new cabinets: pencil drawings from when the house was built, showing each cabinet and drawer with functions labeled in cursive pencil.
Can you read it? Sugar Cookies & Cakes / Tin Lined
It's 12:00. Do you know where your kitchen is?
The fridge and stove are downstairs, but not operational yet. The dining room is FULL of food, coolers, dishes, etc.
All this by 10 a.m.!
It's amazing how fast demolition can go. I have to admit I got a little thrill out of seeing the old pinkish Formica counters ripped off. They are now lying on the snowy driveway. Maybe a light dusting of snow will improve their appearance.
Thanks, Beth and Dick
Our house originally had a door between the kitchen and the hallway. It was removed before we arrived, and every little sound travels straight up the stairs. We'd always wanted to replace it -- and found a door that matched ours perfectly when our friends Beth and Dick took this one out of their house! It will help contain the construction dust now, and noise later. Love the glass doorknob!
Empty, empty, empty.
It's kind of a shocking sight to see your kitchen as empty as the day you moved in.
Doyle put a Post-It note on each cabinet as it was emptied, so we wouldn't keep checking them.
What if we'd started in 2000?
These markings only go to 2006. I am amazed by how much they have grown.
Preliminary vault
This shows the underpinnings of the gothic vaulted ceiling in the office. The drywall is supposed to come to a point at the top ... I'm hoping the wood doesn't represent the exact shape at that point. Doyle thinks it looks like a barn, but remains semi-supportive nonetheless.
A rot-free dormer is a happy dormer
Best of all, I love the new window location and enjoy the view of our snowy backyard every time I use the stairs. These two windows will be painted to match the others, and will finally get their top-sash muntins. It's all good.
Fostoria pendant
I love the shape, the lines, the simplicity ... and, I have to admit, the Fostoria name. Alas, we were never meant to be together.
Dormer reconstruction, and yet more brackets
Underneath the steel siding: rot and carpenter ants. Today's job: making it all better, and moving over the window closest to the new roofline. The house got a bit chilly, but things are sealed up again and life is good.
Is that bumpout original?
Despite the window stickers and lack of paint, we've been asked three times whether this bumpout is original to the house. I love that question.
On goes the siding
Chad and Jordan are doing a beautiful job with all the siding and trim work. We couldn't be happier with their craftsmanship.
And off goes the old dormer siding
...revealing even older siding underneath. This dormer will be re-sided and the window closest to the new roof moved over a few inches, so we can have better flashing and drainage. The window relocation was Cathee's brainchild and I think it's brilliant. Now we don't have to buy a new window and the size will still match the other dormer window.
Scaling the peak
The back peak will be detailed like the front peak on the house, and on the garage. We're also going to re-side the dormer, either with regular siding or a half-timbered look like the other bumpout.
Totally Tudor
The exterior details are really taking shape!
Custom etching
East End Brass creates hand-blown lights with custom etching available--stars, polka dots, dragonflies and more. This pattern was scanned in from a customer's fabric.
Hand-cut glass
East End Brass also does gorgeous hand-cut class. Imagine this without the glass topper. Need I say, it's super-pricey.
A gothic lantern
This is a simpler look that is widely available. Pottery Barn even has a version.
Yet another gothic lantern
This one is made in England and priced in Euros. What is the current exchange rate, anyway? By the way, this is not an example of "too elaborate" for my taste. The lines would be perfect with the glass cabinet doors, which will echo the front door leaded glass.
Have an ice day
It's amazing we don't have more branches down. Or any broken bones.
Frosty
Thanks to a protective ice coating, he's not going anywhere soon. Thanks to Grandma Pat for the awesome snowman accessories!
World of windows
All nine windows are now in place! (The two tall ones near the back door are shown below.)
Love those transoms!
Even when we're up two steps in the kitchen, we'll still have a view of the backyard thanks to the transoms over these windows by the back entry.
Notice any logos?
Only the finest house wrap will do for our new space.
On our way
Starting last Wednesday, Chad and Jordan have been working long days to frame up the two roofs. It's very exciting to see the progress!
Room with two views
Inside: a lovely seasonal arrangement from Laurie. Outside: jeans, work boots, and extension cords.
They do windows!
Our nine new Pella Windows (four groups) are now neatly stacked in the garage, waiting for their big day.
Hello, yellow!
I'm nervous and happy to see the truck. I hope to God I picked the right cladding color--if not, Dave the Painter can always work his magic.
Copper roof, here we come!
I just can't wait to see this when it's finished!
It's beginning to look like this is really happening!
And it's a real kick to be inside the kitchen and see workers walking around outside, at the same height we're at on the inside.
Come on in!
You can see where the new back door will be, at the left.
Back entry light found!
This is a smaller, hanging version of the lights on our garage. I think it will be perfect hanging over the new back door. Thanks, Rejuevenation.com!
We're framing in the snow ... just framing in the snow!
Steve was here all day Monday and most of Tuesday. I'm guessing the blizzard warning for today means no work today.
Anna's new stage
As soon as there was a floor to stand on, the performances began.
Lights we like
We found these at the architectural salvage store in Des Moines, and like them both. There are three matching pendants, for the kitchen area, and a larger fixture for the office area.
Hey, we're still in here!
The masons went ahead and patched in the brick where the window will be removed. Here's Tom working on the driveway bumpout a day later. It feels weird to look out the kitchen window and see bricks.
The brick is back!
And looking better than ever. I'm so glad we salvaged it for the new foundations.
It went back on a lot faster than it came off.
Forms before function
The entryway/office bumpout is starting to take shape.
It may look small...
But this bumpout is what makes the kitchen island possible.
A nice day to build a foundation
If only every day could be dry, sunny and at least 50 degrees.
The concrete wheelbarrow thingy in action
Yes, that's the technical term.
Turn, turn, turn
No one has ever been happier to see a concrete truck than I was on Wednesday.
Too late to turn back now
Three new windows will replace these two. This bumpout will be cream with half-timbering. The roof will be copper. Can't you just see it now?
A hole is to dig
Tom (Nelson's youngest son) is getting shorter by the day. Note the paper taped to the back door--it's a permit!
Thanks, Dave!
Painter-handyman extraordinaire Dave Combs built the basement wall, hung drywall, painted it, hung the cabinets, and put in the sink and counter. Here's Dave (left) and helper Sean.
Too cute not to share
Can't resist showing you Ringo listening to jackhammers and drills.
It's a motif!
Inspired by the front entry tile, our designer suggested herringbone tile for the back entry, and I found this. The color is different, but the tile size and pattern are identical.
Our entryway floor tile, circa 1939.
Brick by brick
It's unsettling to see bricks come off your house, however neatly they are salvaged.
We're already at the drywall stage!
In the basement kitchen, that is.
The kitchen down under
We're hoping that having a working kitchen in the basement will help us stay sane (relatively speaking) throughout this process.
Our house
Celebrating 70 years in Beaverdale
Oak, walnut and laminate -- oh my
Our theory: after the oak frames went up, the owners said, "Let's match the doors to the woodwork!"
Traffic issues
I haven't drained pasta in nine years without dodging at least two people walking through the kitchen.
What walnut doors should look like
Quite a contrast with the flat kitchen cabinet doors.
Ringo supervises plant relocation
Will wonders where the porch went
Goodbye, porch!
Back porch before
Leaky, unheated, and rotting away ...
The view we want to see more of
The old porch blocked our view of the backyard. We're looking forward to seeing more of it!
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