Birth of a Kitchen

Up and running

2010-08-26T17:35:00.000-07:00

Although there are a few details still awaiting completion—the largest being the backsplash, and the rest being tweaks—our kitchen is basically up and running. And it is wonderful.

We've used the KitchenAid mixer two times, tried out the griddle on the stove (I can report the grilled cheese sandwiches were excellent), and discovered to our relief that the recently connected microwave is an outstanding popcorn popper and broccoli steamer.

We need to start unpacking all the wineglasses, vases, china, and other delicates that have been taking up so much space in the basement all this time. It will be fun to find the right spot for each item.

And this weekend, I'm planning to move my office upstairs! I can't think why I have waited so long, except that with kids and contractors around the house, the basement office has been a fairly quiet, out-of-the-way sanctuary.

The backsplash tile will be the last big hurdle. It's supposed to come in around September 10—an adorable little 2x4 subway tile with a pillowed edge. The color is Cognac, and to my eye it's pretty much an exact match for our Compatible Cream walls.

Even though we're not 100% done, it is such a relief to be up and running, cooking and dishwashing, putting groceries away without going down a flight of stairs, looking out a bank of windows while washing dishes.

It's been a long haul, but so worth it. And we are so thankful.

New and improved

2010-08-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

I cooked in my new kitchen for the first time Sunday night, and it was a revelation.

I love the gas top on the range. Turn a burner on high—it's high! Ask it to simmer, and it complies instantly. After 15 years of raising children, it's a real shock to my system—and a delightful change of pace!—to get this kind of immediate response to my requests.

And if the first meal I cooked was a humble batch of Maid-Rites (Pat's recipe, available on request), let me just say that we all enjoyed them. I promise to make more exciting fare once we are 100% moved in.

Buoyed by my success with the stove top, I decided to fire up the big oven for a batch of brownie bites, cooked in mini muffin tins. I set the temperature to 325 as directed on the Ghiradelli box (yes, I used a mix) and went down to the basement kitchen to fetch a few supplies.

By the time I made it back upstairs, just a couple minutes later, the oven was fully preheated. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard it beep. I'm used to my oven taking a good 10 minutes to heat up.

In other news, the stools from Overstock.com were about 2" too short once you sat on the padding and smooshed it down. Fortunately, we found another option at Pier One last night, and really like them.

Jay is here today working on punch list items like island hardware, installing the new corner cabinet door, and miscellaneous tweaks. It's coming along!

Cooking with gas (and electricity!)

2010-08-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and today have brought drywallers, plumbers, and electricians—a veritable whirlwind of activity.

We now have a fully functioning dual-fuel range, which includes features I wasn't even expecting: a convection oven and a drawer that functions as a second oven. I'm very tickled with the second oven—not just a warming drawer, but a real oven you can set to whatever temperature you need! Most exciting.

And the dishwasher has reappeared, promising an end to dishpan hands and water spots.

I think the island will be temporarily set tomorrow, so we can walk around it all weekend and see what we think. There is enough "wiggle room" that we could set it anywhere from 38" to 40" away from the sink counter ... of course, if we go to 40" our walkway on the other side will be smaller. And we're not sure about our stools yet, which makes a difference. There are options that wouldn't stick out any farther than the island countertop, but so far, none of them are very comfortable.

Close only counts in horseshoes

2010-08-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

We're so close to being done, but we're not there yet.

The floors are finished. The kitchen and dining room look very good. The living room, where they sanded out the scratches, has an interesting mottled section that looks a bit as though someone spilled a Diet Coke. Unfortunately, that section is in a major walkway, and is unlikely to be covered by furniture or a rug. But it's done for now.

The appliances are here, but not all up and running. The range still needs to have gas connected. The island, which houses the microwave, can't be set until the piano mover relocates the Acrosonic from our bedroom back to the living room, sometime this afternoon. Our old dishwasher is still in the basement, waiting for its big move to the new space.

The backsplash tile should be here in about a month. It took Nebraska Furniture Mart a full month to get it ordered after I brought them the information. If I weren't so beaten down by this extended process, I'd be really annoyed with them, but I just can't find the energy, and it wouldn't get the tile here any quicker anyway.

Bit by bit, drip by drip, we are getting there. I am trying really hard to focus on the positives and not dwell on unfinished business. Some days are easier than others.

Floored

2010-07-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

As I'm now in the disgruntled, over-due, ungainly and irritable stage of kitchen gestation, I've been avoiding posting recently, but thought I should give you an update.

The floor finishing/refinishing, done by professionals while we were on vacation the week of June 27, did not go well. We came home to find unlevel spots still unlevel, boards with large knotholes that weren't replaced, deep and obvious scratches that should have been sanded out or had boards replaced, and bubbles in the finish.

We were, to succumb to a bad pun, floored that anyone would think this was satisfactory work.

I'll accept full responsibility for the eight loads of post-vacation laundry that came out of the dryer smelling like polyurethane. But I'm beyond unhappy that we came home to find floors that look we did them ourselves.

Actually, that's an unfair statement, since the entryway floor Doyle single-handedly refinished at our old house turned out great.

This job, not so much.

The floor people (name available upon request) have agreed to re-do the floors. Their current plan is to remove the defective boards and replace them, re-sand the areas that need it, re-finish those areas and try to get them to match the rest of the floor, then cover everything with one more coat. We'll likely have to move out for the duration again.

Because the living room has the majority of problems and the largest area to be re-re-done, I'm considering asking them to refinish all of it rather than attempting to patch in the repair.

We meet tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. Please send good flooring thoughts our way!

Just call me Mrs. Blandings

2010-07-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

A friend said my description of "warm, goldish, buttery tan" made her think of this clip from "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House"!

Labor pains

2010-06-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

As we move into our tenth month of remodeling, I have lost all trace of the cheery, chipper attitude that was a hallmark of my early postings. Remember when I got all thrilled because the guys were framing and I could see the outlines of the new structures? Trust me when I say that re-reading those posts is like reading letters I wrote in college: I was a completely different person.

After nine months of this, I'm fed up with subcontractors who assume that I am always here and ready, willing and able to make decisions at any hour of the day or night. I'm tired of looking at things that are almost finished, but won't be done for a couple of months (note to self: next time, try harder, much harder, to like tile that is in stock somewhere in the known universe).

And I've made so many decisions that right now, I don't even really care about any of the remaining ones.

I have nothing left to give to this kitchen. It's on its own.

My neighbor Kathy has been there, done that, on a much larger scale. She and her husband remodeled their entire house, which entailed moving out for months with their two kids (and moving back with three—they had a baby during their extended remodel). When I indulged in a little venting this afternoon, she was the very soul of empathy.

"It's just like labor—you're at that point where you don't care how, you just need it to be DONE," she said wisely. "It's really too bad there's not a c-section option for kitchens."

To which I say: Amen, sister! Bring on the epidural, or better yet, the "Twilight Sleep" they gave my mom in the 1960s.

A few random updates:

Today I re-ordered the pendant lights because the first batch were too short. I managed to return the first batch to Rejuvenation, only to find out later that I should have gone through some process on their website rather than just packaging them up and shipping them back. Meanwhile, the replacements will take 5-6 weeks. There is plenty of light in the kitchen without the pendants, but it's just one more thing that isn't done—and this one is my fault to boot.

Tomorrow, I'm going to order the backsplash tile. We settled on a handmade 2" by 4" subway tile in a color that just about matches the walls. It will take around 8 weeks to arrive, and the contractors can't frame up the niche behind the range until we have the tile in hand. That means I'll be looking at a wall with a small hole in it until school starts, probably.

And finally, we're in frantic pack-up-the-living-room-and-dining-room mode because we're having those floors refinished when the kitchen floor is done--which means every stick of furniture in those rooms (including our 1939 piano) will have to find a new home.

I'm sure—I hope—that it will all be worth it.

Granite!

2010-06-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

It's here, and I'm happy!

It looks a bit darker than I expected, but that's just fine.

The colors, the wavy movement, and the waterfall edge that Doyle wanted all look beautiful.

And the fabricators (Iowa Countertop) did a wonderful job on the one and only seam. The colors and movement really flow together. As my neighbor Kathy said, "They were able to save the wave!"

It's all good, and I'm feeling an extreme sense of relief. I kept thinking, what if this looks totally different to me once it's in the house, and I don't even like it? I know a bad countertop isn't the end of the world ... but good or bad, this one will be here for a long, long time.

More good news: just as the countertop guys were ready to leave, the painters showed up. By the end of the day, there will be no drywall white anywhere in the kitchen. I still haven't chosen a wall color, but the primer will be tinted Dover White to help us choose the backsplash and wall color.

Back door

2010-06-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

Our new back entry is finished (except for the light over the back door) and they did a wonderful job. It's pleasure to come in and out of the house now.

The brick walkway looks as though it's always been there. The garden space is gorgeous—Doyle got to work planting it as soon as the painters left, and finished a week or so ago.

The door hardware won't be installed until the painters are finished with the door, which may be today.

And this very minute, the granite is being installed in the kitchen.

Part of me wants to go look at it, part of me is scared to look at it, and part of me doesn't want to see it until it's finished. And one final part thinks it's really silly of me to care so much.

Almost Gothic

2010-05-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

More than two years ago, I saw a remodeling magazine that featured a white kitchen with glass cabinet and Gothic muntins (or windowpane dividers). It was a design epiphany.

It was also the kitchen of two doctors, which should have clued me in that my aspirations were about to get the better of my budget.

Our front door has always been one of my favorite things about the house—why not carry that design into the kitchen cabinets? The kitchen cabinets led to a new Gothic door for the dining room corner cabinet (one of Cynthia's brainstorms). And then I got the idea to make the vaulted ceiling into a Gothic arch too. It was all Gothic, all the time around here.

Today, the three long-awaited glass kitchen doors arrived. Each door took these meticulous craftsmen ten hours to build. They are a true feat of woodworking. And they are not quite right.

I saw at first glance that the curves looked too round and not steep enough, and my heart sank. Here they sat, the kitchen's focal point, after years of planning, months of waiting, and dozens of work hours, and they just weren't right.

What's amazing about this unfortunate and very frustrating development is that Nelson and I were able to talk it over and figure out what happened, without any rancor on either side. (He used the exact proportions of the cabinets in the photo, but since our cabinets aren't as tall, those proportions led to rounder curves.)

They are completely beautiful. They just aren't quite Gothic. And knowing how much labor went into them, I felt awful beyond words.

"This is not something to lose sleep over," Nelson said. "I don't want you to fret about it. We want you to be happy." He apologized for not doing a layout first for us to look over, and I apologized for not asking for one.

I asked for time to think it over, thinking they might look all right to me in the morning, and he said it was fine to think about it as long as I didn't worry about it.

"We'll make this the way you want," he said firmly, as we looked at three doors that had taken his son Joe the better part of a week to make—time I'm sure was not fully covered by the cabinet bid in the first place.

By the end of the conversation, we were both laughing. And after Doyle left Nelson a message that we did want to try again on the doors, but that we would pay for the extra labor, Nelson called us back to tell me again not to worry about it, that they would get it right, and that all was well between us.

I appreciate that more than I can say. And rather than look back on what happened, I'm already looking forward to the next door design. I'm pretty sure it will be perfect.

Molokini

2010-05-24T20:34:00.001-07:00

Right off the coast of Maui is a little cresent-shaped island called Molokini. Doyle and I snorkeled near there when we visited Hawaii some 15 years ago, and saw countless sea turtles and brilliantly colored fish. Molokini is markedly smaller than the other islands, but it is no less beautiful.

With that idyllic trip in mind, I have dubbed our new island Molokini. It's a slender 18" wide (the counter will overhang by a foot on one side) and just five and half feet long—tiny compared to most new kitchen islands.

Don't get me wrong: those big islands are fabulous, and well worth a visit. There's so much to see! Our neighbors' new kitchen is the home of an amazing, very well-designed Big Island, and it has already enjoyed significant face time with a visiting celebrity chef. It's packed with so much storage space that I can envision some of the drawers being set aside for out-of-season clothing. There is truly a place for everything.

Our little island will house not everything, but more than you'd think: a microwave, four regular-sized drawers, and two wide, deep drawers for pots and pans. There will be room for Will and Anna to perch on stools and do homework or have after-school snacks. (The picture is misleading—it will be turned when it's installed, with the drawers facing the sink wall.)

Best of all, its location is ideal, which counts for a lot when you're talking about islands, or any real estate for that matter. It will direct traffic through the kitchen, creating a much-needed walkway outside the work area.

Traffic should move through our new kitchen as freely as fish dart around the warm waters of Hawaii. And given Anna's love of vivid hues and Will's collection of plaid shorts, our activity may be just as colorful.

Moving right along

2010-05-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

This week brought more cabinets (everything but the glass doors, island, desk, and window seat is in place), surprisingly complex ceiling molding, and the long-awaited new concrete by the front and back doors. We considered having Ringo contribute a paw-print, similar to Will and Anna's 2002 driveway handprints, but decided against it.

Thankfully, we aren't trapped despite having fresh concrete at both doors. Chad and Jordan built a sort of wooden platform so we can use the front door without leaving shoe prints. There's a smaller wooden plank in back, too, but I think I'll just stick to the front door for the next day or two, until the concrete is set.

We also have an installation date for the granite: June 3. Mark your calendars!

The next big question is the paint colors for the walls in the kitchen and the office/entry. I had hoped to wait until the counters were in place to choose the wall color (colors?), but it is more efficient for the painter to do everything at once. And it would keep things moving along.

What do you think? Can you choose a good wall color based on a small chip of granite?

It's returnable

2010-05-07T18:26:00.001-07:00

Whenever my sister gives a present, there is something she is compelled to convey to the recipient before the first rip in the wrapping paper:

"It's returnable!"

I've been thinking about this a lot as we're making some final selections.

Returnable:
• Stainless steel undermount sinks from Overstock.com. Yes, sinks. I ordered one single-bowl and one double-bowl so we could look at them in person before deciding. With a flat rate of $2.95 for shipping, why not?
• Lights from Rejuvenation.com ... although they cannot be returned once they have been installed. Still, it's comforting to know we can send them back if we don't like them out of the box.
• Disposer from Overstock.com (where I was thrilled to find Consumer Reports' top-rated disposer for half the suggested retail cost--a Waste King model with a lifetime warranty).
• Cabinet hardware from Restoration Hardware. Incidentally, they told me that if I order it by calling the Kansas City store instead of through the catalog or website, I won't pay tax or shipping. Nice.

Not Returnable:
• Floor tile (still in the beehive kiln in Ohio, or else being meshed by people who wish this idea had never occurred to us). If we don't like it, look for forty square feet of herringbone mosaic coming soon to eBay. Since it's custom, I can understand why it's not returnable.
• Marble backsplash tile. Not custom, yet also not returnable. Which is why I've decided to wait to order these until the counters are in place, so I can be sure I like them together.
• Kitchen faucet. It would have been returnable during the first week if uninstalled, but how am I supposed to tell if I like it before it's installed and has water running through it? It's a Grohe; I was amazed that prices varied by up to $100 from different online suppliers.

The cabinets are so handsome. I love the doors and the beading detail. And I have my fingers crossed that the Gothic muntins for the three glass doors will be the perfect finishing touch.

A shout-out to my readers at BU — that means both of you

2010-05-05T19:56:00.001-07:00

Thanks for reading this ... it means a lot.

I promise to check with you first should I require any colorants at any stage of this project.

Now, get back to work!

More cabinets than I ever imagined

2010-05-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

With every cabinet that goes up, the kitchen looks bigger to me. I didn't anticipate that. Maybe it's because I can start to really see the storage spaces we've been planning for so long.

Good news: the Dover White is exactly the shade I wanted. Even with lots of stark white drywall still exposed, this kitchen already feels warm to me. I love it!

In other news, we finally, finally decided on pendants to go over the island. We ordered them from Rejuvenation, the same place we found the back door hanging light. I think they will look great, and they were vastly more affordable than the antique options we were considering. At this point in the project, that's a very good thing.

Dover White, here we come

2010-04-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

The first batch of cabinets is being delivered to the painter today, after we approved the sample of Dover White paint that Nelson brought by on Saturday. We had been looking at a small board painted with eggshell Dover White; he brought by a larger board with a semi-gloss finish, which really helped us picture the cabinets.

Dover White is warm and creamy without being cream. It looks white compared to the off-white cabinets in our master bath, and creamy next to stark drywall white. I think—I hope—it's the perfect old-house white for a warm, inviting white kitchen.

I feel strangely possessive of my cabinets, and have had momentary fantasies of visiting them at the painters'. I don't know how long the painting will take. I do know the bottom cabinets have to be in place before the countertop fabricators can come measure for granite, so they're being built first, which makes sense.

The tile floor should arrive soon, and I can't wait to see that either. It feels like Christmas every week around here, and so far, we have loved everything we've unwrapped.

P.S. Well, scratch that tile arrival date. I just called Sunderlands, who called Seneca, and we learned that our tile is in the beehive kiln right now. With meshing and everything, it's not scheduled to ship until mid-May. I hope it's worth the wait.

More on the floor

2010-04-22T06:37:00.000-07:00

So far, the new hardwood floor gets the award for "best-smelling stage of the renovation." The toasty scent of cured oak is a big improvement over drywall mud, and also from the smell of framing materials.

It looks wonderful. I think we made the right choice putting in new wood instead of refinishing the old in the kitchen. The floor guy, from Glascock, also told me the old kitchen floor was a lesser grade of wood than the living and dining room floors.

I'm anxious to see it all in place, but it may take a while. We only have one installer, and yesterday he was here from about 9:30 - 4 p.m., with a lunch break. Who does he think he is, some kind of lazy part-time freelancer?

Ooops.

Love at first cabinet

2010-04-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

It was here for less than 24 hours, but that's all the time our sample cabinet needed to turn my head and win my heart.

I love everything about it: the lines, the details, the craftsmanship. It looked just right for the space and for our house.

I told Nelson's oldest son, Joe (a near-exact replica of Nelson) how much I liked it, and he replied, "Good! We'll make a whole lot more just like it!"

I. Can't. Wait.

Drywall, ducts and dust—oh my!

2010-04-08T14:02:00.001-07:00

It's been a dusty week, that's for darned sure.

The furnace people had to cut a hole in the new ceiling drywall to do the flue switchout, but that repair is finished and looks wonderful.

Also finished: the relocated frame for the original dining room door. We moved it over a couple of feet to help with the kitchen layout (it had been smack in the middle of the wall, with wasted space on either side). The new placement is great. Even with plastic sheeting and a dog gate in place, I can tell we're going to love the traffic flow.

Next up: The new hardwood floor will be laid. It won't be finished until the project is nearly complete, but it will be in place before the cabinets are installed.

We're also getting a quote on having the dining room refinished (a must-do) and the living room (we're leaning toward carpet there, but want to compare prices first).

I hope the drywallers are finished for now, but they have a few little jobs remaining: redoing the broom closet after the new laundry chute is installed, patching the drywall where we relocated the stair landing window, and repairing our master bathroom ceiling, which was damaged by the upstairs tub faucet.

The views are incredible, and the space is flooded with light, even on cloudy days. Walking into the dining room, I can see out the bank of three windows over the kitchen sink, and out the two large windows that face the garage.

When we get to live in this space, it's going to be amazing.

The calm before the storm

2010-04-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

The house is silent except for the breakfast-zone mini-fridge, humming away in the dining room.

Will is off somewhere, Doyle and Anna are shopping, and Ringo is snoozing.

But come Monday, things will change.

The sheetrockers will come back to sand and finish the drywall, which looks amazing so far. Meanwhile, the furnace people will remove the old furnace and put in the new one, change the giant flue to a somewhat smaller one, and swap out the hideous roof vent for something more tasteful.

We can switch to a smaller flue and vent because they will only be used for the water heater. We had considered getting a new direct-vent water heater in order to lose both the closet and roof vents entirely, but the price ($1700!) seemed awfully high. For that much cash, we can live with smaller vents.

The front step is nearly finished, except for some cleaning and a new concrete pad. We'll have that put in when Nelson & co. do the concrete back step.

Although, come to think of it, doing them at the same time would mean we couldn't use either our front or back entrances while the concrete is drying. Trapped!

If you see smoke signals coming out of the new vent, it means we need you to throw some provisions through an open window. Check this space for requests.

Comments

2010-03-31T08:35:00.000-07:00

Just in case you're wondering, I love reading your comments.

I still haven't figured out how to respond short of writing a new post like this one, but I'm going to have my technical advisor (aka Will) check on that today.

Today is full of noise (grinding on the front step, pounding and sawing in the kitchen) and dust (mortar and drywall).

Anyone want to go out for lunch—that is, assuming I can find a way out of this place?

The vent about the vent

2010-03-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

Here's an update to the previous "ARGH" post:

We're getting a new furnace and a new water heater. The good news: the new flue can go away entirely. That includes the hideous, large silver vent sticking out of the new roof. The bad news: $$$$$, time, and mess.

Our front step is now being totally rebuilt—it needed quite a bit more work than they originally thought. That means for the next couple of days, we can only go in and out through the back door, which will be tricky when the kitchen is full of sheetrock and workers.

And due to a mis-communication on our part, the electricians have to come back and move the dining room light switch before the sheetrock can go up.

But we're healthy, it's spring, and all of this work needed to happen sooner or later. And despite all the frustrations, I'm determined to remember how lucky we are that this is really happening.

That's all for tonight. Thanks for letting me vent.

Totally my fault

2010-03-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

Minutes after I posted the previous "wonder what other surprises are out there" entry, I learned that we need a new furnace. They discovered a cracked heat exchanger when redoing the venting. The furnace is old enough that it doesn't make sense to try to repair it; it just needs to be replaced.

ARGH!

Flue season

2010-03-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

The giant flue is gone, courtesy of this morning's crew, and the new, smaller one is on its way in as I write.

So far, that flue has been the biggest surprise of this whole project. We didn't know it was there until we moved some walls—it had been hidden in the old wall near the stair landing.

This little added project is anything but cheap, but it's worth it to me to not lose half of a floor-to-ceiling cupboard. That's a lot of room to give up.

This got me started thinking about everything we've added to this project since we started:

1. We made the back bumpout 8' wide instead of 5.5'. No regrets there.

2. We added coffers to the kitchen ceiling. If they look as beautiful as I anticipate, this will have been another good addition.

3. We changed the roof flashing to copper. This was a wash financially. The roofing budget included new sheathing wherever it was needed, and we didn't need any.

4. We resided the dormer and moved the window. I'm so glad we did this, and I love the new window location centered on the upper step of the landing.

5. We're likely adding heat under the back entry tile to make that north-facing space cozier and help shoes and boots dry faster. Anyone have experience with heated tile floors?

6. We're having the front step re-built this week. The same mason who did such a great job on the new foundations will be rebuilding it using the old brick. Nelson knows the best subcontractors—it's such a comfort to know that whatever our house needs in years to come, we can count on him to recommend someone who'll do a wonderful job.

7. Thanks to Ringo's carpet demolition, we're either refinishing the living room floor or getting new carpet. This isn't really related to the kitchen project, except that he's been confined to the living room instead of the kitchen during this process.

I think that's all for now. But I'm guessing there are at least a few more additions lurking.

What to expect when you're remodeling

2010-03-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

On September 14, 2009, I ended my first blog entry with the words, "I just hope it doesn't take nine months."

On March 14, our kitchen remodel entered its third trimester.

To be fair, the project includes two additions and a complete roof replacement. Nevertheless, I can understand why friends, neighbors or observers might feel it's taking forever.

There is good news, though, and lots of it.

First, we're completely happy with the work so far, and have truly enjoyed Nelson and all his workers and subs. That's far more important to me than getting it done quickly.

Second, the basement kitchen is a godsend. Although we are not eating elaborate meals (it's hard to get too complicated when working with 18" of counter space on either side of the sink), I love being able to make a pork roast or bake cookies in the oven, or just steam vegetables in the microwave. Every time we sit down for dinner, I appreciate eating off real plates with real silverware, instead of endless paper and plastic.

Finally, we're at a point where I believe the progress will be more visible to all of us. The insulation went in today (I was impressed by the guy's stilt-walking ability), the vent pipe will be removed and the new one installed on Monday, and the drywallers will start Tuesday.

I've been warned that the space will temporarily look much smaller with drywall in place—has anyone else had that experience?

When the drywall is finished, Nelson will measure and begin building the cabinets—base cabinets first. The granite fabricators will need to measure them before turning the slab into counters, a process that takes about three weeks.

Our best estimate for completion (aka due date) is sometime late May to mid-June.

Maybe when we see the new kitchen, we'll even say some of the same things we said upon meeting Will and Anna as newborns: Look how big you are! You look just like I pictured you! Look at all that hair!

Well, maybe not that last one.

That was easy

2010-03-23T13:20:00.001-07:00

Nelson just stopped by for an update, and said he thinks handles would work better than knobs on the big drawers.

He also said everyone who has worked on the house has said how much they like it. The word "cute" seems to come up a lot, along with "cottagey." That makes me smile.

After a successful heating and cooling inspection today (despite an over-excited Ringo christening the inspector's shoes), we have a general inspection scheduled for tomorrow. Then within a day or two, the insulators should arrive, followed by the sheetrockers.

Is it just me, or does it sound like a name for a band: Ringo and the Sheetrockers?

Knobs versus handles

2010-03-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

We don't have any drywall, the new floor, cabinets or countertops ... but for some reason I am thinking about hardware today.

I love the idea of glass knobs, and found some at Restoration Hardware in Kansas City that feel good in your hand.

But I'm wondering whether the two oversized drawers along the bottom of the island should have knobs as well, or glass pulls instead. The other drawers are standard width, and I think they'd be fine with just one knob.

I know it's all right to have a mixture—I'm just not sure if I'd prefer that or two knobs on the larger drawers.

Thoughts? Advice? Anyone? Bueller?

Isn't it ironic?

2010-03-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally here, after one of the longest and most painful winters I can remember.

So I'm enjoying the irony of today's accomplishment: the addition of heating ducts.

We've been comfortable all winter with help from a couple of large space heaters. But it's still amusing to me that the heating ducts are being installed on a day that's 50 and sunny.

Next up: Another inspection, some insulation, and the big kahuna: Drywall!

I can't wait.

Leftovers

2010-03-15T14:42:00.001-07:00

The roof is almost finished and looks beautiful! Although the shingles took up a massive amount of space on the driveway, the workers didn't have quite enough to finish the job. This afternoon, they regretfully told Doyle, who's home for spring break, that they would need to special-order more of them.

But wait! In the garage, waiting patiently since that project was completed in 2001, were the six extra packets of matching shingles! Doyle showed them to the workers and within minutes we heard the irregular pound-pound pounding resume up on the roof.

I don't want to sound like a case study from "Hoarders," but sometimes it's good to hang on to things.

A new roof over our heads

2010-03-12T13:54:00.000-08:00

The past two weeks have been all about the new roof.

Choosing shingles is a lot like picking out carpeting—provided it's very, very expensive carpeting you plan to live with for the next 40 or 50 years. We really like these CertainTeed "Gatehouse Slate" asphalt shingles, which offer the look of slate and are supposed to last half a century.

When Nelson and I were discussing that fact, he said, "This could be the last roof you ever do!"

Maybe--maybe not. My grandmother lived to be 107, after all.

A not-so-chance encounter

2010-03-03T17:45:00.000-08:00

Curious about lighting options and the place in general, I paid a visit to the Habitat ReStore the other day. It was full of stuff, much of it brand new and still in boxes, and staffed by cheerful volunteers who couldn't have been more helpful.

While I didn't find any lights that were right for us, I did spy an antique wooden door, complete with glass doorknobs, for just $75. The door to our basement music room is broken, and this could be a replacement -- or the knob might work for another door. I need to look into that.

In the next room over, I encountered something truly strange: My old kitchen cabinets, neatly lined up with random Post-it note prices on each. (One small section was $56 -- why not an even $50?) The whole set was still there. Each cupboard and drawer was deeply familiar (that's where I stored the dishes!), but at the same time, they seemed like relics from a distant past.

One of the volunteers noticed me checking out the cabinets. I told him I had donated them recently, and was hoping they would find a new home.

He shook his head. "They're nice and heavy, but (tactful pause) nobody really likes the way they look. Maybe if they were painted white ... "

My thoughts exactly.

Let there be (recessed) light

2010-02-27T06:09:00.001-08:00

This was a week of plumbers and electricians. Unlike Nelson's workers, who are here at 6:45 every morning, they work more normal hours, arriving around 8 a.m. and working until about 5:00.

Plumbing required zero effort or decision-making on my part. The plans show the appliance locations so that's all the plumbers need to finish the job.

Lighting, on the other hand, was a different story.

Surface mount or recessed lights? If recessed, how many and where? Which switches should control which lights, and where should they be placed? What about outlets--what's the best location? And so on, and so on.

In case you are wondering, yes, it has crossed my mind that I am somewhat challenged in the lighting department.

But with help from Cathee, Kent and Sheila (aka the lighting gurus) and some very patient electricians, I think we have ended up with a good lighting plan. We decided not to hang anything from the Gothic vaulted ceiling, and will instead use cove lighting there in addition to the nearby cans. So, for now, all we need to do is find two pendants for the island.

Just in case we change our minds later, we have wiring roughed into two more places: up above the vault, and also on either side of the two windows facing the garage. If we decide to add more lights down the road, it will be relatively easy.

In other news, we are zeroing in on cabinet color, counters, and even backsplash tile. It looks like Dover White paint, Pan Gold granite, and possibly Calcutta Gold marble subway tile with a beveled edge, which we just found today at Sunderland's, a tile place recommended by my friend Judy. I remembered looking there with her as soon as Doyle and I walked through the door this morning. (And by the way, kudos to Sunderland's for being open on Saturday; many showrooms aren't.)

Best of all, they also carry the elusive brand of floor tile that can be made in a 1x2" herringbone mosaic, to match our front entry tile! I gave Flooring Gallery every chance to get the business, since they sent over the tile guru who got me started in the right direction, but they kept promising quotes and never called me back. Sunderlands, in contrast, sent us home with a quote and a color sample, with marble samples arriving in the mail soon.

It all feels so real! And thanks to good space heaters, the basement kitchen, considerate workers and even warmer weather and some sun, we are actually enjoying the progress.

At long last, copper

2010-02-20T12:43:00.001-08:00

Despite five inches of snow yesterday, the copper roof is now in place. It looks even better than I hoped it would, reflecting the sun whenever the sun manages to come out. I'm enjoying this new-penny phase while it lasts. Soon enough, it will turn dull brown, then eventually greenish.

Because the copper guys and their scaffolding took up most of the driveway, Chad and Jordan weren't here yesterday. That meant I could do some laundry during the day instead of waiting until evening, write copy in a quiet house instead of a noisy coffee shop, and even sit down with a book at lunchtime. Never before have I savored a bowl of chicken noodle soup the way I did yesterday in my quiet, sunny family room.

Last night, I made chicken breasts, buttermilk mashed potatoes, and string beans in the basement kitchen. The roads were awful and I was so thankful we could enjoy a relaxing dinner at home instead of venturing out.

The best part? Doyle did all the dishes.

From old cabinets, new homes

2010-02-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

A really nice guy from Habitat for Humanity is busy loading up the old cabinets to take to their ReStore, on 2nd Avenue in Des Moines.

ReStore is open to the public, and sells donated new and gently used home improvement materials. The proceeds are all used to build Habitat homes in Des Moines. Habitat is able to build seven or eight additional homes every year, thanks to proceeds from the ReStore.

I'm so happy about this. Not only are we keeping the old cabinets out of a landfill, we're helping to build a home for someone in need.

For the ReStore's hours, address, and an update on what's in stock, visit www.dmhabitatrestore.org. Current inventory includes cabinets, granite scraps, tile, rugs, and more--maybe I should extend my lighting search!

Gut reaction

2010-02-16T13:57:00.000-08:00

Oh. My. Goodness.

Just one day later, the plaster is down, the walls are down, and the new space is revealed in all its dusty glory.

It's so much bigger than I ever imagined. It looks positively cavernous.

And the views are just what I hoped for (apart from the plastic inside, and the snow outside).

At noon today, Chad and Jordan were knee-deep in rubble. Tonight, we can walk through the space and dream about what it will look like when it's done.

We don't have an updated completion date estimate yet, but I'll share it when we do. For now, I'm just thrilled to see the space reveal itself.

Just call me Old Mother Hubbard

2010-02-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

The cupboards are bare.

The poor dog is at the sitter's.

The basement kitchen is fully outfitted, and awaits only a refrigerator and a range.

The breakfast zone in the dining room has a microwave, mini-fridge, and coffeemaker at the ready.

I even remembered to document Will and Anna's height markings on the kitchen wall. (They were made in pencil, but I wrote over them with a Sharpie for photographic purposes.)

I guess we're as ready as we'll ever be.

Bring on the demolition!

A little crush that's not going anywhere

2010-02-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the Valentine season, I have a new crush to report.

I've fallen for yet another beautiful light fixture, a circa 19o0 Fostoria pendant, and it's even more out-of-the-price-range than previous finds. I really don't know how I do it.

We met on a website for a Kansas City antique lighting store, and I promptly fell in love despite the exorbitant price, and despite the fact they only have one light in stock, which is clearly not enough. In short: too much money for not enough light.

It brings to mind the old joke:
"The food here is terrible!"
"I know, and the portions are so small!"

If we found three lights in this price range, we might have to re-use the old laminate countertop—chips, burns, and all. *Shudder.*

The whole lighting search is starting to feel like a quest that will never end. I thought I had settled on the handblown bell jars, only to hear from our architect that two smaller pendants with down lighting would work much better over the island. (One or two of the bell jars still might work in the office, hanging from the vaulted ceiling.)

I've obsessively revisited every to-the-trade lighting site provided by Cynthia, re-checked East End Brass, Rejuvenation, Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn, and spent more time online than I care to admit.

I'm starting to think we should just find some inexpensive lights that are fine for now, and use them as placeholders until we find the perfect hand-made or antique fixtures.

But then I think about the garage drywall. Since 2001, it's been raw drywall with no tape, no mudding and no paint. It's really hard to go back to a job once it's more or less finished to take care of final details.

Details, details

2010-02-01T09:23:00.000-08:00

As the exterior details start to take shape, our neighbors are getting as excited as we are. (Could this be a sign they were tired of looking at first the demolished wall, then the green tarp, then the plywood, then the Tyvek?) It's great fun. I love hearing that people like the look of the additions, and think the design does justice to our house.

Meanwhile, I'm starting to focus more on interior details. I found a light I really loved on the cover of a remodeling magazine (thanks to Sheila for the continued supply!) and checked out the manufacturer. It's East End Brass in Darien, Connecticut. They make custom bell jar lights with hand-blown glass, which can be hand-cut or etched in the design of your choice, and in any finish you could want.

I've also found some simple, elegant Gothic lanterns, and some that are extremely cool but A) too elaborate and B) too churchlike. Which is definitely a risk when you're going down the Gothic road.

I'm wondering whether to have one or two lights over the island, which is about five feet long. Ted from East End Brass thought one of their smaller lights would be plenty. We'd have another light over the kitchen sink, and a third (possibly a larger bell jar) in the office area, hanging from the Gothic vault of the ceiling. There will be recessed lighting, too. Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts!

It feels premature to decide on a style of light without seeing the cabinets, but wiring will be the first thing to happen after they break through and demolish the existing kitchen.

And given the cold, gray winter we've been enduring, having enough light in the new kitchen is a definite priority -- or as Anna would say, "a must-have."

Remodeling on Ice

2010-01-20T07:45:00.000-08:00

We are in the grip of an ice storm that has taken a branch from an ash tree in the front yard, kept Will and Anna home for their fifth snow day this school year, and left our sidewalk and driveway treacherously slick. I was afraid Ringo would pull me over as we slid down the driveway to the street this morning.

Despite the rotten weather, Nelson, Chad and Jordan are here working. The new windows and back door are all installed, and apart from a cladding color that is not quite what I pictured, they look absolutely beautiful. The nickel spoon hardware, the muntins, the proportions and groupings are all stunning. I so appreciate all the expertise that Cathee brought to our project, and I am starting to really see her plans come to life.

And I am deeply grateful for an emergency cladding consultation site visit yesterday by my friend Jeanette, who heads up the Pella team at their advertising agency here in town. She arrived with cladding samples in hand, scrutinized the windows and concluded I had chosen the closest possible color match. Also, we will know a lot more about the color choice when we see it next to siding that's painted, rather than white Tyvek.

One decision that may need to happen today: settling on the height of the vaulted ceiling in the office bumpout. It's just amazing how much space is up there. When I looked up at the rafters for the first time, I immediately started envisioning bumping through from the north wall in Anna's bedroom and finishing off a storage space in the eaves. It's not going to happen, but it's fun to contemplate.

The back dormer is another area under discussion. It's currently covered in wide steel siding; the office bumpout will have HardiPlank like the garage, so we're debating residing the dormer to match. (As long as we're at it ...) Nelson is concerned about some rotting they discovered underneath the window on the stair landing. His preference is to replace that window with a smaller window, which would be smaller than the bathroom window near it.

The only good budget news: None of us think we need to put an Architect Series window by the stair landing, next to a ProLine window in the bathroom. That should save a little ... though maybe not enough to justify re-siding the whole dormer.

A respite from winter, and two new roofs

2010-01-18T07:01:00.001-08:00

After a week and a half of weather that made outside work a very poor idea, we're now enjoying balmy temperatures in the 30s and continued progress on our two new roofs.

Two of Nelson's workers, Chad and Jordan, have been here daily from 7 a.m. until after 5:00, framing the two roofs and readying them for shingles. They start in near-darkness each morning, with help from a work light so bright that our neighbor Kathy wondered if they were being filmed for a kitchen reality show.

The back peak will be detailed to match the house and the garage, with stucco, half-timbering and brackets. I think it will look less massive when that is completed. Seeing all the space inside, I'm very glad we decided to take advantage of it by vaulting the ceiling in the office bumpout.

We are all waiting with great anticipation for the installation of the curved copper roof on the driveway bumpout. That side of the house (or "elevation" for you architecturally correct readers) will be utterly transformed. And when the copper eventually develops its green patina, it will look gorgeous next to the brick (which includes some dark green bricks) and new shingles (which also have green mixed in -- you can see them on the garage).

There's been a silver lining to the slow process. We still have a functioning upstairs kitchen, which has been a real stress-reducer during this harsh winter. By the time we move operations down to our basement kitchen, we will have already survived the darkest, coldest time of the year. And as we welcome just a few more minutes of sunlight each day, I can see progress toward a different goal: spring.

Cold temps, warm hearts

2010-01-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Chilly New Year!

The temperature this afternoon is 7, with a windchill of -14. If you've been wondering about how construction can continue during the brutality we call an Iowa winter, join the club. We were worried that progress would grind to a halt, but thankfully, that hasn't happened.

On Wednesday, Nelson and Joel were here most of the day working on the wood brackets that will support the copper roof on the driveway bumpout. We called Cathee with a question about the roof shape, and she zoomed over for a quick consultation, which was fantastic.

Yesterday, while Doyle and I were off having his gallbladder removed (he's recovering nicely, thanks) Joel was here working all day despite the frigid temperatures.

Before he left, Joel set up two heaters in the driveway bumpout to help cure the concrete on some fill-in brick he had laid. Unfortunately, the circuit breaker tripped and the heaters didn't heat. Thankfully, the concrete is fine, but a lack of insulation in a different part of the same bumpout caused the dishwasher connection to freeze up.

When Doyle thawed it out this morning, some mysterious but necessary dishwasher part broke and we had a small flood in the kitchen. After we turned off the water to the dishwasher and mopped up the water, we sent Nelson an e-mail. We didn't know if he'd be checking e-mails instead of watching New Year's Day bowl games, but thought it was worth a try.

Nelson called us within 30 minutes, and made it here an hour and a half later. He checked out the situation, put in more insulation, apologized for the problem, and said he would pay for the dishwasher repair. We couldn't have felt any more taken care of. As soon as I knew he was coming, I baked some chocolate chip cookies to send home with him.

It's a fact of any construction project, especially for an older house: There will always be problems and surprises. But it warms our hearts on this frosty start to 2010 to know that Nelson is looking out for us, even on a holiday.

Here's to 2010, the continued adventure that is kitchen remodeling, and the family, friends and workers who are helping us along the way. Happy New Year!

Board by board

2009-12-17T08:54:00.000-08:00

The framing continues and with every 2x4 that is added, I get a clearer picture of my new kitchen. I think it's going to be even bigger than I anticipated, which is very exciting.

I'm also getting a little taste of what it will be like when the guys are working inside. The driveway bumpout is small enough that the work noise really carries inside. I know it's hushed compared to what we'll be hearing soon.

The current plan is to move us out of the upstairs kitchen either between Christmas and New Year's, or just after New Years. We're going to salvage and donate the old cabinets, and do some sort of Formica/fluorescent light exorcism ceremony.

Mike the Tile Guru, it's time to prove yourself

2009-12-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

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.

Going vertical

2009-12-09T08:32:00.001-08:00

Thanks to a few 2x4s and a worker who's not afraid of a little snow, I now have a MUCH better idea of what the big bumpout will look like. I can picture the window groupings, see that my desk will be just as big as Cathee and Nelson promised, and imagine us going in through the new back door. It's thrilling.

The space looks bigger to me now that we're going vertical. I told Cathee that and she said, "Well, it is eight by fourteen feet!"

Thanks to the 14" of snow on the ground plus 50 mph wind gusts, we're anticipating no work for the next day or two.

Meanwhile, though, we have finally ordered the windows. After getting revised quotes from Pella and Marvin based on standard sizes, the Architect Series windows ended up costing a bit less than Marvin. They also could be delivered in 2 weeks, rather than 3-4. So, we're back with Pella after all.

Naturally, everything we like is A) available but B) more expensive. The list includes satin nickel hardware, almond cladding to match our other windows, and more. But these windows are going to be here for a long time, so I think we'll be glad we splurged a bit.

We were able to cut costs by switching to standard sizes (always the intent) and in a couple of places, using two standard-width windows instead of three narrower ones.

So the only group of three windows is now the group by the kitchen sink. As Cathee explained, that's a window I'll be looking through very often, and with just two windows there, I'd be looking at the connection between the windows all the time. This way there is a window in the center.

We're still cooking up a storm while the upstairs kitchen is functional. Yesterday I learned that refrigerating Spritz cookie dough is a bad idea. It takes a long, long time for it to warm up enough to go through the cookie press.

In case you're in the mood to bake, here's my mom's recipe for the cookies:

Quick-Mix Spritz

2 1/4 C. flour

3/4 C. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 C. shortening

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1. Sift flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together in a bowl.

2. With a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture is full of very fine lumps. It will resemble pie crust or biscuit mix, although not as coarse.

3. Measure the egg in a measuring cup. A large egg will measure 1/4 C. If it does not, add water to the 1/4 C. line.

4. Add the egg and vanilla and beat the mixture very well.

5. Fill cookie press and form cookies on ungreased cookie sheets.

6. Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.

7. Remove at once to cooking racks! If you wait, cookies are hard to remove without breaking them.

FOUND: My very own tile guru!

2009-11-22T09:26:00.000-08:00

I've been searching, and searching, for tile that matches the front entryway. Yes, I know I mentioned one option found online -- but the color (brownish) and material (travertine) didn't match the original.

I've driven to more far-flung tile showrooms than I care to remember, and shown countless people a photo of our entryway tile, as if it were a lost child. And I've been met with blank stares, rueful head shakes, and suggestions to check with architectural salvage places (which I already have, in Des Moines and Chicago).

Finally, a salesman at a remote Flooring Gallery somewhere between here and Minneapolis took pity on me and my "Have You Seen This Floor?" photo. Maybe I looked wild-eyed and desperate, or maybe I bolstered my karma by donating those anti-viral wipes to Anna's school. Anyway, the salesman looked me in the eye and said, "I don't know. But I know who does know. You need to talk to Mike. He works for our parent company, and he knows everything about tile."

Later that same day, as if by magic, Mike the Tile Guru appeared at my front door for an in-person tile consultation. It took him all of sixty seconds to tell me what company made our tile, what it's made of (clay, also known as quarry tile), what minerals were used to create the brick-red color, and where I could find a near-exact replica--within my budget.

It was like a tile miracle, or Tile Santa, or something. It was so astonishing that part of me is worried he was a remodeling-induced hallucination. What if I call Flooring Gallery back and they say, "Mike? Mike who? We don't know anything about an omniscient tile guru named Mike!"

If that does happen, I have bigger issues than where to find the right tile.

Everything you wanted to know about window prices*

2009-11-16T20:22:00.000-08:00

*But were afraid to ask.

We received more detailed pricing information from the Pella people today, and learned that the incredibly expensive windows cost so much because they were one inch narrower than Pella's smallest normal size -- 20" instead of 21".

That inch required them to quote their ultra-custom, super-expensive, Oprah's-house-in-Hawaii level of windows, instead of their normal custom, very expensive windows. (Who knows what brand Oprah really has, but you get the point.)

I understand why they have upcharges for custom sizes. But for the life of me, I can' t figure out why, when sending us the first bid, they didn't point out, "If you make these windows an inch wider, you won't need federal bailout funds to build your addition." It's not as though we need these windows to fit any existing openings -- they are going into new walls.

Instead, they waited for us to ask the question, then gave us the information. It leaves kind of a bad taste in my mouth.

Nelson has had great experiences with Marvin windows and has used them extensively. They have ogees, spoon hardware (aka locks that look old-fashioned) and come in 60/40 double hungs. It will be interesting to see how the quote comes in, and what we decide.

In the meantime, if you're buying windows, ask a lot of questions before you buy. And unless you have Oprah's budget, stay away from double-hungs that are 20" or narrower.

The bricks are back!

2009-11-13T09:21:00.001-08:00

The masons had a gorgeous, sunny day on Wednesday and got all the brick laid. It went back remarkably quickly and looks amazing! I'm so glad we were able to reuse it. It was a labor-intensive process, but the result is so worth it. They are putting plates on the foundations today, whatever those are, and plan to start framing on Monday.

Meanwhile, we've reached a critical decision point on the windows. We got our estimates, and the Architect Series bid (the more historically accurate windows with ogees, old-fashioned hardware, etc.) came in at almost twice the cost of the ProLine windows. We have ten new windows total, so it's a huge difference.

We also learned that uneven double-hungs (the bottom sash is larger than the top sash) are not available in ProLine--a detail we were planning for two of the window groupings. It doesn't work to mix the window brands (the appearances vary too much) so we have to pick a brand and live with it.

I wish I knew how we'd feel about it when we were finished. I don't want to think, every time I look through a window, "Well, that was a bad call. We should have scrimped somewhere else so we could have gotten the Architect Series windows." Neither do I want to go way over budget on a single item, not knowing what potentially costly surprises might be lurking in this old house.

It comes down to this: How do you make the call between doing what's right for the house, and what's right for the budget? And if I do splurge on the Architect Series windows, what am I willing to cut back on? Lighting? Counters?

Your suggestions, comments and ideas are welcome...this one has to be decided sooner rather than later.

Leap of faith

2009-11-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

The foundations have been poured and are now curing in weather far nicer than they have any right to expect: It's supposed to be 70 today!

Looking at the rough outlines of the two new additions, and trying to envision what they'll look like when they are finished and filled with cabinets, a desk, backpacks and coats, I'm struck again by what a leap of faith this whole process is, in large part because of my lack of 3-D vision.

Don't get me wrong: we've been lucky enough to find some extremely skilled people to take on our house. I have all kinds of confidence in Cathee, Nelson, and crew. But no matter how great everyone is, it still takes a lot of guts to cut a couple of holes in a 70-year-old house.

When looking at the two foundations, I keep changing my mind from "that looks big" to "that looks small" to "I sure hope that will be a good size when we're living in it."

My overall hope is that when the project is finished, both additions will look as though they have always been there ... as if some very foresighted architect had realized in 1939 that we'd want room for a home office and an island in the kitchen, and also that we'd need to store more coats than anyone would anticipate for a family of four.

Next up: The salavaged brick will be laid around the bottom of each little foundation. I think Nelson said there will be three or four rows of brick, to help tie in the additions with the house. Then comes the framing, which is what we're all longing to see.

Until I can really see it, I'm just going to have to take it all on faith.

Rain, rain, go away

2009-10-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

Come again some other day, like when they are working inside the house!

No progress today--the rain never stopped. But yesterday the guys were here from 7 a.m. until after 5 p.m., building forms for the footings. I'm hoping for good weather so they can be back tomorrow. I'm looking forward to the return of the cement truck!

Until you see all the work that's needed to build a good foundation, you might never give it a thought. It's interesting to see how much work it takes to create something that will last.

I had a nice break from the gray, dreary day when Doyle and I visited the Majestic Lion antique store over lunch to look at lights. We didn't find anything we wanted, but we were able to narrow the field considerably. Next, we're heading back to the architectural salvage store, where Judy and I found some possibilities on Tuesday.

It may feel like things are moving slowly, but we're getting there--drip by drip.

Pour it on

2009-10-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

There's a new player on the scene: A concrete truck is whirring away on Allison Avenue as I write. A nifty little motorized wheelbarrow of some sort is making trips up and down the driveway, transporting the concrete to the two holes. Steve, Tom and Chad are working to pour a 6" layer of concrete (if I heard them correctly), upon which the footings will rest.

I'm relieved that the big truck didn't need to come on the driveway, and surprisingly excited to see something besides digging going on. It's not anything we'll ever look at once the job is finished, but it means that on the outside of the house, we're done taking things away (porch, bricks, dirt) and have started putting new things in. And that's a good feeling.

For those of you who think this process seems to be taking a long time, it feels that way to us, too. But we're happy with the work that has been done so far. And we hope that things will move more quickly once the foundations are in place.

I really can't wait to see the framing go up so I can begin to see those two spaces. I can't look at a blueprint and think in three dimensions very well. It reminds me of those standardized test questions showing a flattened, irregularly shaped drawing that was supposed to fold up into a geometric shape of some sort. I never could tell exactly what it was supposed to become.

With this project, I'm putting my faith in the people who can look at a piece of paper and envision three dimensions. And I really, really hope they all know what they are doing.

The singing kitchen

2009-10-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

I sing a lot when I'm home alone. There's nothing like belting out "Taylor, the Latte Boy" or "The Wizard and I" when there's no one to hear you. But lately, I've been hearing songs from my kitchen without any effort on my part.

This morning, while I was waking Anna up in the pitch dark at 7:30 (can't wait for the end of Daylight Savings Time), I heard music and voices. The noise sounded like it was coming through the vent by her bed. I hypothesized that Doyle or Will had left a TV on downstairs, but it sounded more like a radio.

Which is exactly what it was. Steve Hawbaker was here, working under a tarp to dig the foundation for the driveway bump-out, with a quiet radio for company. I hadn't even heard him drive up; the barely audible radio was the only indication of his presence. What a cold, miserable day to be working outside! He was joined around 9 a.m. by his brother Tom. I'm grateful to both of them for being here on a day like this.

The second musical event concerns Doyle's Illini bottle opener, which is still in a drawer in the upstairs kitchen. Using the opener causes it to play a jaunty version of the Illinois Fight Song, culminating in people cheering, "Gooooooo ILLINI!" Apparently, vibrations from the work have the same effect as opening a bottle. So, once in a while and for no apparent reason, I'll start to hear a muffled fight song coming from the drawer, as if the spatulas were taking on the measuring spoons in a hard-fought game of utensil football.

And from the sounds of it, whichever team the Illini bottle opener is rooting for is way ahead.

Whatcha got cooking?

2009-10-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

A quick update for today: Since our upstairs kitchen is still functional, I'm trying to cook as often as possible now. On today's menu: Chocolate-marbled banana bread and turkey rice soup.

They both look delicious, and I feel so thrifty. The turkey came from a turkey breast carcass I'd shoved in the freezer a few weeks ago after we ate most of it for dinner.

There's nothing like the smell of something simmering and something baking at the same time. Mmmm ...

In the mood to bake? Here's a link to the banana bread recipe. It's from Cooking Light, via my friend Allison:

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=549763

(I usually bake it for an hour, not an hour and 15 minutes. I've also substituted light sour cream for the yogurt on occasion.)

Lukewarm feet

2009-10-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later: I've developed a case of lukewarm feet.

I know the kitchen will be great when it's finished. I know we need more space. I'm already tired of having my work space in the living room (whenever someone comes to the front door, it feels as though they are peeking into my cubicle--I've gotten used to more privacy at the back of the house).

But despite all that, I've had fleeting thoughts of, "Is this all really necessary?"

I've even envisioned having all the brick re-laid and going back to Square One: a badly designed 90's kitchen with icky cabinets, chipped laminate, and the worst traffic flow West of the Mississippi.

But the brick is off, the die has been cast, and I know it will be worth it when it's all over, whenever that may be.

Until then, I'm going to keep blogging and look forward to the end of my lukewarm feet.

Walter Gilbert, my hero

2009-10-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have included a brief scare, a surprisingly easy resolution, and attainment of our first big goal: a building permit from the city.

The scare happened when Nelson went in the first time to get a permit. He was shot down on several fronts, which I've heard is typical, but which was still unnerving to us novices.

The most worrisome situation was the inspector's comment that we couldn't add one step to the basement stairs, necessary to get the back entry up off ground level, without bringing all the stairs up to code. Also, we had to make sure there was a certain amount of headroom all along the stairs -- I believe the standard is 6' 6".

Can you imagine tearing out all the stairs from a finished basement with a very small landing at the bottom, and re-building them? (Where would you put them?) Or trying to find additional headroom for stairs that are situated under OTHER stairs? It sounded like a problem that would eventually unravel our entire house, like a giant sweater.

Fortunately, Cathee, our architect, swooped over with a tape measure and encouraging words. (There's a great deal to be said for an architect who's not only amazing at what she does, but also calls you "Hon" just when you need to hear it the most.)

She immediately confirmed her previous discovery that the stairs were ALREADY UP TO CODE, and there was ALREADY ENOUGH HEAD ROOM, something of a rarity for basement stairs in houses this age. And for that, we have Walter Gilbert to thank.

Walter was a homebuilder in Des Moines in the 1930s and 40s. In 1939, he built our house for his own family, and lived there with his wife, Hilda, until he sold it after her death in the 1950s. (What? Don't you read your abstract?)

Anyway, Walter used our basement family room (now home to Will's Beatles Rock Band parties) for his office. That explains why we have daylight windows, extra-nice knotty pine paneling (with dentil molding, believe it or not) and stairs that meet code, even in 2009. (It may also have something to do with the nifty automatic light in the front entry closet.)

So after Cathee did a whole lot of additional drawings and elevations and Nelson jumped through a few more hoops, we are now the proud owners of an official building permit. (Actually, it's our second permit -- we also got one for the basement kitchen.)

Next up: digging holes and pouring footings for two new foundations. The holes are underway, and I'll post a picture soon.

Meanwhile, the upstairs kitchen is still fully functional, and will be until the two additions are framed up and sealed. That's when we'll experience full-scale demolition inside the house--but not until then. As Nelson said, "I'm not going to ruin your life until I have to."

P.S. A special thank-you and shout-out to neighbor Kathy, who was most reassuring during the permit scare, and the several friends who prodded me to write another entry--I know it's been a while. As Lynn said, "I am tired of ogees!"

The ogee and me

2009-09-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that when you buy a car, you immediately begin to notice the same model everywhere you go?

That's exactly what has happened to me and ogee (pronounced ō-ˌjē) moldings.

Ogee moldings, or edges, have a combination of curves that form a graceful, elongated S-shape. Furniture trim often has ogee edges, and so do some countertops. (I've tried to find a diagram I could post, but can't--but you can visit http://www.answers.com/topic/ogee to see one.)

Now that I'm thinking about my house in a whole new level of detail, I'm suddenly spotting ogee this and ogee that everywhere I look: in the recessed panels of my doors, in my crown moldings, even in my window frames. My new kitchen cabinets will have recessed panels with ogee edges. The support brackets under the island, where the counter overhangs, may have ogee curves too.

Because of my new obsession, Doyle and I went to look at windows today. I spent the 1990s writing about Pella windows and still have friends in that business, so I am loyal to the Pella brand.

Our window allowance covers Pella ProLine windows, which are very energy-efficient and can have muntins, or grilles, on both the inside and outside of the window. There is a squared edge where the wood meets the glass.

In contrast, Pella Architect Series windows are designed to look like the windows my house was built with. Not only do they successfully imitate the look of many small pieces of glass (also known as true divided light), each sash has an ogee, rather than squared, edge.

That curve might sound like a small detail, but the difference is readily apparent when you look at the windows side by side. Which is why the helpful displays at the Pella Window Store make it so easy to do just that.

Like any upgrade, this one would have a price. And the cost in this case is enough to make you say "Oh, geez!"

Thanks for staying with me long enough to get that.

By the way, nowhere in Merriam-Webster.com is extra expense mentioned:
Main Entry: ogee
Variant(s): also OG \ˈō-ˌjē\

Function: noun

Etymology: obsolete English ogee ogive; from the use of such moldings in ogives

Date: 1677

1 : a molding with an S-shaped profile

Life gets lush

2009-09-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

My favorite cartoonist, Roz Chast, has a cartoon entitled "Life gets lush." If I could find it online I'd post it here -- alas. Anyway, my sister Tracy and I reference it whenever there is an unexpected abundance of good things happening.

On Monday, life got lush around here. Doyle and I had scheduled a meeting with our architect, Cathee, to talk about some revisions to the plans she created for us more than a year ago. While she was here, our contractor, Nelson, stopped by. They were able to meet each other for the first time and talk through some issues that were way over my head. It was completely serendipitous and very reassuring to have them both here at the same time.

The plan is really coming together, too. By adding 2.5 feet to the office addition, we may even have found room for a coat closet by the back entry--a previously unattainable goal. I will be thrilled if it works out.

Even though Doyle had to leave on a work trip that afternoon, good things continued to happen. I found a herringbone mosaic tile that will be beautiful for the back entry floor--and it was on clearance! Will and Anna did their homework without any bickering. Dave came over twice to mud the basement drywall (it's painted and I hope to have pictures with the cabinets soon!). Anna went to her soccer clinic without any complaints about the shin guards bumping her knee scab, and Will and I had a nice dinner out after his drum lesson. And at bedtime, Anna decided to read me a story from the new Bible she just received at Plymouth.

It was one small, good thing after another, all day long, reminding me over and over how incredibly fortunate I am. It was a day I'll need to remember on the days when things aren't going so well. I know they're out there. But for now, I'm still savoring the way it feels when life gets lush.

Leader of the pack

2009-09-20T20:04:00.001-07:00

I've been packing, packing, packing this past week. I'm trying to safely store everything we can live without for the next few months.

I also emptied the dining room cabinets of china, crystal and vases. For the duration, they'll house daily necessities including Cheerios, granola bars, and a staggering assortment of band-aids and leg wraps (Anna is the undisputed skinned-knee champion). It is an interesting look, with all those everyday items showcased behind glass doors.

Throughout this tedious process, I keep thinking about the nice woman who rang me up at Staples the other day. When I told her why I was buying a roll of bubble wrap big enough to use as an end table, she said, "Just think about how much fun it will be when you get to unpack everything!"

She's so right. It will be wonderful to take it all out again.

So good-bye for now, wedding china, novelty muffin pans, Grandma's tea set, fragile wineglasses, second-tier utensils. See you on the other side.

Times two

2009-09-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

The most costly phrase in the English language has to be "As long as we're at it." Suddenly, we find ourselves saying it all the time.

Applied to a kitchen remodel, those six little words can have enormous consequences. And in our case, it has brought us to this: We are expecting not one new kitchen, but two.

It's twins!

It all started with a plan to relocate our range and refrigerator to the basement laundry room for the duration. I've lived through one previous kitchen renovation with the fridge in the dining room, and while it's undeniably handy to get out a gallon of milk without leaving your seat at the table, we are hoping for a slightly more upscale experience this time.

So we decided on a zoned approach: Breakfast in the dining room, so as to avoid disturbing the workers; dinner in the family room, which is in the basement. We bought a mini-fridge for the dining room, for milk, juice, yogurt, and champagne for mimosas. (Just kidding about the champagne. For now, anyway.)

Things went downhill on a trip to Home Depot (and what remodeler hasn't said that?) when we discovered a cabinet display on clearance. Eight feet of white upper and lower cabinets, a stainless-steel sink and faucet, and even a counter, all for a price that could only be called recession-tastic. It seemed like a no-brainer.

"As long as we're putting the fridge and stove down there, it would be great to have some cabinets ... and a sink ... and a disposer," I said.

Our friends John and David contributed the truck, and the manpower, to get the whole thing home. It took two trips, and we rewarded them with a skimpy selection of pizza for dinner. We owe you, guys. Big time.

Then Doyle and Will got to work and ripped out the dilapidated old cabinets, Dave built a wall, and yesterday the plumbing and electrical were roughed in. The goal is to have the basement kitchen installed before the upstairs kitchen is demolished.

All this would have been more than expensive enough. But then came this thought: As long as we're moving the range to the basement kitchen, why not let it stay there as an extra oven for holiday dinners? And teens requiring Totino's Pizza Rolls? And just get a new one for upstairs?

And as long we're getting a new range for upstairs, why not get a dual-fuel slide-in model? Only 30" wide -- so we'll still have room for a cabinet and counter on either side. But still, it's money we didn't anticipate spending when this process started.

Which is, I guess, the nature of the beast. Especially when you're expecting times two.

Let the games begin!

2009-09-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

It all starts today: the long-awaited Rood-Karr kitchen renovation. As I begin this blog, siding, windows and storm doors are being removed from our leaky back porch, soon to be demolished.

Our house is a Tudor Revival style, built in 1939 by builder Walter Gilbert for his own family. We admired it for years, and have owned it since June of 2000. During those years, we've lived with a kitchen so dysfunctional it deserves its own reality show. The previous owners confided, "We redid the kitchen, but we've never liked it." Our architect's sober diagnosis: "You have a severely fragmented work triangle."

During the next several months, brick walls will be breached, and the bricks salvaged. Faulty plumbing will be given its first-ever opportunity to vent. Awkward contemporary oak-n-walnut cabinets will be replaced with traditional white, and chipped, burned laminate counters with something else (at the very least, new, unchipped laminate).

And yes, tempers will fray and all of us -- even the children -- will tire of pizza.

But today, anything is possible. It feels a bit like the very early stages of pregnancy, or even Braxton-Hicks contractions near the end of it: slightly uncomfortable and exhilarating at the same time.

I just hope it doesn't take nine months.