Kitchen Remodel

I like tile too. Not thinking of large squares, maybe rectangular.

[Jenise]

So would you favour paint rather than tiles for backsplash....or subway tile...or.....

Backsplash where, behind the stove? Or everywhere there's counter?

Over all counters. I was thinking about tile for behind the stove anyway though.

You definitely have to have something protective directly behind the stove. The question would be whether to make that more of an accent wall with something more striking while toning it down on the other two walls (fridge and sink walls, that is) or go with something softer everywhere. My overall recommendation? Choose your granite first (remember, I volunteered to join you on this expedition--I LOVE looking at granite! It's rock hunting of the most domestic sort!). What you choose might determine how busy the tile can/should be.

[Jenise]

Oh, and story from my experience? I now have a soft ivory colored tile that's all about texture, not color. The tiles were actually larger than they appear now, I had the tile guy cut a bit off each so they would stack three equal tiles high. But these were my SECOND choice. The first, which were beautiful and what I would have deemed overall light earth tone in color but there was some variation, started going up and I realized how much they darkened the room. They honestly just sucked all the light out of the room, especially compared to the solid black countertops and the bright white of the wall board that had been there. Couldn't stand them. And worse: even with two thirds of the tile still in the box and untouched, the manufacturer wouldn't accept them on return so I literally trashed $600 worth of expensive Italian and a day's worth of labor tile to correct the mistake, but correct it I did. And it was very much the right choice. I may still have a picture of the other tile, if I do I'll post it and what I replaced it with instead.

Agree.

Right now we seem to be in a bit of disagreement. I favour a darker granite and SWMBO tells me she was thinking light/white colour range.....

The cabinets will be natural maple, so fairly light and the floors also light oak. I could live with a lighter shade with good figuring.I suppose. The cabinets will go up to the ceiling.

We'll be using a stone source out in Richmond and I'll let you know when we are going in case you are free.

Thinking maybe that larger tiles behind the range as a backsplash there and smaller rectangular ones outside that area.....

Have the referral to a tile place that I will go to, but probably not much point until we choose the stone for the counters.

We are going plain white cabinets in the pantry, with the same panel design as the kitchen, so the question is what sort of counter top to choose - similar colour to the kitchen or not. It will be something other than granite.

Decisions, decisions!

This doesn't look too bad...

[Jenise]

I agree on rectangles. And I like the size that kind of picks up the shape of the brick you'll have on the fourth wall. Note that the pictures you just posted all show the tile going all the way to the granite vs. having a granite skirt as in the first picture you showed--the former is definitely the classiest look. Stay with that thinking. But give some thought to whether you lean toward rusticity (the multi-hued gray tile in the one picture you showed) elegance (the shiny subway tile in the other--HATE that color), or something between the two (the stone-looking tile with the shiny blue insets--which, note, was paired with a fairly white granite and very dark cabinets--again, contrast!).

As for granite color--don't argue it with her now. When you advocate for dark you're expressing a desire for strength and contrast and when she argues for light she's arguing for softness and light because the original kitchen was so dark. There are a lot of granites that have a mixture of colors that will offer you light and dark at the same time--you can both win, and once the cabinets start going up I'll bet she'll be more open to contrast. Do you have a physical sample of the cabinet to haul around with you while you consider granites and tiles? If not, ask for a piece. Doesn't have to be a whole door or anything, just a scrap, because while I understand what maple looks like in its natural state, a range of finishes can render it cool (pinker) or warm (more golden) and that will significantly inform your choices. You're showing warm versions

Yeah, I'll be getting a sample of the cabinet wood.

Any thoughts on knobs -

metal:



wood:



granite (?!):

[Jenise]

Yeah, I'll be getting a sample of the cabinet wood.

Any thoughts on knobs -

metal:



wood:



granite (?!):

Metal. Several questions apply:

1) Handles and knobs? Or handles only? Knobs only--no. Many handles come in a range of sizes so you could use smaller handles on the drawers and larger ones on the cabinets. I personally went with handles only for a more tailored, severe look, but I chose curved ones the same size end-to-end for a softer yet modern look. Knobs add softness and tradition. You could go either way in your traditional, tudor home. Pluses or minuses? Handles are lateral and if you go with rectangular tiles, they could lay into that look. Knobs are less expensive and would lower the overall cost of hardware, but knobs do tend to unscrew themselves. Also, if all handles, beware those that protrude beyond the shank that screws into the drawer. I'm not saying avoid them, just consider that drawer-height drawer pulls of that type catch on pockets. Wouldn't be an issue for some, but as someone who loves to lounge about in robes and muumuu-y things, that kind of handle would have ripped open seams left and right and I couldn't have that.

2) Color. Your best choices would probably be nickel, which would pick up the steel look of your appliances and scatter that around the room, or an old world look wherein the handles are dark, burnished, almost wrought iron looking. That would actually speak well to your home's overall tudor-ness and offset some of the modernity of the new kitchen. There's a name for that finish that's not coming to me, but I know it. Are you going to be able to move that cast iron ceiling fixture at Palmerston to the new foyer?

The iron chandelier will be the new dining room fixture, augmented by a couple of pots, one at each end (so you can see what you are eating).

Similarly, I will move the original lighting fixtures from here to fit the new living room and the upstairs hallway. I want to preserve whatever I can and it is nice that they are both the same approximate age of house. I have already 'stolen' a bunch of iron window latches from here for the up stairs windows at the new house, and am trying to figure out how to liberate the wind vane on the roof.

[Jenise]

Oil-rubbed bronze. That's the name of the finish I was trying to come up with. Here's an example of a cabinet pull in that color--they come in every shape from modern to Asian, but this one's old world in style and not too fussy. Gives you an idea of what's out there that could suit your look.

http://www.pullsdirect.com/rusticware-976-rope-pull-with-4-center-from-the-cabinet-hardware-collection/p1210910

Thank god for the pots. Long as you're running wires, why not consider a pair of eyeball (task) lights for whichever side of the room is going to receive the sideboards? Since you stage wines and stuff there, would add some elegance to a dinner party.

Like the look of the pulls a lot! Will have to see if they have something like that locally, otherwise no big deal to order from that source.

I'll make sure to put a 'halo' spot over your seat!

I think there is room to have the full extended dining room table (12-14 seats) and still have the big sideboard across the end!

Here is the dining room fixture:



Not sure what to do with this one (yes, it is silver, if we ever took it down to polish it):

[Jenise]

That same cabinet pull also comes in a 3" size--if you went all pulls, you could use the 4 inchers on the cabs and the 3" on small drawers, if you're going to have any that are around 15" or narrower. There's also a companion knob with the rope motif if you prefer to mix and match that way.

Wow re the pic of the light fixture. Wasn't it blacker when I saw it last, or is that the effect of flash seeing through years of aging? Re the silver and crystal chandelier--good luck with that. It's beautiful but I have no idea where'd you put it. The pink bathroom?

Bathroom - that's the ticket - you'll think you are going down on the Titanic!

Glass knobs.

I like a tile pattern with irregularly-placed accent tiles. (Agree with Jenise that the brownish "subway" tile is awful.)

I did a 'random' tile pattern in the shower at my last apartment, and I have it in my current kitchen, too.

typhoon.png

seafoam.png

Update time.

We ripped out the kitchen to the studs and are replacing everything - the floor will be oak instead of tile, and we have made final choices on granite.

The counters will be done in Seafoam Green, a granite from Brazil.

The island (which I have specified to be 37" a tad higher than standard) will be done in Typhoon Bordeaux (the names are common to many suppliers and you can google them if you want to see them, but there is a lot of variation. It is also a Brazilian granite (the browner one - they ay not appear above in order)

The bad news was that they didn't have a part slab of the latter, so I had to buy a whole slab. I will now have a Typhoon Bordeaux topped appliance barn in the pantry as well as two polished slabs for underneath my two turntables (main system downstairs, second system upstairs).

And the damned roof sprung a small leak right on an antique table. So I decided to just deal with it and am putting a new roof on the whole house

The wine cellar is almost ready to use spray foam insulation (it constitutes a vapor barrier so you don't need a separate one), and will then be ready for drywall, paint and installation of wine racking.

Waiting on a couple of the upstairs rooms we ripped some stuff out of (to become a guest room and my study) to get the drywall patched and painted as well as to install double glazed sliding doors (two of the upstairs rooms have 'Juliet' balconies), after which we can paint and carpet and they'll be inhabitable again.

It ever seems to end. I'll post some pics when we get the new cabinets in the kitchen - mid January.

PS - kitchen cabinets will be unstained maple, a nice hard stable wood that will echo the tones in the oak floors.

[Jenise]

I really love the contrast of the two granites you've chosen, and the typhoon will actually play somewhat to the reds in the kitchen's existing brick wall (which I know you want to keep--were it me, I'd go for the light and paint it off-white to go with the wall it joins around the French doors to the patio).

So sad about the roof, but leaks, especially if they occur while you're away are even sadder. You have too much value tied up in everything else to take any chances so hard as it is to write that check, do it! Btw, since they're going to be pulling the roof, have you given any thought to adding a layer of rigid insulation under the new roofing material? It makes an astonishing difference. Keeps the house cooler in summer and warmer in winter. We put that in our two story Huntington Beach house, and over and over neighbors (tract homes, same builder) commented on how much more comfortable our home was than theirs.

The attic has a ton of extra insulation in it already - no idea why......

[Jenise]

The attic has a ton of extra insulation in it already - no idea why......

To keep out the rain when the roof leaks.

The attic has a ton of extra insulation in it already - no idea why......

To keep out the rain when the roof leaks.

Probably!

More updates.

Kitchen now lacks walls, ceiling and floors:



But we have finalized granite - this is the slab we have of Typhoon Bordeaux for the island and pantry counters as well as my two turntables. (Island top outlined in tape)



Family room (to be home theatre) is even more filled with speakers etc.



Finally, I have transplanted my nice oak front door from my old home to be the cellar door of the new cellar:

[Jenise]

I love the door!

Gorgeous slab of granite, too.

You got moving on this whole thing so fast, and I'm guessing you're right on schedule based on what I see here and know about the decisions you've made. Is that about right?

Pretty much on schedule. There was a lot of electrical work to start off as a preliminary - basically tossing out the old panels and figuring out what was what and hooking everything up again as well as adding some dedicated audio and kitchen circuits (and maybe a hot tub, haven't decided yet).

It is slowing down this week - they tell me for some popular celebration called 'Christmas'. Bah, humbug!

Finally, I have transplanted my nice oak front door from my old home to be the cellar door of the new cellar:

Impressive door! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID1mST8AzGo

As it happens, we just rewatched Young Frankenstein (worth getting the Blu Ray even though it is in black and white as the resolution is better). That was one of the more memorable lines, and one I now fully expect Jenise to repeat when she first sets eyes on the new cellar! I'd be 'lion' if I said otherwise.....