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  1. #61
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
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    Mrs. KnottedYet
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    9,152

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    Tulip, in the view towards the kitchen is that exposed brick I see on the right side? You're keeping that, right?

    You lucky gal, hardwood floor, bricks .... this is going to look great!
    Fancy Schmancy Custom Road bike ~ Mondonico Futura Legero
    Found on side of the road bike ~ Motobecane Mixte
    Gravel bike ~ Salsa Vaya
    Favorite bike ~ Soma Buena Vista mixte
    Folder ~ Brompton
    N+1 ~ My seat on the Rover recumbent tandem
    https://www.instagram.com/pugsley_adventuredog/

  2. #62
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Limbo
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    8,769
    Tulip's kitchen is straight outta Second Life!
    Click image for larger version. 

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    2008 Trek FX 7.2/Terry Cite X
    2009 Jamis Aurora/Brooks B-68
    2010 Trek FX 7.6 WSD/stock bontrager

  3. #63
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Between the Blue Ridge and the Chesapeake Bay
    Posts
    5,203
    Ooh, yeah, and I want that Corbu sofa, too! (ain't going to happen). The floors sold me on the place. They are the original floors and show 70 years of life and character, but I like that.

    The exposed brick is the furnace chimney, which is no longer in use because I replaced the gas furnace (old, poor repair, lots of $$ to fix, and not very efficient) with a new and efficient electric heat pump with a/c. I would like to keep the exposed brick ALOT, but my contractor says that they might need that for electrical...so we're going to try to work something out.

    The peninsula will be cantilevered for a couple of chairs/low stools so that I can have company when I cook, or so that I can drink a glass of wine and survey while someone else cooks! I haven't looked into the price of glass tiles. I hope to find some salvaged/overstock something. I'm definitely a modernist, so plain tiles will suit me fine.

    The cabinets will be bamboo and will provide texture. I don't have nice pots (but they get the job done), so no pot rack. They will stay hidden in a drawer. The counters will probably be Paperstone, but I might have to rethink that because of cost (oooh, that darn limiting factor keeps coming back!)

    The house needed alot of work when I bought it, and I've already replaced the HVAC and water heater to make it livable. I've never lived in a place that I had a hand in designing, except for gardens, of course. This is my design (with the help of my architect dad) and I'm really looking forward to LIKING my home. After this, and if I have any money left over (doubtful), I want to knock out another wall in the living room...but that will have to wait until next summer at the earliest. Maybe by then I will have picked up enough demo/construction skills by osmosis that I could do it myself with some help. That would be cool.

  4. #64
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    somewhere between the Red & Rio Grande
    Posts
    5,297
    I am liking the changes, I would love to have the patience and a willing counterpart to do stuff like that. I got the man to agree to paint our dining room and actually be excited about the accent wall color, victory was mine!

    My mom has an island with barstools similar to your counter. It is the gathering spot when she or my dad is cooking. Usually a beer or glass of wine and wonderful conversation is shared. I think you will be really happy with that.

    Do you have a habitat home shop? We have one here, proceeds benefit habitat for humanity and you can often find great building materials at good prices.
    Amanda

    2011 Specialized Epic Comp 29er | Specialized Phenom | "Marie Laveau"
    2007 Cannondale Synapse Carbon Road | Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow | "Miranda"


    You don't have to be great to get started, but you do have to get started to be great. -Lee J. Colan

  5. #65
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Between the Blue Ridge and the Chesapeake Bay
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    5,203
    I am my own willing counterpart, so that helps.

    I expect the counter/bar will become a lively place when I have friends over. I do have a Habitat Store nearby, and I look forward to checking it out soon.

  6. #66
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Reporting from Moonshine Mountain
    Posts
    1,327
    Tulip - I am just catching up on TE. Haven't been here for a very long time & I've had a ball reading the updates on this thread. Love what you are doing to the kitchen!

    Have you checked out Best Tile? 7490 W. Broad. I was down there a couple weeks ago picking up the grout for my new slate floor & left a puddle on their floor as I was looking at their glass tile samples! Gorgeous stuff.

    Can't wait to see all the "after" pics. -jane
    "When I'm on my bike I forget about things like age. I just have fun." Kathy Sessler

    2006 Independent Fabrication Custom Ti Crown Jewel (Road, though she has been known to go just about anywhere)/Specialized Jett

  7. #67
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Orygun
    Posts
    1,195
    Just an additional thought when you are tracking down large appliances... Lowes, Home Depot, etc usually have a day of the week where they put out the stuff that may have a slight blemish or something. (contractors come in and buy them up to save money) They are usually still in the box and work just fine. I saved 50% on a great refrig. and they delivered it for me. Exactly what I was already looking at, in the right color (black). I never did find the blemish. Call around and talk to the guy in charge of the appliance area and find out what day they do that. You can get incredible deals on higher priced stuff.

    Where I used to work, we had a small unit on the pipes. I have no idea what brand or anything. It was electronic or something. Worked great. Not a hot water heater, per se. It was just a small box that wrapped around the pipes. It is apparently used in Europe a lot. Much more efficient and space saving as it was right under the sink. My former boss was a real cheepo so it couldn't have cost that much up front either. Like this style. https://www.etankless.com/product_n.html I think they can be put in whole house or at individual spots. My boss had them in his house. He preferred the individual ones because it was instantaneous.


    Yeah, I caught that brick too after the wall was gone. It would be great if you could keep that. I like wood and brick together. Very earthy. How are you planning to match the flooring where the wall used to be or am I seeing that wrong?

    Keep up the good work and I'm looking forward to your updates.
    Oh, that's gonna bruise...
    Only the suppressed word is dangerous. ~Ludwig Börne

  8. #68
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Between the Blue Ridge and the Chesapeake Bay
    Posts
    5,203
    Thanks for all the suggestions! Jane, I will go to that tile shop when the time comes; I had not heard of it.

    I already bought my appliances--the cabinet maker needed me to do that before he started his cabinet-making. I went to the Sears Outlet and got all GE Profile at 30%-50% off. My dishwasher is a Bosch, and it was 30% off. They are ALL in my livingroom at the moment, which is getting a little old, frankly.

    The on-demand hot water heater was $4k, so I went with a very efficient tank hw heater that was $800. If the difference had not been so huge, I would have gone tankless, but that was just too much! I figure that the tankless can only go down in price in the coming years.

    The floor will be patched, but most of it on the left side will be covered by the counter peninsula. Work continues on Monday! Whoo-hoo!

  9. #69
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Location
    Mrs. KnottedYet
    Posts
    9,152

    Back splash starts to appear

    Like a puzzle H starts to piece together the backsplash. I can't afford to do the whole thing in hand made decorative tile, so just a few hear and there on standard tile will do. The post-it on the stove is Spazzdog's design for the tile. We figured it out over bagels and lox at Sauls
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    Fancy Schmancy Custom Road bike ~ Mondonico Futura Legero
    Found on side of the road bike ~ Motobecane Mixte
    Gravel bike ~ Salsa Vaya
    Favorite bike ~ Soma Buena Vista mixte
    Folder ~ Brompton
    N+1 ~ My seat on the Rover recumbent tandem
    https://www.instagram.com/pugsley_adventuredog/

  10. #70
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Limbo
    Posts
    8,769
    Well... I got a new desk
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Now to rebuild the house around it

    Why on earth did they put a window air conditioner in the wall?!?!?!?!
    2008 Trek FX 7.2/Terry Cite X
    2009 Jamis Aurora/Brooks B-68
    2010 Trek FX 7.6 WSD/stock bontrager

  11. #71
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Between the Blue Ridge and the Chesapeake Bay
    Posts
    5,203
    Trek--I like the backsplash! All handmade tile would be too busy, I think, and having a few here and there allows one to appreciate each one. Nice job.

    Zen, that is a great desk. I may (eventually) have a nice kitchen, but my desk...well that's a door over two filing cabinets. Someday I'll have a real desk like yours!

    Latest update (not much to show in photos, but alot done): the electricians spent three days for a presumably one-day job of installing all the electrical everything and lights (recessed and pendants) in the kitchen. Turns out the previous owner totally jerry-rigged (sp?) the electrical system in the entire house and it's just a good thing that the whole thing didn't just melt or explode. No permits, no inspections. So they had to bring new lines from the street and rewire most of the house.

    Trek, was it you who said "be prepared for delays and increased cost by 20%," or something like that. Yeah, you're right. They have to come back to bring the rest of the house up to code later with more outlets in the other rooms, but at least it's safely wired now.

    On the good side of things, the lights look great even though they are only roughed in for the inspections. I have three recessed lights and three pendants--two over the counter peninsula and one over the sink. The place is also wired all over for under counter lights, disposal (in the cabinet to keep the backsplash "clean" of outlets and switches), and the appliances. Last night I just spent a few minutes oohing and ahhing while dimming and undimming. Ooooh. Aaaaah. One can begin to imagine what the space is really going to look like.

    Today and tomorrow are the plumbing days. Let's hope that there aren't any surprises like with the electricity.

    In the meantime, we had alot of rain a week or so ago, and guess what? MY ROOF LEAKS! YAY! Why not? So it looks like I can't do this whole thing with my savings so I have to go out and beg for a bit of credit for the roof and insulating the attic. *sigh*. Bail out, bridge loan, whatever, I need a roof.

    I've also changed the countertop decision because of cost. Paperstone is too expensive so I'm going with concrete. It'll be very cool and unique and 1/3 less than my original material.

    But you know what? I'm still glad I bought this place and I'm still glad I'm renovating. It's going to be such a sweet little home for me and my pup (I can't believe I have a pup!)

  12. #72
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    3,867
    Trek, I said "OH WOW" when I saw your backsplash. I like it!

    Karen
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    insidious ungovernable cardboard

  13. #73
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    3,867
    Getting the wiring re-done is one thing you will not regret, no matter how much it costs.

    I almost didn't buy this house because of the wiring. It was still using a fuse box with those old round fuses, and none of the outlets were grounded. The owner was changing a fuse the moment we were walking in with the inspector! My insurance company wouldn't insure it with that fuse box. Fortunately, the seller worked with me, and we got a work-around with a new box, without rewiring the entire house. I made my husband change out all the outlets and switches, too, just in case.

    I want to see pictures, Tulip!

    Karen
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    insidious ungovernable cardboard

  14. #74
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Location
    Mrs. KnottedYet
    Posts
    9,152
    Zen, nice desk! Looks like a good place to work or create.

    Tulip, no. I think I said "remodels all either cost twice as much as expected or take twice as long or both"

    I'm interested to hear what you think of concrete. I know only one person who has it. He regrets it because of the upkeep. Says you have to treat it often. OTOH you can have any color, any surface, paint a picture with it, very creative, durable and of course ecco friendly.

    Tuckerville, that's exactly what I hope the buyer will say when they come around the corner and see the kitchen!

    Tuckerville & Tulip and all, Yes, all hand tile would just be way too much. I'm thinking of the market, somewhat neutral but also thinking of myself. As my cousin the contractor to the stars ;-) said "you don't know how long it will take to sell, do something you will enjoy and like seeing every day". I like the fun of bringing the outside inside with tiles with stars, moon, flowers, and the little kitchen references.

    I also had some very :cough cough: creative electrical work that had to be completely redone. The new fuse box is somewhere on this thread

    http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=20169
    Last edited by Trek420; 12-09-2008 at 06:20 AM.
    Fancy Schmancy Custom Road bike ~ Mondonico Futura Legero
    Found on side of the road bike ~ Motobecane Mixte
    Gravel bike ~ Salsa Vaya
    Favorite bike ~ Soma Buena Vista mixte
    Folder ~ Brompton
    N+1 ~ My seat on the Rover recumbent tandem
    https://www.instagram.com/pugsley_adventuredog/

  15. #75
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Between the Blue Ridge and the Chesapeake Bay
    Posts
    5,203

    Tomorrow

    The VERY LONG-AWAITED cabinets are being installed TOMORROW! I haven't given anyone an update recently because there's just not much to show. I did paint, but without cabinets, it still looks like walls with wires hanging out of holes.

    Once the cabinets are in, the appliances can be moved OUT of my living room and into the kitchen (and hooked up, finally!). I still won't have a sink until later this week, and the countertops will be 3 more weeks to make (concrete).

    PICS tomorrow! Whoo-hoo!

 

 

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