Remodel, month 3
Nov. 8th, 2007 08:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwynSo close, and yet so far. A lot has happened, but there are still so many things to sort out -- not the least of which is the countertops, which have turned into this huge pain in the ass and which are now costing me more than twice what I had planned to pay, largely because the guy who was supposed to do them disappeared into the ether. We've all decided that he was probably in rehab -- either a program, or court mandated, or something. That's the only thing that really explains a monthlong disappearance with no returned phone calls to anyone, even me. Even when my sister was dying, I was able to make phone calls. So it's a disappointment in a lot of ways, not least of which is financially, but I guess at this point I just have to suck it up and move on.
I'm getting soapstone, which is very interesting. It's apparently impervious to liquid so you can't stain or etch it like granite, and there's pretty much no maintenance required -- all very good things for someone as clumsy and absentminded as me. But it doesn't have much in the way of color, and it doesn't have the depth of character that concrete or other materials can have. The slabs I picked out do at least have a slightly blue undertone, but when you put mineral oil on them, as they suggest for even darkening over time, they pretty much turn black, and it does have some slightly silvery flecks in it, which I hope will come out in the lighting. But it also has a greenish hue, as most soapstones do, and of course, you can scratch it easily, but I will be using cutting boards, regardless, so I'm not hugely worried about it, and small scratches buff out with mineral oil.
The worst part was that as I was waiting for them to pull the slabs, I walked around this high-end granite place, and I saw some granites that I actually loved. One in particular had these huge blue shimmery flecks of labradorite and I was kind of sad that I hadn't seen that in the first place, then I wouldn't have had all this trauma. Oh well, I'm sure it would have been even more expensive, and at least there aren't a ton of people who have soapstone, so it'll be unique.
They won't get installed till after Thanksgiving. We were initially expecting to be done by next week, but I think if we hit the beginning of Dec., we'll be lucky. I'm not going to know what to do with myself when he's gone! It's like we're an old married couple -- he comes in in the morning, says hi, I putz around in my robe like that's normal, we chat about whatever happened the day before, and spend the whole day with each other. I wonder if he'd feel weird if I invited him to the addition-warming party I want to have?
This is the bookcase that will be alongside the fridge. I expect everyone I know to bring me cookbooks if I have a party, in order to fill the shelves. From now on, I will make it my price of admission.
These are the corner cabinets, there will be one on each side of the range. They have lazy susans in each of them. I honestly have no idea what the hell I'm going to put in there. As crazy as it sounds, I now have so much cabinet space, I don't know where to put things. I have lived for so long with no space and no storage that it paralyzes me trying to figue out what to use it all for.
When they tore out the section of the ceiling where it met the new space, they had to rewire things, but I figured I'd just leave the exisiting overhead lightbox there even though I don't like overhead lights that much. I took advantage of having an electrician in da house and got some new fixtures to replace the old cheapy ones -- this one is also in the hallway now in a smaller size, so they match nicely and you can see them from the living room. On the wall is the new electrical panel, which I have to figure out some way to cover. I think I might get a decorative room divider screen, like a shoji, or just stick my CD cabinet in front of it, though that thing is hard to move. On the right you can see the new digital thermostat -- it's a touch screen. I'm amused by how high tech everything is.
I was initially very daunted by the idea of a wall of pantry cabinets. It seemed opressive and claustrophic, at least on the drawings, but with the walls cut back and the openness of the floor plan now, it doesn't bother me. I have these huge deep drawers, and more drawers inside, and a little broom closet and such. In the back is the china cabinet; I took the doors to the stained glass place to get a leaded pattern with some small spots of color. Something to highlight the pretty antique bottle collection I have.
It's really hard for me to get a good picture of all the lighting, because ... there's just so much of it. I have lighting everywhere now, and I can't believe it. I won't have to listen to the overhead hum of a fluorescent fixture anymore, either. The single pendant though is because... well, long story, but suffice it to say the company forgot to ship one extremely important part, and on Tuesday afternoon, we had an experienced electrician, an experienced carpenter, an engineer (my dad) all trying to figure out how to get the pendants to light. Hopefully in a few days they'll be working.
In between all this, I also got the landing and stairs. And the porch light so I can see where I'm going. Next up will be the railings.
Another example of the lighting abundance -- xenon undercabinet lights. These are on the low setting for that perfect ambiance. I have so many light switches now I will never remember how to turn things on and off. And the fridge is back in the kitchen! Brent inaugurated my new micro/convection oven, instead of me. Wah. I don't have anything to cook in it in the house!
And the floor got grouted today. I really love the grout color -- it's called New Taupe. I have no idea what happened to old taupe, though, but maybe it was put out to pasture for being too light. This is kind of a darker greyish brown. Turned out to be a perfect match.
The thing that's freaking me out the most, though? On Monday the guy's coming to refinish the hardwood floors. Which means I have to move all my video equipment into the kitchen, and I won't be able to record the one episode of Heroes I most wanted to see. I'm not even sure if I'll be able to watch it. I'm really worried about it. Brent hooked the cable up so I could hook up the TV in the kitchen, but I won't be able to come back to the house probably until right around start time. I'm afraid to miss is, so I might just stay at Dad's, I don't know. I'm more worried about this than toxic fumes! I need to see this episode like whoa.
I'm getting soapstone, which is very interesting. It's apparently impervious to liquid so you can't stain or etch it like granite, and there's pretty much no maintenance required -- all very good things for someone as clumsy and absentminded as me. But it doesn't have much in the way of color, and it doesn't have the depth of character that concrete or other materials can have. The slabs I picked out do at least have a slightly blue undertone, but when you put mineral oil on them, as they suggest for even darkening over time, they pretty much turn black, and it does have some slightly silvery flecks in it, which I hope will come out in the lighting. But it also has a greenish hue, as most soapstones do, and of course, you can scratch it easily, but I will be using cutting boards, regardless, so I'm not hugely worried about it, and small scratches buff out with mineral oil.
The worst part was that as I was waiting for them to pull the slabs, I walked around this high-end granite place, and I saw some granites that I actually loved. One in particular had these huge blue shimmery flecks of labradorite and I was kind of sad that I hadn't seen that in the first place, then I wouldn't have had all this trauma. Oh well, I'm sure it would have been even more expensive, and at least there aren't a ton of people who have soapstone, so it'll be unique.
They won't get installed till after Thanksgiving. We were initially expecting to be done by next week, but I think if we hit the beginning of Dec., we'll be lucky. I'm not going to know what to do with myself when he's gone! It's like we're an old married couple -- he comes in in the morning, says hi, I putz around in my robe like that's normal, we chat about whatever happened the day before, and spend the whole day with each other. I wonder if he'd feel weird if I invited him to the addition-warming party I want to have?
This is the bookcase that will be alongside the fridge. I expect everyone I know to bring me cookbooks if I have a party, in order to fill the shelves. From now on, I will make it my price of admission.
These are the corner cabinets, there will be one on each side of the range. They have lazy susans in each of them. I honestly have no idea what the hell I'm going to put in there. As crazy as it sounds, I now have so much cabinet space, I don't know where to put things. I have lived for so long with no space and no storage that it paralyzes me trying to figue out what to use it all for.
When they tore out the section of the ceiling where it met the new space, they had to rewire things, but I figured I'd just leave the exisiting overhead lightbox there even though I don't like overhead lights that much. I took advantage of having an electrician in da house and got some new fixtures to replace the old cheapy ones -- this one is also in the hallway now in a smaller size, so they match nicely and you can see them from the living room. On the wall is the new electrical panel, which I have to figure out some way to cover. I think I might get a decorative room divider screen, like a shoji, or just stick my CD cabinet in front of it, though that thing is hard to move. On the right you can see the new digital thermostat -- it's a touch screen. I'm amused by how high tech everything is.
I was initially very daunted by the idea of a wall of pantry cabinets. It seemed opressive and claustrophic, at least on the drawings, but with the walls cut back and the openness of the floor plan now, it doesn't bother me. I have these huge deep drawers, and more drawers inside, and a little broom closet and such. In the back is the china cabinet; I took the doors to the stained glass place to get a leaded pattern with some small spots of color. Something to highlight the pretty antique bottle collection I have.
It's really hard for me to get a good picture of all the lighting, because ... there's just so much of it. I have lighting everywhere now, and I can't believe it. I won't have to listen to the overhead hum of a fluorescent fixture anymore, either. The single pendant though is because... well, long story, but suffice it to say the company forgot to ship one extremely important part, and on Tuesday afternoon, we had an experienced electrician, an experienced carpenter, an engineer (my dad) all trying to figure out how to get the pendants to light. Hopefully in a few days they'll be working.
In between all this, I also got the landing and stairs. And the porch light so I can see where I'm going. Next up will be the railings.
Another example of the lighting abundance -- xenon undercabinet lights. These are on the low setting for that perfect ambiance. I have so many light switches now I will never remember how to turn things on and off. And the fridge is back in the kitchen! Brent inaugurated my new micro/convection oven, instead of me. Wah. I don't have anything to cook in it in the house!
And the floor got grouted today. I really love the grout color -- it's called New Taupe. I have no idea what happened to old taupe, though, but maybe it was put out to pasture for being too light. This is kind of a darker greyish brown. Turned out to be a perfect match.
The thing that's freaking me out the most, though? On Monday the guy's coming to refinish the hardwood floors. Which means I have to move all my video equipment into the kitchen, and I won't be able to record the one episode of Heroes I most wanted to see. I'm not even sure if I'll be able to watch it. I'm really worried about it. Brent hooked the cable up so I could hook up the TV in the kitchen, but I won't be able to come back to the house probably until right around start time. I'm afraid to miss is, so I might just stay at Dad's, I don't know. I'm more worried about this than toxic fumes! I need to see this episode like whoa.
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no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 05:18 am (UTC)Wow, that looks FANTASTIC!
Btw, I'm TiVoing Heroes back at the apartment, so I could always dump it to DVD for you, even though I won't be able to get it to you until the next week.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 05:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 05:27 pm (UTC)Well, I'll have it on the TiVo one way or another, so I'll dump it to DVD, and if you want it, you can have it, or I'll keep it. Either way.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 05:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 05:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 07:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 05:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 07:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 05:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 01:19 pm (UTC)The electrical panel will visually 'disappear' if you paint it the same color as the wall. Not that you won't want to hide it anyway, but it helps.
Olive looks well!
Best of luck for a speedy completion for your home. Remodeling sounds horrid!! *hugs*
no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 05:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 02:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 05:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 10:05 pm (UTC)You're welcome to watch it over here; we're not too far from you, I don't think—a couple of miles north of
no subject
Date: 2007-11-10 02:09 am (UTC)very cool
Date: 2007-11-11 04:39 pm (UTC)You must invite him to your party! It would really please him to get that invite, even if he decides it's weird to go.