Design Tuesday: Da Kitchen

My Dad built the house I grew up in, with my grandpas. If you ask my mom, or me for that matter, we say it took 22 years to finish. I am used to renovation, construction, destruction what have you. I like it.

My favorite thing to do is probably a kitchen. Our last year reno was our third kitchen as a couple and I am really beyond pleased with how it turned out. Amazing what having some money to do it can do to my ego. Oh, yeah that and getting off the DIY train.

"But, what do you think?", I wonder. And do note there are a couple things outstanding. Maybe I need the advice of the Internet to get this kitchen just so and not have finishes lingering for 20+ years like my Dad!

Before Hall


After Hall


Before Floor


After Floor

Doesn't Dexter look so much more content?

The Old Cramped Kitchen


Hey, Ma. Get a job! We need to redo this kitchen!!!
La Nouvelle Cuisine!



My top 10 Favorite Design Points in this Room
1. Pantry with a sliding door.
2. Beautiful glass tile from Bedrock. That link includes the design that first turned us on to their stuff.
3. Water dispenser on the outside of the fridge. We had a party last week and it was perfect to keep guests of my way. Never mind I think Britas suck.
4. Hell I even like tap water. I do like my entry level Grohe faucet. Not too expensive and very stylish + practical! Make that very Eurostylish!
5. The beech floor turned out great. I briefly was convinced I was going to use that brick tone quarry tile like you get in restaurants but this is actually lower maintence. No maintenance is my design style every time now.
6. The custom matching millwork our cabinetmakers did.
7. The adequate lighting installed by awesome electricians. Me likey the good trades.
8. Clean lines of a modern design but casual; not a really hard modern aesthetic.
9. That righteous pull out bread board with 85lb load stopped glides and a two inch butcher block.
10. The peninsula cubbies for my dinner dishes.

Now in this photo you'll see I have my pass through peninsula counter... well there actually is no counter. That is where I need help. We are undecided. I have the fancy white quartz composite in the kitchen proper but this area is actually more a part of my dining room. My current plan is to redo the adjacent fireplace surround in slate. Could I use slate for the peninsula? Would that be a good service surface? What would the other choices be? I specifically rejected using the composite there because I didn't want white. The dining room is white and I feel I need some contrast to sort of ground that spot, all the while tying it to the kitchen.

What are your ideas? Believe me, I have hit real design fatigue. HELP!




And, we need a nice new fixture over our dining table? Oh yeah and a new dining table?...Wow it's damn handy I have an income again.

Design Tuesday

We bought our house in November 2006. We took possession Feb 15 and started working on it right away. Since we are grown ups with children now we hired these people called professionals so we got a lot more done than back in our hardcore DIY days.

Bascially in one year we have redone everything except the laundry and rec rooms. I am pretty damn happy with all my design work and general contracting skills. We got a lot out of our $$$ and I found a really wicked team of renovators to help us. Case in point my custom cabinetry in two bathrooms and the kitchen.

We are almost done. Just a few more tile challenges. I really love buying tile. My daughter has lots of tiles to play with from all our shopping trips. (It is surprising I never did put tile on the kitchen floor by the way, wood won out. Easier on the feet and pretty low maintenance.)

Just a little late night layout time tonight.



Note the casserole from the in-laws and an open container of HaagenDaz. A renovation this massive is not enough to spoil me. I need free food and chocolate!

I love this tile, it is 100% recycled glass that we made a special trip to get it from Seattle. It rocks!

... One four inch, two x two's or a two by four? That box is the tile puzzle box my Dad made for his granddaughter to play with her tile collection in. The work the kids did Sunday really gave us the best layout we could come up with.

After this it is off to the new WC that was inspired by our Paris '04 trip. I am simply unable to decide among all these beauties. Is it just me or do these put the Beaux back into Beaux-Arts? Ok they are Art Nouveau, but hey I do design off any book learnin' or nothin'. You tell me is this pretty?



I am just getting to the home styling phase and I promise I will post a bunch of pictures then. Posts that will include a number of my recommended products for any brave new renovators out there. And, I think you know who you are.