Finally Getting a New Kitchen! [Archive]

rosarugosa

1-2-24, 7:57am

I realize that I've been fussing about my kitchen for as long as you folks have known me (actually much longer). Well it looks like it's finally going to happen. We have a design from a kitchen designer, an agreed price with a contractor, and the designer and contractor are coming today to work out the final details of the plan. We've selected our appliances, cabinets and fixtures. We will need to go to the designer's office to work out final details like drawers vs. shelves and select the hardware, and we'll have to pick out a countertop. I think these decisions will go fairly easily though, since we pretty much know what we want.

Mother Hubbard's Cupboard will not be remaining, sigh. As fond as I was of her, she ultimately became an obstacle to us moving forward, and there was just no way to come up with a decent layout with her in place. Right now our kitchen looks like "OMG, how can anyone live like this?!" so it is time for us to move forward. DH has been preparing good food for us under primitive conditions for almost 40 years, and he deserves a real kitchen with a counter and such. Just imagine, in our adult lives together, we have never had a kitchen counter! We are the most excited about a counter and a range hood.

Cabinets will be white. I've been saving pics of cabinets for decades and the cabinets are always white, so I'm not just following current trends. Appliances will be stainless, so yes to current trends on that, but I think white and stainless are a pretty clean and classic look, and I like a light and simple palette in the small spaces of our little house. We are not getting a dishwasher or a microwave.

I will keep you updated!

Tradd

1-2-24, 8:12am

How exciting! Staying with current type of stove (gas/electric)?

happystuff

1-2-24, 9:10am

That is very exciting! I'm jealous!!! I hope all the work goes quickly and smoothly. Looking forward to pictures!

catherine

1-2-24, 9:59am

Very exciting, rosa!!! Keep us updated on the progress!

iris lilies

1-2-24, 10:51am

This is super exciting! White kitchens are classic, I love them and they are stylistically right for your cottage. What do your cabinets look like?

yes, counter space is a necessity. It is too bad about Mother Hubbard but functionality reigns.

i have a tiny dishwasher in my condo and have never used it. Couldn’t live without a microwave oven, though.

rosarugosa

1-3-24, 7:24am

We are going with a gas stove, which is what we've always had. We seriously considered an induction stove, but heard too many horror stories about maintaining the stovetop. I am concerned about indoor air quality, but we will have a range hood which should help with that.
Let's see if this link works. This is my inspiration picture, except that we'll go with a traditional stainless sink instead of the farmhouse sink, and no glass doors on the cabinets (I already have enough glass to wash with our 28 windows).
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Thomasville-Studio-1904-Custom-Kitchen-Cabinets-Shown-in-Transitional-Style-HDINSTTSAA/309981151?mtc=SEM-CM-CML-GGL-D29B-029_027_S_O_CABINETS-NA-NA-NA-DSA-4215550-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-NA&cm_mmc=SEM-CM-CML-GGL-D29B-029_027_S_O_CABINETS-NA-NA-NA-DSA-4215550-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-NA-71700000102452410-58700008165883461-39700074186554274&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAqNSsBhAvEiwAn_tmxWdpy0fUjbW7skXLcjUW bJulsYZzSvvIggU2IXdrlvbDUD3yFDxbbxoCVwUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

iris lilies

1-3-24, 7:44am

Nice! I have a gas stove too and it is nothing fancy not even a self cleaning oven. It’s really a throwback retro stove.

Also, I don’t like farmhouse sinks so we got a stainless steel sink. I don’t know why I didn’t get a porcelain sink, I guess because I just like stainless steel I find it easy to clean.

I do have four cabinet doors with glass because I do like the look of that.

your kitchen will be very cute. Are you getting a backsplash of Subway tile?

This is my kitchen inspiration: celery cabinets, black counter, red accents. Our floor is oak, though.

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rosarugosa

1-4-24, 7:33am

We are doing a white subway tile backsplash, and we're installing the same Bruce prefinished oak floors that we have in the rest of the house. It's actual oak strip flooring, not the floating engineered hardwood.
I do like the look of the glass cabinets, but we have 28 windows in this 900-SF house, so that's enough glass washing for me.
We went to the designer's office yesterday and finalized cabinet door selections and picked out the hardware.
Funny story: when the contractor, carpenter, and designer were here Tuesday, there was a bit of discussion about whether there was any extra clearance to be gained in the ceiling once it was gutted. It was an important consideration, since our ceilings are low it would make the difference in the size of our upper cabinets, and the cabinets could be ordered once this was ascertained. I said go ahead and make a hole, it's all crappy looking anyway and it will be ripped out soon. Designer and contractor looked at me like I was crazy, but carpenter carefully punched a hole in the ceiling. Conclusion: no extra space to be gained.
DH said later, "Well we had a hole punched in the ceiling by an actual carpenter. That's more progress than we've made in years!"
Here's a picture of our progress. I decorated it, lol.
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iris lilies

1-4-24, 10:45am

Hahaha POW indeed!

we too have oak floors laid plank by plank that are real wood, not engineered. I love them, and don’t regret the money spent on them at all, the only possible improvement would’ve been to get a grade lower in oak because it would be a better match for the existing floor in the living room. This is a modest house, and it didn’t have top grade anything.

rosarugosa

1-5-24, 7:41am

Does anyone have any kitchen faucet wisdom to share? I'm finding faucet selection to be the greatest challenge, oddly enough. Picking out a car was much easier.
Criteria:
Not more than 12" tall
Brushed finish
Doesn't suck
I'm leery of the pull-down and pull-out models that are so popular, because a kitchen faucet sees a lot of use, and I would think the whole "pull" thing would be a point of early failure. However, I would consider a pull-out if I found one that didn't suck. The pull-downs tend to be too tall for our space. I don't really want one with the whole touch feature either. That seems pointless. I just want a normal faucet that works, which apparently is like asking for the moon.
I was thinking of getting the current model of our old single-handle, classic, inexpensive Delta faucet, but apparently those are not so well made anymore.
While I appreciate it when utilitarian objects are also beautiful, my kitchen faucet does not need to be an exquisite sculptural wonder. Every time I think I've found the perfect faucet, I find a bunch of reviews saying it leaks, fell apart after a month, etc. among the reviews saying it's the best faucet ever.

catherine

1-5-24, 8:42am

We went through that exercise, too! We also have a smaller kitchen and most newer faucets are proportioned for huge kitchens. But I found most of the smaller ones to lack style.

I'm happy with what we settled on. This one is the closest I can find to ours. The arc is a little more stylish, and the spray hose eliminates the need for the pull-out. It is perfectly proportioned for my kitchen.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Moen-Muirfield-Spot-Resist-Stainless-1-Handle-Deck-Mount-Low-Arc-Handle-Lever-Commercial-Residential-Kitchen-Faucet/3595906

iris lilies

1-5-24, 9:53am

Hunh. Funny I was not picky about kitchen faucet, and other than the finish, I let DH pick it out. I’m picky about so many things, but not a faucet. Rosa is making me feel inadequate for not paying attention to these details and having interest on a higher plane!

. As for pullout sprayer, I seldom use it.

I don’t know what a “touch feature “is.

happystuff

1-5-24, 10:02am

Does anyone have any kitchen faucet wisdom to share? I'm finding faucet selection to be the greatest challenge, oddly enough. Picking out a car was much easier.
Criteria:
Not more than 12" tall
Brushed finish
Doesn't suck

My suggestion would be to take the tallest pot/bottle/bowl/whatever, measure it's height and add a couple inches. My biggest problem with my kitchen sink is getting bigger things under the facet to fill with water or clean and then out-from-under the faucet once filled; this includes being able to twist and turn the item easily to rinse after washing. On some things (stock pot, 1/2 gallon canning jars, etc), I am forever tilting to get under the facet or even hand-watering to rinse.

rosarugosa

1-7-24, 9:38am

Catherine: That is a cute faucet, and yes, the new ones seem designed for much larger homes.
IL: We will give you time to ponder your inadequacies, lol. The touch feature is the ability to turn water on/off by touching anywhere on the faucet, as opposed to the apparently overly burdensome requirement of having to manually turn the water on and off with a handle, like some type of primitive cave dweller. I think these even require batteries.
Happy: That is very good, practical advice!
This is probably more modern than I usually lean, but I am drawn to this Hansgrohe model for its petite size, and semi-industrial looking, streamlined design. There are some little photos on the page showing it in a kitchen setting, and I think it has a clean and simple look. It has grown on me, and I think it's The One. DH is pretty OK with anything that has hot and cold water coming out of it, lol. He's perfectly happy to let me obsess over the design details.
https://www.build.com/hansgrohe-04704/s1374668?uid=3246175
I will also say that I've spent enough time looking at pictures of kitchen faucets, so now I just need to make a decision and be done with it. On this one site, there are 3,250 kitchen faucets to consider before applying filters. Talk about too many choices!

Tybee

1-7-24, 9:45am

I always buy the same one which I fell in love with back around 1998:

https://s3.img-b.com/image/private/t_base,c_lpad,f_auto,dpr_auto,w_90,h_90/product/moen/moen-87017w-29.jpg

rosarugosa

1-7-24, 11:22am

Tybee: that looks very similar to another one I was considering, and it also has that simple clean look that I like. However, from reading all the reviews, it sounds like none of these are really the same as they were a few years ago, and there is an all-around trend of decreased quality.

https://www.build.com/product/summary/1244081?uid=2972834&jmtest=gg-gbav2_2972834&inv2=1&&source=gg-gba-pla_2972834!c1705989067!a65446962206!dc!ng&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAtOmsBhCnARIsAGPa5yb8B6J1UVIxzyOR2uta 8BZBVDh2d6q73AUCncthyTAgpekuv78o080aAprkEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

iris lilies

1-7-24, 11:29am

About faucets, I asked DH who has installed many. He said go with American Standard or Koehler products. They are typical items in stores. But that said, they will last around ten years.

Tybee

1-7-24, 11:38am

Rosa, ours is definitely a Moen. I bought one 3 years ago to install in this kitchen and it is still sitting out in the barn. This week, my husband promised, but I never want him to start because if it goes wrong, we don't have water in the kitchen.

nswef

1-7-24, 1:54pm

Tybee, I never start even replacing washers in a faucet on the weekend for the same reason....what if it all goes wrong????

Faucets are hard to choose. I don't like the pull out faucet and the tall ones, but our kitchen is 1980's. It's Delta, bathroom tub is Moen and other bathroom faucet is Moen. They all have free parts if you go the website, include a photo of their name on the faucet in situ-

rosarugosa

1-8-24, 1:39pm

We went to the plumbing supply showroom today. We had an 11AM appointment. We were walking towards the front door at 10:58, and we were back in the car at 11:10, having purchased our sink, disposal and faucet. I had done my homework, and it was the most efficient transaction ever!

catherine

1-8-24, 1:44pm

Yppej

1-9-24, 2:59pm

Yay!

Klunick

1-10-24, 10:35am

We redid most of our house a few years ago. New paint, new floors, new furniture, etc. Made a world of difference in how I view my house. I would rarely dust or vacuum because it felt like "polishing a turd". Now I have a set weekly cleaning routine and my house stays spotless. I am "guest ready" at all times!

iris lilies

1-10-24, 2:24pm

pinkytoe

1-10-24, 8:47pm

We did our kitchen 5 years ago on a pretty tight budget. No regrets really other than the granite counter top. It chips quite easily around the sink edge. Main thing I have liked is having a very deep, one bowl sink after years of divided ones. We have a Moen simple lever pull out faucet after years of having it at another house and liking its simplicity.

rosarugosa

1-11-24, 7:15am

Klunick: "Polishing a turd" is exactly how it feels to clean my current kitchen, but I never could have stated it so eloquently! I like the rest of our house, and it is indeed much more satisfying to keep things neat and clean in the other rooms.
Pinkytoe: That is interesting, and not in a good way, about the granite countertop chipping. I hadn't heard about that being an issue with granite counters. We are doing a deep one bowl sink. We especially need a highly functional sink since we don't have a dishwasher.

iris lilies

1-11-24, 11:20am

we’ve only had this granite countertop a year and a half, but there have not been chips.

We had our quartz countertops for several years, and there were no chips.

I must have a double bowl sink, it’s one of the main things I asked for in the kitchen.

rosarugosa

1-16-24, 7:27am

Today we are going to order our appliances. They will be pretty simple, stainless steel. I'm a little bit sad because our current stove and refrigerator are 2003 Kenmore appliances that have never warranted a single service call in 20 years. I know that we will never see that quality and longevity again. On the other hand, they are yellowed and ugly, and I know they would not be satisfactory in a brand new kitchen. This all makes me feel rather petty, shallow and preoccupied with appearances, but I admit that aesthetics are important to me.
My research does tell me that we are likely to get better results with a top-freezer, non-icemaker, no water or ice dispenser, non-computerized refrigerator, which is exactly what we want.
Our contractor has given us a start date of 2/5. I am both anxious and excited.

iris lilies

1-16-24, 11:58am

RIP, your Kenmore, 20-year-old appliances.

We just bought a new refrigerator that is a top freezer. No icemaker, no water dispenser. I didn’t specify no computer chips because I didn’t know I had to. The old refrigerator was added to our stable of refrigerating and freezing units which now number five total in this house.

in our old house in the city, I tried a bottom freezer refrigerator and I hated it. Foods constantly got stuck in the back of the refrigerator behind the drawers, and I had to pull out apparatus all the time to get out those things. Hated it.

Have they started making your cabinets? Do you have a delivery date for them?

happystuff

1-16-24, 5:43pm

rr, while new appliances will be nice, if you REALLY want your old ones, you can paint them! It's a "thing" and you can google it.

2/5 will be here quick!!!!

rosarugosa

1-17-24, 7:10am

Our cabinets are supposed to be delivered "on or around" 2/14.
We did go ahead and order new appliances yesterday. I know we may live to regret it, but after 20+ years, there is no guarantee the old ones have many years left in them either.

rosarugosa

1-20-24, 8:23am

IL: It occurs to me that your DH might like my old refrigerator to join his collection, lol. If only we lived closer!

rosarugosa

2-9-24, 5:54am

So the first major bump in the road: subfloor needed to be stripped down to the joists, allowing for an aerial view of our cellar and a layer of demolition grime over every single thing in our house. New sub-floor being laid and they will finish that up today.

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catherine

2-9-24, 9:31am

iris lilies

2-9-24, 10:46am

“Layer of demolition grime [and plaster dust] over everything”

Welcome to my world!

happystuff

2-9-24, 10:49am

Ugh! Glad you will be getting the new floor in sooner rather than later!

rosarugosa

2-9-24, 10:50am

We ate out once this week, leftovers from that another night, grocery store sushi another. I'm missing one night that I cannot remember. We bought sandwich stuff for the weekend. We bought a small hotplate so we can at least make tea. We hadn't gone out to eat this year prior to this week, so we will feel OK about indulging a little bit to get through this.

happystuff

2-9-24, 10:52am

Definitely indulge, rr! Going out to eat will not only get you food, but will get you away from the construction for at least a little while. Fingers-crossed that the rest goes smoothly and quickly.

iris lilies

2-9-24, 11:48am

Oh, bummer!! Well, I've seen enough HGTV shows to know that renos never go smoothly. Of course every show has to have the part where they find termite infestations or dangerous wiring that needs to be replaced or mold behind the drywall. I always wonder if those speed bumps are staged for dramatic effect.

I'm glad that this isn't holding you up too much! Kitchens are a horrible room to have to do without for any amount of time--how are you managing meals?

there is always the unexpected in renovating old houses. I’m sure some of it on these TV shows was emphasized for drama. But it really happens.

Right now I’m watching my favorite designer, Laurel Berne, , tear into her old Boston house. She wants to put in a new doorway at ground level and they tore into a wall only to find there were an existing doorway that had not been bricked up. It was not shored up properly. Steel beams and etc. are now being installed, unexpected cost.

rosarugosa

2-10-24, 7:23am

Happystuff: I will admit that I have been fleeing the house every morning at 7:30AM. The deal is that I hired the designer and contractor and more or less set all the pieces in place, and DH gets to "hold the fort" while destruction/construction is going on. I've spent most of this past week "detailing" my mom's house which hasn't had a really good deep clean in the longest time. I've pretty well gotten her whole first floor done this week, and I'm hoping to get the second floor done next week. I don't think her first floor has ever been so clean as it is now, which is kind of ironic given how grubby my own house currently is.

Thursday night the house was a disaster area, with large gaps in the floor where one could actually fall into the cellar or at least step into a potentially ankle-breaking hole. Coming home yesterday to the subfloor all completed and a pretty impressive cleanup effort from the work crew was a treat. There's all kinds of new wiring in place too.

Mushroom Factor #2 - bedroom radiator is now getting water hammers and leaking water (steam heat). Must be from the kitchen radiator being temporarily disconnected.

iris lilies

2-10-24, 10:00am

How are your cats taking all of this construction.?

Tybee

2-10-24, 10:05am

Fascinating! If we stay in this house this is what we must do with these uneven floors, part of why I want to move to a different house.

rosarugosa

2-11-24, 7:23am

The cats are handling it well. We have a daily plan to keep them contained in the front 2 rooms away from the action, and DH spends quite a bit of time in there with them. They get the run of the house again after the workers leave. We've heard horror stories of indoor cats getting out during construction, so avoiding that was a top priority for us.

Our heating company tech came out and replaced a valve on the radiator, which did not solve the problem. I did some research and concluded it was probably the pitch of the radiator getting thrown off by all the banging. DH and I confirmed it with a level. He found a small piece of wood that we think had been used as a shim, because when we placed it appropriately, it solved the problem.

It was good to get a chance to clean up and get things a little under control over the weekend. Apparently there won't be any work for the next day or two, so while I delight in seeing the progress, it does feel like a bit of a reprieve.

rosarugosa

2-26-24, 12:30pm

I haven't been very good about posting updates, so here is a recap.

We did not actually solve the heating problem, but we are getting a new radiator installed tomorrow, and then hopefully we'll be on the road to solving it. Luckily, the weather has been pretty mild for February. We're heating the back porch room which is on a separate system, so that also fires the boiler and keeps the cellar from freezing. We're heating the rest of the house very effectively with 3 space heaters. It's a small house, so this is working for us, although I shudder to imagine our electric bill this month.

We both developed head colds, so that has kept us out of restaurants and we've just been doing takeout. We're not spending much at the grocery store, so I think our food expenditures have been more reasonable than I was expecting.

Here are some pictures of where we're at currently, and it's quite a transformation. This week we have painters today, radiator installation tomorrow, counter template being done Weds, as well as sink & faucet installation, and electrician is coming one day this week. By the end of the week, I think everything will be done but the counter and backsplash, and they will have us set up with a temporary plywood counter.

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happystuff

2-26-24, 12:33pm

Love the kitty perch! Progress! Congrats, rr!

Tradd

2-26-24, 12:33pm

Glad to hear the update!

iris lilies

2-26-24, 1:10pm

Love the kitty perch! Progress! Congrats, rr!
Cats must check out new things, it is in their DNA.

Rosa I really like your choice of cabinet handles. It’s reminiscent of old kitchens. I still have not chosen cabinet handles for our cupboards and I need to do that. It’s becoming annoying.

rosarugosa

2-26-24, 3:01pm

Thanks, everyone. IL, I'm glad you like them. I was looking for somewhat of an old-fashioned feel.

catherine

2-26-24, 5:01pm

Thanks, everyone. IL, I'm glad you like them. I was looking for somewhat of an old-fashioned feel.

I was just going to say before I read your post that I love the retro vibe (the curved pulls give it away!) I didn't know that's what you're going for. Beautiful job!

Tybee

2-26-24, 7:11pm

It is so pretty!!!!!

Rogar

2-26-24, 9:33pm

I've been putting off a kitchen remodel for a while now and am jealous others. A variety of reasons, but the top of the list is just the inconvenience and having strangers in the house for some unknown time. Local radio the other day had an ad for "ice white" cabinets, saying a fresh shipment just arrived. Seems to be a new popular tend? They say it makes the kitchen looks larger, which I could use.

rosarugosa

2-27-24, 6:18am

Rogar: Yes, white is popular right now, but I've been saving pictures of white kitchens for almost 40 years, so I am comfortable that we're not just following a trend. They've probably gone in and out of style more than once in that time!

The sheer inconvenience is definitely a consideration, and not just from the temporary lack of a functional kitchen. Our floorplan: you come into a front porch room, which then goes into the LR, then into the kitchen. You cannot bypass the kitchen to get to the rest of the house. Off the kitchen in one direction is the back porch/dining area, which is also where my desk is. Also off the kitchen is the bathroom, a very important room! Off the kitchen in another direction is the stairway up to our bedroom, and the entry to the cellar is also off the kitchen. During kitchen work, we contained the cats in the front porch/LR, and it turned out to be easiest to go outside to get around the kitchen to the back room. We've been fortunate to have decent weather while this has been going on. So there really is no place in the house where significant work would be more disruptive to the overall flow of our lives than the kitchen.

rosarugosa

2-27-24, 6:24am

Puerto de Gato
Our cellar doorway has always been left open for the cats to access the cellar and their litter boxes. It was not a very pretty view into the stairwell, which only starts to matter now that we're going to have a nice looking kitchen. I found this solution on Amazon and I love it, and the boys accepted it readily. The first picture is looking at it from the kitchen and the second picture is the back that you would see from the cellar stairway. DH said the day the carpenters installed it, he kept hearing "puerto de gato," which has a nice ring to it, so that's what we are calling it.

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catherine

2-27-24, 9:50am

iris lilies

2-27-24, 10:11am

I have no words for the cuteness of the cat door!

happystuff

2-27-24, 10:11am

One of my siblings has a cat door to the basement (sadly cat has died, but door is still there). Not as cute as that one, though!!!

nswef

2-27-24, 12:19pm

That is adorable! Glad the cats like it!

Tradd

2-27-24, 2:28pm

Puerto de Gato

OMG. Love it

rosarugosa

3-9-24, 6:39am

When we remodeled our bathroom 22 years ago, I coined two new words:
"obsessorizing" - to obsess about accessories
"excessories" - overabundance of accessories
At the time, it was toothbrush holders and soap dishes. Now it is a matter of accessorizing the kitchen. I had purchased the doorknob set for the cellar door many years ago, and it is finally in place. It's rather art deco unlike anything else in the house, but I love it. We have the same set on our bathroom door.
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I had looked at hundreds and hundreds of lights online a few years ago. Oddly enough, DH and I decided we liked the looks of the cheap light that was in the kitchen ever since we moved here. We bought a new one for probably about $20, because the base of the old one was in bad shape. This light is our our kitchen now. To me, it feels rather iconic, and I think it relates to the feeling of the cabinet hardware.
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Then, there was the major decision about light switch plates. I got these from Etsy. I really like them, although they're a bit modern. I'm hoping everything ultimately pulls together for an eclectic look:
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Finally, my sister requested that I get some action shots of Puerto de Gato, so here they are for your viewing pleasure:
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We're supposed to get our counters and sink installed Monday, and I think the project will wrap up in the next week or so. More pictures will then be forthcoming!

catherine

3-9-24, 8:43am

OMG, I adore "obsessorizing" and "excessories"!! That's PERFECT.

I remember when DH and I demo'd our bathroom and redid it, I couldn't believe how many decisions had to be made for one little bathroom. You pick the sink and that's it, right? Nope. then you pick the faucet. You pick the finish color. You pick the mirror to go with it. As you said, even the switch plates are a way to obsessorize. We had to pick floors, floor finishes, wall color, ceiling color, moulding, towel bars, light fixture, towel cabinet, wall shelf. That doesn't even include the "easy" decisions that can be swapped out, like curtains, soap dish, hand wash vessel, rugs and towels. And you're like me--eclectic, so that multiples the possibilities.

I love all the pictures you posted, especially the puerto del gato in action!

Tradd

3-9-24, 9:03am

Love it. Puerto de gato. :D

iris lilies

3-9-24, 9:15am

You cannot obsessorize too much, believe me. Hundreds of light fixtures? Yep, been there.

your door knob is very very cool. I wish your photos weren’t so fuzzy. I think I see the Art Deco lines. Your kitchen light looks a little bit like a what’s called a schoolhouse light. Nice. I currently hate our kitchen light that is new and was one of the several I was forced to buy too quickly without being able to obsess over light fixtures. I’m going to replace it with a vintage schoolhouse light.

The cat door is just the cutest thing!

rosarugosa

3-9-24, 12:24pm

I'm sorry my pics look fuzzy. Here's a link to a doorknob set that is the same backplate as mine, but my knobs are just smooth, round polished nickel. I had purchased them from Rejuvenation, long before they got bought out by Williams-Sonoma.
https://www.vandykes.com/restorers-art-deco-passage-door-set-nickel-finish/p/204791/s/02005463/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ppc_google_pla&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiArrCvBhCNARIsAOkAGcVbSJLWX5hy6XY82DaW o1lIgxyhLmmMJ8EO8HKmpNS3uTpgXuqqy7saAui0EALw_wcB
I don't think it's a schoolhouse light. I think it's a standard-issue 1950s light preferred by those who did not obsessorize, lol. It can be easily found today, so I guess we aren't the only ones who like it. A close-to-the-ceiling flush mount is also a must in our house, and limits the options somewhat.
https://www.build.com/product/summary/332554?uid=1949502
I'm sure my searches and obsessions would be a lot less extensive if not for the convenience of the internet. I can't imagine going to dozens and dozens of stores to look at hundreds of items. This is just another way in which the internet is a mixed blessing, I suppose.

jp1

3-9-24, 11:43pm

That cat door. OMG... I wish our reno had something as awesome as that.

rosarugosa

3-10-24, 5:46am

That cat door. OMG... I wish our reno had something as awesome as that.

I said to DH that for all the expense and selections involved in this remodel, it's the $40 cat door that will be the star of the show!

rosarugosa

3-13-24, 5:46am

iris lilies

3-13-24, 8:33am

We're just waiting on the range hood installation, backsplash, and some finishing carpentry touches. Can you believe the transformation? DH and I just cannot believe this is our kitchen now. Raymond had sniffed the faucet thoroughly and I believe it was deemed acceptable.

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It is a lovely transformation!

Your black countertop looks like mine. Mine is a black granite with large white streaks.

catherine

3-13-24, 8:36am

Really beautiful, rosa!!! And the window shade is so pretty, too!

happystuff

3-13-24, 9:06am

Very nice!!

nswef

3-13-24, 10:07am

That's amazing it was so fast and well done!!!! I'm glad Raymond approves of the faucet. Will he learn to turn it on????

rosarugosa

3-14-24, 6:12am

iris lilies

3-14-24, 8:47am

The counters are black granite with white streaks. It is honed granite, so they are not too shiny and sparkly.
I hope Raymond does not learn to turn the water on!
The curtain is from Target, and it only cost about $15.00. I found that a lot of what I've needed was available from Target online.

That is EXACTLY what I have for kitchen counters, even down to the ‘honed.’ I like the soft look of honed stone. I have that on the marble counter in my condo as well. It is nice for old houses.

ToomuchStuff

3-14-24, 8:59am

Is the honed, also referred to as leather? Heard of countertops having a leather, or more mat finish.

iris lilies

3-14-24, 9:07am

Is the honed, also referred to as leather? Heard of countertops having a leather, or more mat finish.
I don’t think so. Honed granite is smooth but not shiny.

The ‘leather’ look is rough, has dimples.

rosarugosa

3-15-24, 6:11am

It's funny that I spent a bit of time reading about polished vs leathered vs honed, etc., but when it came down to it, the choice process was "we like this one."

ToomuchStuff

3-15-24, 12:33pm

It's funny that I spent a bit of time reading about polished vs leathered vs honed, etc., but when it came down to it, the choice process was "we like this one."

Did you just read about them, or view them? All I have ever seen in person was polished. Honestly I am not sure if I would go stone or not.

iris lilies

3-15-24, 12:40pm

Did you just read about them, or view them? All I have ever seen in person was polished. Honestly I am not sure if I would go stone or not.

I lived with quartz in my last house and it’s very functional. I liked the look of it. To be honest, there are some where I couldn’t differentiate between solid stone and quartz countertops.

However—For me, I disliked the IDEA of quartz counters in this house. in this cottage type house things need to be natural. What I really wanted was wood countertops but that did not fly in several areas.

do not be me. Do not overthink it. Quartz countertops are very nice, they are functional and attractive.

ToomuchStuff

3-15-24, 1:10pm

Wood is a consideration, especially next to the stove (small sections of countertop that could possibly be done from sink cutouts). I have one long section of countertop, and am planning on an island with butcher block, so I am thinking I might just make all the countertops wood, eventually (formica now, still in fair shape). If I change the layout or something, I might do something different.

catherine

3-15-24, 7:41pm

When we moved in here in VT, there was a small 20" range and then 2 ft of blank wall. We were able to find a stock cabinet at Lowes that matched the sink cabinet, so we bought that and painted it. I also bought a slab of maple from Home Depot and had our handyman cut it, add a backsplash, and voila! I like the look of the wood, and it's such a small space, it works much like a butcher block.

Now, also when we moved in, the sink counter was a hand-made assemblage of square stone tiles. While it's very "homespun", and cottagey it is very very hard to keep clean, so we will definitely replace it at some point. Not wood, being so close to water, but I'm not sure what. In NJ we put in quartz counters and I really liked them.

rosarugosa

3-16-24, 5:55am

TMS: We viewed the actual slabs at a stone specialty wholesaler. It was an interesting process. We selected our slab, wholesaler notified our fabricator/installer, who purchased the slab on our behalf and then made and installed our countertops.
I was strongly opposed to quartz because the men (mostly younger immigrants) involved in the processing of quartz are dying of silicosis. It's a fatal, incurable illness. Once I knew about it, I could not feel comfortable contributing to the problem just so I could have pretty countertops. I would have felt bad every time I looked at them.
Here's one of many articles: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/07/24/1189745247/silicosis-young-workers-kitchen-countertops-lung-damage-california
I do like the look of wooden butcherblock countertops.

rosarugosa

3-31-24, 6:56am

So our kitchen is completed as far as contractor's work is concerned. We have some finishing touches to do ourselves, but here it is with backsplash and range hood in place.
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catherine

3-31-24, 8:55am

You must be thrilled every time you go in there to make something!! It's beautiful, rosa!

happystuff

3-31-24, 9:01am

Very nice!!! Congrats!!!

iris lilies

3-31-24, 10:05am

So our kitchen is completed as far as contractor's work is concerned. We have some finishing touches to do ourselves, but here it is with backsplash and range hood in place.
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It is simply beautiful! So pretty. I love the contrast of your black granite counter to the white everywhere else. It is a classic kitchen.

nswef

3-31-24, 10:29am

Beautiful! Looks as if the cats approve!

early morning

3-31-24, 12:02pm

Lovely, rr! enjoy!!

Alan

3-31-24, 1:52pm

https://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=5787&d=1711882543

"If those cats could talk what tales they'd tell about Rosa and her hubby and the kitchen as well, but those cats were cool and they never said a mumblin' word." ~ with apologies to Hoyt Axton.

jp1

3-31-24, 3:39pm

That looks beautiful! Congratulations.

Tradd

3-31-24, 3:45pm

Wow! I’m jealous. The cats!

ToomuchStuff

3-31-24, 10:08pm

Where did you get those cabinets? I still want to get some either for the other wall, or to build an island as the pots and pans are in a tiny cabinet on either side of the stove. (poor design)

rosarugosa

4-1-24, 6:15am

TMS: We ordered them through our kitchen designer, but we started out with a photo of a line we really liked from Home Depot. It was their Thomasville Studio 1904 line, and the designer said the same company makes a lot of the commercially available cabinets and just brands them differently. Some of ours say "Masterbrand" inside and some say "Diamond."

iris lilies

4-1-24, 7:41am

iris lilies

4-1-24, 12:07pm

Rosa, that is engineered hardwood on your floor, right?

rosarugosa

4-2-24, 6:08am

Rosa, that is engineered hardwood on your floor, right?

IL: No, it's prefinished solid oak hardwood (by Bruce). We now have this in every room of the house except for the bathroom, which is tile. We did all the other floors ourselves.

iris lilies

4-2-24, 7:01am

Pre finished, I guess that is what I mean. I have that it my condo,

rosarugosa

4-2-24, 7:13am

IL: The first floor we did was our bedroom in 1997 and it still looks great.

rosarugosa

5-16-24, 7:17am

I don't think I shared this yet, but I bought a painting for the kitchen. (I think I touched upon art as one of my gazingus pins in another thread). Anyway, this is a kind of fun and whimsical painting called "You Make Me Smile," by a local artist. It does indeed make me smile, and I felt like it belonged in our new kitchen. :)

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