Jambalyle

Atherton Appliance - the appliance/kitchen design store we used - has separate kitchens by major manufacturer: Subzero/Wolf, Viking, Miele, Dacor, Thermador, and GE Monogram (forthcoming). They demo all of the equipment during cooking classes and culinary events. Thursday "Lunch and Learns" feature a different manufacturer kitchen each week. More stores should do this if they don't! (I am not a shill for Atherton Appliance, just a very happy customer. Maybe I can talk them into a commision if enough eGer's visit the store!) I installed two pairs of 8" Polk Audio speakers in the vaulted ceiling in the greatroom. The rest of the house has a flat ceiling with attic access so I figured I could always add more speakers later if I wanted to. I am still researching electronics for the entertainment center, but I figure I can connect the speakers to my current receiver/amplifier if I end up not replacing it. I never did hear from other eGulleters regarding ceiling speakers. Glad you're enjoying the thread. Definitely been an experience - mostly good!

Yet another disposable camera back from Long's... I mentioned upthread that we needed some custom sheetmetal work to connect the hood to the external blower on the roof. The following picture shows the hole that was cut in the side of the skylight wall to provide access to the blower and the hood mounted to the far wall. We packed the cavity with insulation for additional soundproofing, then patched the hole. We then tested the hood... very quiet, no motor noise - just the rush of air being sucked outside. The noise outside was not too bad either, except for the clatter of the neighbor's lawn chairs being blown across their deck. I'm thinking I'm going to need to install some sort of air deflectors downwind from the blower, something akin to the blast deflectors at the end of airport runways. The next picture shows the overall kitchen and backside of the island, with the new 42" GE Monogram ready to be installed. And this picture shows the fridge in place. It is very, very quiet and it is getting accustomed to be "on"! Most of the main activity this week (and last) is tiling the two bathrooms, getting the second coat of stucco in place, and getting some of the kitchen details worked out. Hopefully another progress report by the end of the week!

Another disposable camera back from Long's... First, let me show you the rough in of the island - dishwasher on the left, sink in the middle, and rubbish/recycling center on the right: The question posed earlier... (oops I screwed up the quote feature): "Will you be able to stand at the sink with the dishwasher door open?" Here is a picture showing this. While there is not a ton of room, I was able to stand there no problem and I'm a pretty big guy: Not to waste the opportunity, I planted the idea in my son's head that he should get used to loading the dishwasher! The hardwood floors are in the greatroom: And a couple more showing the new front facade and scratch coat of stucco:

And it is delicious!!! And filling, as the one I had in Salzburg was the size of a football! Yum...

If you make it down to Atherton Appliance and Kitchen, let me know how it goes. Go on a Saturday, as they usually have tasty things to sample!

There have been some mixed reviews of Sara Lee's recent "Happy, happy! Joy, joy!" (think Ren and Stimpy) advertising campaign named "Joy of Food". The first time I saw the ad, it took me a second or two to place the Ren and Stimpy song... inane? We'll see.

Annachan, I live in the Bay Area (Redwood City) and am in the middle of an extensive project that includes a new kitchen (see my thread: Jambalyle's Remodel/Addition). While our project definitely required an architect, general contractor, etc., we got a ton of kitchen ideas/suggestion/guidance from Atherton Appliance and Kitchen Design. Our architect located the kitchen in the new space and handled the details of plumbing and other structural components, but it was the kitchen design team at Atherton Appliance that really designed our kitchen. The designers are very good, credentialed, and at least one is a contractor. Their services are free of charge IF you buy appliances, cabinets, countertops through them. But I believe the initial (first two?) consultations are free before asking for a commitment or deposits on appliances, cabinets, etc. Anyway, I highly recommend them as a resource and as someone to talk to to help you decide what you want in a new kitchen. Their showrooms in Redwood City are a fun place to browse, eat, and get ideas. I think they may also have a sister store in the city, perhaps BCS Culinary, or something like that. Good luck with your remodel!

I need to buy a good digital camera... to better document our progress, both for the quality of the images and in turnaround. Progress report as of 11/7/06: Today's activity at the house includes applying the stucco scratch coat to the entire exterior of the house, floor tiles in both bathrooms and laundry room, and finishing the rough-in for the island. The fabricators for the granite countertops should be out today (or tomorrow) to make templates. I am meeting my contractor at DaVinci Marble to choose wall and accent tile for the bathrooms and kitchen backsplash. The hardwood floors are installed in the new part of the house and the hardwood was patched and repaired in the old part of the house. The floors will be sanded and finished down the road. They are oak and will be slightly lighter than the oak cabinets. We are needing to have a custom piece of sheetmetal ductwork fabricated to connect the hood with the external blower. That is slowing down the installation of the hood, range and the remainder of the cabinetry on the south wall in the kitchen. The cabinets are beautiful - the quarter sawn oak with the mission stain/finish looks great (the photos below make it look darker than it is. Anyway, the accompanying photos show: 1) the china cabinets above the buffet in the dining room 2) the cabinetry on the south wall (the sink base is sitting where the range will go) 3) The hood- all 54" of it 4) Finally, Mr. Wolf

Some new pictures to post! These shots show: 1) The view of the great room from the NE "dining room" corner. 2) The view of the great room from the SE "kitchen" corner. 3) The view back at the kitchen area from the north wall. 1) 2) 3) In the bottom picture, you can see the pocket door from the kitchen to the laundry room and the opening for the skylight above the main floor area in the kitchen. The refrigerator and microwave will go on the wall to the left of the pocket door and the range and hood will go on the south wall (where our old microwave is sitting). Texture was applied to the walls yesterday. The cabinets and appliances are scheduled for delivery tomorrow. I will snap pictures as they are installed. We've decided to go with our granite on all kitchen counters and will likely go with a tile backsplash behind the range. It's really coming together now!

Hi all, Drywall today... damn they're fast. In the 20 minutes I was at the house this morning, they finished sheetrocking the cathedral ceiling in the great room. Cabinets and appliances are scheduled to be delivered a week from Thursday. -Lyle PS: Sorry, I haven't been proactively posting, but three weeks of jury duty will do that to you!!

Great question Lisa! This was a big concern given the design of the island, which aesthetically we find pleasing and the functional galley-style alternative just didn't look right. We put the dishwasher on the left, then right, then back on the left. With the aid of the kitchen designer's software - which generated an overhead view of the kitchen layout with the appliances and drawers/cabinets OPEN - we were able to determine that there would be room to stand and maneuver at the sink with the dishwasher door open - just enough room. Hopefully it will be enough of an excuse for me to get the kids to load the dishwasher!

Here are a few pictures from a couple of weeks ago showing our general progress on the house. First, the front. Not many changes here, just adding a gable over the garage and a new gable entry way over the front door. The floor plan in the front remains unchanged; we are adding new double-pane vinyl windows. OK, here is the back. The right is the west end of the great room. A big slider is going in the large opening and there are fixed lights flanking the slider. Above the slider will be some windows in the vaulted end of the room. Also you can see the initial framing of the bay window in the master bedroom. Finally, this picture shows the fireplace placement in the northwest corner of the great room; this will be the general view when standing at the sink in the island.

Thanks Dave. We've definitely been warned about cracking a window before firing up the hood and range - something about imploding... Countertops: At this moment, we've opted for granite only on the island and buffet thinking that, while it would look OK, it might also look a little choppy having a couple of granite rectangles on each side of the range and under the microwave. We are exploring stainless for these work surfaces. Should know more today. Last Thursday, I grabbed a cabinet sample (quarter sawn oak with a mission stain/finish) from Atherton Appliance and headed over to DaVinci Marble (links upthread) to pick granite. There were hundreds of slabs to choose from, but we found ourselves drawn to the greens. With the help of our designer, we narrowed it down to two, named "Sea Foam" and "Madagascar Blue". The Sea Foam is a light green, more uniform granite with some darker honey toned veins that really complimented the stain on the cabinets. The Madagascar is a dark green, more random granite with iridescent patches that pop blue, copper, green, and rust tones that hints of inlaid mother-of-pearl or abalone, again picking up and complimenting the color of the cabinetry. The decision... pick the Sea Foam for a very complimentary look, that perhaps allows the cabinetry to be the focal point OR pick the Madagascar Blue to make more of a artistic or design statement that will be the focal point of the great room. We've put a hold on 2-3 slabs of the Madagascar Blue. We want to make a statement, go bold and be a little different... and the best description of people seeing the stone is "jaw-dropping". Five other people had recently chosen the Sea Foam, which made us feel it was going to be a little too popular or safe. We want the Madagascar Blue to be the focal point of the great room, which is driving our decision to limit it to the island and the buffet and not having it scattered throughout the room. Anyway... more later. -Lyle

Update 9/13: The 1400 CFM external blower for the hood arrived today. It needs to get installed on the roof before they put on the felt and shingles. Gutters went on yesterday. We also need to get the skylight in the kitchen framed and installed and the light tube for the existing bathroom installed as well. We should have a finished roof by the end of next week! In terms of countertops... we've opted for granite. I need to pick source stone by Friday, either from the slabs at the fabricators (D&J Tile) or from the other granite retailers in the area. We stopped by Da Vinci Marble in San Carlos last weekend and were "wowed" by some of the slabs they're selling. I am meeting with our interior designer this afternoon at the house to start wrapping her into our project. I'll let you know if she raises issues or has great suggestions. BTW, has anyone had in-ceiling speakers installed in their kitchen/dining room/family room? Love or hate?

We definitely struggled with that one... symmetry won out for the countertops on each side of the range. In all, we are going from 1 small work/prep space to 5 small work/prep spaces - one on each side of the range, one on each side of the sink, and one under the microwave. If I need an expanse of surface, then we move to the top of the island (which doesn't show in the renderings), the dining room table, and 5' buffet counter around the corner. We don't do a lot of baking, so a place for rolling dough, etc. is not a huge priority for us. Thanks for the input! -Lyle PS: Damn this is fun - really! I hope everyone gets the chance to experience a remodel - both the bad and the good. Don't let the horror stories dissuade you.

I am working with Atherton Appliance in Redwood City. I opted to go with them for their Platinum package. The package requires that I buy my appliances, cabinets, and countertops through them, in return for kitchen design services, 10% off cabinets, $2500 off an appliance, I think I also got another 2% somewhere along the line for paying in full, and several $20 & $40 gift cards for use in the store. The staff are knowledgeable and a delight to work with... and the store is a foodie's paradise. It is definitely highend, but no one looked down their noses at me and my relatively small project. A big plus are the culinary education classes and demos they run. Thursday "lunch and learns" are the best $20 lunches on the peninsula. I think they may have a sister store in the city somewhere. They are definitely worth a visit, even if you end up buying elsewhere.

Thanks Dehorah... I've been having a bit of "buyer's remorse" thinking that I didn't do enough research or give enough consideration to the GE Monogram. I'll let everyone know down the line how the Wolf is working for me. Again, thanks!

Typically, I cook (or order) large 1/3-1/2 pound burgers, medium rare, topped with bleu cheese or Stilton, occasionally with bacon for a real splurge. When grilling, it's usually kosher salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and a dash of garlic powder. In terms, of toppings or condiments - too much of anything hides the meat and cheese flavors I crave. Sometimes nothing but the meat and cheese in a roll, occasionally a good slice of tomato or onion, maybe a dill slice. One oddball burger I enjoy occasionally is the Bonzai Burger at Red Robin - teriyaki, grilled pineapple, cheddar cheese - medium rare with a mai tai... mouthgasms!

OK... Finally scanned the kitchen layout The kitchen occupies the southeast corner of our new great room - about 12 feet along the south wall and about 10 feet along the east wall. In addition, we are including cabinetry and a beverage center in a nook on the dining room's south wall. There will be a pocket door separating the kitchen from the laundry room and a door from the laundry room into the garage. Here is a rendering of the south wall of the kitchen where the range will be located: Here is a rendering of the east wall where the refrigerator and microwave will be located. To the right of the refrigerator is the pocket door to the laundry and garage. Here is the nook off the dining room. Over the buffet counter top will be glass cabinetry for china and stem/barware. Next to the beverage center are drawers for platters, serving trays, table linens, silverware, openers, etc. Finally, the island where the sink, dishwasher and refuse/recycling center will be located. This was our biggest challenge, keeping the shape of the island for aesthetic purposes (standing at the sink in this position one looks across the great room at the fireplace and allows a view out the glass doors and windows to the back yard to the west), but assuring there would be enough space to maneuver when the dishwasher door was open. It is getting exciting watching things come together. Counter tops are next on the list... we're leaning toward natural stone of some sort. Granite seems most likely, but soapstone (Melissa?) and a few other possibilities are in the mix - even stainless steel. Thoughts or recommendations?

Thanks for the feedback BigBoyDan, I knew the Wolf residential line is now owned by SubZero and had heard some of the downsides you mention. We went with GE Monogram for many of the other appliances and now wish I had given the 48" range more consideration. The Wolf is ordered... I will give my opinion after living with it for a while. Thanks again! -Lyle

Hi Melissa, thanks for the wishes for good luck on the project. Certainly keeping us busy. About the Wolf 48"... the reasons that come to mind first about the choice: 1) I wanted a gas, fairly commercial range and had fond memories of the Wolf restaurant equipment I used years ago. (I know a lot has changed over the years and that the commercial side is totally different than the residential side.) 2) I really wanted a double oven and didn't add enough wall space to accommodate the traditional stacked oven setup that many homes have. 3) Wolf, Viking, DCS, BlueStar, Thermador and GE Monogram (and others) offered the 48" w/double oven configuration. I'd heard awful things about Viking and Thermador recently. DCS looked fairly similar, had similar features, and was priced similarly - not enough reason to switch. BlueStar seemed scarce in my area and buying one sight unseen via the Internet didn't appeal to me. While I'm going GE Monogram for the refrig, bev center, and microwave, the look of the range did not fit my image of "commercial" range - close but no cigar. 4) 1000 BTUs here or there wasn't going to make or break my choice - I'll nearly never push the performance boundaries of any better range I would buy. 5) Lastly, probably ego/vanity crept in... it seemed everyone was comparing themselves to Wolf (kinda in the "we're just as good as Wolf" tone). If I'm willing to spend $$$$ on a range... why not? In general, we are being "value conscious" concerning most of the choices we are being asked to make during the remodel, but the kitchen is the area we chose to go a little over the top. And in our neck of the woods, we will get every penny back and then some in increased property value. Hey, time to splurge on something for me! And it will be put to good use, unlike a lot of highend appliances installed in the $$$$ homes around us. PS: They almost have the roof on and windows going in... more pictures after we get back from Cabo.

Here are the first pictures of our project... Post demolition - the original back of the house: New foundation and floor joists: New subfloor: Initial framing: Essentially, we are adding 800 sq.ft. to the back of the existing house. The right or south side of the addition will house the kitchen, dining room and family room. The left or north side will house the master bedroom and master bath. Hope to post more in the coming days... -Lyle PS: Still looking for reaction on our appliance choices... what are people's experiences with GE Monogram refrigerators?

Hi! Before we launched our project, I followed Melissa's remodel thread (congrats Melissa) and links to other kitchen remodel threads and I am continually awed by the inspiration and recommendations offered by the eGullet community during those projects. I want to get a piece of that action during our remodel. Demolition began on June 20, with an estimated 6-month project duration. The impetus for our remodel was the addition of a master bedroom and bath to transform our tiny 2 BR 1 BA into a modest 3BR 2BA. In addition, we are transforming and expanding the back of the house to create a "great" room that will combine a new kitchen, dining and family room. I will post plans and initial pictures in a subsequent post to give everyone a sense of the scope of our project. But first... Yesterday, we met (again) with our kitchen designers and appliance people to hammer out our appliance wants, needs, and desires. Here is where we netted out: Range – Wolf 48” R486C (6 burner, grill), w/ Island trim (is trim necessary?) Hood – Independent 27” x 54” Incline INHL54SS (w/ heat lamps) Blower – Independent CFMR1400 (external) Dishwasher – Miele Platinum edition G2150SCSS Microwave – GE Monogram 1.0 CF Stainless ZEM200SF Refrigerator – GE Monogram 42” built-in Stainless w/dispenser – ZISS420DRSS Beverage Center – GE Monogram 24” Stainless ZDBC240NBS (we're not willing to pay $600 more for privacy glass feature!) Sink – Franke 30”x18”x9” Stainless under mount Anyway... we would love to get some reaction to our selections before they hit the SOLD key on the cash register! Thanks! -Lyle PS: I know the Wolf is wimpy at 16,000 BTU per burner, but are there other reasons I should reconsider?

Seems we always end up at the ballpark (Go Giants?), Mel's, or at a Dim Sum restaurant when we are in the city with the kids. For lower-end Dim Sum that the kids love, we usually end up at Canton on Folsom.

Large medium rare burger or steak with bleu cheese or stilton, garlic fries, brussels sprouts browned in bacon fat. Red wine or IPA depending on mood or locale. Skip dessert... go straight to the port and cigars. ** sleep ** Biscuits and gravy and/or real corned beef hash and eggs. Peets coffee or Bloody Mary depending on mood or locale. ** rinse. repeat. **