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Fabby's Kitchen Renovation Begins


FabulousFoodBabe

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Hell, if we finish by Christmas I'll pinch myself too!! We spent much of yesterday planning. Found some great materials that we need to research. Ugh, its all so much, I'm so glad I get to cop out on any of the nitty gritty brain hemmoraging details - it's all DH :raz: I'm just responsible for yay-ing and nay-ing his ideas and putting together the wish list details. I'll also be the daily supervisor once things get rolling too though. Hmmmm, I guess I'm a brain hemmorage candidate as well after all.

I totally hear you on the "mission creep" when it comes to redoing one part of the house. The kitchen will be fabulous and that will mean other parts of the house will need to be improved. One of the reasons why we got to this point is because we have a painting company and keep getting razzed that our walls are allllllll dirty white and so we have to paint. As long as we're painting, we should just re-do the kitchen! Ha ha ha. sick.

More pix please!!! And, YES, I would see your flour and baking storage too please!

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I totally hear you on the "mission creep" when it comes to redoing one part of the house.  The kitchen will be fabulous and that will mean other parts of the house will need to be improved.  One of the reasons why we got to this point is because we have a painting company and keep getting razzed that our walls are allllllll dirty white and so we have to paint.  As long as we're painting, we should just re-do the kitchen!  Ha ha ha. sick.

Amen to that! Mission creep is exactly why my new kitchen also includes a new family room, new stairs, hardwood floors upstairs, a new bedroom for my son, and a new deck. Oh, and a new powder room. Oh, and new pots and pans, a new toaster, a new coffee maker, and, if I have anything to say about it (and believe me, I do), all new dishes and flatware. Oh, and a vacation to Thailand to appease my husband who prefers travel to gutting the entire house and starting over (go figure).

Feast then thy heart, for what the heart has had, the hand of no heir shall ever hold.
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Mission creep is a very good term. I'm trying not to look at the next project until this one is done and we spend a week on Barbados absorbing the sun and de-stressing. We figured it's one of the few places we can go, where it won't matter much if we're completely broke and can only sleep, sun, snorkel, and hang out at beach bars.

I spoke too soon about thinking this project would take way longer than we'd hoped. CEand the architects are using their considerable muscle to get our stainless countertops templated and produced in record time (fireslate will be done in 2 weeks, no biggie). Cabinet dudes had to take one back to their shop for reworking this week, but it's okay.

Lots of details came together. Handles were installed, the lighting platform above the island was finished and is ready for wiring.

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Architect actually had me wear my Danskos to have the foot-pedal on the handsink custom-fitted. Look to the right and you can see the cutout.

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Next week, we're finalizing the drawer storage bins and I can show you how my flours will be stashed. And my heavy appliances.

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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  • 2 weeks later...

Ah the foot pedal, how hard was that to find and get done? Its been on my wish list for YEARS. Your cabinets are absolutely gorgeous!!! I'll have to show my husband the pix.

We have put of doing anything, some other stuff has come up yet again so I'm not sure if its a new kitchen or a new house I'll be getting. Laughing until I cry! Ha ha.

I've seen a lot of lovely glass options in the kitchen lately like counter tops, floating bar tops and even mixed with metals as a decorative element for the range hood. Ah, I just keep seeing dollar signs $$$$$$$$$$$ add up more and more!

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Oh. My. Goodness. I LOVE your cabinetry. We may be style soulmates, Fabby.

"Mission creep" - love it! In project management, we call that "scope creep."

Genny, here's a link to a Domino slideshow about countertops...I just love Domino (wish I had a kitchen that I owned so I could use some of these ideas for reals), and I think they're a great place to get inspired.

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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Ah the foot pedal, how hard was that to find and get done?  Its been on my wish list for YEARS.  Your cabinets are absolutely gorgeous!!!  I'll have to show my husband the pix.

I'd wanted a foot pedal sink in two other kitchens and ran into a lot of trouble with the plumbers, cabinetmakers and contractor. This time, no one fussed (at least not to me). I know there are some logistics issues, but am not sure why. The contractor told me early in the project that the plumber will fuss about it, but if he wants the job, he'll do it without whining.

The pedals come in lots of different finishes, from brass-look to ceramic. Mine is the satin nickel choice from this place.

We have put of doing anything, some other stuff has come up yet again so I'm not sure if its a new kitchen or a new house I'll be getting.  Laughing until I cry! Ha ha. 

If you get a new house, you'll be the (no lie) SIXTH person I've met since we bought this house, who started with a kitchen remodel and wound up with a new house. The first ones were the owners of this house. Apparently it's pretty common.

I've seen a lot of lovely glass options in the kitchen lately like counter tops, floating bar tops and even mixed with metals as a decorative element for the range hood.  Ah, I just keep seeing dollar signs $$$$$$$$$$$ add up more and more!

Ack! Yes, it can be overhwhelming, can't it. the architects had me start with what I absolutely had to have and since a big-assed range was tops on the list, it limited the layout of the room and what kind of ventilation we could have. It even helped set the styling for the rest of the appliances, countertops, etc.

You probably can have an outdoor kitchen, too, can't you. (jealous)

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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Fabby... I've had to smile each time I've looked at your "lighting platform" over the island--great minds think alike! We're going to have a walnut panel with pendant and recessed lights over our island--very similar to yours.

How big is that island of yours? I always find it hard to estimate scale in pictures.

Feast then thy heart, for what the heart has had, the hand of no heir shall ever hold.
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Fabby...  I've had to smile each time I've looked at your "lighting platform" over the island--great minds think alike!  We're going to have a walnut panel with pendant and recessed lights over our island--very similar to yours.

How big is that island of yours?  I always find it hard to estimate scale in pictures.

:cool: Yes they do think alike, don't they? I wish I could do pendant lights but that'll ruin the line, even thin little ones.

My island is 4'x10', and will have a raised ledge on steel legs, on one long and one short side. We're hoping to seat six comfortably at it, but five will be fine.

I'm going to look at your thread now. :smile:

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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  • 2 weeks later...

Update: After a couple of weeks of progress culminating in the staining/sealing of the floors, we were about ready to start with large appliance installation this week.

Happy dancing? No! the last coat of sealant went onto the floors on Friday morning. Today, I took a little stroll through and found that the area under the island wasn't done, at all (the island is on legs). There's an 18" strip completely untouched. No biggie, I thought; they can fix it and since it's out of the traffic area, it won't hold things up. The stain on the floors looked great before the sealer was put on, but now it was looking like water damage -- thin in some spots and heavy in others, and very uneven.

The verdict: A disaster, and a do-over. We hope it won't set us back too far. The frustration is that we were soooo close to putting the big stuff in.

I was so looking forward to having photos of my range for you-all. Soon, I hope. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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Wait for it....wait for it....

It looks like we're trying to move into a new house at the first of the year! :blink:

It isn't JUST the new kitchen, there are other issues at hand but it is a bit funny to think of.

I'm still saving the links from Megan (thx!!) and on the pedals too just in case I need to re-do the new kitchen or should I say, in case the DH lets me make adjustments!

Tragedy regarding the floors! At this point do you laugh or cry? Ugh!

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Update:  After a couple of weeks of progress culminating in the staining/sealing of the floors, we were about ready to start with large appliance installation this week.

Happy dancing? No!  the last coat of sealant went onto the floors on Friday morning.  Today, I took a little stroll through and found that the area under the island wasn't done, at all (the island is on legs). There's an 18" strip completely untouched.  No biggie, I thought; they can fix it and since it's out of the traffic area, it won't hold things up.  The stain on the floors looked great before the sealer was put on, but now it was looking like water damage -- thin in some spots and heavy in others, and very uneven.

The verdict: A disaster, and a do-over.  We hope it won't set us back too far.  The frustration is that we were soooo close to putting the big stuff in. 

I was so looking forward to having photos of my range for you-all.  Soon, I hope.  Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Oh, so sad! :sad: You must be beside yourself...

We've got the stove in (and I've been cooking little stuff on it--hard to cook big things when there are no countertops and no running water), but the countertop people are driving us insane. They don't return phone calls and have been frighteningly vague about when the install will actually happen. Since I'm trying to schedule the glass backsplash to be templated the moment the counters are in, this is quite frustrating. Of course, the glass people aren't returning calls either, so who knows when they'll be able to show up. And the mosaic install can't happen until both counters and glass are in place, so it goes on and on and on...

Hang in there, Fabby!

Feast then thy heart, for what the heart has had, the hand of no heir shall ever hold.
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Our appliances will be delivered this afternoon. It was supposed to be Friday. The reason for the delay???

The floor people installed the WRONG FLOOR.

They installed the floor of a person with the same last name. The correct floor was installed today( around the cabinets).

We're almost there......

I can't wait to cook again!!

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and why didnt my KD tell me I needed a counter depth fridge?

The fridge sticks out and I hate it!!  The sides are black( the rest is stainless) and I hate the way it looks.

EEEK! Where is that "gouging my eyes out" emoticon? That's horrible! And you can't just return it, can you? Is it like driving a car off the lot, where it loses value immediately?

Crap, that really stinks. Have you said anything to your KD yet?

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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Our appliances will be delivered this afternoon.  It was supposed to be Friday.  The reason for the delay???

The floor people installed the WRONG FLOOR.

They installed the floor of a person with the same last name.  The correct floor was installed today( around the cabinets). 

We're almost there......

I can't wait to cook again!!

What is it with the floors in our renos? We've been watching the stain dry for a whole week, but there's a big push on for getting things done next week. Or so I've been told.

I feel like I've got my nose pressed up against everyone's kitchen windows. Whine! I also feel like a brat because there are a lot of people on the Left Coast who don't have homes to complain about. Thank goodness for this safe haven :smile:

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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Wait for it....wait for it....

It looks like we're trying to move into a new house at the first of the year!  :blink:

It isn't JUST the new kitchen, there are other issues at hand but it is a bit funny to think of. 

I'm still saving the links from Megan (thx!!) and on the pedals too just in case I need to re-do the new kitchen or should I say, in case the DH lets me make adjustments!

Tragedy regarding the floors!  At this point do you laugh or cry?  Ugh!

I know SO many people who are doing just that, Genny -- they start out wanting to redo the kitchen and end up with a new house. (I will be removed from this house by court order, and not a second before! Seven is enough, don't you think?)

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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Anyone hear about that 5.2 earthquake in the Bay area the other day? They felt my Happy Dance all the way out to the Left Coast! Yes, the floors are redone and beautiful (though covered with paper to protect them), and my appliances are being installed. Fireslate countertops arrive tomorrow and will probably go in on Monday.

Lookie! The range ...

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The Speed Oven and Coffee Center

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And as much of my Sub-Zero as I could get!

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Workers are still adjusting, and hopefully I'll have better photos soon.

It took six men to bring in the BlueStar from the Garage (had to go outside and up a long hill, and around to the back of the house), and six to move the SZ from the foyer to its home. Yow!

Woo hoo!

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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And on it goes -- most of the Fireslate countertops are in, the interior wiring is finished (we're waiting for the pendant lights to arrive. Yes, we thought we wouldn't have any, but at the 11th hour found some that are perfect and won't mess with the view). Closed-circuit cameras are wired, and one of the sinks has been installed. The other two are integrated.

Anyway: Here's a shot of the countertops, with the steel supports for the raised part of the countertop. The other photo is of the light-platform over the island, lit up at night. Awwww.

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Tomorrow, the undercounter refrigerators go in, the bar sink and faucet will be connected, and the dishwasher drawer will be installed. Hopefully, I'll have a good shot of the pass, the wet bar and the Big Island to show tomorrow. The countertops are a bit darker than the above photo shows. I love the way they look.

And yeah, the happy dancing continues. Woo hoo!

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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It's official: all my happy dancing didn't help. The kitchen won't be ready in time for Thanksgiving. The range won't have propane, the steel countertops and integrated sinks won't be ready. But we will have a coffee system, and speed oven, refrigerators, and one sink and a really cool faucet. And my kid will be home from college for a few days, so I'm feeling pretty happy.

At least the tile guy started on the backsplashes: the grouting will be done the week after Thanksgiving.

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the blank spaces will soon house a reach-in refrigerator and a wine cooler.

We're really happy with the way the island turned out:

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and we will have a sink and a dishwasher.

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So. It's almost here!

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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I'm curious about the speed oven. This is the kind of oven that cooks things more quickly, right?

Had you ever tried items made in a speed oven before? I'm very curious to know what they're like--if there is any difference in quality between speed oven items and conventional oven (convection or not) items.

I'm so jealous of your appliances--and the rest of your kitchen. It looks beautiful!

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I'm so sorry about the Thanksgiving thing... You're welcome to come here as our countertop guys finally arrived (I'll tell the full sordid story in my thread rather than hijacking yours) and, if all goes well (HA!), we should have running water and a dishwasher by tomorrow.

I love the stones for your backsplash--we have the same thing for the floor in our "spa" in the basement and I love them. They look and feel great and everybody notices them.

Feast then thy heart, for what the heart has had, the hand of no heir shall ever hold.
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I'm curious about the speed oven.  This is the kind of oven that cooks things more quickly, right?

Had you ever tried items made in a speed oven before?  I'm very curious to know what they're like--if there is any difference in quality between speed oven items and conventional oven (convection or not) items. 

Yep, that's the one! A chicken in 20 minutes. The food itself is good, but not complex; no time for the flavors to permeate. I've only used one on proteins. There's no "something's in the oven" smell when you use it. I can think of several neurotic women who would love this.
I'm so jealous of your appliances--and the rest of your kitchen.  It looks beautiful!
Thank you! I got hit hard with the lucky stick on this one. :smile:
"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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  • 2 weeks later...

Okay, since I posted last I turned 50, did not have the party I wanted to because the kitchen was still not done (I had my tiara all picked out, too, boo hoo), and my kid came home from college for a few days.

We managed to move partly into the kitchen, but it's still not finished. Augh! But at least I can put stuff into my refrigerator, which I love, and the smaller kitchen/pass area is finished. We use the Speed Oven and the Coffee Center every day, and the Fisher & Paykel dish drawer takes care of the stuff I don't feel like doing by hand.

Today, we had the stainless fabricators come in to install the sinks and countertops. Lookity:

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What you can't see is the two HUGE sinks that've been integrated. What I didn't photograph, was the small counter and hand-sink to the right of the range because, well, it was a couple of inches too short.

So. The remaining sink/counter will arrive next week, which in subcontractor language means, "January 3." Drama surrounded the Propane Saga, but I found a new supplier and should have the BlueStar up and running next week.

It seems to be moving more slowly now that we're almost there, but at least we aren't having to huddle in the basement any more like the Mole Family. I'll take it! :raz:

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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