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Kitchen Renovation Start to Finish

Vinotas

By Vinotas
in Kitchen Consumer

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BekkiM

BekkiM

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Posted
I was actually thinking of pouring a concrete counter top ..I have been experimenting with concrete design on a small scale for practice and love how it looks ..costs so little with color and epoxy it turns out looking amazing very heavy duty ..kind of like marble

Warning: Somewhat off-topic side track...

Have you bought Cheng's book (Concrete Countertops)? It looks like there are a couple more out there now than when we poured ours for the basement (I'll try to take some pics tonight), but this is the one we used and it was fabulous. Really great information, detailed steps for the process, pictures, etc. Highly, highly recommend it if you're going to pour your own counters. Also, investing in the rental of a small cement mixer is critical (or, if you want to drive to Denver, I'll lend you mine, plus the wet-polisher)--you'll never manage to mix that much concrete on your own. I love ours and you can't beat the price (although don't forget to factor in the not insignificant cost of building the mold).

And now back to your regularly scheduled topic...

I read something on your blog, Vinotas, that made me see red: "After 10 grueling workdays..." :blink: Are you kidding me? Six months, baby, six months and we still haven't installed the backsplash. :biggrin:

Your kitchen is beatiful and who would have thunk to look for glass tiles at Costco? I can't wait to see them installed with the counters. I know what you mean about giggling a little every time you walk in the kitchen. I still do in mine--especially when I pull open a drawer and everything has a home, instead of being piled willy-nilly, whereever we managed to stuff them in.

Feast then thy heart, for what the heart has had, the hand of no heir shall ever hold.
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Vinotas

Vinotas

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Thanks all, it's been wonderful seeing the room evolve. I've learned a bunch of things and I'll post a list of lessons learned when/if this ends.

Bekkim, how can you be so patient???? I'd have killed my contractor with a few weeks.

That said, a wrench has been thrown into the process (there's always something, right?). The NYC Department of Boobs, er, Buildings, has randomly audited our work and temporarily revoked the Work Permit until we supply them with some additional information. :angry:

Are you kidding me? One of the things they want to know is where my ^*#$(*@ smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are on a drawing????!!!!

Actually, it's not that big a deal, as no work could be done until the counter and the backsplash arrived, sometime late next week/early next week. Still, annoying to put it mildly. :wacko:

http://vinotas.blogspot.com/
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BekkiM

BekkiM

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Bekkim, how can you be so patient????  I'd have killed my contractor with a few weeks.

Unfortunately, I _am_ the contractor on this one, so it's my own laziness that's standing in the way of the backsplash--and suicide seems a bit extreme in this case. :raz:

That said, a wrench has been thrown into the process (there's always something, right?). The NYC Department of Boobs, er, Buildings, has randomly audited our work and temporarily revoked the Work Permit until we supply them with some additional information.

Precisely why we did not pull a permit. Shhhhh... Don't tell anyone...

Feast then thy heart, for what the heart has had, the hand of no heir shall ever hold.
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Vinotas

Vinotas

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Bekkim, how can you be so patient????  I'd have killed my contractor with a few weeks.

Unfortunately, I _am_ the contractor on this one, so it's my own laziness that's standing in the way of the backsplash--and suicide seems a bit extreme in this case. :raz:

That said, a wrench has been thrown into the process (there's always something, right?). The NYC Department of Boobs, er, Buildings, has randomly audited our work and temporarily revoked the Work Permit until we supply them with some additional information.

Precisely why we did not pull a permit. Shhhhh... Don't tell anyone...

LOL!

Well, it's annoying but not that bad as we're still waiting for the stone, the backsplash and the lights to arrive. I'd have loved to do the work myself, but our building is a coop with doorman and they would have noticed the building materials, and more importantly, the noise and dust coming from my place...

http://vinotas.blogspot.com/
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Vinotas

Vinotas

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Well, at long last, after a few false starts, some meddling from the NYC Department of Buildings, about four weeks of actual work, and slightly more money than was allocated, the kitchen is done. DONE. And all I could say... was nothing. Speechless. I was absolutely speechless (something quite rare, I assure you).

Let me share with you what I see now every morning, the culmination of a dream 14 years in the making, pics can be seen HERE.

Words can not do justice to how I feel when I see this sight every morning. To say it is firing up the cooking juices is an understatement. I just want to stand there and never leave, soaking in the sight of a real kitchen in a New York apartment. "Happiness" seems like a quaint way to describe it.

Every detail has been painstakingly paid attention to by my contractor, who ended up being a complete pleasure to work with. I never felt like he was up-selling me on anything, and I rarely had cause to question his pricing. And the quality of the work can be seen, he used some great guys who were really proud of their work.

As I said, this has been a long time in the making and planning, and now I can't wait to start cooking. I've had some test runs, soft openings if you will, especially Sunday French-style omelettes (runny, baby, runny!), and so far so good. The real test comes in a few days when I plan on making a full dinner for some friends over the Memorial Day weekend.

But every morning when I wake up I can't help just stopping and staring, this is absolutely unbelievable. There are a few little details left to finish up (the dry bar really) but for the most part everything's done.

Unbelievable.

Cheers! :cool:

http://vinotas.blogspot.com/
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Special K

Special K

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Oh, my goodness, Vinotas! That is one gorgeous kitchen! I love that glass backsplash - and everything else, too. Such a beautiful space.

It's so nice that you're so happy. I know just what you mean about standing and staring - I'd be doing that too!

K

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mrbigjas

mrbigjas

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wow, nice job vinotas. i'm in the midst of a big home renovation too, and have made some similar stylistic decisions (natural maple slab front cabinets, dark grey/black countertops, altough mine won't be shiny). so it's great to see a finished product there.

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mkayahara

mkayahara

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Thanks for sharing. I'll keep an eye out for those tips, because I'm hoping to start my own kitchen renovation in the next year. In the meantime, I might just pop down to New York and steal your cabinets. :wink: The whole kitchen looks great!

Edited by mkayahara (log)

Matthew Kayahara

Kayahara.ca

@mtkayahara

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