Your Window into a Northern Virginia Remodel
Well, I’m still waiting for the backsplash tile to come in, but here is a sneak peek of the kitchen. You can see a small swatch of the aforementioned tile propped up against the back of the cooktop in the next image below. The countertop appears to by shiny but it’s only an illusion as the overhead lights are glaring a bit in this photo.
Pulls are Restoration Hardware 'Aubrey' in Oil Rubbed Bronze.
This cooktop is a workhorse!
Would you have imagined that the alcove could become such a beautiful space? There are many reasons to hire an architect, but this is a great example of how the vision of the architect makes the project so much more.
The alcove, from start to finish.
Credit goes to Cedar Ridge Builders as well, especially Mario, the lead carpenter, who conceived and built the creative shelving to utilize every cubic inch of space.
Something funny happened yesterday. My dear next door neighbor called to tell me there had been a hammer on my roof for several months. His home is the only one with a view of my roof, as it sits a bit higher on the knoll next door. He noticed the familiar trucks in front of my house and thoughtfully presumed there would be someone who could retrieve the hammer.
Turns out the missing hammer belonged to Jimmy. Since Jimmy didn’t work on the roof, it was easy to figure out what happened. Someone (who shall remain nameless) borrowed the hammer and left it on the roof when the job was finished. Now the hammer is all rusty and ’someone’ will by buying a new one for Jimmy. Meanwhile, with no ladders on site, one of the crew scrambled onto the roof from a second floor window and retrieved the hammer.
Another little remodel drama…
Well, now I have a beautiful new kitchen (almost there), I’ve been putting in drawer liners and planning where everything will go. This galley kitchen is not huge, but has so much storage I can put the vacuum cleaner in the pantry. (It’s only an idea.)
Already I know it will be a dream to cook in this kitchen. Everything is close and convenient, right where it should be. Above the wall oven is custom vertical shelving for cookie sheets, roasting pans and lids, trays—items that used to be stacked on top of the refrigerator. To the left of the oven is a baking area with the mixer, spices, flours, mixing bowls and baking pans. To the left of the sink is an appliance garage with the food processor and mini-chop. Immediately below the counter is a wide shallow drawer with all of the blades and components for the processors. (No more digging in the back of a deep cupboard for the plastic bin.) Photos soon, I promise!
Today I called my local Habitat for Humanity to find out about donating my refrigerator. Along with the kitchen remodel came new appliances, leaving me with a large Amana. It works beautifully, but it’s—well, white—and would be an eyesore in the new kitchen.
How does it work? When directed by the phone tree to the extension for donation of household goods and building supplies, I left a message. In less than a half hour I had a call back. Very efficient! As long as the fridge is not more than ten years old, they may be interested. My pickup window is this Saturday. All I have to do is put it out by the curb for the HFH truck.
Why, oh why, is the upstairs bathroom radiator not working? Everything else is nice and toasty and that one stubborn radiator remains stone cold. Let me tell you it’s a shock to go into that room in the morning!
Contractor, Ian Sanderson (his real name, aka Mr. Barnum in earlier posts), came to the rescue. This is where long time experience comes in handy. Ian surmised that the current pump was simply not up to the task after the addition of three three new radiators in the downstairs addition. Turns out he was right. Ian added a new pump today and the upstairs radiator magically became hot.
And the project moves one step closer to completion. Yay!
It seems I spend most of my time making lists of remodel tasks to finish. How could this be? We’re mere weeks (a month?) from finishing this job, right? Well, for every task that is completed, two new ones pop up. The kitchen cabinet hardware has been installed. I LOVE the way it looks, but you’ll have to wait.
Here’s a cell photo of the backsplash tile for the kitchen. It’s glass, but not a standard grid—more of a freeform pattern. It’s expensive, but I only have 25 square feet to cover, so am taking a deep breath and going with it. It will be a thing of beauty and should be my last significant expense.
As mentioned in an earlier post, I initially planned on subway tile. However, something happens when you walk through the doors of Architectural Ceramics showroom. You can almost smell the possibilities. Marina, the design/sales rep extraordinaire, would not let me walk out with something boring. My kitchen became her mission. Damon Wright, the kitchen contractor/architect/design engineer was on board with the selection. It’s going to be awesome!
Now, about those switchplates… Apparently the industry has not yet answered the need for coordinating products though it’s in the works. Until then, I may have to faux paint the inside of clear glass or acrylic plates to get the right look. Another task for my list.
The Decora light switchplate is a sample to demonstrate scale.
Back to Restoration Hardware to take advantage of their lighting sale. Three ceiling lights down the middle of the kitchen will be ordered in oil-rubbed bronze (ORB). They are about nine inches across and ten inches tall. I hope they will add a craftsman sensibility to the transitional kitchen.
Semi-flush mount comes in ORB finish.
This weekend I disassembled my office and temporary bedroom so the floors could be refinished. After sanding, staining with Minwax Cherry and a coat of synthetic varnish (today), they look fabulous! As I write this I am sitting at my desk surrounded by stacks of boxes, books, furniture and random items of clothing. Made another trip to Goodwill today to recycle some items and will surely go again tomorrow. I was in too much of a hurry to fill out the donation form, but probably should buckle down and do it. Remodeling offers many opportunities to cull belongings as they are moved from room to room ahead of the remodeling crew.
It’s another big day at the remodel. Today the floor crew arrived to sand the office and guest room I’ve occupied for the last 5.5 months. In the flurry of preparation, we remembered that the FIOS cable connecting to my wireless hub would have to move to a new location for the duration. After everyone had gone home for the day, I realized I had no phone service in the house. This morning I hope to have the phone restored.
The duct team has arrived to finalize the HVAC system. The upstairs (zone 2) is on a heat pump and all the ducts needed covers. The downstairs (main floor = zone 1) needed an additional return so air could easily be drawn into the system. With only one return located in the central dining area, the air rushing through it was quite loud. New returns were added in the office, near the ceiling and also in the basement to handle the airflow. Having a return in the basement will help re-circulate the basement air and minimize any dampness that might occur. The inflow now matches the outflow.
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