Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 827 Location: Oakland, CA
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:12 pm Post subject:
I just recycled last week's paper, but I'll see if I can turn it up and find the article on recycled building materials. The backspash in this kitchen was smooth stones, set to look like tiles. It was SMASHING! I'll find it and send it to you.
Oh, I wish I could be there with you this morning! what a mess! _________________ L'appetit vient en mangeant. -Rabelais
Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 2498 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:22 pm Post subject:
Not yet. 8am is already 9:30 without a sign of the contractor. I'm seeing a pattern here...
Would love to see what you've got for a backsplash. I love those jewel-like glass tiles too, msue. I think working them in with the roughness and matte of stone could be very interesting. _________________ God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor
Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 2498 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:01 pm Post subject:
Oh dear! I've had so little to contribute lately. And I've done a worse job at keeping up. Nevertheless, here's a link to the progress we've made on the kitchen project that's sucked up all my time and attention. http://www.flickr.com/photos/75667634@N00/sets/72157594563889766/
It makes more sense viewed in the "sets".
I'm also trying to blog it but I'm so bad at using the blogging software that it takes me forever and I get discouraged. Last night I spent about 2 hours recapping the first two weeks for the kids. If I can figure out how to set it up I'd like to have the commentary with photos. And if I can do that, I'll let you know.
Hope you are all well and getting better and occupied with interesting stuff of your own. Much affection always! _________________ God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor
Last edited by Rainey on Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:46 pm; edited 1 time in total
Rainey, since you're here in LA you should check out Classic Tiles on La Cieniga- http://www.ctandm.com. They have spectacular stuff.
You could swing by Surfas too, they're not far from each other:)
Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 2498 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 7:00 pm Post subject:
laurie- Thanks for the link but I definitely can't go into another tile store. My brain gets all addled when I try to think of ways to use one of everything I see.
Did I say that I had fallen in love with the tile from Tile Restoration Center in Seattle and decided to finish a fireplace surround for what will be the new dining room? It would have been absolutely gorgeous with a pinecone motif and corbels holding up a ceramic mantle. I say "would have been" because I just got the estimate on the tile and it was about $2500 for just materials.
Very beautiful! They were Arts and Crafts tile which, chosen carefully, would have had an elegant country look (that all ounds so odd, but it worked and it was fabulous!). That may have to be a project for some future year when we recover from this one...
I don't know what it is about tiles. Maybe its that there's almost infinite variety in the look and texture of the material. Maybe its that so much interesting work is being done with jewel-like glass tiles that contrast so vividly with other finishes. Or maybe its the adult LEGO aspect that you take this piece of one size and use it with this piece of a different size and suddenly 1x1s and 6x6s and mosaic panels are turning into things you can't pass by without touching and gasping at.
Yes. I have discovered that I can get into a lot of trouble in a tile store. Fortunately, (this is true!) the one close to me that I've spend a lot of time in lately shares a parking lot with a mental health clinic. A couple times the friendly staff (of the tile store) told me that Tues & Thurs are "drug days"... Sooooo helpful! _________________ God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor
Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 2498 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 10:55 pm Post subject:
Thanks, Deste. Of all things, matching that where the walls will have to be re-"mudded" and finding some 20" tall base cabinets for the sewing area seem to be the biggest deals in this whole project. Odd, 'cause if you asked me I would have said taking out a wall was a whole lot more of an undertaking... But those are the two things that have my builder the most flummoxed.
Happily, I found a can of the base and an unopened can of the glaze. Suddenly its fortunate that I wildly overestimated what I'd need 8 years ago and never throw out anything. Now I'll just have to figure out how I did it. All I can remember is I fell off a ladder and my kids, whom I pressed into service, didn't speak to me for a week or two. _________________ God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor
Rainey, has the backsplash color/material been decided yet? If I'm keeping up, the counters will be dark gray/black soapstone, and you were undecided how the rest of the kitchen (sinks and splashes) should be.
I see the deep red and dark green rooms you have, (these are called 'jewelbox' colors in magazines, saturated hues that make intimate spaces--like a jewelbox!) And I noticed the floor stencil/stain keeps those colors too.
The first one illustrates the layout. We'll keep all the outlets up under the cabinets so they don't disturb the look.
The second illustrates the materials. The red is the color of the cabinets, the green slate will be 4x4 tiles laid out square like the white ones already in place, the black accent tiles will be cut in on point (a quilting, not a tiling term, but that's how I know how to say it) and the soapstone will be an uninterrupted expanse.
The third was an attempt to compensate for the flash making the glass look more shiny than it should be.
The fourth was an attempt to get a better look at the soapstone but the camera's flash was much too intense and made it look quite different. Interestingly though, at the instant that it flashed, I saw distinctly green bits in the stone that I can't see in person. I had picked that slate that's called "Jade" because it looks almost identical to the honed side. Now I'm hoping more of that green will come out over time as it becomes well conditioned.
That black accent is quite a modern element but it reminded me of bottle glass. So I'm keeping it. Rachel talked me out of a fabulous very vaguely wavy white metal liner. I fell in love with it ($26.50 for 12" must be love, no?) but, as she pointed out, it really obscured the colonial element and pushed all the way to contemporary.
Also, you can probably see that half the soapstone was oiled just the other day for a friend because she's now considering it. The other half was oiled close to 3 weeks ago. I wanted to see how the conditioning ages as I'm supposed to have a schedule that's something like once a week for 6 months, once every 3 weeks for the rest of the first year and then every month or so for the next 6 months. Then it's supposed to develop and hold its full rich color. _________________ God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor
Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 2498 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:57 pm Post subject:
We're still many weeks away from that. They're still dealing with the structural issues where the wall's coming out and the framing is still all in place. Tomorrow a new beam goes in and then they should be able to take the studs down.
The cabinet construction hasn't even begun. The contractor will pick up the second set of drawings for them tomorrow. There were major errors on the first ones and I added a banquette for seating and additional storage. I have one more small thing to add a shelf to bridge the two sets of upper cabinets on either side of the sink but I have a feeling we're not seeing eye to eye on the sink yet and that's going to have to go back for adjustment.
The laundry room floor is going in now. I'm not sure if it's something that can be done in a day. I hope so. I'm so crazy about the floor I can't wait to see it in actuality.
I took pix on 2/28. Tomorrow will be a week. I'll take pix again but I don't think you'll see much change this time around. But next time I hope to be photographing real change. _________________ God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor
The concept is for it to look like functional furniture. It will be made from natural knotty alder with raised panels. I nixed a design that had 4 sets of double doors as too boring, busy and matchy-matchy. I can't say I like the new design better but I don't know what to suggest. Oh, and because the cabinet maker either measured wrong or didn't understand the layout, there will only be 3 cabinets instead of 4.
The drawers on the left will store CDs and DVDs. The false panel on the right will hide a cabinet that opens on the side with more accessibility to the kitchen.
They're waiting on my OK to start construction. Thanks for making it something I feel good about OKing. _________________ God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor
Advice from me you don't want, good taste was never instilled in me, and (sigh) has never distilled in me, BUT I will *try* to describe what I think is the description so far.. then those with talent and flair can chime in.
The cabinets in question are in the family room which is dark forest green, with bright white trim. You can see over into the kitchen from these cabinets, and the kitchen has dark grey/black/deep green counters and tiles. Kitchen wall color?
The cabinets in the kitchen are knotty alder? or will they be reddish?
(To me, alder is ash blond, but you mentioned red cabinets --?)
You don't want a "busy matchy" look, so could you leave off the raised panels and just have smooth fronts?
I guess I would either make the cabinets part of the family room, color and style, OR have them carry your eyes into the kitchen by using the kitchen colors.
Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 2498 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:30 am Post subject:
The kitchen cabinets you will see from family room will be painted red.
The kitchen cabinets you will see from the kitchen if you face the family room will be natural distressed alder.
The cabinets in the family room will also be distressed natural alder. But the question is, how are the drawers/doors/features arranged to make them interesting to look at.
The first set of drawings had them all double doors that were busy and boring. The second set that I just linked had them busy and without character or appeal. I'm clear about the finish I want but not the design or placement of elements to make them suitable to a major piece of furniture/architecture in that room.
I am, as you suggest, georgia, trying to establish separate areas that blend and flow.
Thanks for ideas. _________________ God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor
And here's the new laundry room floor the only other thing that changed this week.
It's not grouted and cleaned up yet but I still LOVE it. _________________ God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor
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