Kitchen Counters are in!

Here's where we're at right now in the remodel at Matt's parents' house. It's really cruising along now but there is still a significant amount left to do. Need prayers for a speedy completion! I want to head for home on April 13th (Friday the 13th! Spooooky.). I've already started packing. :-)

Click on any pic for a larger view.

The island is so big it took SEVEN guys to carry it in.

The new undermount sink and pull-down gooseneck faucet.

Supersexy touch-control range with warming drawer, detailed settings, select-a-size burners, and a plug-in thermometer that shows the internal temp of your food on the digital display. (The lovely glass has since broken, but don't fret, it's getting fixed - I've said it before and I'll say it again: Murphy's Law applies to remodels 10x more than anything else.)

Pony wall entering the formal living room (as you can see, the drywall isn't finished...).

Granite shelf above double-sided gas fireplace - notice extravagant and rare plastic and painter's tape covering fireplace. ;-) There will be Tiberias Gold travertine tiles on hearth in the next couple of weeks.

Display shelf and curio cabinet (will have glass shelves soon). This new wall angle is in the center of the new angle created by the open dining room, kitchen, and family room.

The counters were fabricated by Straightline Imports in Martinez, CA - if anyone reading this is in that area, I HIGHLY recommend this company. They were the second cheapest of the five quotes we got, and the absolute best quality. The owner, Rick, was great to work with, as were the installers. This is the first company we've dealt with in the remodel that we've been entirely happy with.

The Tiffany-style pendant lamps.

We also have the 18" Tiberias Gold (problematic! Very brittle and each tile was a different thickness so the floor is uneven. Oy.) tile floor down (fyi - install tile before cabinetry if possible - we didn't for various reasons - much more time consuming and aggravating after the cabinet install). We still need to grout and do the last coat of sealer.

Here's Matt measuring it out so that I can cut the tiles for him...

...On this huge tile saw! It was easy to use and it sprays water when it cuts and it was a hot day so it was kind of like a noisy sprinkler that also coats your arms in wet tile "mud". Fun!

Also, the bloodwood floors are finished in the family room - still have the dining room and hallway to do install. Love the prefinished - went in so smooth and easy and without breathing nasty finish or stain.

Kitchen Remodel Progress

Before


Now

Sorry, the lighting is a bit dark on the "Now" pix. Basically, at this point we have all the lower cabinets up, all the electrical and plumbing set up, and the counters should be arrive next Monday or so. Tomorrow we're working on the radiant heating and the tile flooring. We're also nearly finished on the wall restructuring and painting. This whole wall angle, pony wall, and and alcove is new (it used to be one long solid wall with two doors that separated the kitchen and family room from the rest of the house):

We just have the hardwood flooring installation, tile flooring, backsplash, upper cabinets, trimwork, touch up painting, a few light fixtures to install, painting in the sitting room, and this and that left to do, then it will be DONE! I'll load more pix when things look a little more finished (unfinished work is just not that pretty, y'know?). :-)

Cabinet Hardware Sources

These websites were featured in This Old House, and I thought I'd pass along the best ones in case anyone needed them. (Especially Dani)

LewisDolin.com

AtlasHomewares.com
(my favorite)

MNGHardware.com

How to get the best performance from your contractor:

As a willing ear to my general contractor hubby's rants and raves, I hear quite a bit of what helps, hinders, and annoys the heck out of contractors. A happy contractor is an efficient contractor, so here's how to do your part:

• Feed them! The old adage "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach" is very true here. Matt loves the homeowners who make him lunch, even if it's just a sandwich or leaving a frozen pizza and a note. Those clients typically get a lot more for their money, fyi. They'll go the extra mile for you if you're kind to them.

• Supply a few gallons of bottled water for the crew. It's sweaty, thirsty work. Please don't provide beer. Most construction workers I know currently or used to have a drinking problem. You want them thinking clear and sharp anyway.

• Keep your things clear of the work area so he can work easily without having to move a bunch of stuff out of the way.

• Unless it is VERY important, stay the heck out of his way! Often Matt comes home saying, "I'd be done already if they'd stop interrupting me to talk!"

• Be clear and honest.

• Provide a bathroom, and if you'd rather they use one and not another, tell them. Matt got an earful once for using the master bathroom when no one was home - the other one was broken, what did they expect?

• Don't flirt with him. Most contractors are married (strange phenomenom but true!), and you don't want to get on the wrong side of a woman who knows her way around the tool box! ;-)
  

This goes for all construction guys, from the plumber to the landscaper to your general contractor. It's rough work, and they deserve respect and kindness.

Click here for a good article on choosing a contractor.

So, Carly, how's the remodel at the in-laws' going?

Oh, pretty well, thanks for asking. ;-)


A blank canvas! Isn't it amazing how small rooms look when they're entirely stripped? We tore out the kitchen entirely the other day because the cabinets are due to arrive next week! Now we need to put up new drywall, install the tile flooring, and paint PDQ. Now is when it gets exciting.

Most of you know that the reason we're in California right now is that we are extensively remodeling Matt's parent's kitchen, dining room, living room, and family room. I thought some of you may want to know how it's going and what we're up to. So, this is where we're at:

Matt's done basically all the structural design work AND labor. He's awesome. I stayed out of the design because I had a tough time determining their aesthetic and it was getting pretty messy trying to get my FIL to make decisions. Aye aye aye. He's a thorough thinker. All the material/ color choices were made by the in-laws.

I've been helping as much as I can with the labor, though!
Carly's bad@$$ power tool use so far:
I've gotten to use a rotozip, nailgun, screwgun, powerdrill, and table saw. Yep, I'm awesome. ;-) Today I got to remove tile with a prybar and a ten pound mallet. I am woman, hear me roar! Ten pounds gets really heavy after a few dozen swings though, haha!


Some materials we're using:

Kitchen:

Mascarello granite counters

American cherry cabinetry, handcrafted by a local business.

Brushed stainless bow pulls (22" wide on drawers, 6" and 10" wide on doors, depending on placement)

Brushed stainless KitchenAid appliances throughout, including a dramatic hood, double dishdrawer and an undercabinet microwave drawer.

Tiberias Gold travertine tiles in kitchen and around fireplace (honed in kitchen, polished around fireplace - BIG TIP - always get a physical sample of what you're ordering. We had a honed sample and ordered polished assuming it'd be the same but shinier. Nope. Much darker and the pattern looks entirely different. Weird!)

Tiffany pendant lamps over island

Undercabinet puck lighting

Variegated natural stone backplash, 2"x2" tiles

Raised the ceiling, expanded the "boundaries" of the kitchen


Family Room/ Living Room:

Napoleon gas double sided fireplace (black) w/ remote

Mascarello granite counters

Bellawood prefinished Bloodwood in hallway, dining, and family room

Built-in LCD TV

Built in flush-mount surround sound speakers

Entirely restructured walls (pix to come)


I can't wait to post pix of the finished product!

We're right on track to be done by the end of March, so we should be back home in early April!

Other than energy star appliances, low VOC paints, and good insulation, this project is sooo ungreen... what's the opposite of green? Red? This project is red. But they are the client, and the client doesn't give even the smallest hoot about the environment. We tried! :-(

Remodeling Sources and Ideas

Hi everyone,

I had a request for green remodeling info (Congrats on the new home, Ann!), so here it is:

Maintenance Ideas:

• Replace all the light bulbs in your house with CFL's.

• Install dimmer switches.

• Install a motion activated light switch in places where the light is often left on unnecessarily.

• Avoid heating/ cooling areas that don't need to be comfortable - such as closets, pantries, etc. Seal the rooms by installing weather stripping and a door sweep under the door, and shut off the heater vent in that room.
  

• To seal around windows, carefully remove the trim (first cut the paint attaching it to the wall with a knife), then spray Great Stuff Window and Door Formula (the regular formula will bow your jambs!) or DAP Tex Plus (which is easier to clean up) into the gap between the wall and the window jamb. Trim off excess with a knife and reinstall the trim. Warmer windows!

• Seal up the garage and basement. That cold gets into your house!

• Check for leaks in ductwork and seal them with aluminum tape (NOT DUCT TAPE) on straight ducts and pure silicone caulk on joints.
  

• Hate to be a party pooper, but fireplaces are one of the biggest leaks in a home and when lit actually suck warm air out of the rest of the house! When you're not using it, fill a plastic bag with insulation and stuff it up the chimney. Just be sure to take it out before lighting a nice cozy fire, haha!
  

• Tune up your heater.

• Clean your air conditioner.

• Put a "jacket" on your hot water heater and foam sleeves on your pipes.

• Install low-flow showerheads.

• Plant an organic veggie garden, if you have room. Doesn't get any more "locally grown" than that! And considering an organic red pepper is $4, that could save a lot of money!
  

• Vacuum behind and under your fridge to keep it efficient. Fridges account for over 15% of energy usage in homes. If you're considering upgrading, click here.
  

• To make your dryer more efficient: Replace flexible ducting with 4" rigid metal duct, with as few bends as possible. Lint can't clog a nice smooth straight duct. Install a 4"x4" vent hood rather than the standard 2 1/2" - this is the equivalent of shortening the ducting by 6 feet - a great thing. Vacuum out the lint chute yearly. Scrub the lint screen with a brush and soapy water yearly, especially if you use fabric softener. Softener clogs the mesh, which means less airflow and slower drying. Also, vacuum the area under the drum inside the motor once a year - not only does this make it more efficient but it will make your dryer last longer and reduces the risk of dryer fires.

• Check for air leaks around your home. I've heard that if you added up all the tiny leaks in your house you could drive a truck through it! Yikes! It's wonderful to have an energy auditor come and check out your home with an infrared camera (oooh!) but that costs $250-400, and for that price you could fix a lot of little leaks in common places. Walk around your house and feel the floor, walls, windows, recessed light fixtures, attic access door, and exterior doors for cold spots. 35% of air leaks are in the attic, 18% doors and windows, 17% floors and basement, 13% walls, 10% ceiling. Adding more insulation (check Certainteed for insulation suggestions), outlet sealers, weatherstripping, caulking indoors and out... Crawling around in the attic to add more insulation is not a pretty job, but somebody (coughyourmancough) really needs to do it. Just don't do it on a hot day!!!

Very important: When you seal up your house nice and tight, you MUST invest the $20 to get a carbon monoxide detector. A well sealed home keeps you comfortable with less electricity, but also will help hold in carbon monoxide. This is imperative!

Remodeling Ideas:

• Use low/ no VOC paints. Most major paint stores (Kelly Moore, Rodda...) carry them, and your local environmental home store has them, too.

• When replacing the flooring, use rubber, bamboo, cork, reclaimed wood (which can all be fixed rather than replaced when need be), or marmoleum (one note- to clean solid floors, use the swiffer-style mops with washable microfiber covers, not an actual Swiffer. Waste of money and landfill.) Carpet is not only a germ and dust magnet, but it has to be vacuumed (which takes electricity), and even when it's recycled carpet it will still need to be replaced in a few years, and will probably end up in a landfill. Matt is a total diva about carpet and flat out refuses to put it in people's homes. ;-)

• Install radiant heating.

• Obviously, buy Energy Star appliances when it's time to upgrade.

• Research any materials you might use. There are a lot of great options out there. Educating yourself can save you money and give you a very "green" and beautiful home.

• Countertops come in amazing materials - paper (really!), quartz, recycled glass... It's best not to use natural stone. Yes, it's beautiful, but impractical for daily life and quarries are bad news for the environment.
  

• If replacing a toilet, check this site and click on "CWWA Maximum Performance Testing of Popular Toilets Reports".

• When doing any demolition, contact a building materials recycler, and freecycle or craigslist any useful stuff you don't want any more.

• Check out salvage shops for beautiful high quality materials with history. Not always money saving, but good for the environment and kinda exciting when you find a one of a kind piece that calls to you.
  

• Check local classifieds and Craiglist for used materials. We've gotten brand new double pane vinyl windows for next to nothing (or actually nothing) just by doing our homework.

• Consider quality. It's better for everyone if your purchase lasts a very long time and looks great doing it.

• Refinish cabinets, or if necessary, replace the doors if the cabinet layout is good but the cabinets are ugly. This goes back to the big picture of Buy Less Stuff.

• Go for timeless beauty. Trends are fun now, but in ten years you'll be dying to remodel again because it's so "outdated". Stay contemporary with paint colors - cheap, fast, and easy. On the big ticket items think about how well it will blend with changing aesthetics. That doesn't mean it has to be boring! Just classic. Again, saves you money and saves the world. They're connected so often!
  

Links:

• Seattle Environmental Home Center

• http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/

• http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/

• http://www.greenerchoices.org/

• This website is still pretty new, but I have high hopes for it

• Even Martha Stewart is going green!

• A link with fantastic links

• http://www.moderngreenliving.com/

• http://www.lazyenvironmentalist.com/

• http://www.verdantmag.com/

• http://www.sustainablestyle.org/

Of course, in ten years when Matt and I build our Zero Energy Home development, you can just buy one of our houses! ;-)