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kitchen follow-up
It’s been just about 8 months since we finished (and revealed) our new kitchen, so we thought it was a good time to report back and let you know how we like it.
(Don’t remember the horror that it was before? Click here.)
Before we picked up a sledgehammer, we spent a lot of time designing the space and researching various fixtures, appliances, materials, etc. Below is the final materials palette that we assembled in May 2010 which represents the actual products used. For a complete list of everything we chose, check out the resources page.
Cabinets
Starting out, we were a little skeptical about the quality and durability of IKEA cabinets. But after reading a number of good reviews we decided to just go for it and so far, we’ve been very impressed. Granted, custom cabinets would have been better crafted and more durable, but for us this was an area where we could save a substantial amount of money without sacrificing function or our overall design ideas. We also came up with a layout that uses IKEA components but doesn’t scream “hey there, I’m an IKEA kitchen!”.
So far, we have had no issues with the functionality of the cabinets. (There is a slight squeak when you turn the carousel in the lazy susan cabinet, but I haven’t been motivated/annoyed enough yet to take everything out and remedy the problem.) Aesthetically, one minor issue to keep in mind is if you’re using white frames and a darker cabinet/drawer face, you can sometimes see a bit of the white behind if the faces don’t precisely line-up (and they often don’t). At first we were concerned and even corrected the issue on one cabinet by adding a piece of black electrical tape over the frame edge to create a “reveal” of sorts. It worked fine but we never got around to doing it on the other cabinets and unless you’re standing directly in front of the gap and crouched down, you never really notice.
The pull-out pantry has been a lifesaver for storing food in a small kitchen (we also use one of the island drawers for snack food items).
The “soft close” hardware? Totally worth it. Totally awesome.
Another great thing about IKEA is that, contrary to popular belief, you’re not limited to small drawers and cabinets. The unit to the right of the range is 36″ wide and deep enough to store the food processor, large baking sheets and the toaster (I know, a little weird, but the toaster is ugly and must be hidden from view at all times).
For the three upper cabinets, we installed the special hinges that allow the doors to stay open and then softly close with a slight tap when you’re done. Again, a must-have for cabinets at this height. Kyle made the two open shelves and wine rack out of fir plywood (with a fir edge band). At first we were apprehensive about the open shelving from a dust standpoint (aesthetically though, two thumbs up), but because these are our “everyday” dishes they aren’t on the shelf long enough to get dusty. The wine glasses are an exception, especially since we like to drink almost everything out of the smaller tumblers on the right. So we might shuffle those around one of these days.
We’ve noticed a slight discoloration on the wood where the stacks of dishes are, but it doesn’t bother us and you won’t be able to see the discrepancy unless we rearrange.
The steel drawer pulls were a splurge, but we know they’ll last forever. The only minor complaint I have is that they can act as a mini-shelf for crumbs, especially at the island where most of the food prep happens.
Plumbing Fixtures
We purchased (and still own) three kitchen sinks. The first was a double-basin that we foolishly bought several years ago. After nearly four frustrated years of our double-basin Sears Roebuck sink (seriously, did people not have pots and pans back in the day??), we were single-basin converts. The second sink was a cheaper single-basin that we picked up at a shady location in South Seattle. It was ok, but we were concerned about the quality (the brand was unknown). Finally we found this Kraus sink on Craigslist. I love this sink. It’s clean and modern, but the slight radius of the inside corners means there’s no place for gunk to collect. At first I was indifferent to the rack that sits on the bottom, but have since found that it keeps the bottom of the sink from getting scratched and allows air to circulate around dishes that get left in the sink overnight (or for a few days). Oh, and undermount vs. self-rimming – this is not even a discussion worth having with yourself.
The Grohe Minta faucet was another splurge (although we did get it at a discounted price), but it was worth it. It is incredibly durable and we haven’t had a single issue with the retractable pull-out sprayer (when you turn the faucet off, it pulls the sprayer hose back into the faucet). Oh, and it’s pretty.
The adjacent soap pump has been a great way to free up counter space and even though we initially planned on a separate water filter, we eventually nixed the idea. The modern filter faucets were almost as expensive as the main faucet and after drinking out of our bathroom sink for a few months we decided that the water quality was actually pretty good. Problem solved, money saved.
Countertops
For the countertops we mainly wanted something that was durable and would reflect light. We collected a bunch of different samples and ultimately ended up with Silestone composite quartz in “white north”. By purchasing the countertops through IKEA we got a discount. By sweet-talking the dealer into an architect discount, we saved a little more. (Sadly, we could not talk them into a “double architect” discount. Damn. Why does the double architect discount never work??) Anyhow, the quartz is very durable and easy to clean. The seam at the corner is nearly invisible and I generally have to show people where it is for them to notice. Silestone was not the cheapest option out there, but knowing that the counters would be one of the most abused surfaces in the house we knew it would be a good investment.
For the island, we opted for butcherblock for a few different reasons. First, a solid piece of Silestone that size would have been crazy expensive. (Aesthetically, I think our kitchen proves that you don’t have to have matching countertops or matching cabinets to make it feel cohesive.) We also liked the idea of the island being a true work surface and a place where people could gather to help prep a meal. We looked at several different butcherblock options (including IKEA), but ultimately decided on Lyptus, which had a coloring similar to the surrounding fir wood and was surprisingly affordable. (To save on costs, we bought one 12′ counter depth piece, cut it in half and biscuited the two panels together.) Even though the intention was to use it as a giant chopping block, it was so new and pretty that I’m still pulling out the cutting boards. Over time I’m sure we’ll eventually transition to cutting directly on it, but at least we know we can always sand it down and refinish it (with a food-grade finish) if we want it to look all pretty and new again.
Trash
You know how excited I was about our fancy waste organization system. 8 months in it’s still doing its job. We knew summer would be the real challenge though – right around this time of year we start to get fruit flies and of course they love to hang out in the compost container. Our temporary solution? We converted the cookie jar to a countertop compost container. It doesn’t have a charcoal filter or any of that fancy-ness, but as long as we empty it every couple of days, we’re ok. For larger items (pizza boxes, egg cartons, etc.) we just take them straight to our yard waste/compost container.
Appliances
It’s hard to find something to dislike about our range, mainly because it was a huge upgrade from every other cheapo electric range we’ve had in the past. We purchased a scratch & dent GE Cafe dual fuel (convection oven with gas range). It has the professional styling w/o the crazy expensive price tag and the flaw was on the side of the appliance and not visible. Cooking with gas has been great and the only downside is that the cooktop surface is harder to clean than the glass-top electric varieties.
After living with our stupid, non-functional (and brown!) range hood, we made it a priority to find the best hood we could afford. We purchased a simple and modern model from Vent-A-Hood. At an equivalent 900 CFM’s, it is certainly powerful. The only negative? It’s loud. This probably has more to do with the way it’s ducted, but at least I don’t have to fear high temperature cooking anymore. (You don’t want to see what Bailey does when the smoke alarm goes off.)
Even though we briefly considered not having a microwave, I’m glad we found a way to incorporate one in without it being all in your face. The location works well and even though it’s lower than counter height, it hasn’t been a problem to use.
(Note: our fridge and dishwasher were purchased in 2006 when we moved in.)
And what does Bailey think about his custom dog bowl station? Well, he doesn’t really care as long as we put food in there twice a day. Storing the food within an arm’s reach under the sink was a good move, especially when Bailey wakes me up at 5:30 every morning. Does he wake me up to go to the bathroom? No. He wants to eat. So every morning I make him go outside first, then stumble bleary-eyed to the kitchen and feed him before going back to bed.
Lighting
Lighting has been one of the areas that we were most nervous about (so expensive! so many options!) but that we’re really pleased with. Almost all of our fixtures are made by different companies but everything meshes together while also serving its intended purpose.
The Bruck linear chandelier over the island provides good task lighting and is elegant enough that it doesn’t overwhelm the space. The two wall-mounted reach lights above the kitchen window provide additional task lighting and are only used if we’re cooking at night. The undercabinet LED lights also don’t get used all of the time, but serve as additional lighting and sometimes as a nightlight when we have guests staying with us.
Flooring
I know this is probably the product people were the most skeptical about: the cork flooring. So here’s what we like about it: the color, the texture, the easy maintenance and the slight cushion underfoot. What don’t we like? Here’s a clue:
To back up just a little bit, we ordered our cork tiles prefinished with a hardwax oil. For whatever reason, they didn’t come that way so the dealer and manufacturer ended up splitting the cost to have a floor company come out and apply a wax finish over the installed tiles. We chose a wax finish over a polyurethane one because it could be spot repaired and since the cork was throughout most of the house, we thought that would be a good thing. We also thought that even though we have a dog, he isn’t the type that runs in circles around the house (in other words, he’s kinda lazy). The thing we didn’t completely realize? He likes to lay “froggy style” and as a result his back claws tend to scratch the floor every time he scrambles to his feet. You can see a little bit of that here:
So what to do? Fortunately, the scratches are just in the wax and not the cork itself. I haven’t tried to do a true spot repair yet but it’s on the list. Since wax is a “buildable” finish, adding more layers will increase the life of the flooring and this might be the strategy we need to put in place. We’ve also though about scrapping the wax and going with a poly finish but this would mean emptying out the house and most likely hiring the work out. We’re going to live with the flooring and try a few spot repairs for now, but if we’re still not happy in a year or two we’ll weigh the different options.
So all in all, we feel like our research has paid off. The space functions well, is comfortable, easy to clean and is a bazillion times better than the shameful 5-doored room that was our old kitchen.
Want to read through all of our kitchen-related posts? Pour yourself some coffee and click here.
deck progress: 82 is too hot
Well, we started the day with every intention to finish the deck and clean up the concrete rubble in the backyard. But today was hot, like…82 degrees. Too hot for manual labor. So we scrapped our plans and did this instead:
Gasworks Park – so many people, so many watercraft!
Bailey is one of the few brave enough to swim in Lake Union.
So the basil died. After a few months it developed these small brown pimples and then the stalks started to turn brown. After I raided the entire plant for pesto one night, it was never the same. So lemon verbena has taken its place. Fingers crossed. In other news, Bailey has still not figured out how to push the sliding doors open. Yesterday morning I heard him whimpering and found this sad sight.
Truthfully, it felt great to take a day off. We’ll finish the deck – next weekend.
eating well in seattle
Seven years ago, we packed up a U-Haul and moved 2,000 miles away from Northeastern Oklahoma (where we both grew up). Our parents (who still live in OK), have been up to visit a few times before, but with the all the remodel craziness of the last few years, they’ve been keeping tabs on our progress from afar. Now that the house is sorta done and definitely habitable, they came up for a long overdue visit. Now, we always advise that people come in July or August, when it’s bound to be perfect Seattle weather – sunny and 76 degrees. Well, that wasn’t the case this time – but considering that OK has been hit with one of the hottest summers on record, there were no complaints about 65 and cloudy.
Kyle’s parents (and his aunt and uncle!) came for four days and then the day after they left my dad and step-mom flew out for four days. We had a great time with everyone and it marked the first time that people could actually stay in our house (without being relegated to the couch). During the first stretch, Kyle and I took the loft while his parents slept in our room and his aunt and uncle on an Aerobed in the flex room. It was cozy, but it worked!
Even though the weather wasn’t fantastic, we found plenty to do. In addition to hanging out around town and at chezerbey, we also went on a few day excursions. With Kyle’s family, we went to Whidbey island, where we stumbled across an art festival and took Bailey to an off-leash beach so he could work on his driftwood fetching skills. With my parents, we headed up to Mt. Rainier, where there was still 12′ of snow at Sunrise (6,400 ft.)! We even saw a bear! But probably one of the best things we did was eat. Seriously, sometimes I forget how good we have it here (probably because dining out for us usually means hitting up the local taco truck) and having visitors in town is a great excuse to show people our favorite places while also trying a few new ones.
Now, this is the point where I would have shown you a stream of artistically shot photos of what and where we ate, but my iPhone is 3 years old (basically obsolete) and nearly crashes Instragram every time I try to use it (I am stubbornly holding out for a white iPhone 5). So instead, I’m going to talk about the places we ate and show you pictures of Bailey. Because really, I know that’s the only reason some of your read our blog.
Kyle’s parent’s flight was delayed and they were starving by the time we picked them up. Instead of risking it with a long wait, we took them to Tutta Bella in the Wallingford neighborhood. Known for their Neapolitan pizzas and amazing salads, the food is delicious and the restaurant is spacious enough that we were seated immediately. We ordered a few different pizzas, but our favorite was the Gioia; an olive oil based pie with prosciutto, arugula and a fried egg on top.
A few days later, we stopped by Bastille in Ballard for drinks and snacks before going to the nearby Tractor Tavern for a concert. (Ironically, one of the two bands playing was Other Lives, a band from Stillwater, OK. And yes, Kyle’s mom totally rocked out.) Anyhow, Bastille’s slogan is “damn good French cuisine” and it really is. The main dining room is always crazy busy and that’s why we often head straight for the back bar – a dark and cozy space with a full bar and generous menu (the steak frites are always a good choice).
For our final meal of family visit #1, we headed to Ray’s Boathouse. We like Ray’s because you get the quintessential seafood experience while avoiding the downtown waterfront land o’ tourists. Located in West Ballard, the restaurant has a panoramic view of Puget Sound and on nice days the deck is where you want to be. Sadly, the deck was not open when we were there, but we did have some amazing food nonetheless.
After a day to do laundry and recoup, my dad and step-mom arrived. It was a pleasant evening, so we took them to Cicchetti in Eastlake, where we ate outside and they marveled that we didn’t have to worry about bugs. This was actually the first time we’d been there and it did not disappoint. The small restaurant shares a patio with Serafina (same owner) and focuses on smaller, Mediterranean style dishes.
[This is Bailey’s equivalent to a kid throwing a tantrum in the middle of a store. He was not ready to go home!]
For lunch the next day, we met up with Kyle at one of our all-time favorite bakeries, Macrina. This is our go-to place for celebratory cakes. In fact, I have somehow convinced Kyle that I require a cake for my birthday, anniversary and valentine’s day. (I’m thinking about adding more holidays.) Everything I’ve had there has been delicious, so you really can’t go wrong.
That night, we went to Delancey. Located in a tiny “microhood” near our house, the restaurant is a little off the beaten path but always busy. Even though it was a Thursday, there was still a wait. (Fortunately, the bar across the street got smart and put in some outdoor seating.) We filled up on thin style pizzas, wine and raspberry pavlova. Our bellies were happy.
[Still not ready…]
On Friday night, we made reservations for Ethan Stowell’s newish restaurant, Staple & Fancy. Located in a renovated brick building on trendy Ballard Ave., the restaurant serves Italian-inspired cuisine with a Pacific Northwest influence. There are a few a la carte options on the menu (which is stapled to a cedar shingle, so Seattle), but the encouraged option is a multi-course fixed price meal. And it was worth it. For a party of four, they started us off with 6-7 small appetizers and then moved on to two pasta dishes, two main dishes and two desserts. It was a great way to try a bunch of different things without the risk of disappointment and hunger. It was our first time at Staple & Fancy and we’d definitely recommend it for a special night out.
[My attempts at stern parenting were blatantly ignored.]
Are you hungry yet? We also managed to cook at home a few times, grilling salmon and halibut (on the deck!) that Kyle caught on his sea-faring adventures a few months ago. (C’mon – you know how he is around the house, is it any surprise that he would DIY our dinner too?)
So there you have it – no new progress on the house, but instead we took some time off to actually live in it. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that that’s the whole point of this adventure.
to-do list
It’s been a busy week at work for both of us, but I wanted to squeeze in at least one post. And because this topic has no related photos, I thought you might enjoy a few of Bailey keeping watch over the neighborhood. (Yeah, that’s his drool all over the glass. Dogs keep it real.)
Anyway, with family coming to visit in a little over a month, we decided it was time to finish up some 2010 straggler projects and try to get a few others completed. And hey, three-day weekend coming up!
List time! (Side note: my unscientific observation is that list-making is very popular amongst bloggers. I’m not sure why, but it makes me feel better about myself. Actually, I found a stack of old planners last weekend dating back from my freshman year in college (because why wouldn’t I keep them all??) and I glanced through a few thinking I would see how I’ve changed over the years. Nope. I’m exactly the same. The same little lists scribbled in side bars, the same blocky architectural lettering, the same tiny sketches. Apparently, this is who I am.)
So…yeah…list time!
1. Move remaining tools and remodel supplies out of basement. Done!
2. Take pile of stuff to Goodwill.
3. Clean and reorganize basement o’ shame. In progress…
4. Hang curtain at bottom of basement stairs.
5. Clean out and reorganize garage/shop. Done!
6. Finish loft.
7. Weed raised veggie garden and buy plants.
8. Weed front yard o’ shame.
9. Sand and refinish patio furniture. In progress…
10. Apply a new coat of Penofin to front stoop.
11. Design and detail backyard deck. In progress…
12. Build backyard deck.
I think we can do it. Besides, we need to get this stuff done before moving on to the real 2011 summer project – the front yard (o’ shame). Recess is over!
Bailey’s response:
Happy weekend everyone!
the yard: issues
A common thread during our remodel process has been the unglamorous and mundane task of fixing things. Unfortunately, our yard is no exception to this trend. While we’ve made substantial progress over the last several years, there are still some significant projects to undertake. The good news – we’ve had almost five years to identify the problem areas, think about how we use the spaces and come up with a priority list.
Drainage: As I write this, it has been raining for nearly 20 hours non-stop (and it’s May, hello!!) – so yeah, water management is a big deal. In older neighborhoods like ours, homes often have inadequate gutters and downspouts that either spit out directly into the yard or tie into the combined sewer and stormwater system. In all new development and remodel projects, roof runoff must either go to a dedicated stormwater system or infiltrate on site. When we replaced our roof, we installed new gutters and downspouts (our old gutters were wood!), but the water still ultimately ends up in the sewer or in our yard. This poses problems during heavy or prolonged rain, when water finds its way into our basement via hydrostatic pressure. It doesn’t happen often and it doesn’t usually do any damage because our basement is unfinished, but it’s a problem that absolutely has to be fixed before we finish out that space. In short, we’ll be doing a lot of digging around the perimeter of our house and installing a series of drains that lead to a dry well where the water can infiltrate properly and “recharge the aquifer”. I know, more dirt digging. Awesome. (Although, I think Kyle really wants an excuse to rent a backhoe.) In addition to roof run-off, we’ll also improve the infiltration rate of our planting strip. Our street is slightly sloped and during heavy rains, water comes sweeping down the sidewalk and into the planting strip, making the area a good candidate for a rain garden.
Circulation: We’ll be focusing primarily on the front yard this summer and circulation is one of the top design criteria. Basically, we need a pathway system that links the driveway, sidewalk and street to the front door, with a secondary connection to the south side yard. We want something that is modern but not in-your-face; we also want to minimize the amount of impervious surfaces as much as possible. (The catawampus concrete pavers in the above photo have to go!)
Lounging: Our front yard faces west and gets great evening sun. The stoop we built two summers ago (shown above) provides a nice, informal sitting area, but we’d like to dedicate part of the yard for general lounging and maybe even some al fresco dining (fancy!). The yard is by no means level so we’ll have to do some grading and terracing to make it work.
Soil: After we fix our drainage issues, we’ll be amending the soil like crazy. Fortunately, in Seattle our food waste gets picked up and converted to compost so we have some great local resources to go to.
Plants: This is the fun part, but it’s also the part that makes us the most nervous. Truth be told, there’s a lot we don’t know about plants and our track record is not good. The Camellia (shown above) that we painstakingly transplanted from the front to side yard during our exterior renovation – totally dead. We don’t have the details worked out just yet, but we know we want to stick with native, low-maintenance options. We’re also ok with saving money by buying smaller plants and trees and being patient while they “fill in”. Finally, we’ll install a simple irrigation system for the dry summer months and while the plants establish. And even though we rocked the mulch look far longer than we originally anticipated, we intentionally saved the landscaping for last. There is no way plants would have survived the roof tear off or all of the siding work and by not having anything to protect, it was one less thing to worry about during those projects.
Lastly, we’ve got a serious budget to work with. Last year was crazy, so this year is all about scaling down and phasing. In fact, we’ll probably complete the rest of the exterior in 3-4 phases, which will be dictated by time, cost, and sequencing of other larger projects. We’re excited to get our hands dirty and tackle this summer’s projects, but we also want to enjoy summer. There are still so many things that we want to do and explore (berry picking has been on my list for years!) and we’re adamant about making sure this summer is an equal balance of work and play. That is, if summer ever comes.
(P.S. – I’m playing around with ideas for a new blog header. The old one had been bothering me for a while and so I’ve been sketching out ideas for something simple but effective. I’m still tweaking it, but I think it’s an improvement!)
(P.P.S – Well, it pretty much rained all day so instead of cleaning up the raised veggie bed, I cleaned up the House Tour page. I created new pages for the mudroom, flex room and loft and added more up-to-date photos for the kitchen, dining and living room.)
