prepping for demo: the scope and the strategy
On past projects, prepping for demo meant moving everything out of the room and making sure we had plenty of contractor bags on hand. This time, it feels like we’re moving.
As a reminder, this is the current state of our main floor:
And the blue is the area we’re getting ready to take down to the studs.
Fortunately, we have a fairly empty basement and a strategy that will hopefully minimize the annoyance of living without a kitchen, dining or living room.
The first step in this operation is to purge and organize everything in the “affected” areas. For things we know we won’t need between now and demo (books, decorations, the ice cream maker, etc.) we’re starting to pack those items away in labeled plastic containers.
The next step is to sell or donate furniture that we’ve outgrown or that we know won’t work in the new space (which we’re finding, is basically everything).
As d-day gets closer, we’ll set up our “basement apartment” and move the remaining essential items to our new abode. We’ll then seal off the bedroom, bathroom and basement to ensure that construction dust and debris stays out.
This all happens in conjunction with finalizing and ordering materials, ironing out remaining details, finishing the porch, and working full-time. We’re still aiming for a March start date which will give us about 6 months to make it happen (with a birthday celebration in September as our completion goal). We’re excited about this major project, but also realize the value of being as prepared as possible before crossing that point of no return. Plus, it’s a good opportunity to go through our belongings and keep only the things that we really use or love.
sawdust and cake
This was our Valentine’s Day…and it was perfect.
the faucet contenders
We have spent the last week or so researching faucets (let me tell you, our dinner conversations – very stimulating) and are back to give you the full report. We haven’t found “the one”, but we have narrowed it down to a sizeable wish list. Our requirements? 1. Modern design. 2. Pull down (or pull out) spray. 3. Brushed or stainless steel finish 4. Deck mounted. 5. Quality (when buying anything with moving parts, we don’t cheap out). 6. Affordable.
Here we go:
Ono faucet from KWC. Retail price: $1133 (solid stainless steel finish). This is Kyle’s favorite faucet. The pull down sprayer is accessed via the small black knob on the back. When you’re looking at the faucet straight on (which is usually the case) you can’t even tell it’s a pull down. I’m not crazy about the lever, to me it looks spindly (even thought it’s high strength surgical steel and quite strong). Bottom line – very expensive.
Eve faucet from KWC. Retail price: $1260 (solid stainless steel finish). This is Lauren’s favorite KWC faucet. Similar to the Ono, the pull down sprayer is accessed via the small black knob on the back. It’s not as modern, but I don’t mind its feminine curves. Bottom line – still very expensive.
Faucet from Vigo. Retail price: $200 (approx). We love the simplicity and price tag for this one, but are concerned about the quality. We’ve never heard of this brand before and there is not much in the way of positive reviews or feedback on the internet. Bottom line – too risky.
Level faucet from Moen. Retail price: $425 (classic stainless finish). Simple, clean lines. This one received pretty solid reviews on faucetdirect.com. Bottom line – It’s a maybe…
Parma faucet from Danze. Retail price: $300 (approx.) Simple, looks like it’s easy to use. This one also received pretty solid reviews on faucetdirect.com. The head is a little clunky, but the price is right. Bottom line – Another maybe…
Swing C faucet from Hansgrohe. Retail price: $725 (steel optik finish) 5 star reviews on faucetdirect.com, Hansgrohe is a well-known name in the faucet world. We’re still not crazy about that button placement, and the only non-shiny finish is steel optik which drives the price up quite a bit. (Polished nickel is about $500.) Bottom line – too expensive for not being in love.
Simplice faucet from Kohler. Retail Price: $389 (vibrant stainless finish). I would really love this faucet if it weren’t for that handle. In general, we think Kohler is a great product for the price (we used their purist line for most of the bathroom), but we’re just not crazy about any of their kitchen options. Bottom line – seriously, the handle. We can’t do it.
Faucet from Kraus. Retail Price: $350 (stain nickel finish). Simple, modern and affordable! We’re not familiar with this brand and there are limited (though good) reviews out there. Bottom line – we like it, but are going to try to dig up more info…
Minta square faucet from Grohe. Retail price: $420 (SuperSteel finish). Surprisingly, we haven’t really been attracted to the square neck faucets, but this classic Grohe makes the cut. Because our faucet will be installed in front of a window, we need to be sensitive to how that looks and if it will annoy us. This style certainly minimizes the height issue. Bottom line – not in love, but intrigued…
Parma faucet from Danze. Retail price: $350 (approx. – stainless steel finish). We usually think these more professional faucets are overkill in residential kitchens. However, this gem from Danze is not nearly as towering as the other options out there. Plus, you can’t beat the price. Bottom line – we’re definitely interested, but need to find more reviews to gauge useability and ergonomics.
So there you have it, phew! The next step will be to narrow our choices down to a short list of sorts (architecture speak there), read more reviews and check to see if there are any local showrooms where we can take them for a spin.
sinked up
Last weekend we bought a new kitchen sink. It’s a modern, 18 gauge single bowl undermount that we found via Craigslist. The best part, it was on sale for $200! Our days of double bowl frustration and the inability to wash a cookie sheet will soon be over!
bathroom wall art
It took way longer than expected, but the bathroom art project is finally done! [Which means the bathroom is finally DONE!] Inspired by a post on Apartment Therapy last fall, we put together a little project constructed of “on site”, post-consumer recycled content.
First we waited several weeks until we had used, collected enough material. Then we scored the TP rolls and cut them into sections of varying widths.
We then sprayed all the pieces with a low-odor clear matte spray to protect the cardboard from any moisture laden air. Because we thought the bathroom needed a little mustard yellow, we painted the inside faces of a few.
Next we carefully arranged and re-arranged the pieces on our dining room table before gluing them together. [This is part of the reason the project took so long. Art was sharing a space with eating and most of the time eating won.] We also thought the composition would be a nice complement to our leafy shower curtain pattern.
The whole assembly is fairly light weight and is held on the wall by a series of pins. We opted to hold it off the wall a bit to create more interesting shadows.
And here is the straight-on view. This project cost about $8 (one small tube of acrylic paint, two cans of clear finish, and let’s just say the cardboard was “free”). We love that it is somewhat raw, a little delicate, and definitely edging on playful.
