The god damned sink and counters are finally in:
Still a bunch to do to them (sealing, leveling, trim, faucet) but this odyssey is done. Here’s a picture of the dining room and kitchen, so you can see the neutralish color that blends into the kitchen blue:
Still a ton to do in here, including varnishing and the floors, but we are making progress. And finally, the color I chose for the stairway and front entryway:
I don’t know how long these colors will last like this, but at this point I just need to get in there.
Dog Dawg Damn
Love that light fixture in the entry way. Hard to see color there. Very neutral, but that’s probably the point.
Congrats on sink!
Schlemazel
I know you won’t believe this JC but that went faster than average. You probably have an average number of screw-ups so you are really doing pretty well.
It looks nice
debbie
Nice sink.
Major Major Major Major
@Schlemazel: Yeah, this is coming in pretty fast. Looking good, Cole.
gene108
The counters look good.
zhena gogolia
It’s going to be a lovely house.
Schlemazel
@gene108:
JC better not piss of Michelle Malkin or we will have to hear all about them
FlyingToaster
Congrats! You’re doing better than most, from what I see around here with “This Old House”.
WarriorGirl and I were designing our dream house the other day. HerrDoktor was like, “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME‽” As if there was open land to build on anywhere inside of 128 :)
JPL
Lovely!
CaseyL
It looks so wonderful! I can’t wait for you to chronicle moving in!
trollhattan
@Dog Dawg Damn:
Yup, finding contemporary light fixtures to fit vintage homes is really tricky. This one works. Pro tip: warn tall visitors about the prongs.
schrodingers_cat
I like your cabinets and their clean lines.
Mnemosyne
@FlyingToaster:
I see you are also married to an Enemy of Fun (G hates it when I tease him that way). It can actually be helpful when I need a sounding board for things I want to do for myself, like take a daylong train trip to SF or go campaign for Hillary in Nevada.
Put a unicorn park in the backyard and stick your tongue out at him.
rikyrah
I love the sink???
Mnemosyne
I wish we could see the curved point that the living room entryway comes to. Then opiejeannie would be able to see that it’s an East Coast Craftsman.
dr. bloor
Needs more fucks, but you’re doing a terrific job, Cole.
Major Major Major Major
@FlyingToaster: Are you the fellow around these parts who uses the interrobang or is there more than one?
Suzanne
Huzzah! Good job!
I personally think neutrals are wonderful, though I like a grayer palette than most. They feel sophisticated and livable, and then your furniture and art can carry the day with color. Or you can let the lovely form of the chandelier and the architecture carry the day.
Yarrow
it all looks good. What material did you decide to go with for the counters?
Ultraviolet Thunder
Super nice, especially in contrast to the original condition.
I would bet my wallet the project has frustrated you to the point of “I’m never doing this again. I will leave this house with an EMT at either end.”
HRA
It’s beginning to look a lot like home, John. I hope you will be able to get in it as soon as possible.
Meyerman
Looks lovely. @trollhattan: I am wondering how long before JC walks below that fixture, steps in poop, reflexively leaps upward, and lays open his head on those skewers. I recommend making the tips safe with some rubber stoppers.
geg6
Just loving everything you are doing, John. Just beautiful and that sink is to die for. Still amazed at the speed this is coming along!
Mnemosyne
@Suzanne:
So, architect person, what should John’s new couches look like if he wants to be reasonably true to the style of the house without everything having wooden arms? They also need to be sturdy enough that the pets can throw up on them at least once a week.
Shana
It all is looking so great. You’re wisely staying with what the bones of the house tell you to do with cabinetry, lighting fixtures, etc. I love getting these updates.
I just finished a batch of Creamy Chicken Enchilada Chili to take to a dinner tonight. Hubby’s sitting down to watch the Washington football team game and I’m getting ready to go downstairs to visit a while with younger daughter’s cat, who needs to be kept away from our cat who doesn’t tolerate other cats. At all. When the temporary cat was living with us for a period this summer, our cat would go around the house to the windows in the basement and terrorize visiting cat to the point where she completely shredded both window screens and the sliding screen door. Sigh. Visiting cat goes to The Boyfriend’s apartment for January while younger daughter goes to Sicily for 3 weeks as part of her grad program, so that will help.
hovercraft
Love the farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets and your chandelier. The house is turning out beautifully, I love most of your choices, not that you give a shit what I think, but my favorite is still the pink room.
Mnemosyne
@Mnemosyne:
ETA: I realize the above comment assumes that John will be able to afford new couches before the next millennium, but let’s be optimistic.
Aimai
I have that sink–I adore it!
SiubhanDuinne
It’s coming along nicely, John, and it’s going to be just beautiful. Thanks for the regular updates.
Suzanne
@Mnemosyne: I don’t think John should go for period-specific furniture. I think he should go for good quality furniture of whatever style/movement he likes best. Most interior designers would agree—if you look at, say, the Obamas’ update to the White House, they brought in a lot of modern elements. But it looks balanced because they paid attention to color, proportion, and texture. I recommended that John take a look at Room & Board, because they have a lot of nice options in modern styles that I think would suit him and his lifestyle. No rolled arms, no nail heads, no fringe or skirts. But if he wants period stuff, I’m sure that there are awesome antique and architectural salvage places near where he lives.
Yarrow
The sink is lovely, but it’s funny that everyone loves the farmhouse sinks. I don’t like those single sinks at all. I lived in an apartment built in the 1930’s that still had the original sink and it was one of those large, deep, single sinks. I don’t know that they officially called it a “farmhouse sink” but it worked the same way. It was okay, but I just want a sink with two sides. I want to be able to wash dishes by hand and rinse on the other side. Or maybe soak something on one side and be able to use the other side for prepping food. I know I can use a basin inside the larger single sink, but it’s a pain and a bit awkward. I lived in that apartment for five years and was glad when my new place had a split sink.
Sarah in Brooklyn
It looks so good.
Emma
I am in love with your kitchen.
mai naem mobile
Everything looks nice. How come all we readers see are medical physical disasters for Cole? I agree about the light fixture. I see one of the animals getting underfoit and Cole tripping on the stairs into the light fixture. Not sure how you fix it though. Also,how come there’s no holes for the faucet?
Suzanne
@Mnemosyne: I am a huge fan of Charles and Ray Eames. I have a pair of LCWs that I got at a charity auction, so they were nowhere near as expensive as what DWR is selling them for. In American homes, I prefer American styles and designers, as a rule. I could see something like this in John’s home, or like the lounge chair and ottoman, if he has any coin left over.
eclare
Everything is looking great! Well done. I think you will like the big sink, I have an old house with a small split sink, and every time I try to wash a big pan or pot, water goes everywhere as I wrestle with the dish.
mai naem mobile
@Yarrow: I thought farm house sink was because of the front not the tub. I’ve seen ‘farm house’ sinks with two tubs.
Bobby D
Prediction: Squared off counter-corners around the farmhouse sink = bad idea. Most folks I’ve seen round those on the person-facing edges. Especially folks with stomachs on the less than petite side that don’t want to stab themselves in the gut everytime they wash a pan.
cosima
Love your light fixture. And your entry colour looks quite like mine — which means that it’s very nice!
Re: furniture — you are probably a long way from feeling like you’re in a position to do that, but I’ll put in a plug for mid-century. We’re in the process of buying up G-Plan furniture from various charity shops & facebook sellers when I run across them, and I think their clean lines would leave the house to shine. We’ve been able to find it very cheap when in need of TLC (sanding/staining/etc). You’re in an area where you may be able to find some G-Plan, Ercol or similar fairly cheap.
Josie
John Cole: It is all coming together nicely. I used to be a junior high librarian, and there was always a point that teachers doing a major research project with their classes would start looking panicky and wonder why they ever started such a massive undertaking. Of course, the project would proceed, and the kids would produce some really wonderful presentations, and everyone would feel really great about it. I suspect you are at that point and should just power through. You are going to be so proud when it is done and so happy to live in your lovely new old house.
Juju
@Yarrow: I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels that way about the one basin kitchen sinks. I love my double basin kitchen sink for all the reasons you mentioned. It’s nice to be able to soak on one side and still make coffee on the other side. My only requirement is that the sink has to be 8″-10″ deep. I hate really shallow sinks, and people, for that matter.
cosima
@Yarrow: I agree! I did put in a vote on a different thread for the split sink. We have one that is quite similar to a farmhouse sink, but split at about 1/3 to 2/3. We moved from a house with one huge sink, and I hated having to have a plastic bin in the sink to do dishes properly. Here in the UK most people do a strange thing with washing dishes where they don’t rinse them, so it’s a non-issue for them, but I always get skeeved out about that. I’m type A about washing dishes.
However, John’s got a lovely sink, and he will love it, I’m sure! For others, though, something to keep in mind… Getting the kitchen right is always job #1. It was definitely where I spent the most time in planning for our new house.
Gretchen
Looks great. I especially love the sink.
John Cole
lol at buying furniture this year.
or next.
weeps
Tenar Arha (same Tenar, more Nameless Ones)
@FlyingToaster: Heh. Based on what I’ve seen you buy a small old ranch, tear it down & build a bigger house to replace it.
Steve in the ATL
@Suzanne: I was raised by an architect, and he and every architect I have ever known has had an Eames chair. Sort of like every lawyer has a gray suit and every doctor has a Mercedes.
Juju
For furniture, since you have dogs, I’d recommend slipcovered. I have Rowe slipcovered couch and love seat, and dogs and clumsy people in my family, and it’s nice to be able to take the covers off and wash them when accidents happen or if there is a dog film buildup. Pottery Barn also has nice slipcovered furniture.
Juju
@John Cole: Do what I do and think Powerball.
amygdala
It may not be coming together as quickly as you’d like, but it sure looks terrific.
Villago Delenda Est
Progress is being made! Lookin’ good, John. You’ve got some taste!
Suzanne
@Juju: Shallow sinks are great for disabled/aging people, and are bad for everyone else.
CaseyL
@John Cole: You have furniture in your current house, yes? We don’t need to imagine you camping out with sleeping bag and collapsible chairs surrounded by all that customized gorgeousness?
Incidentally, unless you have a deep aversion to the idea, I’ve found amazing furniture at consignment stores. Used, yes; but items at consignment stores (as opposed to thrift stores*) are usually better quality, in better condition. I think all of my living room furniture came from consignment – except for my scrumptious Bombay Company green-marble topped tables, which came from craigslist. IOW, the only items I bought “new” were the bookshelves.
*Not a knock on thrift stores, which I also love shopping at. More fun, IMO, than going to a showroom or department store, because you comb carefully through everything, never knowing what you’ll find.
Yarrow
@mai naem mobile: That could be. I’ve only seen “farmhouse sink” with one large, wide sink, so that’s what I thought it was.
Suzanne
@Steve in the ATL: Eames chairs are the best. Followed closely by Barcelona chairs.
Suzanne
@Yarrow: What you’re referring to is an”apron sink”.
cosima
@John Cole: I’m still going to plug G Plan furniture — if you can find it at a garage sale or similar.
I’ve just looked on ebay and see that it is a hot commodity on your side of the pond. The sideboard that we bought at a charity shop for £50 is about $2000 on ebay.com. My husband went to collect the sideboard and didn’t tie it down properly, it fell over in the van he rented, and the integrated handles were broken off, some of them into dozens of pieces that he had to glue together like a puzzle. It all looks nice now, though, and it is our secret (and BJ’s).
Mnemosyne
A playlet from Chez Mnemo:
G comes back in from a walk.
Him: You’re still here?
Me: I had to wait for the first footer — a tall, dark man — to walk through the front door. That’s you.
Him: Wow, you’re really superstitious this year.
(pause)
Him: Yeah, okay.
Suzanne
@CaseyL: John has the Nagel-est end tables I have ever seen.
Yarrow
@cosima:
I know! Isn’t that gross? I don’t get it at all. It’s not like there’s a water shortage there or something. Feel like you end up eating off a soap film.
Shana
@Suzanne: Love the Eames too. My dad had one of the chairs and ottomans which I have inherited. Along with his Herman Miller George Nelson-designed bedroom set and his teak dining room table, chairs and sideboard which we now use in our remodeled kitchen. It’s beautiful mid-century modern stuff. The advantage to having a Frank Lloyd Wright loving architect for a father.
Steve in the ATL
@Yarrow: and you don’t want anything to interfere with the delicious taste of British food!
Juju
@Suzanne: I hadn’t thought of that. I was thinking of builder grade stainless steel kitchen sinks that are 4″-6″ deep. My sister had one in her house until she replaced it, which was 2 days after moving in. The bowl divider actually flexed, it was that cheap. You make a valid point. I now only hate most shallow sinks.
Yarrow
@Suzanne: Sorry…which one is the “apron sink”? The one large tub or the split sink?
Yarrow
@Steve in the ATL: British food is pretty good these days. Some of the gastropubs are quite the foodie havens. Still love to boil those vegetables, though.
CaseyL
@cosima: Etsy has some G Plan items, with prices ranging from “not bad” to “are you fucking kidding me.” It’s not my aesthetic but if John’s interested he might want to check it out there.
Ultraviolet Thunder
@Suzanne:
Our 1939 house is Bauhaus style. Of course I bought some Barcelona chairs. They were not kind to my back and out they went. I would love an Eames lounger but we lack the free space for that footprint.
The house came with an original sofa purpose built for a curved glass block wall. In the ’70s it was reupholstered with predictably icky results. 2 years ago we could finally afford to have it redone by an old school English upholsterer literally across the street. It’s now a deep cobalt blue and our favorite piece. The upholsterer has threatened to lock the door the next time he sees a curved sofa though.
Good furniture is worth waiting for.
I found an original Arco floor lamp in a junk shop and the marble base exactly matches the fireplace.
gene108
@CaseyL:
I have found some second hand furniture to be reasonably priced. Of course, I sometimes feel Target furniture is pricey ?
satby
@Yarrow: And at some point I intend to rip out the double sink I have and put in a single deeper sink so that I can squeeze in a dishwasher. This house doesn’t have one, so I have to redo one wall to make room for more cabinets, a dishwasher because I hate washing them by hand, and a smaller refrigerator so I can have it in the same room as the kitchen. I know people who say they think the dishes get cleaner washing by hand, but I’m skeptical that they can wash in water as hot as the dishwashers get. I really miss having one.
Suzanne
@Yarrow: Either one can be an apron sink. The apron refers to how the front of the sink is exposed, as opposed to behind a cabinet.
Yarrow
@satby: For awhile my cousin had a portable dishwasher in her house. She’d roll it out, plug it in, wash the dishes for her family of five, then roll it back to wherever they stored it. I’d never seen something like that but perhaps it might work for you to tide you over until you remodel?
ETA:
@Suzanne: Thanks! Learn something every day.
nutella
I’m going to have to disagree with everybody. Those square sinks look ridiculous. But totally in style!
I also have to wonder: Conventional sinks have the top edges curved over so there’s no gap between the sink and the counter to collect food waste. These square thingies seem to be specialized to collect food waste along the edges. @aimai, since you have one of these, does it look like it will be a problem?
Suzanne
@Juju: I do institutional and commercial architecture,so I have to deal with ADA and other accessibility regulations, and so we have to put shallow sinks in almost everywhere. Everyone hates it.
Ultraviolet Thunder
@Yarrow:
I used to have a wheeled portable that connected to the sink. It worked fine.
My sister has a countertop dishwasher that works great for 2 people. She says it was cheap too. Dunno the brand.
Suzanne
@nutella: That is a problem with that style of sink, yes.
O. Felix Culpa
@satby: Happy New Year! It was great seeing you in Chicago! I’ve been out of commission with a vile flu, but made it back home ok. Will send pix to AL soon.
Our little dog got his first New Year’s bath today using your wonderful doggie soap. He’s now white and fluffy again.
ETA: Ms. O did the bathing of the dog, while I provided moral support from the sofa.
satby
@gene108: Right now about 1/2 of my furniture is thrift/resale/handmedown stuff, which works well with the shabby (not very) chic atmosphere of a 1900-era house. I like hunting for and repurposing pieces. My pride and joy is an 80 year old antique sofa and matching chair my kid salvaged from an estate clean out he helped with. I had it upholstered in a traditional fabric and the guy said it was the prettiest piece he had ever done. Comfy too, bonus because old furniture often isn’t.
satby
@O. Felix Culpa: I just caught up on the earlier thread, and thank you! I owe you an email, happy you’re doing better!
Yarrow
@Ultraviolet Thunder: One of my friends had those drawer dishwashers. Two of them. They’d run one and put things in the other then run it while loading into the first. I think it saved money because they are smaller and use less water. I like the idea of the drawer dishwasher as people get older. Especially for retirement places that have kitchens. They’re a better height for older people.
satby
@Ultraviolet Thunder: @Yarrow: A portable was suggested, but I don’t really have room to put it away when I’m not using it. Since I need to do some new cabinets anyway, may as well get a built in one.
Yarrow
@satby: I think my cousin’s had a top on it that allowed it to sort of work as a kitchen island. Can’t remember now.
Suzanne
@Yarrow: The drawer dishwashers are less efficient because they use almost as much energy to do fewer dishes. They’re convenient, though.
Villago Delenda Est
@John Cole: Thurston would just destroy any new furniture before Steve even gets a chance!
Yarrow
@Suzanne: I think they’d be great for people living alone. And especially older people so they can avoid bending down to load and unload.
Suzanne
@Ultraviolet Thunder: I have some great finds, too. Love nice furniture, wherever it comes from. I like to go to consignment and salvage places when I travel, since what is available is very different regionally. Last time I was in Fayetteville visiting my in-laws, I went to an antiques fair. There was a disturbing amount of Nazi memorabilia.
Talked to my FIL this morning. He asked us—AGAIN—to move out there. I said NO, trying to be both polite and firm. He asked me why I didn’t want to live out there. I did not bring up the Nazi memorabilia.
Suzanne
@Villago Delenda Est: I don’t let my dogs on the furniture for that very reason. Dogs have a whole lovely floor and memory foam beds, so get off my couch.
Yarrow
@Suzanne: Wow. Fayetteville where? There are quite a few Fayettevilles. Now that Trump is taking over, seems like there would be a run on that sort of thing.
danielx
Looking good, and if you haven’t had any structural surprises like basement walls out of true* you’re doing great.
*There is a solution other than wall jacks – carbon fiber straps bedded in epoxy.
CaseyL
@Suzanne: Yes, but their humans are up on the sofas, so that’s where they want to be.
I have cats, and decided long ago not to even fight the battle of furniture-as-scratchpost. There’s no way to win, unless you want to sit up all night, every night, lurking in the living room, spray bottle in hand. Though in all honesty, they’ve only ruined one chair (an upholstered leg of which has been clawed down to the internal wood frame); and a sofa that I did as much damage to as they did, what with spilling food and drink all over it (and which has been replaced).
satby
John, the hallway color looks like Revere Pewter from Benjamin Moore, is it? It looks great and I have been considering a warm grey for my hall and stairway too.
quakerinabasement
It all looks great, Cole. You deserve to feel satisfied.
Shana
@satby: One thing to think about when choosing cabinets: when we bought our house 24 years ago (built 1986) and had to replace our dishwasher we were limited to Maytags because they were the only ones that were short enough to fit under our cabinets. Cabinet heights seems to be higher now so you may not have that problem, but just keep it in mind.
O. Felix Culpa
@satby: A friend of mind used Revere Pewter in her house…loved it!
Shana
@O. Felix Culpa: We have something similar in our dining room and love it. It also matches our china.
debit
John, I love the colors you picked. Very soothing and calm.
Louise B.
@Yarrow: I have dishwasher drawers at my house, and I like them. However, they have lots of plastic parts, so they break a lot, especially as they get older. When mine gives up the ghost I will replace it with a conventional model.
Suzanne
@O. Felix Culpa: Revere Pewter is the best. Also love Rainy Season and Cloud.
Suzanne
@Yarrow: Fayetteville, Arkansas, home of the Razorbacks.
@Shana: Standard residential cabinets are 34.5″ high, and the countertop should be 1.5″ high. Domestic appliances are sized to fit in that 34.5″ space.
Kristine
Kitchen looks great–I like the sink and the countertop. I want to paint my cabinets off-white, and have had my eye on a new countertop in shades of brown. I’d also love a farmhouse sink, but that may require more work than I want to expend on this house. We’ll see.
seaboogie
@Suzanne: @John Cole:
Since we are enjoying these previews of the construction process of Walter’s former residence and the new BJ Headquarters, and since we also have a few opinions to offer on furnishing HQ, may I suggest that we do a fundraiser either here at BJ, or – if Cole is uncomfortable with such – a GoFundMe to get John a snazzy new sofa and some Suzanne-approved non-Nagel end tables? I’m in for a Jackson if we want to do it.
My suggestion for the sofa is something study and mid-century, and – forgetting the color of the living room, but knowing that John likes color – something in the persimmon family, color-wise?
Also, in my experience (selling furniture in a cool and funky asian import/vintage place) the hardest piece of furniture to get right is the coffee table. On this subject – to go with the aforementioned sofa – I’d suggest a low wide bench upholstered in Kilim fabric, with a dark wood tray for books, remotes, etc. Homey, sturdy, stylish and sufficiently masculine.
satby
@Suzanne: are those other two Ben Moore paint colors too?
satby
@seaboogie: I like it! I’m in too, but John probably won’t let us chip in. Then we’ll want to visit and stuff ?
ruemara
I like the farmhouse sink, but I’ve always been partial to those. Not feeling those counters but to each their own. I’m a touch sick, having spent far too much time with those roving disease vectors known as children last night. Bundled up in my living room having massive amounts of tea & soup. Hoping it will be just a 48 hour bug. Ugh..
Re: Kitchen. It could have been much worse.
Ruviana
Just want to say hi to Ultraviolet Thunder. Peeps were wondering where you got to so glad you’re back.
Cole’s kitchen cabinets are a lot like mine. Love the style.
Skepticat
“The god damned sink and counters”
JC, as a proofreader/copy editor, I must note that you misspelled “beautiful” as “god damned.”
Mnemosyne
@CaseyL:
The way to prevent cats from destroying your furniture is to get them scratching posts and cat trees that they like even more. It can take a bit of trial and error, though — one cat likes a tall, square post covered in sisal rope while another prefers a horizontal scratcher.
And spray Feliway on your new furniture for the first couple of weeks. That prevents them from trying to put their scent on it (a secondary purpose of scratching).
cosima
@Yarrow: It is something that I’ve had to block out when eating at others’ — it’s too disgusting to think about eating their old food + soap. When we have people over and they want to ‘help’ by washing dishes I get very (in their minds) unreasonable about not letting them. We recently shared an apartment with another family over a weekend for a sporting event. I re-washed & rinsed every dish. Later I found out that my husband had too (knowing how I feel strongly about it), so it turns out the dishes were all washed 2-1/2 times (unless I could get in ahead of the other family to do the washing up).
@CaseyL: Most of what we’ve bought has been priced as close to zero as I can get it — though I’ve paid above asking price for some of it, and still considered it a bargain. I guess because it’s a UK furniture line there are loads of retirees here downsizing (or worse) so there’s a huge amount of it that floats around Scotland. The specialty shops that sell it charge somewhat extortionate prices, but I rarely go to those. However, even those don’t hold a candle to what it’s being sold in the US for. It would be aspirational furniture for me if we lived in the US.
P.S. I’d totally chip in for a crowd-funded furniture drive for Cole. I’m sure that he’d rather it went to pets or politics or something, but I consider his new forever-home as worthy a cause.
Feathers
@Suzanne: Ah. I saw a double sink I found interesting and useful. It was 2/3 regular deep sink, 1/3 shallow sink with disposal. it struck me as very practical, because you could do the vegetable washing and such in the shallow sink, while still having the deep sink for washing pots and pans. Hadn’t thought of the disability issue – but it would serve both sets of needs.
seaboogie
@satby:
That’s why I suggeseted a GoFundMe as an option. As for visiting, he has provided us with an actual map to the new joint, but I think we are wise enough to know that this would be a VERY BAD idea for all concerned. That said, in my mind’s eye, I visit virtually, and retreat to the 3rd floor blue bedroom, with noise-cancelling headphones, and maybe Steve could drop in when he’s not busy being all poo-ey.
Don’t want to be a party to Cole bitching that the upholstery on the new sofa is itchy because he’s not wearing pants. Nope.
SiubhanDuinne
@cosima:
Well yeah. Considering we’re all going to be descending on him at some point, we might as well spring for decent furniture.
Tazj
The house looks beautiful. I love all the choices he made from the white shaker cabinets to the chandelier in the entrance way. Everything goes together so well. I’m also partial to blue wall colors as I have a lot of blue in my house. I have Benjamin Moore Abalone in my foyer and kitchen, it’s a cooler gray color.
My cats completely destroyed a chair I had in my bedroom, but it was old and cheap so I didn’t really care. Now, they seem more intent on destroying the area rugs I have or the upstairs carpeting. The two of them are worse than my dog ever was. Between the cats and the kids, I really need the carpeting replaced. Ideally, I would go with hardwood but it’s cost prohibitive at the moment.
m.j.
Good for you, Cole.
As someone who has lived in various hovels I need to ask, do you have a view? It seems to me that you can have a great house, but without a view it seems too insular.
seaboogie
@ruemara:
Somebody picked those light fixtures on purpose, and thought they were a good idea.
/shutters
divF
Late to the sink discussion, but will chime in anyway. When we remodeled in 2001, I went for the single sink, about the size of yours, but stainless steel with a wall-mounted commercial-grade fixture. I’m an enthusiastic cook at scale, and an absolute requirement is to be able to wrestle 30+ quart pots.
Of course, we cheat, and have a small prep sink on the other side of the kitchen.
ruemara
@seaboogie: Hey, I liked those. The yellow tile, the smaller than normal custom cabinets with weird doors, now those were just wrong.
Edited to add: This was the original
seaboogie
@ruemara: Heh. As lovely as my sweet tiny space is, I’ve got a couple of the standard, cheapo “boob” lights here, but they are sort of benign, especially as I never turn them on. Strictly lamplight here – I shrink from overhead lighting like a vampire.
Suzanne
@seaboogie: I’m in. I personally would go for neutral furniture, because I don’t like bright colors in my living space except in small doses, but others feel differently.
@satby: I think Rainy Season and Cloud are both Dunn Edwards.
seaboogie
@cosima:
If we treat Cole as a “rescue”, he might be more amenable to it. If enough here are on board, I might take the initiative to get this ball rolling. It is our BJ HQ afterall, and we are just kitting out our fort or den or rec-room or however we think of it.
FlyingToaster
@Mnemosyne: Alas, postage stamp* yards in Watertown won’t accomodate toy poodles**, let alone unicorns.
* non-conforming corner lot, less than 6000 sq ft
** Coyotes at Walker Pond; they ate 2 of a former neighbor’s cats. We also have one of the local hawks coming to check when we put bird food out for the 5 nesting pairs in our tiny trees.
FlyingToaster
@Major Major Major Major: Who, Me‽
Yes, I’m a big fan of U+203D. But I’m pretty sure I don’t in any way qualify as a “fellow”, despite my former profession as a programmer — quit after 23 years to have a kid and be mom. Also because most of what I was doing was code rescues from India or Russia and I came to hate that shit.
FlyingToaster
@Tenar Arha (same Tenar, more Nameless Ones): They build ranches in New England? Wouldn’t they be buried by the snow?
Usually I see a small cape or bungalow getting torn down, but part of what we want is a yard, so we can have the garden and the poodle and a garage that we can keep the cars in. And finding a lot with 10K sqft is gonna run million(s) in the Hub of the Universe.
RSR
oh,man, you’re going to love that deep sink….I think that’s that easiest fix to any kitchen, even a small kitchen. Let me get all my shit in the sink! And a garbage disposal.
J R in WV
@Suzanne:
I have traveled through Arkansas several times, and once I tried to look up hotels in Forest City ahead of time. Nothing found by the Google, until I recalled that it was Forrest City, named for Nathan Bedford Forrest, former CSA officer and founder of the KKK.
So no surprise to hear that there is Third Reich material available in Arkansas.
I will confess that I did stay there, as driving on was getting dangerous, and stopping way short would add a day to the trip. Also, driving in Forrest City to find dinner, there were a couple of colleges, and they appeared to be pretty well integrated, as the crowds of young people seemed to be of all kinds of folks.
No telling how that actually worked internal to the schools, clubs, social activities, etc. But still seemed positive compared to the namesake of the town. I wouldn’t want to live in some parts of Arkansas, one recreational trip we were driving north to south and the town’s only restaurant was a Pizza place, but when we asked about beer, the young lady waiting on us was “On, No Sir!!” as if I had asked for sexual favors right there on the table.
Amazing! In the 21st century!
cosima
@seaboogie: He’s his own rescue operation (vets, pets & frats). We could call it pet rescue furniture? Person rescue furniture? Maybe really wind him up and say that we’re collecting for one of those chairs that go up & down the stairs? The visual on that makes me laugh.
Aleta
Tonight the sink drain pipe that’s been leaking and saturating the basement beam it runs through, for a long time before I realized it, is finally fixed. Then right away the hot water pipe to the sink, which goes up from the basement through the same beam, started leaking from above. The water’s going back down that pipe and soaking the beam again. But this time we can’t turn off the water up above to stop the leak. It’s some universal conservation of leakage law I never knew about.
NotMax
Could have been worse.
Next step, picking out drawer and cabinets pulls/knobs.
opiejeanne
@Mnemosyne: Are you taunting me? Ha! Give me a West Coast Craftsman any day! ;-)
John Weiss
John,
The Steelers won. That should make up much for you.
You know, as a veteran of house remodelings from hell I’m here to tell you: you’ve got off easy. Try thirty years of it, dude.
jw
Jim Tarrant
Hard to tell from the first photo but the sink surround doesn’t appear to have any holes for at least the faucet and any other contraptions. How’s that going to work? (Says he working on an old house in the Shenandoah Valley near WVA).