Foodie Friday

Thank goodness for summer comfort food.

Nothing calms the soul like a smoked barbecue sandwich, topped with

homemade slaw. Right?

 



This week, I've been busy writing and troubleshooting at the farm and at the

renovation site.

 A miscommunication with the oven hood taught me a lot. I am a writer by profession, not a designer, and I see the difficulties of trying to plan a complicated space without the help of a kitchen designer.

 

 

 

Lovely workmanship, though. I hope I can repurpose them.



 

I was filled with regret. If only I hadn't kept the old cabinets. Had I really saved money for realsies? Wouldn't it have been better to start from scratch?

Too late now.

 

Down came the columns and up went corbels.

 Not sure this works, either.

The upper cabinet on the far right will be reworked, so it won't have

a super high "fivehead."

 

 

 

Everything will be painted white.

Maybe it will look better then.

 

 

I never expected so much trim.

It grew by the day.

The trim that ate New Jersey!

 

Everyone says it will look different when the cabinet doors

are installed.

 

 

Here's my inspiration picture that I found on Houzz.

It prompted me to blow out the ceiling and add a large window,

two things that were done beautifully and without blowing the budget.

 

This photo is taped to the kitchen window for the subs. They're trying hard, and

their work is pretty...the problem is me. I don't have a clear plan.

 

source: Houzz

The photo was a jumping off point, not something to replicate to the letter.

We had less space and needed a smaller window. A second tier of cabinets (upper)

would have meant ripping out the old cabinets. And the existing cabinets

were in great shape. Also, in a previous kitchen, I had double decker upper cabinets and never used the ones on top. They were just too high!

 

My kitchen has so much trim, I nixed the clock, thinking it would be too busy.

Also, I was trying to be practical: if the clock's battery died, and it eventually would, my sweet husband isn't in shape to climb on a ladder.

 

I can be messy when I'm cooking--lots of splatters--so I didn't add a spice cabinet next to the range.

I put my spice racks in pull out drawers (lower cabinets).

 

I kept the old island, too, and extended it at one end to include seating. I also added a prep sink.

 

 

On a positive note, two walls were blown out, and this made the kitchen seem bigger, though

the original footprint stayed the same.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A non-weight bearing wall made the kitchen seem smaller.

Gone, baby, gone.



 

 

 Okay, enough about design.

Let's eat some comfort food!

 

 

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 Thanks for visiting us today!

Now tell us all about your recipe.

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Renovation Diary--Mid-Summer

 

Back in January 2012, when the renovation began, I thought we would

paint and add a man cave for Dr.Will.

 

So far, it's been a wild, curvy ride.

 

Before:

 

 

 

Now:

 

 The bricks were painted SW's Tennessee Limestone.

The trim color is SW Shoji White.

 

I finally selected a shutter color, a warm gray-brown.

 

Timberlane sent sketches, along

with photos of the shutter dogs and hardware.

 We chose louvered shutters, btw.

They'll be here soon.

 

 

 

White-washing is in progress on the porch steps.

The painters are returning to apply another coat. Or two.

 

Still have to find exterior lighting. 

You may remember the inspiration photo for the kitchen.

It has intricate trim-work.

source

 

 

My kitchen is in the hands of local craftsmen.

I'm so proud of them.



 

 

 

 

Do you remember the "before" photo?

 

The "in progress" photo shows a beehive of activity. 

We're still fine-tuning the trim.

 

 

 

 The granite has arrived at the fabricator's shop.

Now, I must select an edge.



 

In the adjacent room, we're updating the fireplace.

 

BEFORE:

 

 

You can see the new mantel below:

 

Sheetrock covered the bricks.

(The base will stay as is.)

Calacatta marble will be installed around the firebox.

 

 

Coming up:

 

**Master Bath update

The vanities are from Restoration Hardware.

 

I decided not to order the marble tops after I found a pretty

slab of Super White granite. It has the look of marble, with

a bit of warmth--and it will hopefully be more durable.

 

 

 

 **  6' 8" interior doors will be replaced with 8' doors.

source

 

**The rear porch will be enclosed.

A rail will be added along the roof (and skylights).

source

 

 

Thanks so much for visiting and reading.

Have a great weekend!



 

Linking to the following parties: 

 Metamorphosis Monday 

 Wow Us Wednesdays

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits

 

 

Rattlebridge Renovation Diary--Episode 1

My husband, Dr. G, cordially invites you to the first episode of ...

Rattlebridge Renovation Diary

Here's a transcript of the dialogue between me and Dr. G.:

Dr. G: The foyer is dark and small. I hate it.

Me: It'll look bigger and brighter with white paint.

Dr. G: Are you sure?  Can white paint work miracles?

Me: To a degree, yes. It'll work in the foyer, I promise.

Dr. G.: What about the dining room? I don't like it, either.

Me: Can you be more specific?

Dr. G.: I just don't like it.

Our son, Bandwidth, came up with a solution.

Bandwidth: Why don't you enlarge the opening between the foyer and the dining room?

Dr. G. and me: Brilliant idea!

So we told the contractor, and he removed the wall.

Dr. G thinks the space looks bigger and brighter (without white paint).

The 6'8" opening is now 8'. The foyer walls will be covered with beadboard

(painted SW's Snowbound). The curved staircase post will be replaced with a square one.

In keeping with the square theme, columns (see below) will eventually flank each side of the mammoth opening.

 Me: I don't know.

Maybe we should have left these walls alone.

Dr. G: Now you tell me!!

Let's move to the kitchen/breakfast space.

(You can see Dr. G in the family room.)

First, I tried the old farmhouse table (it's used for outdoor meals).

It looked pretty good with Midcentury Modern chairs.

Needlepoint seat covers may be out of style, but I grew up with them. 

Each cover has a different design. 

 Transcript of conversation between Dr. G and me.

Dr. G.: What's wrong with that table? Can you paint it?

Me: Gosh, no. I'd ruin it!

Dr. G.: But it's already ruined!

Me: Farm tables are hard to find.

Dr. G.: Maybe that's a good thing. (Ducks and runs).

So we auditioned my father's old cherry gateleg table.

 The painting is very dear--it represents my two sons at the "fishing hole." 

Beneath the painting is a cherry library table. It came from Ballard Designs (about 10 years ago).

Dr. G. put it together and ended up in the emergency room

(the knife slipped and he came home with ten stitches).

Me: I love how items in a home are infused with good and bad experiences.

Dr. G: I don't.

Once in a blue moon, the "bad" makes the item a keeper. It reminds you of how hard you tried. Yes, you got hurt, but look at that pretty table.

In this case, the painting is too top-heavy for the table. I need something longer.

Tomorrow I'll audition this sofa table. It's a bit ornate, one leg is wonky, and the surface is damaged.

Maybe a coat of paint would help.

I'm not ready to work on the family room (above). I'm thinking and thinking.

Do you have any suggestions?

We inherited the pale blue sofa, chairs, and rug. The curvy sofa table, mirror, pillows, throw, and lamps came from our basement. Three walls are beige; one is covered with grass cloth (I thought about painting over it, but I'm worried that the texture on one wall will look strange--so the paper will probably come down).

The ornate mirror will come back to Bald Hill Farm. I'd envisioned a "Something's Gotta Give" type of living room, but it won't work with the breakfast room.

That said, paint would make a difference.

Dr. G: Here you go with paint again. (chuckles) Hey, if you leave off the "t" in paint,

what do you get?

Me: Take two Advil and call me in the morning. (Winks)

Before and (sort of, for now) After--

I love a black-and-white kitchen.  We will eventually paint the cabinets Snowbound and add black granite counters. It would take gumption on my part, but I could paint the table and chairs

and hang black and white checkered curtains. 

(I am thinking/decorating out loud.)

Photo credit: Country Curtains

I've been saving this walnut table for the dining room.

But I could use other elements in the breakfast area, like the bug prints.

The lovely painting could go in another room.

Decorating is hard.

It takes trial and error for a room to come together.

But I have one quick, easy solution:

When one is faced with too many design decisions,

eat chocolate.

UPDATE
I made another change today. Bandwidth and I removed the painting and small table and brought in the sofa table and bug prints. I also took white linen curtains out of storage
(they used to hang in our master bedroom).
This is what I ended up with--cost $0.

I like zero-dollar decorating,

so I might not order those black and white buffalo checked curtains just yet.

It's time to ponder.

Stay tuned for future episodes ...

beadboard

a fresh coat of white paint (on the beadboard)

staircase makeover

porch before and after

kitchen revamp

A Metamorphosis Monday contribution.

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