How about we renovate another kitchen? You in?
As you may or may not be aware, several years ago I bought a second house down the street from my own—an itty-bitty fixer-upper that we dubbed Bluestone Cottage. The whole thing has been a saga, from early momentum to extended periods of omg-how-am-I-ever-going-to-get-this-thing-done, to some triumphs like the basement laundry room and the backyard. In the background, framing was completed, rough plumbing and electric were installed, an insulation plan was finally approved by my building department and great progress was made there on the second floor (I’m taking on the exterior walls myself). Which is to say, it’s mostly finish work from here on out! This is a huge relief and makes me feel finally back in control after mostly waiting on legally-required tradespeople to get their acts together.
So when Lowe’s approached me about taking on the kitchen, I was ALL IN. Kitchens are usually the most difficult and expensive part of any renovation project, and once this is done, I think the rest of the house will feel relatively straightforward! I’ve wanted to tackle this adorable space ever since I bought the house, and I’m SO excited to see it come together at long last!
Care to take a little journey back in time with me?
Here was the kitchen in all her glory when I bought the house! It’s obviously very bad, in part because the house had been vacant for quite a while. Prior to that, it’s my understanding that the previous tenants absolutely wrecked the place before stealing all the copper plumbing and disappearing into the night. Something like that.
This house was renovated at some point (1990s, I think), so it lost nearly all of its original character. There was really nothing to salvage in the kitchen, which is a blessing and a curse! Let’s check out some of the fine features of this space.
One horrifying thing discovered during demo is that this wall was clearly opened up to create an enlarged doorway and some kind of pass-through or bar seating or something, but there was NOTHING structurally holding that wall up. Which is an original exterior wall of the structure (the kitchen appears to be a 1920s addition), so it’s somewhat miraculous the whole house didn’t fall down or sag significantly. So that’s fun!
This corner where the sink would have been was ROT CITY. Flooring was rotted. Subfloor was rotted. Joists were rotted. Sill plate was rotted! So we had to take care of all of that.
The old exterior door was pretty far gone, so I opted to replace it with a very similar one. Note that the window to the right there doesn’t match the other two and extends below where a countertop would sit.
Finally, maybe one of the most haunting things I’ve come across in a house—ever—was this basement access. SHUDDER. The house was sitting wide open when it was for sale, and I will never forget walking down there by myself into the darkest and most disgusting basement I’ve ever seen. It felt like the perfect place to get murdered. Yuck yuck yuck.
So we got to work! We gutted the whole space, addressed all the rot/framing issues, and swapped the super scary basement access for a polite set of stairs stacked under the main staircase.
EVENTUALLY, I persuaded a plumber to show up and do the rough-in for this house. It was an absolute nightmare, and he made off with thousands of dollars for an incomplete job that took over a year. PAINFUL. I hate him to this day, and I give you permission to hate him too.
All of this being said, the space itself feels full of potential and is so cute! The house’s ceilings are about 7.5′, and the room is about 9’x15′. There are only so many ways to go with a design plan, so I tried not to overthink it and just do what made the most sense—trying to maximize storage and counter-space, but keep it feeling as spacious as I could.
Here’s the basic plan! Which is missing a few elements (like the exterior door, and the new window going in next to it which will match the other two). A few notes!
1. The stove is staying in the middle of the wall between the two windows. This seems like an obvious choice. Standard 30″ range.
2. The sink will shift to under the window on the right side of the kitchen, looking out into the little backyard.
3. UNFORTUNATELY the dishwasher doesn’t fit to the right of the sink, so it has to live between the sink and the stove. I selected a panel-ready model so things don’t feel too appliance-heavy.
4. The fridge lives basically across from the sink. I got a counter-depth model, which will have tall pantry cabinets and space for small appliances like the microwave next to it. The whole thing will get wrapped in plywood to feel very built-in.
5. This leaves a little under 5′ between the two walls of cabinets, which feels generous enough for such a petite space.
Got it? Not complicated.
This will more or less be the view when you walk into the house, looking through the living and dining spaces to the back. That’s primarily why I chose to put the sink on the other end of the room, so you don’t see a kitchen sink the second you walk in the front door!
Can you see it now? I have a strong suspicion I’m going to be very jealous of this adorable kitchen, considering mine still looks like some half-baked mess of an idea of something that wants to be a kitchen.
Here is a very simple mood board I threw together to give you an idea! Quaint! Cottage! Kitchen! I’m hoping for something that feels simple and classic but well-designed, and keeping the budget between 10-15K. So the whole strategy is to spend money strategically—picking and choosing where to splurge a little and where to pinch pennies.
NOW. OBVIOUSLY. IT MAY GO WITHOUT SAYING. This is a very strange time to be renovating a kitchen. Or doing anything, really. We’re in the midst of a pandemic, and aside from the mass trauma and grieving process we’re all experiencing, it just makes everything more challenging. I’m used to frequent trips to get supplies, and now I’m trying to rely completely on orders and deliveries. Vendors are closed, leaving some parts of this totally up in the air. So to some extent, this kitchen plan will evolve alongside the changing situation in New York and across the country, and that’s OK. I can be flexible. We’ll all figure this out together.
1. For appliances, I’m aiming for mid-range—nice but not nice enough to totally break the bank, and from a trusted brand since I’d like to sell this house when all is said and done. I’m thinking this Whirlpool range, this Whirlpool fridge, and this Bosch panel-ready dishwasher. I like the clean lines of the Whirlpool appliances, and I have no problem with a stainless finish! I love that the stove doesn’t have a big panel/digital display in the back with settings for reheating chicken nuggets and whatnot.
2. For cabinetry, I’m going fairly low-end with IKEA (for what it’s worth, I adore IKEA kitchen cabinets!) and DIY shaker fronts from Semihandmade. There aren’t a lot of cabinets, so upping the budget to accommodate non-IKEA fronts felt worth it. They won’t be as beautiful as the deVol ones on the mood board, but hey—can’t have it all.
3. Lighting! Because the ceilings are so low, flush-mounts for the ceiling and sconces on the wall should provide enough light and look cute doing it. I was super thrilled to find these affordable and classic sconces at Lowe’s, along with these lovely schoolhouse-y flush-mount fixtures! Four light fixtures for about $400? Not bad at all.
4. THE. SINK. Oh yes he did. Definitely a splurge for America’s sink du jour, the Kohler Whitehaven. It’s gorgeous, it’s farmhouse, it’s enameled cast iron, it will last a lifetime, and soon it will be HERE. I squeezed in a 30″ model—a little large for this small space, but I think a nice big kitchen sink is so nice and it felt worth making it work.
5. For the faucet, I went with this affordable black Delta number that I used in the last kitchen I did at Burgevin Gardens. The homeowner and I were both really impressed by the quality and while I love the look of a couple unlaquered brass taps or whatever, realistically I’d want to live with a modern single-lever sink with a pull-down sprayer. Sue me!
6. For the backsplash, we’re going cheap cheap cheap with a new take on inexpensive white tile. I have a plan, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen it done, and I’m psyched to do it!
7. Knowing full well that I’m walking right into commentroversy here, I WANT MARBLE COUNTERS. I love honed marble counters unapologetically, and I’m one of those people who thinks they get better with age after an initial awkward phase as they start to accumulate patina. Here’s the thing: this is totally up in the air. I had it all scheduled and budgeted, and now my trusted local countertop source is closed until further notice because of the virus. So I don’t know. Might be time for a Plan B. I was so excited for the marble, though—I NEVER have the budget for natural stone on my jobs, but I wanted something fancy in this kitchen and was so excited to just go for it and take this thing to another level. Sigh. (yes I realize this is hardly something to complain about at a moment like this, but when has that ever stopped me before?)
8. FLOORS! While the existing floors are now just OSB subfloors, I’m re-laying the antique pine flooring that came out of this house! It’s going to be so pretty, and it’s nice to add some of the old back into this completely new space. I want it to feel like it’s been there forever! I’m glad we seem to have reached a point as a culture where people are no longer shocked and appalled by wood floors in a kitchen, particularly because I think having continuous wood throughout the first floor of this house will really help expand the small footprint.
9. Originally I wanted to do beige cabinets in the last kitchen at Burgevin Gardens—we ended up going with a deep blue that I think was totally the right call, but my beige cabinet dreams are not dead! So I think this is my moment to live out my beige-iest fantasies. I still cannot explain why I am so gung-ho about beige all of a sudden, but it’s not for me to know.
10. Hardware! Totally TBD, but I did order a sample of this rather expensive (but I don’t need THAT many of them!!) glass bin pull, and it’s so damn pretty. So we’ll see about that.
Ya dig? Let’s make it happen! Me and my quarantine-roommate, Juliet, are about a week into work, and so far things are going swimmingly. It’s so nice to have a buddy to work with! Juliet has also been helping me film stuff for Instagram Stories, so you can now see the project unfold on the daily AND be treated to a whole lot of my beautiful face and unparalleled physique.
PS—I just want to say a huge, HUGE thank you to everybody who has become a patron over on Patreon! I’m completely blown away, very touched, and extremely grateful. Nearly overnight it’s become a significant portion of my income, so I’m working on ways to make it super worth it for you. I’m the luckiest blogger guy in the history of blogger guys. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Can’t wait to see it done – you have such great vision!
“Porn creates unhealthy and unrealistic expectations about how fast a plumber will show up at your house.” This quote seems applicable here. Unfortunately I can’t remember the author. Lovely to see progress on this kitchen. Your stories are my favorite TV show.
HAHAHAHA.
What would Grandpa do? Still love that motto from the basement reno. Hope you keep it going into this space too. I feel like Grandpa is mighty ressourceful in times of crisis.
TOTALLY. This project is alllll about using up those leftovers and just figuring it out!
THIS is what Grandpa would do:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N9RCQjPqh4
The instructional film is hokey in that 1949 way, but many of the ideas about use of space, storage and organization are really good.
loved it!! thank you for sharing!
Yay so excited for this!! I am continuously impressed by your vision (and humor!). THANK YOU for re-laying the wood floor in the kitchen. I know for a fact that your content is going to get me through this pandemic safe and sane.
I feel the same. The creativity and perseverance and integrity — the dressing for dinner! yay! — are inspiring. Hoping this finds you safe and amused.
I’m having so much fun watching your stories on the daily! Excited to see this come to fruition.
This house is so adorable. I can’t wait to see it in a much improved, much loved, state of glory. Opening instagram like every two hours just to see what you’ve been up to, it’s ok if your mom stalks you though, right?
Of course it is!
Aww, so glad Blue Stone Cottage is getting some kitchen love ;)
Intrigued to see what those glass bin pulls look like IRL!
I’m so loving this. this content and what’s on insta-stories is what’s getting me through quarantine. and another kitchen! your kitchens are the best, so this is exciting.
God bless Lowe’s for having the good sense to sponsor you :) I have popcorn and will be watching the project unfold here and on the instagrams…
Been waiting along time for this one…and can I just repeat that it is so lovely to see your handsome smiling face on your Instagram stories now you have a “pro” camerawomen!
We need the distraction of you covered in dust at this moment in time.
Haha, thank you Debbie! Now you get to see my increasingly worse bedhead now that I can’t visit the barber!
Wow! What an outstanding plan you have there. Hubby and I did an Ikea kitchen 6 yrs ago in our tiny townhouse and loved it to the end. (recently bought a house.) It was a 64 sq ft kitchen, and it all came in at less than $5,000 (Total DIY) for the whole shebang. Ikea cabinets are great!
I have been checking Insta every day (multiple times a day, if we’re being honest) for stories! Love that we get to see you in them, what with your live-in camera person! So excited to see this kitchen come together. I love a little tiny kitchen like this, and it is a great layout. Those glass pulls are gorgeous!
I have been intrigued by Semihandmade cabinet fronts and am excited to see how they work out here!
me too! I’ve known about them forever but never had the chance to use them!
jumping up and down with excitement. Also very interested to see what you’re going to do with the tile. I have a 6×7 kitchen that has no tile backsplash, and after 2 years of living here, I think it’s time. But I am so cheap….so I’ll be very interested to see what you have planned!
I love all of this – especially the thought for where the sink is going and that long surface for prep or coming in from the side door will be great to put groceries down on, etc. Have you considered an open shelf to the left of the range on both sides of the window? It could line up with the hood to flow, but obviously not be as deep as the built in hood? I can only imagine keeping some spices out, or some cute herb plants that would love some kitchen light there. Feels like it would keep things airy, while still giving some pretty display/storage space… although I know you did mention something above the radiator. Excited to see where this tile is going. Keep insta-story-ing on.
I did consider that! It might still happen, but I felt like it would end up feeling a little cluttered since it’s such a small space with low ceilings. But we’ll feel it out as things come together!
“I think the rest of the house will feel relatively straightforward.” Good one! Is it ever straightforward with these old houses? I hope that will be true. Looks like a great kitchen design.
HAHA, it is NOT! But kitchens just have so many moving parts! They’re just harder!! But nothing is easy, ever. Ha!
I’m so excited to see this take shape!
Is there room for some sort of landing zone next to the fridge or is that a full height walk through next to it? Even in a small galley-style kitchen, I found it really annoying not to have a surface next to the fridge.
This was a matter of great personal (and instagram) debate! I decided to go with full-height pantry cabinets next to the fridge rather than additional counter space, since I think ultimately storage is the biggest challenge in here. I don’t know if it was the right call, but that *seemed* to be the general preference when I voiced my uncertainty.
I am so looking forward to following this renovation!
As a recent home-buyer in a somewhat up and coming old part of town, I have a maybe unwelcome hot take. I LOVE marble and am sure what you do will look beautiful, but I would much rather have even basic, stock all wood cabinetry and a less expensive counter over Ikea cabinets and marble. The counter could be replaced if necessary much more easily than the cabinets. You’re investing in appliances and that gorgeous sink – I would spend more on quality cabinets to hold all those up too. Just my two sense; you always make it work!
After 6 years, our Ikea cabinets still looked new when we sold our townhouse. They have state-of-the-art hinges and “silent” easy slide drawers. They are great value for the money! There’s that point of diminishing returns and all…..
I hear ya, but do you have experience with IKEA kitchen cabinets? They really are very nice—25 year warranty, soft-close drawers and doors come standard, easy to modify later on because it’s all modular…I’ve had great experiences with them!
HURRAY!!! I’m so ready for another kitchen. Smart move Lowe’s and here’s to all the inevitable twists & turns that’ll happen along the way!
I think a wood hood instead of a tiled one would look so cottagey and beautiful!
Yeah, I’d like to see a different texture for the hood than tile.
Could totally happen! Everything is always subject to change when I’m involved, haha!
Looking forward to this! Also, future left-handed tenants will love that dishwasher set up.
As a leftie, I endorse!
P.S. Juliet is lovely!
I dig the layout, and I love the floors. I’m agnostic about both beige and marble, so I’m totally willing to see your vision and be convinced.
What I don’t get is the wall of subway tile. (I know it’s my BEC-can’t-do-no-right, but I swear it’s going to be the 20teens version of the 20tens shiplap and the 90s granite counters.) whyyyyyyyyy.
don’t fear! the subway in the rendering is a placeholder. it won’t be basic subway!
As someone who has lived in many houses & worked in many kitchens- side by side fridges are the worst-the freezer can’t hold a frozen pizza box or a baking tray if you need to quick freeze things such a blueberries. A good size turkey won’t fit either side. ”â™€ï¸ A bottom freezer/top fridge is much more functional in a smaller size . The rest of the kitchen will be perfect!!!!
Ya know what? You’re right. So right. I hate them too. I like the *look* of this fridge (the shape of the handles, mostly), but I canceled the order and swapped it for a bottom freezer/top fridge because I, too, would not want to live with the side-by-side. Been there, done that! Thanks for having my back! :)
Your posts and stories about working on this kitchen are gonna keep me sane through this pandemic, I swear to god. Bless you and I am also thankful that Juliet showed up to be your camera gal, because it’s extra fun to see you in front of the camera. Plus she’s cool!
I’m also bummed about the marble! I’m with you– I like the patina once the awkward first year or two of wear is past, and I love how light colored marble bounces light around. There’s nothing quite like it!
Really curious to see what you do with the tile!
Question: why a 30″ stove for a small cottage type house with a small kitchen ? I have a vintage 22″ stove in my small and awkward kitchen (1890’s house) – and reclaiming those 8″ from the previous 30″ stove was a blessing.
I agree with this comment about the stove. I’ve frequently wished for a smaller stove in exchange for a few more inches of counter space.
Ya know, I never considered a smaller stove! I guess *mostly* because 30″ is just the modern American standard—it’s very uncommon to see a smaller stove in a house here (apologies if this is obvious—not sure where you’re from!), and options for replacement would be much more limited. At least here, I’d say they’re generally associated with small NYC apartment kitchens, generally not in a good way!
I’ve been hoping and waiting for this kitchen reno! I’m so excited that you’re tackling this now, despite the crazy obstacles! Go, Daniel, go!
PS Please include puppy pics with each post! Hello, pandemic. We NEED all the cuteness and your two never fail to deliver.
I am onboard with the placement of the dishwasher! To me it makes perfect sense when considering functionality of the space: It’s right across the tall cabinets (where I imagine you might keep plates and stuff, since there’s no uppers).
And placing the dishwasher across the fridge allows you to have both dishwasher and pantry doors open at the same time, when you unloading the dishwasher. Win!
I know it’s unsexy, but kitchen layouts and usefullness of that space matters greatly to me! The interweb is full of amazingly beautiful kitchens, with horrible layouts. (I always assume it’s because they are designed by people with excellent taste, who primarily use a kitchen to make coffee and reheat take-away.)
Haha! Glad it has the stamp of approval!
Oh! I am so looking forward to this one! I am so taken with your skills, and foresight. Clever boy!
For what it is worth, we opted for honed bianco carrara countertops in the kitchen, and I am so glad I wasn’t talked out of them.
On the DIY end, one thing you might explore is buying a prefab stone countertop and cutting and honing it yourself. (They only seem to come in gloss, wtf!)
We did this on a free piece of bitchin’ glossy brown/black 90s ubatuba granite for our hearthstone. And now it is grey and honed and lovely.
We used a variable speed dry polisher (600-800 rpm) to wet sand the granite with a high quality white diamond resin pad (400 grit) and a spray bottle of water (use GFI Outlet!). It just takes patience and makes a mess (use GFI Outlet!). Make sure the stone is well supported, go slow, and wipe it down frequently to check your coverage. For a couple of minutes it may seem like nothing is happening, and then you’ll notice the glossiness starting to disappear. Better yet, try it out on a scrap piece of stone if you are fortunate enough to have one.
We plan to do a black pearl laundry countertop and white marble sills next, but finishing with 600 grit.
Honing is the easy part, though. You’d still have to figure out any cuts, seams, and holes for fixtures. Fortunately, it looks like the range divides up the countertop into short enough lengths that you wouldn’t need to deal with any seams. The cuts for the farmhouse sink may or may not be a challenge depending on shape (curves are tough), and you’d need to be really careful drilling the hole for the faucet behind the sink. This also assumes that you can get a hold of a prefab countertop in a safe way right now.
On the other hand, if you need sink cutouts in fancy shapes, a bunch of holes drilled, a fancy edge profile, and/or want a “15 year” sealant applied, it probably makes sense to stay with a countertop fabricator. We worked with a fabricator in the kitchen (and they did an awesome job), but opted to go the DIY route for the rest of the house (straight unpolished cuts, not much for seams, few holes to drill) to try to stay in budget.
Whatever you choose to do, it will come out great! Always a pleasure to see your projects come together.
Thank you Anna! I considered this, but I’m not sure where to even get the slabs to begin with! I do need a sink cut-out for an undermount sink that would make me very nervous to do myself, but otherwise it’s pretty straightforward!
I am an instagram refuser/holdout going back YEARS because I just couldn’t stand the idea of one.more.social.media.account BUT, for you Daniel I caved. I couldn’t stand that I missed out on all the Insta stories you posted about the last kitchen. Now I’m checking it multiple times a day (exactly the reason I didn’t want an account) and I have to say NO REGRETS! Seriously. Your stories in the age of pandemic are keeping me alive and sane. I’m learning so much, I’m endlesy amused and I love your cheery smiling face. I really do feel better after seeing you each day. Juliet is the bomb too. Its been great. I love what you are doing, your philosophy about pulling together a space and your fresh vision. As an unemployed interior painter its been a light in dark days to follow this transformation. Thank you so much!
Haha! I’M SORRY!! But happy you’ve joined us on the ‘gram! Thank you! :)
I had my first experience working with a contractor a couple of years ago and he totally ripped us off and in my mind, stole thousands of dollars from us by doing a terrible a job on A LOT of things. It is comforting to know that even experts like you can’t get away from shitty contractors! We felt so stuck and lost on what to do. He was threatening to take us to court if we didn’t pay him and although that might not have been true, we weren’t in a place financially to risk it so we paid him and just washed our hands. I wonder how many people he’s done this to in his career. I still think often about how much I hate him. Even worse? He’s was a family friend and thinks he’s done nothing wrong and never apologized for his sub-contractors shoddy work. It’s amazing to me how common of a problem this seems to be in that world. Anyway, watching this unfold on IG every day is one of my few joys during this fucked up season we’re all in! Stay strong Daniel! We need you!
Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh! Getting ripped off is just the worst—I think the betrayal and principle of it is almost worse than the lost money…it just feels SO AWFUL. That people can do that, and get away with it, and not lose sleep over it…horrible.
This is the only content that feels right, right now!!! You deserve your patreon subscribers! No need to do anything more to make it worth it. Yesterday I thought of Mr. Rogers saying “look for the helpers”. YOU are one of the helpers. Just the 5 min of joy everyday from your stories. Thank you!
Thank you, Virg! <3 <3
I can’t wait to see how the floors in their glorious final incarnation influence your choice as to exactly which beige.
Followed your blog from day one, congrats on 10 years of creative reno with true integrity. Also, as I’ve often said, it’s about resurrection of things and spaces for yourself and the future. I literally cried when you took down and cleaned and reused every original siding board off your house. Are you watching *The Repair Shop*? God don’t make junk!!!!
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/shortcuts/2019/aug/26/most-moving-show-television-we-should-all-watch-the-repair-shop
Delighted to support you and more deeply creative reno through Patreon.
Thanks for so much inspo for so long, and in these dark times. Next year in Jerusalem!
I know what you mean. The picture of the newly restored front hall literally brought tears to my eyes.
Thank you so much for the kind words and for your support through Patreon! Much appreciated!! And yes, I binged the Repair Shop a little while ago—loved it!!
Yay! New project. I am busy home schooling and my job at the same time, but would rather be working on a home project. Your projects bring me much needed Joy. Please keep up the awesome work :)
I’m excited to see where this goes! But I’ll echo someone below… side by side refrigerators are the WORST. Please do don’t do it. For everyone’s sake.
Consider! It! Changed!
I am so beyond excited to watch you do another kitchen. Cannot wait.
I hope the marble works out! It would/will look so good!
Thank you for your faucet honesty! There are so many gorgeous faucets out there, but a single-lever is so much easier to use! I replaced mine years ago and haven’t regretted it once. Who wants to fiddle with knobs when your hands are a mess?
I don’t know if I’ve said it before, but I ALWAYS cheer when I see a new post from you. I so wish you could come deal with my kitchen (not to mention just hang out.)
These plans look amazing as does the floor. Maybe install an induction stove b/c when it’s not being used, that flat surface makes great counter space. And it cooks as well as a gas cooktop, according to reviews I’ve read.
For a landing strip by the fridge, maybe a smallish rolling utcher block stashed on the end wall?
I’m so happy to see the Bluestone Cottage finally coming back to the forefront. I love that little house and can’t wait to see you bring it back to life.
It’ll be gorgeous I’m sure, but that view as you come in? Please consider lining up the cupboards below the counter with the window!
No! It’s a space that is begging to be 3 wide and you’d divide to be equal thirds, not just about the look from the front door. It would be odd in the kitchen space.
One of the limitations of stock cabinetry! I think as an actual room, it won’t look weird, but that bugged me on the renderings, too!
Love all of this. I wish you had started your Patreon earlier! but so glad you did it. Your instagram stories are perhaps my favorite content right now, full stop. I love that you have an assistant because jokes aside, it’s great to see your handsome smiling face and get a sense of who you are in addition to seeing your projects from your perspective. You are doing god’s work providing a distraction from this pandemic–so glad you are getting paid for your work and so glad you’re here. <3
Thank you so much, Carolyn!
You have to swap the fridge and panty. The fridge is constantly accessed for drinks throughout the day and should be closest to the living spaces instead of closest to the basement stairs.
It will make the traffic pattern while cooking better too as people don’t have to fully pass the chef every time they want a drink while dinner is being prepaired.
Out of curiosity, why no uppers? With such a small kitchen, I would think the added storage would be useful.
I agree. I could NEVER deal with no uppers and I’m short.
Mostly because there isn’t that much space for them! I figured the tall pantry cabinets would pick up some of the storage slack, and there’s space for something over the radiator which I’d like to be pretty and vintage/antique!
Have you thought of putting a microwave/vent combo over the range for space saving. Other suggestion is a Induction cook top over the standard electric, it’s a bit more efficient Lowes has the Fridgeaire FGIH3047VF that is close in price to the model you picked. For heating the kitchen I saw radiator, have you thought about Radiator panels, they mount on the wall and the current batch have their own option thermostats to control temp for that room?
The stove is gas, not electric! If it were, then induction 100%! I cooked on induction hot plates for about two years and really liked them!! The radiator is a nice idea, but the cost for a wall-mounted version would be quite high, this one was free, and I don’t like electric heat! :)
I love this plan and your instastories of it! Blue Stone is going to be beautiful! Juliet has been a wonderful addition. How did your friendship start?
We were in the same glass in high school! We really became close friends in college when Juliet lived in NYC for 6 months or so. She’s a treat!
I am so happy you are posting more often. Are you going to show your other projects like the porch house and the cabin in the woods? Can’t wait to see this kitchen.
Yes, I’d like to! Thank you!
I am always delighted to see you post. I am also an Instagram hold out, and now I hate you for making me do it. Sigh. The plans look great and I can’t wait to see the end result. One thing – and this is partly self serving – if you want to monetize your blog (and of course you should,) you have to post more!! I know, how can you spend the time to do that and still work on the houses, but it will increase your readership, allow for ad revenue and probably attract more sponsors! Win, win win. Please post more!!
I know! I’m trying!! I’ve been trying for ten years but I’ll keep trying! I need more hours in the day!
I am so happy to see Bluestone Cottage back into your regular work schedule. I think it is an excellent job to finish and clear your conscience. It could be a little moneymaker for you, yay! But these floors have been a problem since the beginning–I think in your original posts about this cottage, the wood used in the floor looks in terrible shape. I know you have cleaned them, but are they in good enough shape to use? What about the smell? I do not think any potential owner or renter would think twice if you replaced the whole first floor with something cheap and durable.
But cheap and durable sounds so easy! I need everything to be nearly impossible!!! Jokes aside, though, they’ll refinish fine and I’d so much rather put them back into the house than into a landfill!
Excellent news! Another chance to install a cabinet on top of a fridge with vertical storage for cookie sheets and roasting pans! ; )
Eek! I’m not sure there’s space!! I’ll have to measure again…
I like to put the same material as the countertop up as a backsplash–but that won’t be practical with marble. Quartzite, though, looks a lot like marble–I have quartzite in my new house, and all the tradespeople have thought it was marble.
I’m relieved to say that untrustworthy tradespeople were the only problem we didn’t have on that new house–and I’m sorry that you did. I promise to burn candles in my window cursing the plumber–I will hope that you gave him very objective and very bad reviews wherever possible (or filed a claim and won).
Thank you for your support, haha! I do like Quartzite, but I think it actually priced out more expensive than the marble? And I just…I love marble so much. I know I’m unreasonable but the heart wants what it wants!!
Marble….’k But if it doesn’t work how about soapstone?
But it’s the same problem! If the place is closed, it’s closed!
I know some commenters hate side by side refrigerators, so I just gotta say my favorite refrigerator over many decades of living in various places was the side by side one. In that place, it was a necessity in the narrow galley kitchen, as the door to any other refrigerator would not have opened very far without hitting the counter on the other side. Having rented a place with a narrow galley kitchen with a refrigerator door that only opened to a 45 degree angle, at first I was glad this condo I later rented had been renovated with the more appropriate side by side refrigerator – at least I could open both doors fully! Over the years I lived there, I came to really like that side by side fridge. I liked that the shelves weren’t extra deep, so nothing got lost in the back, everything was easily visible. That fridge was old, and it still kept food colder than most refrigerators I’ve had. I remember cooking a Thanksgiving turkey in that place, so I’m thinking it must have fit in the fridge. I don’t eat frozen pizza (why, when there is delicious and much tastier pizza available at pizzerias nearby?), and anything I wanted to freeze, like berries, I put on things that fit on the shelves. I tend to eat fresh food, though, rather than frozen, and never had a lot in my freezer, so I don’t need a huge freezer like some – not everybody does.
As to landing space being handy next to the fridge, I totally agree. I once bought a place that had a wall like that across from the rest of the kitchen with a fridge and 3 feet of cupboards next to it. I was glad that rather than installing tall cupboards next to the fridge, the previous owners who renovated that kitchen had installed next the the fridge a lower cupboard with two doors, with a counter top, and above there was an upper cupboard, and under that upper cupboard was a shelf, like at eye height, for the microwave (all from Ikea.) While I didnt’ like the microwave at that height (I found it awkward to reach, and I had to get on a ladder to clean it, so I didn’t clean it as often as I did when it was at countertop height), I mention it only as one idea, as some people need to have a dedicated space for a microwave, and there was an outlet there above the shelf for one. (I no longer want a microwave and don’t have one, but I wouldn’t put one that high if I did.) You could also just have a taller upper cabinet there that came down lower instead of the microwave shelf I had, or an open shelf below a cabinet. (I used the shelf for cookbooks after I got rid of the microwave.). The countertop was very handy right there when taking things in and out of the fridge, and I had another countertop opposite that was closer than the other side of your kitchen is.
But that countertop was also useful a a landing place in the kitchen for stuff (I seem to remember I had a phone there, and perhaps an answering machine there – it was awhile ago), and the countertop functioned as that space in the kitchen where you organize things that aren’t food, like things to remember to take with you when you go out – it is nice to have an area like that in a kitchen that is away from the food prep areas, where you put papers and non-food items. I installed two Ikea slide-out trays with garbage bins in the lower cabinets there and used them for all my recycling, which was handy, being at the edge of the kitchen near the door to go out. While I prefer most kitchen lower cabinets to be drawers now, lower cabinets with doors are still useful for recycling bins.
I would say don’t sweat the dishwasher being on the left of the sink. I am right-handed, and have had them to both the left and right of the sink, and it has made no difference to me. I seem to remember having one right next to the wall somewhere and not liking that (though I can’t remember where, so maybe it was at a friend’s home where I cooked and cleaned up a lot) – I seem to remember the wall constantly getting dirty there next to the dishwasher – it would have been better had it been tiled instead of painted as a result. Also, having the dishwasher near the stove makes it easy to grab a clean utensil you need from the dishwasher while cooking.
Hi Daniel, maybe this is only in the UK but I thought Whirlpool had major safety issues?