There's so much to tell you about how the kitchen renovation is going. Amazing deals on high quality appliances, and a very informative and inspiring visit from a kitchen designer.
Unfortunately, I have been working almost non-stop painting several rooms in the new house, and I will be officially moving in on Friday. Then Saturday, the concert grand piano arrives -- 7-years of savings finally come to fruition. A Boston 6-foot 4-inch grand piano made by Steinway.
After that I hope to share all the wonderful things I'm learning about my kitchen renovation.
By the way, I'm in love with the new paint colors for my bedroom and den. I almost cried when it was done. I can't wait to spend time in them!!
Benjamin Moore Paints (Aura)
Bedroom Color: Tranquilty/ Lancaster Whitewash (trim)
Den Color: Old Prairie/Camouflage (accent wall)
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
THE STEPS TOWARDS A NEW KITCHEN
So I have managed to visit a couple of kitchen renovation places in the Lower Mainland. They are two very, very different kinds of services.
The first place was a cabinetry installation company called Vancouver Cabinets. My aunt recommended this place because they were incredibly affordable. The catch is that you have to take the cabinets in the sizes that they are manufactured in. In other words, no custom building cabinets to fit your kitchen size. They will measure out your kitchen and then install the cabinets in a presentable manner in your kitchen space.
I visited their showroom in Richmond.
Keep in mind that this was the first kitchen renovation company that I had visited so I went in completely clueless about the process of building a new kitchen. My conversation with the salesman went something like this:
Salesman: Can I help you?
Somi: Yes. My family just bought a house and we need to remake the kitchen downstairs. It will be my kitchen.
Salesman: Anything you are interested in?
Somi: Well I looked at some kitchen magazines and I kind of like the light counters with the darker wood cabinets underneath.
Salesman: How big is the space?
Somi: I don't know. I forgot to bring the plans with me. But it's not a really big space.
Salesman: So how much work have you done so far.
Somi: I haven't even moved into the house yet. We take possession next week.
By this point, I think the saleman could tell, I was a total newb at kitchen renovations. He sat down with me and took me through the big picture process.
STEP ONE
Hire a contractor to rip down the one wall we don't want, lay the tiles, paint the walls, and change any plumbing, electrical wiring or gas lines to the places where the applicances will go.
STEP TWO
Buy the appliances and have them delivered to the house.
STEP THREE
Have Vancouver Cabinets come do an inhouse consultation of the space and determine an estimate price of the cabinets. Choose the cabinetry you like and establish the budget for just the cabinets.
He even did some basic typical kitchen plan for the space that we have, considering where the patio door is, the window, and where the wall will be knocked down adn replaced with a sit down counter.
He said to take care of Steps One and Two first, then measure out the particular spaces where you want the cabinets and counter to go. After that's done, that's when they come into the picture at Step Three.
I left there with a new feeling of "I think I finally know what I'm doing now!!" I am not sure that I am going to hire them for the cabinetry yet... we'll see. But at least they gave me an outline to work with. I just have to fill in the blanks!
The first place was a cabinetry installation company called Vancouver Cabinets. My aunt recommended this place because they were incredibly affordable. The catch is that you have to take the cabinets in the sizes that they are manufactured in. In other words, no custom building cabinets to fit your kitchen size. They will measure out your kitchen and then install the cabinets in a presentable manner in your kitchen space.
I visited their showroom in Richmond.
Keep in mind that this was the first kitchen renovation company that I had visited so I went in completely clueless about the process of building a new kitchen. My conversation with the salesman went something like this:
Salesman: Can I help you?
Somi: Yes. My family just bought a house and we need to remake the kitchen downstairs. It will be my kitchen.
Salesman: Anything you are interested in?
Somi: Well I looked at some kitchen magazines and I kind of like the light counters with the darker wood cabinets underneath.
Salesman: How big is the space?
Somi: I don't know. I forgot to bring the plans with me. But it's not a really big space.
Salesman: So how much work have you done so far.
Somi: I haven't even moved into the house yet. We take possession next week.
By this point, I think the saleman could tell, I was a total newb at kitchen renovations. He sat down with me and took me through the big picture process.
STEP ONE
Hire a contractor to rip down the one wall we don't want, lay the tiles, paint the walls, and change any plumbing, electrical wiring or gas lines to the places where the applicances will go.
STEP TWO
Buy the appliances and have them delivered to the house.
STEP THREE
Have Vancouver Cabinets come do an inhouse consultation of the space and determine an estimate price of the cabinets. Choose the cabinetry you like and establish the budget for just the cabinets.
He even did some basic typical kitchen plan for the space that we have, considering where the patio door is, the window, and where the wall will be knocked down adn replaced with a sit down counter.
He said to take care of Steps One and Two first, then measure out the particular spaces where you want the cabinets and counter to go. After that's done, that's when they come into the picture at Step Three.
I left there with a new feeling of "I think I finally know what I'm doing now!!" I am not sure that I am going to hire them for the cabinetry yet... we'll see. But at least they gave me an outline to work with. I just have to fill in the blanks!
Sunday, November 11, 2012
FINDING A KITCHEN STYLE I LIKE
The one thing that I find difficult in any room is determining style. I'm not a make-up or fashion girl, I leave the majority of my walls blank, When buying a piece of furniture, I'm all about functionality before matching it to decor. I oddly enought, I don't like to go shopping and last maybe 30 minutes before I want to leave to a place with more solitude.
But I am not completely devoid of preferences in styles. I'm just the kind of person who needs to see a style to know it will work. I watch in amazement as many of my friends can sift through the local thrift store and find a piece that they know will be a nice fit for their home. I just can't see it until they place it down where they imagined it to be. And I will be like "Wow! That really does work."
CATEGORIES OF STYLE
So the four Kitchen/Bathroom magazines that I bought, together with various pictures from the internet, are my survey of different kitchen styles.
I notice that there are generally three general categories of kitchen styles:
COLOR
In terms of color, I would choose a warmer color like the soft browns and yellows, or a warm orange or red. I've a lot to learn about colors. I went to a painting session at the local community centre, and realize I can't mix colors if my life depended on it. And my paintings all came out dark and overloaded. I simply can't figure out if a brown has more red or yellow in it, nor amd i able to select two colors that are similar in tone where one is a richer version of the other.
The only experience I have with colors is being able to identify how the color makes me "feel." And when the color is right for me, it is a color that makes me feel calming and soothing. In terms of finding that color, I'm lucky that the rest of my family are artists, and I have a host of artistic friends to give me some direction.
One thing I do notice is that contrast of two colors gives the room much more life. A monochromatic scheme feels dull and stifling to me. I saw a variety of cabinetry and counters and like the dark bottom with a lighter counter top. Further, I found a picture where the lower cabinets were darker and the upper cabinets were lighter. Because the kitchen placement in my house is downstairs and can get quite dark because of the surrounding trees, having a lighter color at the upper part of the kitchen will hopefully relfect more natural light. Having a darker color on the bottom gives the contrast that keeps the kitchen looking alive.
In my next post, I will show my selection of kitchens that I am drawn towards. It will just be a picture posting and nothing more.
To see the selection of kitchens so far, see my Pinterest page at pinterest.com/gomer999/pin
But I am not completely devoid of preferences in styles. I'm just the kind of person who needs to see a style to know it will work. I watch in amazement as many of my friends can sift through the local thrift store and find a piece that they know will be a nice fit for their home. I just can't see it until they place it down where they imagined it to be. And I will be like "Wow! That really does work."
CATEGORIES OF STYLE
So the four Kitchen/Bathroom magazines that I bought, together with various pictures from the internet, are my survey of different kitchen styles.
I notice that there are generally three general categories of kitchen styles:
CLASSIC / TRADITIONAL
VINTAGE / OLD WORLD
CONTEMPORARY / COSMOPOLITAN
When I glance at the various kitchen photos, my taste seems to be drawn to a combination of classic and vintage (or old world). For therapeutic reasons, I want my kitchen to have a warm feeling to it, where food is both comforting and nourishing.COLOR
In terms of color, I would choose a warmer color like the soft browns and yellows, or a warm orange or red. I've a lot to learn about colors. I went to a painting session at the local community centre, and realize I can't mix colors if my life depended on it. And my paintings all came out dark and overloaded. I simply can't figure out if a brown has more red or yellow in it, nor amd i able to select two colors that are similar in tone where one is a richer version of the other.
The only experience I have with colors is being able to identify how the color makes me "feel." And when the color is right for me, it is a color that makes me feel calming and soothing. In terms of finding that color, I'm lucky that the rest of my family are artists, and I have a host of artistic friends to give me some direction.
One thing I do notice is that contrast of two colors gives the room much more life. A monochromatic scheme feels dull and stifling to me. I saw a variety of cabinetry and counters and like the dark bottom with a lighter counter top. Further, I found a picture where the lower cabinets were darker and the upper cabinets were lighter. Because the kitchen placement in my house is downstairs and can get quite dark because of the surrounding trees, having a lighter color at the upper part of the kitchen will hopefully relfect more natural light. Having a darker color on the bottom gives the contrast that keeps the kitchen looking alive.
In my next post, I will show my selection of kitchens that I am drawn towards. It will just be a picture posting and nothing more.
To see the selection of kitchens so far, see my Pinterest page at pinterest.com/gomer999/pin
Thursday, November 8, 2012
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF APPLIANCE CONSUMER REVIEWS
My brother insists that the most sensible way to budget a kitchen renovation is to put the priority on quality appliances in the kitchen -- even if it means downgrading on the cabinets. I don't know how I feel about this yet, but I certainly have been educating myself on what kind of kitchen appliances are out there.
REQUIRED KITCHEN APPLIANCES
- Stand alone gas stove/oven
- Oven hood
- Refrigerator
- Dishwasher
MY NON-NEGOTIABLES
- Freezer on the bottom
- Water/Ice Dispenser
- High Efficiency
- Locally delivered
READING VARIOUS REVIEW SITES
I started to sift through the many, many, MANY refrigerator reviews available on the internet. While there may be consistent brands that appear at the top of the various lists, the model numbers are rarely (if ever) the same from one review site to another. And as expected, the criteria by which each review is rated are all different. But most importantly for me to keep in mind is that the ratings while appearing to be scientifically tested are still subjective opinions at best. They are determined based on what the testers consider to be the standard norm for the majority of household users, abd the target audience for whom the review is intended. The criteria therefore, needs to match how I personally use a refrigerator since no one is completely "the norm."
SAMSUNG
I've narrowed my choices down, but have not made any absolute decisions to stay with these or even to choose one. But one thing I have noticed is the rise in recognition of quality found in Samsung appliances. Back in the day when I was a kid, Samsung was the "cheapy" version of the Sony stereo system. Now it's a leading manufacturer in appliances, and now manufactures the Maytag brand for Sears.
I saw a daytime show the other day that happened to be educating on the top refrigerators in the market, and even in that show, Samsung was showcased last with the most coveted properties including high efficiency and creative storage solutions.
 |
| Samsung RF217ACRS 19.7 cu ft. 3-door French Door Refrigerator |
I think I will settle here for a while unless something else better comes along to catch my eye.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
INTRODUCING THE PROJECT
My family recently bought a beautiful house, 3100 square feet, mostly renovated. We were extremely lucky to get the house at $60K under the assessment value since the housing market in the Vancouver area has slowed significantly. This gives us room for some further renovation.
THE LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
My brother and I will be moving in and taking our corners of the place. My brother has the upstairs kitchen which is functional despite the need for renovation at some point to get it out of the 1970s decor.
The downstairs kitchen, however... my kitchen, will need a full makeover from opening up the wall, to gutting out the entire room and replacing it with something that suits my needs. At the moment, it is without a stove, and really doesn't have much other than a functional fridge (which I'm looking to replace).
MY BUDGET
My budget is set out at a maximum of $25K which means I will aim initially for a $20 renovation and allow room to adjust as needed. I have scoped out a few kitchen design companies in the area and will visit them one by one to get an idea of how realistic my budget is against what I hope to have. I also bought myself $50 worth of kitchen/bathroom magazines to look at styles, get some ideas and choose what appeals to me.
DATES
Thursday, November 15, 2012 is the day we pick up the keys to the house and are able to move in. In these first few days, my brother, Linus will move into his portion of the house. My other brother, Preston, will fly up from LA to help us with the move.
As well during these first few days, I will be painting several rooms that need a color makeover. But more importantly, it is during these first few days that I will bring designers in for an in-house consultation and choose which designer I would like to work with. So I need to do this research ahead of time.
My move-in date is Friday, November 23rd, and I have opted to get movers to do the hard work since, well, frankly I don't want my brothers to have to move twice. Their own stuff is enough. Everything of mine will go into the upstairs living room to leave a clear path for the construction crew to work on the kitchen in the first 2 or 3 months of our living there.
WHAT I HOPE TO HAVE
I enjoy a great kitchen. Cooking is a form of therapy for me so the environment needs to be inspiring and inviting. The color and lighting needs to soothe the tired soul. But above all, I am a stickler for functionality. I have specific ideas of certain customizations that I hope can be incorporated into the design. These things I will speak about with the designer that I choose and share as this process unfolds.
This is my first renovation of any kind. I have no idea what to expect. But I'm sure what I am seeing in my head will likely not match what will pan out in reality. So I'm ready for anything!
BUDGET UPDATE
Budget Available: $25,000.00
Budget Spent: $50 (kitchen design magazines)
Budget Remaining: $24,950.00
THE LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
My brother and I will be moving in and taking our corners of the place. My brother has the upstairs kitchen which is functional despite the need for renovation at some point to get it out of the 1970s decor.
The downstairs kitchen, however... my kitchen, will need a full makeover from opening up the wall, to gutting out the entire room and replacing it with something that suits my needs. At the moment, it is without a stove, and really doesn't have much other than a functional fridge (which I'm looking to replace).
 |
Downstairs kitchen in its current state. The cupboards wrap around in an L-shape to the left, with a space for a stove (which is currently missing) and a full-sized refrigerator, both of which cannot be seen in the picture above.
|
MY BUDGET
My budget is set out at a maximum of $25K which means I will aim initially for a $20 renovation and allow room to adjust as needed. I have scoped out a few kitchen design companies in the area and will visit them one by one to get an idea of how realistic my budget is against what I hope to have. I also bought myself $50 worth of kitchen/bathroom magazines to look at styles, get some ideas and choose what appeals to me.
DATES
Thursday, November 15, 2012 is the day we pick up the keys to the house and are able to move in. In these first few days, my brother, Linus will move into his portion of the house. My other brother, Preston, will fly up from LA to help us with the move.
As well during these first few days, I will be painting several rooms that need a color makeover. But more importantly, it is during these first few days that I will bring designers in for an in-house consultation and choose which designer I would like to work with. So I need to do this research ahead of time.
My move-in date is Friday, November 23rd, and I have opted to get movers to do the hard work since, well, frankly I don't want my brothers to have to move twice. Their own stuff is enough. Everything of mine will go into the upstairs living room to leave a clear path for the construction crew to work on the kitchen in the first 2 or 3 months of our living there.
WHAT I HOPE TO HAVE
I enjoy a great kitchen. Cooking is a form of therapy for me so the environment needs to be inspiring and inviting. The color and lighting needs to soothe the tired soul. But above all, I am a stickler for functionality. I have specific ideas of certain customizations that I hope can be incorporated into the design. These things I will speak about with the designer that I choose and share as this process unfolds.
This is my first renovation of any kind. I have no idea what to expect. But I'm sure what I am seeing in my head will likely not match what will pan out in reality. So I'm ready for anything!
BUDGET UPDATE
Budget Available: $25,000.00
Budget Spent: $50 (kitchen design magazines)
Budget Remaining: $24,950.00
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