One year ago, we were days away from moving in to our remodeled kitchen. We’ve cooked in the new kitchen for almost a year now, and for those of you who are interested (or who have gotten here by Googling “black granite countertops” or “subway tile backsplash”), here are a few thoughts on the process and products that went into our kitchen:
- Getting rid of the 4th door into the kitchen was the right thing to do. We rarely used it, and I don’t miss it at all. And the small hall closet we created where the door had been is, as you might expect, very useful. It took months for me to learn, but now, when I can’t find the jacket I was wearing the previous day, I look in the hall closet. Usually, Paul has hung it up for me. (Thanks, sweetie!)
- The honed black granite countertops are wonderful. They have been easy to keep clean, and we haven’t had problems with staining. (This is not to say that there are no stains; Paul noticed a couple of dime-sized stains last week. I think that means it’s time to seal the countertops again.) Unexpected bonus: the dark gray, matte surface is a great backdrop for food photos.
- That sunny yellow linoleum floor is a thing of beauty… when it’s clean. Unfortunately, keeping it clean has proven time-consuming, as we track in dirt and water through the back door. The floor is overdue for sealing, which should keep it looking better between moppings.
- Exhaust fans are good. (I say this not only as a cook, but as an architect who knows how badly water vapor can damage a house.) Our ‘before’ kitchen had no exhaust fan, and serious wintertime cooking was certain to fog the windows. Our variable speed range hood can handle any amount of steam we manage to create. Unexpected bonus (I think): anyone who parks in our driveway while the exhaust fan is running can tell what’s cooking for dinner.
- Everyone should have a bookshelf in their kitchen. Enough said.
- Cooking with gas is just as great as I remembered it… even better, in fact, with a really nice stove.
By the way, this is our kitchen a year ago, before we moved in. Photos of the lived-in kitchen to follow, later this month.
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“…this is our kitchen a year ago, before we moved in.”
I was going to say, I’ve never seen anybody keep counters so clutter-free.
I still love the story of how your kitchen problems came to be solved once you realized that some of the limiting factors didn’t have to be limiting factors.
I’ve been living in my new house for 8 months now waiting for the magic “aha” that’s going to solve my design problems. Meanwhile I’ve got temporary countertops and cabinets from the old peninsula partially blocking a window. Wanna stop by the South Bay one of these days and help me figure it all out?
Or do you happen to know a bright Bay Area remodel architect?
Bill: Only in the design magazines… and, when I was a child, my parents’ house.
‘mouse: Only 8 months in the house, and you expect a solution already? You still have at least a couple of years to go, my friend. I’d love to help you figure it out; do you have drawings? (Sadly, my Bay Area architect friends all do larger scale work.)