You Can't Always Get What You Want

I guess I need to work on my communication skills.  I'm sure I didn't make myself clear.

The original kitchen had a soffit above the kitchen cabinets.  I instructed the contractor to take it out and told the cabinet maker that I wanted the cabinets to go all the way to the ceiling.  I wanted ALL that space for storage.

They asked, "Don't you want some space to put decorative stuff?"  I said no.  No area to dust, to place to put forgotten stuff.  Just all in cabinet storage.

And this is what I get.

Looks like a soffit, doesn't it?  The guy called it 'trim moulding'.  Just the finishing touch.

I asked the carpenter why.  Why when I asked for the cabinets to go all the way to the ceiling did he do this?

His explanation was pretty simple.  I asked for a pantry to be built to the right of the doorway.



You can see it here with a worker doing some painting next to it.  That unit was built as a single cabinet and had to be 'stood up' into the place.  Because it had to clear the ceiling, it could only be so tall.

That one cabinet determined his line for all the rest of the cabinets, they could only be that tall.

I really want to lay down and cry.  I would not have minded if that pantry was two separate cabinets sitting on each other.  Then it wouldn't have had to be 'stood up' and I could have had full height cabinets.  So disappointed.  I spent a lot of money and did not get what I wanted.

But I'm pretty sure it's too late to get any kind of recompense.  The things are built, after all.  I really wish I had been able to draw a picture of what I wanted... some kind of plan so I knew what to expect.  I would have pitched hard to have it the other way--but it truly is too late to get what I want.

--  Sandee Wagner

Yet More Floor Goodness

I choose to put porcelain tile that looked like wood in the dining room.  It's an addition that is windows all around.  Since the room is so bright, I thought a darker color floor would help 'ground' the room and set it apart from the rest of the house.
They've laid the floor tiles, but have not yet grouted it.  I think it looks nice.  And I'm glad that the dark color of the tile makes it look rich.

 I also was very concerned about the 'curb' from the front entryway into the sunken living room and the step up from the living room into the dining room.

The answer?  A mosaic tile strip to give a visual break between the floors so the trip hazard will be lessened.

I will probably still fall at least once, but hopefully, it will keep most people from tripping.



I think the mosaic does a good job on the curb.  You can just see it across the room on the step up into the dining room.

These guys did an AMAZING job laying the floor tiles.  They leveled all the floors using a water level and then mudded up to make all the floors level.

I could not be more happy with the end product.  When it's all grouted and cleaned up, I'm sure it will look great.

--  Sandee Wagnefr

The Floors! The Floors!

I was so very excited to stop by the house and see that they were making great progress on the floors.  They are laying travertine throughout the house and boy, even uncleaned, it looks pretty!

This room had to be 'floated' or leveled (sooooo much!)  It's an addition to the original house, what was a covered patio converted to a bedroom and storage closet.  The cement floor--because it was an outside porch--was slanted for drainage.  When they did the enclosure, they just carpeted that concrete and never bothered to level it out.

So, now the storage closet and the small bedroom/office have Level Floors!!

And look down that hallway!  With the addition of the new LED overhead lights, you can see to the end of the 'runway'.  The travertine is just lovely.

In the sunken living room, they are laying the travertine "on point" and outlining it with some dark wood toned porcelain tile.  Although they have not started laying the border yet, you can see how the tile in the main living room looks fancy!  I'm very pleased with how this is turning out and the great care the crew is taking to keep it all level and make the floors flow from room to room.  No thresholds!  No trip hazards!  Well, except for that curb up into the dining room and the one from the front door down... except for that.

I can't wait to see the wood grain tile laid in the next room.  It should be done by early next week.  More photos to follow.

--  Sandee Wagner

Gets Worse Before It Gets Better

We checked in on the remodeling efforts this week.  I don't know what I expected but it was a mess.

A big mess.

I'm really hoping this is the beginning of the end.  The rough in was completed on framing, electric and plumbing.  The inspector should be by Monday to sign off on the work.  Then the rest of the ceilings and walls can be closed up.

The floor guys were hard at work.  They started in the back of the house and they are working their way forward to the big entertaining areas.

So, they stack up the bags of concrete they use to "float" the floor to level.  They stack up the floor tiles and leave a lot of stuff laying around while they work in the other rooms.

I'm trying to think of it as progress.  Even though it seems like a lot of junk laying around in piles of dust and broken tiles...

It's closer to livable every single day.

--  Sandee Waggner