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65 Comments

  1. Gina
    May 22, 2018 @ 1:12 pm

    I think hood vents are important for people who like to cook/fry/saute MEAT. I think you will be fine without one.

    ~signed, a meat eater who has/uses/needs a hood vent

    p.s. Rock on with your bad self

    Reply

    • Red Ellie
      May 22, 2018 @ 4:42 pm

      Good point Gina!

      Reply

    • Jane
      May 23, 2018 @ 1:12 am

      Hood vents also help remove the steam and moisture from boiling/simmering things. Soups, pasta, canning.

      Reply

  2. Jen
    May 22, 2018 @ 1:17 pm

    Have you seen the cooktop vents that can be installed behind the cooktop and “pop up” out of the counter with the push of a button? They are awesome and would be perfect for you Island cooktop!!

    Reply

  3. Susanne
    May 22, 2018 @ 1:58 pm

    I love the kitchen design!
    I also love meat:) And animals may eat pesticide laden plants, but Vegans/Vegetarians are ALSO eating pesticide covered plants. And don’t get me started on Big Agri wiping out entire areas of natural vegetation by using fungicides, herbicides and pesticides and killing EVERYTHING in order to plant soy, corn, fruits, etc. Aren’t the bunnies, mice and other natural inhabitants JUST as important as cows and pigs?
    Anyway – love you but have to agree to disagree:)

    Reply

  4. architectdesignblog
    May 22, 2018 @ 2:03 pm

    If someone someday (theoretically) doesn’t want to buy your house because your kitchen is too fabulous, that sounds like THEIR problem and not yours. Go for it, it’s your kitchen!!

    Reply

  5. Christine
    May 22, 2018 @ 2:09 pm

    I once had an island cooktop with a ceiling fan over top. I loved it. Family and guests could stand around and visit while you cook and you can face them rather than a wall. And when nobody is around, you can pretend you have your own cooking show (heee). When I had cooking odors, I opened a window and turned on the fan. No problems with a stinky house.

    Reply

  6. lori
    May 22, 2018 @ 2:31 pm

    Live in Paoli close by:) I’m in at least 20 homes a month doing color consultations and if I see one more white shaker cabinet-quartz that looks like carrara kitchen I will hurl. I too am knee deep in kitchen reno hell on our 1890 beauty/bane of my existence. Not going the trad route for resale (clearly I know what THAT is:) The number one thing I’ve learned doing homes before and after resale…no matter what you do the next owner will have a totally different vision and gut it. While it tears out my design soul on many jobs, it has also given me the permission I really didn’t need to do whatever TF I want for this space while it’s mine. You are doing fabulous unique self-gratifying things to this kitchen of yours – God-speed o guru of many mirrors, I salute you!

    Reply

  7. Donna Gibson
    May 22, 2018 @ 2:37 pm

    You mentioned you were selling the kingdom mirror. DIBS!! I want it, just let know how much and when I can pick it up!

    Reply

  8. Bernie
    May 22, 2018 @ 2:44 pm

    I have a crazy amount of family and friends that are eating “Keto”. They believe it is healthy….I do NOT! Another “good” movie that will make you want to go Vegan is “What the Health” , on Netflix. I watched both, “What the Health” and “The Magic Pill” (pro Keto) and I do not believe either one stressed the importance of exercise or moving (dancing?) in general. I still eat meat, but have cut way back.

    I dont worry about “resale” either. It’s my house, if you dont want it, dont buy it, or buy it and make it your own!
    I hate Vanilla!

    Reply

  9. Melinda
    May 22, 2018 @ 3:11 pm

    If you are not having a vent hood, buy a Lampe Bergere or two. I have one of those “kind of” a vent hoods that are in the microwave and do not truly suck the fumes out of the house. I always use the Lampe Bergere when cooking salmon or over-cooking anything else!

    Reply

  10. Brittney
    May 22, 2018 @ 3:24 pm

    I find the idea of catering what you do with your house to accommodate the taste of some future stranger who may not ever live in it to be the most infuriating thing people bring up when discussing homes. A house is literally the thing we spend the most money on IN OUR LIVES and we are afraid to make it what we want because a future stranger may not like it! It’s ABSURD! It’s your house that you spend much of your time in, when/if it is someone else’s house they can make it what they want.
    Carry on, fancy warrior.

    Reply

    • Luna Rocket
      May 25, 2018 @ 10:18 am

      The “fix it up so a buyer will like” it drives me nuts, too, and I “get” what they’re saying, but unless you’re trying to sell it NOW, I think it’s a little crazy. If you watch all those house flipping shows, etc the new buyer rips it all out anyway. At least they seem to these days. When we bought our current home (with NO vent hood for 18 years now!) it never occurred to me to rip things out (except for the horrid peeling vinyl flooring and even that took 5 years before we did anything about it).

      And now we ARE selling our house, been on the market almost a year with no real nibbles. It’s got NOTHING to do with how the house looks, everyone seems to like it. What they don’t like is the surrounding cedar swamp or the 1/4 mile long driveway downhill (in winter it’s such fun!) and things we can’t do anything about like the fact the area never recovered from the market crash 18 years ago!

      So do what you want, I say, and screw the future buyers!!!

      Reply

  11. NevadaNy
    May 22, 2018 @ 4:36 pm

    Have you ever been to Hawaii ?
    What island does Paul want to move to?

    The island of Oahu (the one with Waikiki Beach )
    has a very strong Victorian historical influence.
    There is a Hawaiian Palace-Hawaii had a Queen.
    Hawaiian Koa Furniture and Jewelry-has a strong Victorian look.
    All your Fancy Things would fit right in.
    And you can always tear out your Kitchen and your Furniture -and ship it to Hawaii.
    Not as hard or expensive as you would think.

    I think YOU would be very happy there. Check out Craig’s list -Oahu. Lots of Antiques.
    And there are Victorian Style Mu-mu’s. Victorian style, but very cool and comfortable.
    However buying a home is crazy expensive. But maybe not compared to Back East U.S.
    Do some online research.
    Glad you are keeping the Goddess Mirror. She looks like you.

    PS- I am a Vegetarian. Carry on!

    Reply

  12. Dawn Grabow
    May 22, 2018 @ 5:02 pm

    YES to cooktop in the island! Every time I use our INDUCTION cooktop WITHOUT HOOD located in the ISLAND I am so grateful to not be facing a wall while I cook.

    Your kitchen is going to be AMAZING!

    Reply

  13. Lori
    May 22, 2018 @ 5:21 pm

    Vegan all the way!!! You go, girl!

    Reply

  14. Sherry S
    May 22, 2018 @ 5:55 pm

    I live in a very old home but it is not big like yours! My kitchen has FOUR doors!!! FOUR..count them!! And they all need to stay …doors. So the rest of the kitchen is sort of crammed into the non door spaces! I salute your use of the piano! Where will the oven go?? I can not live without an oven. Love your blog!!!

    Reply

    • Erin
      May 23, 2018 @ 6:51 am

      We have 4 doors and two windows that drop below counter height in our kitchen. My condolences, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one struggling with so much wasted space!

      Reply

  15. Peggy
    May 22, 2018 @ 6:17 pm

    OMG, YOU MAKE ME LOL 😂
    Keep up this blog and I will be healthier for it just from laughing.

    PS…Paul is a Saint! You are my idol!

    Reply

  16. Diana Deal
    May 22, 2018 @ 6:40 pm

    Do you read Joni Webb’s blog, Cote de Texas.” Her latest post made me think of you: a chateau in France with a kitchen similar to the direction you are going, although the Europeans seem to like a sleeker look than most of us would imagine.

    Reply

  17. Catherine
    May 22, 2018 @ 7:15 pm

    VEB, you do with your kitchen however you want.
    What I’m curious about is how you’ll run electric to your stove? Will you run it through the leg of the piano?

    Your fan in Charlotte,
    Catherine

    P.S. I’ve been vegetarian for 33 years and I haven’t died. Though if bacon bits come on my salad at a restaurant or at a dinner party I don’t make a fuss. Frankly, I’m a little jubilant.
    I do miss bacon. And fois gras. (I know. Cruelty to animals. But fois gras is sublime.)

    Reply

  18. Paula
    May 22, 2018 @ 7:16 pm

    Love following, and truly adore your humor and design style.
    I have owned a 140 year old house for 22 years. It too is wonky here and there.
    In several places I have had the opportunity to remedy the visual wonkiness with a drape. I could see a fabric valance or wood cornice over your windows, taken to the ceiling, to give balance to either side of the mirror.
    If the window heights don’t catch your eye and bug you, hey it’s one less thing to do on your project ; )

    Reply

  19. Angela D.
    May 22, 2018 @ 7:41 pm

    Sigh. VEB!!! Because of you, I am now considering becoming vegan. I already think of you every time I eat bacon, which seems weird, so now I don’t eat bacon as often.

    Your kitchen is fabulous!
    ABH — I’m gonna hit my teens with this and feel superior when they don’t know what these letters represent.

    Reply

  20. Debbie Young
    May 22, 2018 @ 8:24 pm

    I hate hoods too so I incorporated a downdraft in my kitchen! Also — thinking back to your posts about hiding/camouflaging your fridge)….have you thought about mounting your gorgeous GFT mirror on a panel that hides (but moves) to reveal your fridge?

    Reply

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