Kitchen renovation progress: prepping for new hardwood, gutting addition. *video*
What we’ve finished since the last kitchen remodel progress report:
– sheet rock the ceiling in the addition (no more beadboard).
– sheet rock the wall where we removed the bathroom.
– paint back doors— inside white/outside color.
– install recessed lighting in addition.
– figure out window configuration.
– order windows.
– take up flooring in addition.
– gut the back wall.
What’s next:
– find backdoor hardware… Paul thinks this is too much… I think it is the right amount of much.
– paint everything else– no more orange!!!!
– make decisions about kitchen layout/cabinets.
– find piano drawer hardware.
– scrounge up matching molding for new windows.
– install windows on back wall of addition.
– plan to have new hardwood installed.
Now, words about the floor:
When our house was originally built in 1890, all of the floors were random-width pine. Sometime later, (probably the early part of the 1900’s) they laid 2″ red oak over it in the public spaces; skipping the kitchen and third floor.
I guess there was a time when kitchens were not shrines to chrome and luxury range hoods, and no one thought that the third floor would make a great media room or home gym or other thing the Victorians would roll their eyes at.
What we started with is below; read this post to get caught up on how we came to new flooring.
About twelve years ago, the previous owner added the above (orange!) addition off the back of the house… he chose a third type of wood for the addition’s floor, which is one of many previous-owner-mysteries such as:
WHY would you install a new bathroom OVER an old bathroom?
WHY would you paint the roof of your front porch DARK ORANGE?
WHY install a marble tile DOG BATH in and set it in about 2 feet of SOLID concrete?
NO ONE CAN KNOW THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS.
The last time you saw this space we were removing the bathroom:
We want to make the kitchen and addition as uniform as possible, and as much as we LOVE the kitchen’s random-width pine, having the two spaces share the same type of flooring seems important.
We had three options:
- cover the floor in the kitchen with 2” red oak to match the rest of the house, but leave the addition as-is. This gives us a nice transition between the dining room and kitchen, but leaves a line of demarcation between the kitchen/addition.
- use the previous owner’s flooring choice from the addition, extend it through the kitchen, with a sill where it meets the dining room… This makes the kitchen and addition one coherent floor-space, and this area is sort of detached from the rest of the house anyway. The only place where the flooring will meet is in the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen. Plus, echoes the original plan of wider pine in the less “public” areas.
- rip up the perfectly good flooring in the addition. Extend the 2” red oak from the dining room, through the kitchen, through the addition and have everything through the whole house be completely uniform.
On one hand, ripping up a perfectly good floor just to reinstall different hardwood is wasteful and frustrating and expensive.
On the other hand, it seems like the right thing to do for the house.
Now some random stuff:
I’ll do a separate post about the door paint/other details… I’m trying to keep these posts organized, but in reality, any project usually has 127 things going on.
The weather has been bizarrely warm this fall… (it was 70 degrees here in Philadelphia on December 12th). I cannot overstate how much this has worked in our favor.
Sometimes someone asks what program I am using to create floorplans… it’s called cut and paste. I’m using a mix of layouts from Home Depot/Lowes, and photos/kitchens I like.
One of you said that you would find it helpful to see the entire floorplan of the first floor. This is not to scale, and I could not figure out how to depict the angled-entrance from living room to kitchen, but hopefully this helps clarify.
if you are new to our kitchen project:
what we started with
repurposed piano island
no window over sink
index of all kitchen remodel posts
December 15, 2015 @ 10:21 am
WOW! You are going full tilt. Accomplishing so much at this time of year must be exhilarating!
December 15, 2015 @ 10:33 am
That doorknob set is EVERYTHING! I’m going to order one for my Liberace inspired bathroom.
As cute as Paul is, do NOT allow him to silence your inner Glitter Raccoon. You MUST have these Giant Fancy Shiny Things.
December 15, 2015 @ 10:35 am
wow it is really coming together. I’ve found the whole trip rather exciting and look forward to seeing the finished project. Well done you two!
December 15, 2015 @ 10:42 am
You have been moving right along, and I love following along.
Why must past homeowners make such terrible decisions? And why must we have to fix these decisions?
And related – I often wonder (and maybe even worry) about what future homeowners will think about the decisions we make when renovating. I mean, obviously, our decisions are RIGHT AND GOOD AND ORDAINED. But I think about how they will tear up things we worried about and then I feel a little sad. And hope they don’t have a blog where they will share these things.
Our first home renovation (which we sold 5 years ago) just went up for sale and I felt pretty vindicated that the only changes I saw were two rooms painted. I mean, go me and my right decisions.
December 15, 2015 @ 10:47 am
I’d suggest you graciously “give in” to Paul on the door hardware but then use that as a trading point for every and anything from now on. Besides, it’s not nearly big or fancy enough. Years later you can still be pointing out that time you gave in on the ornate door hardware you loved more than life itself.
December 15, 2015 @ 10:48 am
My gawd, you two kids can dance.
Lynne xo
Design The Life You Want To Live
December 15, 2015 @ 10:50 am
All of this sounds great! By the way, if you choose to change the entire kitchen floor for hardwood, have you thought about oiled hardwood instead of varnished ? According to a lot of floors experts, it’s now the best option for a kitchen hardwood floor, for efficiency and look… There’s a good choice of planks width and colors, so maybe you could find something that fits almost perfectly with the existing dinning room floor. For more informations and pictures, you can follow this link : http://www.coswick.com/hardwood_flooring/silkoil . Have a nice day!
December 15, 2015 @ 7:58 pm
This is true. I used a European hard oil finish on ordinary 2-inch red oak for my remodel, and it looks fantastic. And is super easy to care for. And never needs re sanding. And can be applied one room at a time with seamless results. What’s not to love?
December 15, 2015 @ 10:53 am
More importantly, what is going on with your earrings? ARE they earrings?
December 15, 2015 @ 10:59 am
I have an app on my computer called Invisible Hand that automatically searches for lower prices. A lower price came up on your hardware at Build.com
I say go for it!
http://www.build.com/brass-accents-d04-k561d/s463456?uid=669171&source=linkshare_dlUPo6w0KBI+_669171_15&siteID=dlUPo6w0KBI-Y3cV3tZsenXcpnFC8ddLpQ&CA_6C15C=120135390001817983
December 15, 2015 @ 11:06 am
Reno is soo much more fun when you dance your way through it, as a matter of fact that goes for life in general! Keep up the good work and soon you’ll be dancing through your beautiful , giant,fancy kitchen ! Michelle
December 15, 2015 @ 11:08 am
Go for # 3. You wont regret having all your floors match! We did the same thing..tore out perfectly great oak flooring to put down new wide plank oak flooring.
December 15, 2015 @ 11:11 am
This is exciting…it’s really coming along and at a good pace. I can hardly wait to see it finished. I’m happy to hear the weather is cooperating. Our weather is seasonably cold, I love it. This from a person who is convinced I should have been born in a colder state, with full blown seasons!
xo,
Karen
December 15, 2015 @ 11:45 am
Could we please have a full 3 minute video just of you and Paul dancing? Pretty please??
December 15, 2015 @ 12:06 pm
Piano drawer hardware: Old pump organ stops!
December 15, 2015 @ 12:27 pm
Wow you’ve been busy. I live right outside of Philadelphia and this weather has been amazing. All the decisions you are making. My husband and I are going crazy just picking out a new front door. One question, what are you planning on using the addition space for? Extending the kitchen or something else? When you are done the renovation I wish you would have an open house. I would be first in line, lol.
December 15, 2015 @ 1:18 pm
That backdoor hardware is breathtaking!
Paul, let her have it. You’ll never regret it.
December 15, 2015 @ 1:40 pm
It’s always fun to see your progress. And this kitchen has been long in the waiting. I’m curious why you got rid of the beadboard. Just not your style? Not fancy enough?
December 15, 2015 @ 2:15 pm
I got side-tracked by shirtless Paul, and God bless you for that, but once I came to my senses it occurred to me that you need to remind Paul that the fancy door hardware, which is exquisite, scratches the GFT itch for less than 200 USD, which is much cheaper than a trip to Arkansas to buy a 9000 dollar GFT.
#femalelogic #youneedthatdoorknob #elvisisadorable
December 15, 2015 @ 3:28 pm
I love your choice for the hardware! Sorry Paul happy wife happy life!
Seeing the first floor layout was indeed helpful,as well as it satisfies my inner stalker.
Thank you 🙂
Seeing the flow it does help us see the big picture!
I am so stinking excited to follow this remodel!
Carry on! but post often! You never bore us!
December 15, 2015 @ 4:55 pm
This is looking great and I love how super efficient you both obviously are. It amazes me how you two began with ” Dance with me I want my arms about you”..Veb ah- here..take my friend-please? and then phone calls not answered,a chance meeting at another dance venue….a spectacular marriage-gotta be the most fun reception I ever saw and now a decade plus later..still together..building a home back to its former Glory and best of all Dancing.
Its like every girls dreams do come true tale and I (slight case of fan gushing here} just have enjoyed every invite into your Life. Thanks to you both for all the laughs and lots of helpful info. My tubers and seeds are still in a drawer but there’s always next year.