Kitchen

July 8, 2016 0 No tags Permalink 0

OMG! It’s finally done! Really! It’s more than a year later than we wanted, but I am grateful to say that I have finally finished our kitchen and it is spectacular! It has been sitting at the 98% completion mark since this past spring, but we finally managed to get the last of it done and, for the moment, we can relax.

There are a ton of images here, I am posting the most recent images first working backwards in time to the beginning. (Click on a picture to open in slide show view.)

Our Kitchen – Fall of 2017

 

Our stove as it is today. So damned pretty.

 

Our Kitchen – Fall of 2017

 

The upper glass doors are so beautiful! I had the glass cut and shipped from California (cause it was cheaper than local sources).

 

I wanted a slide in range because I’ve always though the typical free-standing range (with controls on the back) looked like an afterthought. It is totally worth the little extra cost for the built in look.

 

“Lettuce Turnip the Beet!” – Our cozy little sitting area has really been a nice reprieve from dining at the sofa as we have for the past few years.

 

The other side of the kitchen as it is today. I was originally going to have marble countertop, but chose to transfer the square footage to the slab behind the stove to shave a few dollars off of the cost. The butcher-block came from IKEA, I used my router to make the edge fancy.

 

There is a microwave oven hidden here.

 

The microwave is conveniently tucked under the counter.

 

The corner is wrapped by the cabinets on both the top and bottom. I aligned the fronts to look like they were part of a single unit, but the left cabinets are 10 inches shallower than the others.

 

One of my favorite things is the pull-out tray under the kitchen sink. I never have to reach back far to get to what is in the back of the cabinet.

 

The stove makes our Simplex Teapot look even more fabulous.

 

The copper sink is now more than a year old and I have zero regrets. It’s still as wonderful as the day it was installed.

 

I was very proud of my solution to hide the ugly air conditioner.

 

The 99″ tall closet doors on the other side of the room were removed early on, and sat in our hallway forever. It was a huge chore to get them back up and working correctly, but they look great!

 

Main countertop from different angle.

 

The floor…. Did I mention the floor?

 

This shot gives a good indication of just how tall the upper cabinets are. Definitely need a stepladder to get to the top shelves.

 

 

Below is the status as of the summer of 2016. We had just gotten to the point of having working sink and stove. But the other side of the room was still a mess.

 

This was the status of the kitchen inn the summer of 2016. One side was 95% complete, the other not even started.

 

Still a work in progress, but we have a functioning kitchen after months of eating out.

Summer 2016 – Still a work in progress, but we have a functioning kitchen after months of eating out.

 

Another magazine worthy shot save for the unfinished beadboard trim on the wall under Nanna Zelda

Another magazine worthy shot save for the unfinished beadboard trim on the wall under Nanna Zelda

 

 

The newly installed upper glass doors are so beautiful!

The newly installed upper glass doors are so beautiful!

 

The combination of the custom side panel with the bottom trim crafted from a 1x3 piece of poplar really frames the doors beautifully.

The combination of the custom side panel with the bottom trim crafted from a 1×3 piece of poplar really frames the doors beautifully.

 

The interior cabinet lighting is just inside the door frame and wonderfully obscured by the texture in the glass.

The interior cabinet lighting is just inside the door frame and wonderfully obscured by the texture in the glass.

 

Oh, the backsplash came out so beautifully!

Oh, the backsplash came out so beautifully!

 

Running water after 130 days of washing dishes in the bathroom sink. This is so much nicer!

Running water after 130 days of washing dishes in the bathroom sink. This is so much nicer!

 

The upper cabinets were not done yet, but it really does look like a kitchen now.

The upper cabinets were not done yet, but it really does look like a kitchen now.

 

 

First load of dishes... And so quiet. At 44 decibels, I had a hard time hearing it running. This is Yoav's first time having a dishwasher in the home as an adult, and only my second time.

First load of dishes… And so quiet. At 44 decibels, I had a hard time hearing it running. This is Yoav’s first time having a dishwasher in the home as an adult, and only my second time.

 

Base cabinets are ready for countertop measurements!

Base cabinets are ready for countertop measurements!

 

The completed first phase of the beadboard installation. This is our sink wall and will be the foundation upon which the primary elements of our kitchen will be built.

The completed first phase of the beadboard installation. This is our sink wall and will be the foundation upon which the primary elements of our kitchen will be built.

 

OMG.... It is so beautiful! (Notice the white panel across the door to the hall on far right. This is to keep Fritz out of the kitchen, but it is also to keep mice out of the rest of the apartment as they still have access to the kitchen.

OMG…. It is so beautiful! (Notice the white panel across the door to the hall on far right. This is to keep Fritz out of the kitchen, but it is also to keep mice out of the rest of the apartment as they still have access to the kitchen.

 

These are the materials we settled on in December of 2015, nearly all of them have stayed as planned in the renovation.

These are the materials we settled on in December of 2015, nearly all of them have stayed as planned in the renovation.

 

Our very un-glamorous kitchen as seen one morning in December 2015. The limitations of this 118.5" space are very real and more complicated than they should be.

Our very un-glamorous kitchen as seen one morning in December 2015. The limitations of this 118.5″ space are very real and more complicated than they should be.

 

The kitchen when we first saw the apartment had clearly been thoughtlessly thrown together for use as a rental.

The kitchen when we first saw the apartment had clearly been thoughtlessly thrown together for use as a rental.

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Living room

July 7, 2016 0 No tags Permalink 0

Originally our living room was a much more ornate space. There was beautiful plaster crown molding, raised panelled walls, and eighteen inch tall baseboards. Unfortunately, when our home was divided into two separate apartments in the middle of the last century, much of the detail was stripped away. We do however retain the original decorative fireplace with it’s giant mirror above, our original window frames, and two French doors, both of which are over eight feet tall. The transormation of this room was HUGE as seen in the original before photos at the end. 

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Entry Gallery

July 7, 2016 0 No tags Permalink 0

Our entry gallery is a beloved if slight odd space. Our apartment was originally much larger when it was completed in 1910, but in the middle of the last century it was cut in two (hence half classic six). The entry gallery originally led to both the original dining room as well as the parlor (living room). When the apartment was divided, they removed the double French doors from the entry gallery and closed it off to become our neighbors apartment. This is how we ended up with a 22′ long entry to our home. The photos are from when we completed the hallway in late summer of 2015. 

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The Center Hall

September 7, 2015 0 No tags Permalink 0

Our Center Hall which connects the living room to the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. It is one of my favorite spots in our apartment because it is such a generous space for a hallway. One of my favorite parts is the original plaster ceiling which is in great shape.  The following images are from spring of 2015 when I first renovated the space. 

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Times Square

March 17, 2014 0 No tags Permalink 0

Don’t worry – you’re not alone. With massive digital billboards whose bright lights make

Graphic design

March 17, 2014 0 No tags Permalink 0

So blinded by desire, that they cannot foresee the pain and trouble that are bound to ensue

Woman posing on the chair

December 25, 2013 0 No tags Permalink 0

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Bird Family

December 25, 2013 0 No tags Permalink 0

On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation.