Kitchen Remodel, January 2001
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The previous owners remodeled the inn's kitchen. We really like
the openness of the kitchen as it's been for years, but the furnishings
and fixtures have been a limiting factor. As a key part of our commitment
to improving the inn, we decided to upgrade the kitchen to allow us
to improve the quality of the food we serve, and to increase our productivity
in the kitchen. A great side-effect is that we're able to have a lot more fun
preparing and serving food to our guests. They did, of course, keep the
100-year-old Belleville wood
stove!
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The following is a documentation of the renovation work done.
Click on any picture below to see
a larger view.
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Overview of Plans and Appliances
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In general, the new layout will be very similar to the old layout. We
really like the fact that the kitchen is open to the dining room, so we're
basically recreating this arrangement with really nice cabinets, counters,
appliances, etc.
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| Here's the list of appliances: |
- Viking 6-burner gas range
with convection oven (in Viking Blue) : I bought this as soon as the
remodel was a Go, and I've had it since mid-October.
- Viking warming drawer (also in Viking Blue)
- Viking range hood
- SubZero 36" all-refrigerator
- SubZero under-counter freezer
- SubZero under-counter refrigerator
- Viking dishwasher
- Marvel wine cooler
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| Other improvements: |
- Replace original 1-compartment sink with a 2-compartment sink
- Add a new sink for food preparation.
- Significantly-expanded counter space, especially for prep.
- Custom cabinets by Lee Josephs
- Additional lighting
- Replace the floor in the breakfast room.
- Remove the carpet in the Farmhouse, and refinish the existing fir
floor.
- Wire up a generator to provide power in outages.
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| Here's what we're keeping: |
- The 13-foot redwood slab that served as the breakfast bar. It's
going back on top of the new cabinets.
- The hardwood floor in the kitchen.
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Day 0 : Packing up the kitchen
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Utter chaos while we pack!
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Rose supervises Mary taping a box.
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| p.s. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Normal people don't start counting
at zero, but I spent too many years as a software engineer to start
at one. |
Days 2-3 : Plumbing,
Electrical Infrastructure
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Why does the new cabinet go up there on the ceiling? |
Deciding on lighting locations |
Between the island and
the breakfast bar |
Rick (electrician) at work |
Richard and Rick decide
how to make it all fit |
| Days 2 and 3 were not very exciting visually, but a lot
happened. The plumbers did a lot on the new plumbing, including installing
a water shutoff for the Farmhouse (didn't have one!), tearing out the
old plumbing, and then adding back the plumbing for both sinks and the
plumbed-in coffee maker. I worked with Rick, the electrician, to decide
where all the plugs and switches will go. Rick then started running all
the new circuits. We discussed our options on several matters (shelf configuration
over the sink; interior window to office; etc) with Richard, the foreman.
Even though the crew doesn't work on the weekends, Rick is going to come
in on Saturday to finish the bulk of the wiring, since the main island
is going in on Monday. |
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Day 4: First Cabinet Goes
In!
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Richard pieces together
the first cabinet. |
Hey! This was level
five minutes ago! |
Rick moves the
light switches down. |
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Day 4 was exciting -- Richard installed the first cabinet.
It wasn't straightforward, since the room isn't straightforward -- the
floor rolls like a ship in heavy seas. Tomorrow, they'll come measure
for the first countertop. In addition to the cabinet installation, the
electricians worked hard today (as well as Saturday). They've been running
new circuits all over the kitchen, in preparation for the appliances and
new lights. The inspector dropped by today to examine the plumbing and
electrical work, and it all passed. |
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Day 5: Measuring for First
Counter Top
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Richard discusses layout
with counter people. |
I hope they didn't want
it flat on top.... |
| Day 5 was largely taken up with preparing for final measurements
for the first counter top, and then Debbie came by to actually measure
it. Richard also worked hard to finish the prep work on the walls in the
wake of the electrician and plumber. He expects to start installing the
main cabinets along the east wall tomorrow. |
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Day 6: Install More Cabinets
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Not-yet-level cabinet on
east wall |
East and Southeast
cabinets are level! |
| Day 6 was consumed by installing cabinets, and then trying
to get them level (with 1 inch of difference over 15 feet!). Richard got
them level, though, but it took him longer to level them than install
them. Don't you just love old houses? These cabinets are going to be the
primary prep area in the new arrangement, with an additional sink and
under-counter freezer and refrigerator. |
Day 8: Installing the
last of the main cabinets
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The ladder shows where the Subzero
refrigerator will go. |
Richard installed a cabinet to
the right of the (missing) stove. |
| On Day 8, Richard installed the last of the main cabinets:
the large one that will hold the Subzero refrigerator and the coffee maker,
and the small cabinet by the stove. He also prepped the walls for the
backsplashes. On Monday, Day 9, Richard will glue on the backsplashes
and start installing the uppers. |
Day 9: Countertops and Backsplashes
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Richard brings in the
big countertop. |
The first backsplash
goes in. |
Installing the rest of
the big counter. |
| Day 9 was involved with the countertops. Richard installed
both pieces of the main counter, and installed the backsplash on the east
wall. |
Day 10: Main Counter
and Coffee Area
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The main counter was glued, and
the backsplash went in. |
The backsplashes for the
coffee area went in. |
| On Day 10, Richard glued the main counter, and installed
the backsplash behind it. He also put in the backsplashes for the coffee
area -- you can see the cutouts where we've plumbed in cold water and
220-volts for greater convenience. |
Days 11-13: Final Cabinet
Work before Painting
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The final countertop goes in. |
Richard gets sucked into
the new hood (not really). |
Range hood is installed. |
Crown moulding looks great! |
Shelf by sink turned out
bigger (due to off-kilter house). |
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Days 11-13 were mostly occupied with getting in the last of the countertops,
installing the range hood, adding various kinds of moulding, and finishing
the shelves that flank the main sink. Richard has one more day before
the painter arrives, and he'll be finishing off the moulding and adding
the last 2 small sections of counters: one on the small cabinet to the
right of the stove, and the other goes on the new coffee station. Other
than these last 2 pieces, all of the counters and tops are finished.
Richard worked on Saturday, and the painter will be
coming in on Sunday to sand the floor down before refinishing it. Then,
Richard will finish his stuff on Monday, and the painter will take over
for a week.
We're still on schedule -- things should be more-or-less
wrapped up by the end of the week after next.
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Days 14-16 : Sinks and
Floors
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Matt the painter |
Matt scrapes at the floor |
Matt's crew |
Richard prepares to
install the 2nd sink. |
New 2-compartment
sink will be great! |
Butcherblock sidebar
next to wood stove. |
A key benefit at Heyden-Loudon Construction is
a weekly grooming session.
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The oak floor after the
first clear-coat -- it's a
really beautiful floor! |
We're going to refinish
the old red fir floor in the
rest of the Farmhouse. |
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| During the last 3 days, Richard pretty much finished up
the carpentry work. All of the sinks are set now, and all of the countertops
are finished. Matt, the painter, came in with his crew. They've sanded
the oak floor at great length, and applied the first coat at the end of
the day. Tomorrow, they'll start sealing the insides of the cabients,
and put another coat on the floor. Tomorrow, we're going to pull up the
carpet in the Farmhouse and check out the fir flooring underneath. The
floor refinisher can't come for another month, but even the old floor
has a nice, uh, character to it. |
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Days 17-19 : Floors and
Cabinets
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Ken pulls strips |
Lisa pulls staples |
Chris and Lisa work
inside while it rained. |
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Painters spray sealer
outside by the ocean. |
Freak ice storm
dusts everything! |
The Meaning of Life.
(Too bad we lost the
picture here.)
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The shelves and
pullouts are sealed.
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Matt puts another
coat on the floor. |
Matt stains the cabinets
a light, creamy yellow. |
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During the last 3 days, Matt and his crew worked hard on sealing and
staining cabinets, shelves, and the oak floor. We had a freak ice storm
that coated everything in ice for a couple of hours on Thursday, so
the painters sprayed stuff inside (gasp!). Our crew (Ken, Lisa, Chris)
worked with Richard to pull up the carpet in the Farmhouse, including
all of the embedded staples. Although it needs work to clean it up,
the fir floor will be beautiful in the living room.
We're heading into the stretch run! If all goes according
to plan, the health inspector will pass us on Friday afternoon, Feb
2, allowing us to serve food on Saturday the 3rd.
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Continue with the final week of the remodel.... |
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