Swimpy's Kitchen Remodel Thread

Gorgeous, Swimpy!

Sozobe, ok, I'll try to get my mind around that. That's true even when the photo is in a post?

Oh wow Swimpy, it's de-lovely!!!

Osso, as I understand it (which is still in "don't quote me on this" territory), the actual server load is experienced by wherever the photo is hosted -- an MSN site in Swimpy's case. It might take a while for your connection/ computer to download the image, but A2K doesn't actually bear the server load for the image -- it's hosted by the MSN site.

I'll see if I can find a "don't steal our bandwidth!" image somewhere as a demonstration. I saw one recently that was just a green Mr. Yuk face, when what someone was trying to post was an image from someplace that doesn't want you linking to their images.

Remember that what shows up as an image is actually a link. You don't like copy and paste an image -- you get the url and place it between "img" brackets.

Most places -- MSN, certainly imageshack, etc. -- expect that the images will be linked to elsewhere and have no problem with that.

(Clear as mud, eh? One of those things that seem simple enough until you try to explain them...)

Anyway, LOVE the bench.

I get it I think, and I have seen those DON"T screens.

I do love the seat bench... really good.

Oooooooooh.... Rolled & Tucked, right?

Gorgeous, Swimpy!!! You lucky duck!

Swimpy
Swimpy

elegant design; elegant craftsmanship!

BBB

Thanks, everyone. I'll pass the compliments on. I have been very lucky to have had such talented people working on this project. It hasn't been totally frustration free, but I would not hesitate to do it again. And did I mention that I love my new kitchen? It has turned out exactly the way I envisoned it...no better than I envisioned it.

It looks beautiful Swimpey, also the color of the leather blends in so nicely. Indeed, your workers did an excellent job,
you can pass this on to them, I'm sure they're delighted to
hear that.

Great kitchen! Now I want a new one too!

Update: The table is almost done. I had to call them last week to see if they could make it two inches taller. The bench turned out to be 25" high with the upholstery. Pretty high for a 30" table. They said it was almost done but they could add two inches to the bottom.

The backsplash will be the straggler. They tiler said it might be July before they can work me in. I still havn't decided on the tile. I've pretty much decided against the slate. Too dead looking. They have a beautiful Travertine tile in various shades of tan-brown that may work. I'm also considering using cheap glazed tiles in a random pattern of browns, greens, blue, tan and red. Have you ever watched Caprial & John's Kitchen on PBS? Take a look at their backsplash. That's the effect I'm thinking about, except theirs is done in glass tile...prohibitively expensive but gorgeous. You can see it in the background here.

You could buy some colored tiles and try it (perhaps using that gum stuff that artists use..)
Personally I find the pattern too busy, but that's my eye, and you might love it.

That's my concern, too. Busy-ness...but I do need some punch in here. I love it in their kitchen...don't know if I would love it in mine.

If you like the plain tiles of various colors, you might play with just two that are fairly close together re contrast...

we deal with this in landscape design, in that the tall hedge, say, is background for the sculpture of the specimen tree. That tree, or Kitchenaid mixer or bowl of oranges, will be just one more thing with such a background, when the mixer itself is rather artful. Sometimes a jumble is jolly, which is why I'm not throwing this out as a Don't.

Also... it is slightly trendy, which is by nature a passing thing. Though I don't personally care if something I like is part of a trend, so never mind.

Let me just suggest playing with tiles, as you have the time. Even a patterned tile which is fairly uniform would become background - but those tiles in the photo work to be foreground.

I saw an absolute show-stopper kitchen yesterday (also a lot of cherry, love that stuff), and what they had for the backsplash was ceramic tiles that had a high-ish contrast glaze, some plain (flat) and some with designs -- but all the same glaze. So there was texture and interest, but not busy at all. (I'm not using technical terms so what I mean when I say "high-ish contrast glaze" is that it wasn't a uniform color throughout -- where the design was raised, it was more cream colored [underlying white ceramic tile], then puddled to a darker color around the edges.)

I think there may have been two shades of glaze used, too, one more towards green and one more towards gold, but similar.

Overall it was a nice effect.

Yeah, that sounds good. More than plain, genuinely interesting, but not blasting your eyes...

I love the tiles in Caprial's kitchen.
Definitely not for everyone, but perfect for the right kitchen.
I like to see punch/zowie/edginess in unexpected places.

I like the concept, I think, but those particular colors don't do much for me. I think for myself I'd like to go with a strong color, with some variations, something kinda artisan-y.

(This kitchen I saw yesterday plus all of this has me plotting -- my friend [first time I've seen her house] had a tiny kitchen and attached one-car garage, extended into the garage and made a kitchen out of it -- pitched roof, old original round window up in the corner, good stuff.)

and I'm slightly on the other side of that, having gone edgy for a while. I appreciate zowie kitchens though, if they aren't my own.

I have no money to DO anything, mind you, just plotting for the far future. (Our kitchen is white white white with some boring little 80's black tiles in a checkerboard pattern along the top -- don't like it much 'tall, but will be quite a while before I have enough money to do anything about it. Probably all I'll be able to do any time soon is replace the horrible 80's B&W checkerboard valances. What goes with white and black? Hot pink? :-?)

I'm torn between zowie and not taking away from the cabinetry. From the very beginning, I wanted the cabinets to be the stars of the show. I still do, but I also want a little punch. Not sure how to get it.

Soz, Red Red Red!

My kitchen needs red, too. That's the punch it needs. Not a red backsplash, but some red needs to come in somewhre. I do have some red serving pieces that I put in the glass cabinets. They look great! They're not fire engine red, but a dark red.

Frank Gehry's house in Santa Monica went outside for the kitchen, literally, rather like your garage extension friend, Sozobe. So, the intermediate wall had shingles, if I remember right, and I did a similar thing though not with shingles in my own Venice house remodel plans, which we didn't build but one of the new owners did.

I have a lot of stuff saved over the years re Gehry and some photos of his house from the outside years ago, but of course they're not scanned, since I am busy typing on a2k. Ironically, his new house is in deep plan stage five lots over from my place in Venice. Schniff. I could be rich... (oh, never mind).