This Spray Paint Is a Perfect Match for Delta Champagne Bronze

The plumber was coming to do all the hookups, and I still hadn't found a drinking faucet that matched the shape and finish of our sink faucet, the Delta Trinsic in "champagne bronze." While purchasing the sink on Wayfair, I saw this inexpensive Kingston Brass Continental drinking faucet that matched the shape. I decided to snap it up and just hope for the best with the finishes. When the fixtures came in, however, it was clear they were not even close—golden bronze vs. yellow gold. You won't believe what I did next.

Renovation Diary: Trouble-Shooting the Integrated Paneled Liebherr Refrigerator

Some elements in this kitchen design have to be just right, and integrating the paneled refrigerator is one. The kitchen will be open to the living room and dining room, and I didn't want the look and feel of the rooms to be dominated by hulking appliances. Now that the fridge is in, you can see the paneled appliances make all the difference. This installation went fairly smoothly. At least, it did after the guys realized the Liebherr fridge vents in front! But if you're considering a fully integrated refrigerator, here are just a few things I wish I'd known in advance about the Liebherr HC2080.

Renovation Diary: Why I Went With Drawers in All My Base Cabinets

Designing this kitchen for maximum functionality and efficient use of space, I specced drawers in ALL the base cabinets. The utility, functionality, and efficient use of space simply can't be beat. And no more kneeling on the floor to search for small appliances. More than this, I just love the symmetry in my design. I'll store heavy items like small appliances in the bottom drawers and flatware, utensils, and spices in the top "hidden" drawers.

Renovation Diary: IKEA + Scherr's Pantries, Toe-Kicks, and Trim

And we have pantries, and moldings, and toe kicks today! I never know exactly what I’ll see when I get home after work each night this week. Yesterday the carpenter had finished up the top trim, installed the toe-kicks, and placed the pantry doors. The quality of the Scherr's woodwork is excellent so far. I'm really happy with our decision to go with them to create the custom doors for our IKEA cabinets.

Renovation Diary: Custom Doors on IKEA Cabinets

And we have doors!

Things are really coming together now. The sink has been repositioned and fixes made to the length of the sink run. Some of doors are up, and gosh they’re beautiful. Scherr’s did this bit of custom work. They’re solid maple in shaker style painted Sherwin Williams Extra White with a durable factory style finish. They came pre-drilled for the IKEA Blum hinges and scaled to fit my IKEA layout.

Renovation Diary: Why Liebherr Is the Only Paneled Refrigerator for Me

More renovation drama! We had a moment yesterday morning when the carpenter said he thought the fridge couldn’t be flush. I was about to have a nervous breakdown. I had done so much research that I knew this integrated model can be absolutely flush and “disappear” behind the panels. Meldown averted; it turned out he thought that he had to leave space in the back, as you do on some models. You don’t with this one. The Liebherr refrigerator ventilates at the front, in space hidden beneath the front drawer panel.
 

Renovation Diary: Choosing My Paonazzo Marble Slabs

This weekend I chose my marble slabs — the ones I'm standing in front of here are mine. When you're renovating a kitchen you have to count yourself lucky to live in a city with proximity to stone yards with optimal selection. This is my fourth kitchen renovation, and ABS Stone in Long Island City, NY, is without exaggeration, the best stone yard I've ever visited.

Renovation Diary: Mistakes Happen, or, the Sink-Run Issue

Today was a tough day on the renovation front. I discovered the sink run was longer than I'd specified in the design. How did this happen?

Renovation Diary: Why Skim Coating Is Worth the Cost

—Original old world plaster walls—

When we got the bids on this job, one area where they varied was in the treatment of the walls, and the difference came down to skim coat. You may be asking yourself is skim coat even necessary or worth the added cost? It is if you're blending old and new — and the old walls are 1946 plaster. Here's why.

Renovation Diary: IKEA's Delivery Service XPO Logistics Sucks

IKEA outsources their delivery needs to a company called XPO Logistics, and that's a terrible business mistake for a company that prides itself on high quality products and customer experience. We are now on our fourth delivery attempt, scheduled for Monday.

Renovation Diary: Obsessed With "Hidden" Outlets

 
I woke up early with the nagging worry that we probably forgot to put outlets back on the living room side of the wall that we’d torn down then put back up again. Sure, I made myself try to sleep (or at least rest) until 5am, then I gave up, got up, and started brewing the morning coffee. I took mine through the zip wall to take a look at the work that had been done yesterday in the light of day. I was so relieved. Not only had Aleks remembered to put back the outlet, he’d given me an extra one exactly where my reading lamp will go. Bless him. A good contractor who is forward-thinking is worth his fee.

Renovation Diary: Restoring the Floors

Aleks texted from a flooring store where he’s picking up red oak slats for the section of floor that used to be the galley kitchen but is now down to it’s subfloors. I had hoped originally to find that underneath the porcelain tile we’d find the same hardwood floors that are in the rest of the rooms, but nope, just subfloor. It’s too bad to lose the old slats from the dining area, but they were all one length, not feathered. To make the two sides, old galley kitchen and old dining area, match, Aleks’s floor guy will have to re-do both rooms in the same material, feather the slats of various sizes, and stain them the same natural stain as the rest of the house.

Renovation Diary: Design Elements

—Remodelista—

I woke up this morning before the alarm went off with a dreadful feeling that I’m making a mistake with the lighting over the sideboard — specifically the plan to use the extra pendant there. I’d purchased four to go over the island, when it was an island, but now I’m only using three since the wall became partially closed again. They’re custom, and can’t be returned, hence the idea to use the extra one over the sideboard. I thought perhaps it would  tie in the design of the two rooms. But I woke up realizing that it will hang too low and will obscure the artwork that I plan to hang there. Also, it’s a downlight that won't illuminate the sculpture that I’m going to put on the sideboard either. What I really need there is a "wall wash."

Renovation Diary: The Exhausting Mid-Point

Today begins Week 3. In my experience, the rough-ins period is the toughest for the homeowner in any kitchen renovation. With parts of walls and ceilings down everywhere we turn, the rough-ins for plumbing, gas, and electrical have been underway since last week, and we’ve been living with holes and plaster dust everywhere. This is the phase when the excitement of finally getting your project underway has worn off, and you just can’t escape the fact that you’re living in a construction zone.

Renovation Diary: Mixing Metal Finishes in My Kitchen

The pure white field and deep navy vein of the paonazzo marble we saw yesterday is sparking all kinds of design and decor choices in my mind. I drafted a new mood board. So much has changed since I drafted my original mood board that I thought it would be painful to compare them, but it isn't, because I love the new design even more.

Renovation Diary: Marble Shopping

—Paonazzo marble, Elizabeth Roberts Architecture—

Our home is a construction zone on the other side of the zip wall and there's a distinctly alkaline note of lime dust in my coffee this morning, so it was a real relief to spend the day marble shopping with Ross at Bas Stone in Long Island City. This stone yard — operated by two sisters — is like no other stone yard I've ever visited. We saw so many beautiful marble slabs, and one that I think may be The One.

Renovation Diary: The Case for Choosing Appliances First

This morning I'm trading Craigslist emails with people who want to buy my Thermador oven stack — that's right, the same oven stack I was so excited to find at a good price myself just a few months back on CL. The one I went to great lengths to arrange delivery for. The wall oven that completed my "dream kitchen." Though it would not have helped my particular situation, based on this experience I advise anyone planning a kitchen to choose your appliances first.

Renovation Diary: How to Create a Lighting Plan

I met with Alex this morning to go over my lighting plan. If you've never done one, it's a map showing where you want your lights to go and indicating, with dotted lines, where those lights should have switches located. You also indicate where outlets should go. When I was a renovation newbee on my first kitchen, I neglected to do this and I ended up with a gorgeous kitchen that was not well-lit. I also ended up with cutouts for outlets interrupting the flow of my expensive slate backsplash. This time I was prepared.
 

Renovation Diary: Rethinking All the Appliances

I've been poring over appliances online and comparing electrical specs. I'm getting a lesson in amps, volts, watts, and jouels and honestly, it's all just little bit too math-y for this lit major. (Calling all digital entrepreneurs: Someone should launch a website that makes spec comparison easier. Can you imagine the commissions coming in from the merchant you finally send users to? Ka-ching.) But in the end my decision came down to eliminating to the heaviest energy-user, my beloved Thermador wall oven stack. Sniff sniff.

Renovation Diary: Scary Electrical Panel Nightmare

The good news: They found the old fuse box yesterday. The bad news: It's not a fuse box anymore. I seems the previous owners of our co-op apartment in Queens had some work done to the panel when they did their on-the-cheap renovation five or six years ago, and their electrician did something utterly stupid, illegal, and not up to code. He turned that old fuse box into a junction box — and then he buried it behind plaster and paint in the wall. 

Renovation Diary: The Electrical Panel Saga Continues

I’m going over my appliance specs again, looking at electrical and I don’t see how we can run all my appliances with the current power coming into this apartment. I sent the specs to my contractor’s electrician and the managing agent. Guys, something’s gotta give. A bigger worry is where the power exactly is coming in. Apparently there should be an old fuse box in addition to our breaker box. It's a mystery.

Renovation Diary: Dealing With Last-Minute Design Changes

I'm still reeling from all the renovation surprises this week. It took a day or two for it to settle in that, yes, I'm back to having a galley kitchen. But I'm surprising myself in that I'm feeling really okay with it. I count myself blessed that we can spread out the cooktop wall, get more pantry space, and place the fridge where everyone can easily get to it while we're cooking. That we can still open up the walls somewhat with a peninsula on the end is icing on the cake. And it's going to be beautiful... if I can just wrap my brain around what to do with this unexpected sink run wall. Please share your opinion  in the comments!

Renovation Diary: Kitchen Design, Take Two

When you live in a NYC co-op (similar to a condo for all of you non-New Yorkers), you go into any renovation prepared to make compromises. On sites like Brickunderground there are dozens of articles warning about what most co-op boards will just flat out say no to. You'll be shocked when I tell you what most New Yorker's can't have.
 

Renovation Diary: The Electrical Panel

Mid-day, more news from Aleks. The electrician had done his walk through and our current electrical panel — which had been installed at some point by the previous owner during a much-touted in the real-estate-listing "renovation" — is not up to code. It seems the wiring commented to the breakers in the electrical room in our building’s basement (where the power comes in) does not match what is coming into our panel. I'm told it is a common theme in these old buildings, and not as dangerous as it sounds. However, everyone is really surprised that we weren’t already experiencing breaker trips under the current situation.

They think the electrician can rectify everything pretty easily if we could just locate the old fuse box. But I've painted every inch of this home, and there is none to be seen.

Luckily, I was able to ask for info from my neighbors in our line, and someone has an unrenovated apartment that might provide a clue. Theirs is located a bit to the right of where our breaker panel is located. Could ours be buried inside the wall?

Follow the Renovation Diary:

• Our Kitchen Was Featured on Sweeten! 

• Kitchen Renovation Hack: DIY Yoga Mat Cabinet & Drawer Liners 

• Jackson Heights Kitchen Renovation: Before and After

• This Spray Paint Is a Perfect Match for Delta Champagne 

• Trouble-Shooting the Fully Integrated and Paneled Liebherr Built-In Refrigerator 

• Why I Went With Drawers in All My Base Cabinets

• IKEA + Scherr's Pantries, Toe-Kicks, and Trim 

• The Scherr's Doors + IKEA Cabinets Are Live 

• Why Liebherr Is the Only Paneled Refrigerator for Me 

• Choosing My Paonazzo Slabs 

• The Sink Run Issue 

• Why Skim Coating Is Worth the Cost 

• IKEA's Delivery Service XPO Logistics Sucks 

• Obsessed With "Hidden" Outlets 

• Restoring the Floors 

• Design Elements 

• The Exhausting Mid-Point 

• Mixing Metal Finishes in Your Kitchen

• Marble Shopping

• The Case for Choosing Appliances First

• How to Create a Lighting Plan

• Rethinking All the Appliances

• Scary Electrical Panel Nightmare

• The Electrical Panel Saga Continues

• Dealing With Last-Minute Design Changes

• Kitchen Design, Take Two

• The Electrical Panel Problem

• The Wall Can't Come Down

• The Walls Come Tumbling Down!

• Demo Day!

• Preparation

Renovation Diary: The Wall Can't Come Down

I met with the contractor this morning to see what our options are with the various pipes in the wall. It was not encouraging. First, the positives: I can swap positions of sink and dishwasher, so that we’re loading on the right (Ross and I are both right-handed), but that’s pretty much the extent of the good news today.
 

Renovation Diary: The Walls Come Tumbling Down!

Today is the day the walls come down and we finally get to see exactly what we're dealing with. I texted Aleks mid-morning to see how things were going, and he sent me six photos. My stomach dropped as I looked through them and saw that the risers are not clustered, as I’d hoped, but spread far apart — really far apart. This doesn't bode well for my open-plan dream kitchen. I expect we are going to need several feet of wall to remain standing, right in front of the sink. That means, I won't get my favorite layout:

Renovation Diary: Demo Day!

Before work this morning I met with our contractor Aleks to hand over a set of keys, and we went over the kitchen plans and the schedule of things that will take place this week. This project has for so long existed only in my head, it's exciting to know that while I'm at work all day doing my job, his crew will be here making things happen.

Renovation Diary: Preparation

It looks like moving day at our place, and in many ways it feels like it too. Today I spent most of the day hunting down boxes and packing up remaining dishes, cooking utensils, pots and pans, small appliances, and foods that we won't see again for 4-6 weeks. I emptied out every cabinet and pantry into boxes and bags and stowed it all in the spare bedroom, where last night Ross had helped me push all the dining and living room furniture.

Are Oversized Kitchen Island Pendants Trending Out?

The thing about taking four years to plan a kitchen is that I've fallen out of "like" with some elements I once thought essential. When this project was just a gleam in my iPad, I thought my island would surely be topped by three mid-century globe pendants of some sort. But as we get closer to demo day (more on that below), I find myself unable to settle on a pendant style. And now I think I know why — I don't want them anymore. Meet my new lighting love...

More Kitchen Island Pendants

The hunt for our kitchen island lighting continues. I've seen many fixtures that I like but none feels quite right yet. Could it be this one, the Tall Beat Pendant by Tom Dixon? The sharp angles provide some contrast to all the straight lines in my kitchen design that are pervasive in the shaker doors and rows of horizontal drawers. In my previous post I showed a collection of six island pendants I had been considering. I put them to the vote on Facebook and Houzz and you can probably guess which two won.

Choosing Island Pendants

Some say choosing your island pendants is one of the most important design decisions you'll make when renovating your kitchen. It's certainly one of the most visible. And it's also the fixture most likely to look dated soonest. Luckily, it's also the easiest to replace. I'm going to have fun choosing my pendants. While the rest of the kitchen will have chrome fixtures, pendants are one place that I feel I can introduce a second finish, such as bronze or burnished gold — a trend I find appealing but feel is already on it's way out. Or black, also very trendy. Here are six island pendants I'm considering. Which would you choose?

How to Hack an IKEA 35" Wall Cabinet

Don't you love IKEA's new 40" wall cabinets? The longer cabinets look clean and modern, plus they turn what would formerly have been wasted space above into usable storage. But with our 90" high pantries—4-1/2" with toe kicks—dictating how high we can hang our wall cabinets, we were left with just 18-1/2" clearance above the cooktop, when the specs call for 24". Bummer.

I went into my design appointment at IKEA Brooklyn resigned to the prospect that I would have to order all three sets of wall cabinets custom. But IKEA kitchen designer Deb (callout!) came up with this genius solution.

Insider Secrets to Buying Used High-End Appliances for Less

Things are heating up with the kitchen renovation project. Bids are in from three perspective contractors—and all were higher than expected. No matter which contractor I choose, it's clear that I'll need to find some cost savings. The obvious place is the appliances budget—and boy that stings. My wish list includes some high-end integrated appliances that I don't want to compromise on. I had already gotten two appliance quotes for my dream suite and as it turned out that was not a total waste of time. Knowing the real prices has helped me to quickly spot bargains, and I'm happy to say that this week I scored, big time!

 

The Scary Prospect of Hiring a Contractor for Your Kitchen Renovation

It's been a while since I posted about my kitchen renovation, but I have been working on it. I've finalized the design, chosen cabinets and doors, decided on two versions of appliances (high and low, in case I need to cut budget), obtained building plans from my co-op and confirmed that the wall I want to remove is not a retaining wall. Then... crickets. I know. Truth is, I'm in a quandary about the contractor. My go-to contractor's timeline has slipped. He called with his reasons, and I do understand. The same attention to detail that he gives my projects is right now laser focused on finishing up someone's brownstone in Brooklyn. The question is, do I wait for him—a known entity? Or do I hire someone I've never worked with before? There are risks both ways it seems to me. Tell me, what would you do?

Fixer Upper Friday: 2 BR + Office in Laburnum Court - $559k

This week's Fixer Upper find is a 2BR + office, located in Laburnum Court at 37-16 80th Street, #42 in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of NYC, asking $559k. The same classic 6-room layout in this co-op building just sold for $670k in February of last year, so there is at the very least $110k of instant equity on the line—likely more, as sales prices have been climbing this past year in this architecturally significant neighborhood. For a prospective buyer willing to tap into that instant equity and renovate a home exactly to their taste, it's certainly worth a look.

Fixer Upper Friday: A 2BR for $399k in the Wilshire House in Jackson Heights

This week's Fixer Upper find is a 2BR located at 34-15 74th Street, 6E in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of NYC listed for just $399k. Renovated 2BR/1BA homes in this neighborhood are going for upwards of $600k, so there's a good $200k of instant equity on the line for some lucky buyer to tap and renovate a home exactly to your taste. Let's take a look.

Financing Your Renovation: What a HELOC Appraiser Is Looking For in a New York City Co-Op Home

Whether you're renovating to resell or to stay in your home and enjoy your design upgrades for years to come, a HELOC can be a good way to finance your renovation. Though it doesn't come with as rigorous a screening process as a first mortgage, a HELOC does require a bit of paperwork. And once you're pre-approved, the lender will order an appraisal. This won't be exactly like the appraisal when you sold your last home — so put down the grout cleaner. Here's what a HELOC appraiser is looking for.

Scherr's Versus Semihandmade White Shaker Doors That Fit IKEA Sektion Cabinets

There's a growing trend in homeowners choosing IKEA cabinet boxes and organizational inserts but sourcing their doors elsewhere, and it's dominating Houzz discussion boards lately. If you're looking for doors made to fit, with the bored holes for IKEA's European style concealed hinges already carved out and ready to go, there are several companies providing custom doors for IKEA. I've looked at all of them, and with samples in, I'm proclaiming the winner in the category of already-painted white Shaker is Scherr's. Here's why.

What Lenders Look for in a Renovation Appraisal

This kitchen renovation, for so long just a gleam in my iPad, is becoming a reality, and that's exciting. I'll be paying for a good deal of it out of pocket, but I'll need to borrow additional funds. Let's take a look at the number-one thing a lender looks for to approve renovation financing: Will the current value of the home support the current mortgage loan amount plus the renovation amount you want to borrow.

Financing and Return on Investment for a Major Kitchen Renovation

Via Berkshire Green

The kitchen renovation I've been dreaming of has finally arrived, and I'll be paying for a good deal of it out of pocket. But adding up cost estimates so far for cabinets, countertops, and appliances, I can see I'll need additional funds. Financing a renovation isn't a topic many home blogs cover, so I thought I'd share my discovery process. Let's take a look at the cost of a major kitchen renovation and the estimated return on investment (ROI).

IKEA Kitchens: Planning Your SEKTION Cabinet Organizers

Via IKEA

When you're planning your kitchen, don't stop at the exterior design. It's helpful to sketch out exactly what you'll be storing in each cabinet. It's a tedious mental exercise that you'll be tempted to put off until after installation, but that would be a mistake. Planning the interior organization will help you anticipate your family's needs and design a kitchen that fits the way you really live. Here are some things that I changed my mind about that would have been expensive mistakes to correct.

Can You Open a Wall in a NYC Co-op Renovation?

Via Fontan Architecture

Our renovation has hit the wall — figuratively speaking. I've been in a holding pattern these past weeks, uncertain of how to move forward. Every step seems to bring me back to this wall that separates our kitchen from the living room. Scary stories about co-op renovations abound, from restrictive board rules to labyrinthian city permit processes to costly paid expediters, and the like. It's enough to put off even a seasoned renovator. But finally I see my way clear. Yes, you CAN open a wall in a New York City co-op building, with just a few mitigating factors.

Why I'm Minimizing the Range Hood in My New Kitchen

Via Houzz

Is it just me, or have range hoods gone over the top? Sometimes it seems as though a Rolls Royce has been parked in the kitchen. Granted, if I lived in a manor house, I'd probably be coveting a custom steel hood like this, that puts Cornue to shame. (I certainly love that cut marble backsplash.) But here in New York City, co-op living prevents most homeowners from venting our range hoods to the outside, and this brings things into a sharp new perspective, where range hoods stand on their design merits alone. Here's a look at what I see.