Beveled Tile - The Problem With Finishing Corners

When we were renovating the bathroom, just as my marble-tub vision was starting to come to life we hit a snag with the tile that could have been a show stopper. I want to share some information that I wish I'd known then about beveled tile. Perhaps someone out there right now planning your bathroom reno will stumble across this in your planning phase, while you have all your options open. Or maybe you're right in the middle of dealing with this very issue right now, and this information might help.

The Least Expensive "True" Counter-Depth Refrigerator Solutions

A counter-depth refrigerator, via Bosch

You'll often hear it said that appliances come in standard sizes, but there's a great deal of variation in refrigerators. So-called "standard" 36-inch refrigerators vary in height and width, and more importantly, depth. This is immediately apparent to anyone shopping for a "counter-depth" fridge. What the industry calls a "counter-depth" fridge costs several thousand dollars more than a conventional refrigerator—and still protrudes past your countertops. If you're looking for a more streamlined look, here are the options.

Free Kitchen Design Apps to Make Your Designs, Floor Plans, and Mood Boards

An early SketchUp of my kitchen plan

As your kitchen plan comes together and you start speaking with vendors and interviewing contractors, it's helpful to have something to show that's more than a collection of inspirational photos saved to Houzz or Pinterest. Contractors can get overwhelmed by too many photos, so I boil it down to just one inspo photo, my room design (with measurements), and a moodboard—I keep mine on my phone at all times, just a click away in dropbox. It's not difficult to create them, and many of the apps you will need are free. 

Why It's Nearly Impossible to "Flip" in New York City

Photo: RedFin.com

Several years ago a listing for a 900 sq ft two-bedroom in our neighborhood caught my eye. Back in September of that year the same unit on another floor sold for $230k. Why the giant price differential? The latter was a wreck, indeed, as these side-by-side photos show. Fast-forward a few years and a relisting caused a flurry of speculation in the real estate community of the Jackson Heights Life forum. Did someone "flip" that wreck? It brought up a good question: Can you even "flip" in New York? The answer is no, at least, not in the conventional sense.

My Honed Marble Bath - SIx Years Later

When the design for our bathroom renovation was just a gleam in my iPad but I was starting to investigate marble for the tub surround, I was definitely concerned with how marble would wear in a bathroom. I did some research, and articles like this one from Houzz, "Why Marble Might Be Wrong for Your Bathroom," gave me pause.

"Marble is easily etched by acidic materials, such as lemon and certain cleaning products... Because marble contains minerals, there's always the risk that its iron content will turn to rust in a bathroom." 

Renovation Diary: Our Kitchen Was Featured on Sweeten!

Via Pixy Liao / Sweeten    

One nail-biting phase of this renovation happened in the planning phases, when I learned my go-to contractor who did my Brooklyn kitchen had moved out of the country and I was looking at starting from scratch, interviewing contractors and comparing bids (hoping to find a kindred soul). On my daily troll of home renovation blogs, I was following a site called Sweeten—a contractor matchmaking service—and I figured why not give it a try. I'm glad I did, because they matched me with the perfect contractor for this job. Fast forward about a year, and that very blog is now featuring my finished kitchen reveal!

Trick to Drilling in Narrow Confined Spaces

The project is winding down and so is the punch list. Meanwhile, I've been keeping busy with small tasks. Something weighing on me has been the space at the end of the pantry run. We were left with about six inches of space and the carpenter suggested a mop closet. Brilliant! There was just one problem: With the pantries already assembled, fitting hand, plus drill, plus drill bit into this confined space in order to install any kind of utility rack was going to be a challenge. The guys actually looked at me like I'm a crazy lady. I'm sure when they suggested it they thought I'd just throw some mops in there and shut the door, job done — but I wanted to hang my handy Casabella Grook Utility mop holder and have everything organized neatly. Google to the rescue.

Renovation Diary: Kitchen Reveal—With Before and After Photos

If you've been following our renovation, we've been stalled in the home stretch for some time, waiting on the lighting over the sink run and peninsula and the remaining doors that had to be reordered to measure after some field fitting around the wall oven, above the fridge, and to the right of the pantries. 

Well, it's all in now. Let's have a look!

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.