to this
on time and on budget. Once the paint dries, I'll roll the refrigerator into the alcove behind the far wall. It had been a broom closet.
I rather made my selections keyed to these two apothecary jars I acquired thirty years ago in Orvieto which is about an hour north of Rome. They seem at home with the periwinkle blue Merola glass tiles, Delorean gray grout and the Silestone counter in "Stellar Snow" (it has tiny flecks of mirror in it that twinkle like a New York sidewalk.)
And it's grand to look at the ocean while I'm cooking. If anyone is doing a renovation in the Fort Lauderdale area, I have nothing but the highest praise for the company that gave me this new kitchen, and will gladly recommend them. And then there is Home Depot's Russell. The most efficient, intelligent, careful, insightful and helpful kitchen designer ever to walk the planet.
(On a more sour note, our NYC renovation, stalled for two years, will finally move forward now that the evil contractor eager for an out-of-court settlement has given in to the demands of our lawyer.)
23 comments:
I love that you designed your kitchen to match these two pieces from Italy. Something tells me you might be, oh I don't know... gay??!!
Congratulations. Looks great. Reliable workmen in Southern Florida are a rare find indeed!! Can't get a handle on the layout of the kitchen from the photo. Is that a mirrored wall I see to the right? We will probably want to do our kitchen over soon. Will have to request the name of your contractor. Did your condo people give you a hard time? Happy cooking!!
Congratulations! What can I bring for brunch?
Dear Debriefer,
That is a mirrored wall you see to the right. The condo people did not give me any problem. One nice thing I learned: you can track the progress of your permit approvals on the building department's website. The site even tells you the name and phone number of each inspector. One guy was delaying the approval process, I called him up and asked what his issues were. He said he didn't feel the drawings were detailed enough and wanted to know where the fire walls were. I went down to the condo manager's office and located the original blue prints for my unit. I made 14 photos and sent them to the inspector who approved his part the next day. Moral of the story (and of the whole renovation process) is that you have to be a hands-on manager and calm and polite throughout. Any little glitch makes the plumber or the electrician go away and not return for a week, but if you are there to say "Just a minute. Let's work this out", you can literally cut months off the length of the project. It also helps that my contractors have done work in this building, and we have mutual friends. The big surprise was the guy at Home Depot. His service exceeded all expectation.
By the way...great table and chairs. Fort Lauderdale just feels right for that period. Thanks for the advice. When we are ready perhaps we will call upon you for a referral. I am surprised (pleasantly) about your Home Depot experience..
Dear Debriefer,
We have the chairs that go with the table but we don't use them because they are not comfortable. The table is supposedly designed by Raymond Loewy but I have never been able to verify it. At The Home Depot on Sunrise, don't work with anyone except Russell. Also, not all Home Depots are created equal. I found the tile at the Manhattan one and ordered them through the Fort Lauderdale store, and the offerings in one HD is never the same in all of them. On-line is good way to start.
The kitchen looks great, you must be relief on having that project out of the way. What kind of dish do you prepare with Horatun and Magnesia?
Dear Rey,
That's actually Camphoratum and Magnesia. They're empty right now, but maybe C and I will end up in these jars....
What a beautiful place you've created for Joe to store his books when he next comes to visit.
Wonderful! Love the tile, very cool and soothing to look at. Works great in a beach environment. Those jars...I would kill to have them as props for the studio! Absolutely stunning.
wow. beautiful! the blue is awesome. love the corner sink, too.
my sister had a (kitchen) designer from depot come in and had nothing but good things to say about him (or her...i don't remember which!), too. our home depot here...no one ever seems to be around or knows what they are talking about. maybe the design staff is different, but if i judged them from their associates alone, forget it.
It's gorgeous! I especially love the blue glass tiles which mirror sea and sky. I recently acquired two pottery bowls of a similar shimmery, summery blue colour. Besides the apothecary jars, which are glorious, I also really like the plate on the counter.
very nice. Any guest bedrooms available?
How lovely! On time and budget both, that's simply amazing! As one who is currently in the throes of contractor hell, you have my profound sympathy in respect to your other project.
I try my best to be both firm and polite, but if the asshat refers to me as "little lady" one more time I'm afraid I'm going to be forced to lay him out with a 2x4. Sadly, we're just getting started, I foresee much stress on the horizon..
Father Tony,
Which jar would you like to reside in for eternity?
Caddy Jean
Dear Caddy J,
I'm favoring the Magnesia one, becuase the Camphoratum one has more orange in it which is more C's color. I can't imagine who would want to take charge of us once we are in the jars!
Padre
the Husband, C, and I have decided that we will be placed in the same container (yet to be selected). That way we will be together forever as we traipse from one antique/flea market/resale shop to another after our dearest relatives and/or friends pass on, or tire of us as an accessory.
From Fierce to Ferocious
I love the whiteness and the expanse of it. Very clean and welcoming. And the blue gives it just the right touch... like Cinderella's beads!
I love the colors of those jars, and what you did with your kitchen. Perfect for Florida.
I'd like to renovate my kitchen here in D.C., but this city is just one of those places that doesn't have many men who know how to hammer a nail straight.
It's one thing to miss about New England, which seems to abound in hot Irish, Italian and Portuguese guys who know how to do beautiful work in a home.
I am in Fort Lauderdale and searching high and low for a 1/4 slab of Stellar Snow - can you forward the fabricators name or contractor? Do you know if you had any left over? thanks much
Melanie
PS Kitchen looks great!
Dear Gardenpaper,
Go to the Home Depot on Sunrise. Ask for Russell in the kitchen/bath department. He can get you to the contractor who did the work. Send me your email and I can send you more specifics.
Thanks for the info. My email is gardenpaper@yahoo.com
Melanie
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