{ KITCHEN: SOURCES }

1.    Williams Sonoma: Stainless-Steel Mixing Bowls with Lids, Set of 3
       Williams Sonoma: Stainless-Steel Prep Bowls with Lids, Set of 4
2.    Calphalon: Commercial Hard-Anodized 13-pc.Cookware Set, courtesy of Leslie's parents.
3.    Ikea: Grundtal Stainless Steel Shelf Wall
4.    Sand & Feather: Woven Bowl
5.    Crate & Barrel: Wüsthof Classic Ikon 8" Chef's Knife
6.    General Hotel & Restaurant Supply Store: Wüsthof Professional 10" Chef's Knife
7.    Fab: 10-Piece Knife Set Black
8.    Broan: Range Wall-Mounted Hood, available at  Lowes
9.    West Elm: Large Raw Wood Boards
10.  Anthropologie - Milk Bottle Measuring Cups, courtesy of our friends, the very talented Moniomi
11.  West Elm: Serving Bowls
12.  Animali Elephant Bottle Opener – Found this little gem at Su Casa while in Baltimore, but its also available at Nova68
13.  Journal and Books: Archie Grand: Chefs I’ve Met and Liked
        WestElm
14.  Crate & Barrel: Acacia Salt Cellar
15.  Ikea: Kryddig Spice Mill
16.  Ikea: Plates
17.  West Elm: Labeled Kitchen Storage Canister
18.  Ikea: Ekby Mossby Stainless Steel Shelf

        Ikea: Ekby Bjarnum Bracket Aluminum

19.  West Elm: Hanging Spice Rack courtesy of our friends, the Wintersess. We created the labels inspired by this awesome template.

20.  Target: Cake Stand
21.  GE: Café Range
22.  Ikea: Blankett Handle

23.  Etsy: Vintage Beef, Pork, and Lamb Butcher Charts
24.  Vigo: Stainless Steel Pull-Down Spray Kitchen Faucet
25.  Dax International: Undermount Stainless Steel Sink
26.  GE: Café Refrigerator
27.  GE: Monogram Built-In Oven
28.  GE: Profile Custom Panel Dishwasher

Unless otherwise stated, products and stores featured on this blog are not freebies or sponsors. While some are gifts from our friends and family; for the most part, we’ve bought these products and feature them because we love them. However, we are testing them along with you and are not responsible for their quality or durability.

{ KITCHEN: AFTER }

 

 

 

{ FRONT YARD: HARDSCAPE DESIGN }

…we’ve always loved Turfblock... yes, they are messy, high maintenance, and spotty (as in grass grows inexplicably in some “holes” and not others). nevertheless, for two years, every time we spoke about redoing the driveway, we spoke about Turfblock. however, when the time actually came, doubt started setting in. we were not sure we could deal with the maintenance and inconsistency. knowing we wanted a permeable option, my dear friend Jose—who I met my first day of architecture school, now many moons ago—owner of BrickPaver Group, suggested we use Rima pavers. Rima is an interlocking paver system that offers two installation options; “nub to block” which creates a seamless surface still allowing for percolation or “nub to nub” for a larger gap and increased permeability.

 

Photos courtesy of: www.sislersstone.com and www.tremron.com

 

the Turfblock allows for sod growth, increasing the green area of the yard; while the Rima offers lower maintenance and cleaner lines. we loved the aesthetics and functionality of both systems, so it was not an easy decision…

 

 

thankfully, making a decision on the walkway, was easier. we narrowed it down to two options [also illustrated above]; 24” x 24” precast concrete pavers or larger 24” x 48” poured-in-place “pavers.”

if you can’t wait till the next post to find out what we decided, follow us on Instagram! @ourreddoor

{ BACK YARD: WALL PLANTERS }

…it’s been a while since we showed the back yard some love; and even though it still needs a lot of work, adding a little green is always a step in the right direction. as with every other wall in the house, we had three or four possible options for the rear wall of the garage; until we came across these awesome chalkboard wall planters and holder brackets from West Elm. we fell in love with these instantly. we liked the idea of creating a random pattern, so we used painters tape in different sizes, representing the various sized pots, to arrange the pattern on the wall.  

 

…even though we stalked three West Elm stores—and even had a very helpful sales person remove the pots and holder brackets off the store display installation, so we could buy them—we were short four small pots. knowing Rust-Oleum makes chalkboard spray paint, we thought we could create our own version for the small pots. we were right, you can’t tell the difference.

 

…loved adding succulents and herbs to our wall.

 

 

{ KITCHEN: PROGRESS 2 }

…after the rough plumbing and electrical, drywall, and tiling were done, the cabinet and countertop installation began.

…once the countertop and backsplash were in, the back-painted glass backsplash was installed. after that, we installed the hood, shelves, magnetic knife strip, and spice racks.
 

…and finally, the drawer fronts and doors were installed.
 

{ KITCHEN: PROGRESS 1 }

{ KITCHEN: DESIGN: FINISHES }

 

Resources:

 

Cabinets: Walnut

Cabinets: High Gloss White
Countertop: Compac Quartz Luna 
Tile: Atlas Concorde Studio White 
Appliances: Stainless Steel - GE Café and Monogram 
Backsplash: Back-Painted Glass 
Wall: Chalkboard Paint

For local resources, please contact us.

{ KITCHEN: DESIGN: LAYOUT }

…we love to cook …well, Manny loves to cook, I love to do some of the prep work, prepare cold dishes and appetizers, plate, and stand around with a glass of wine while he does the cooking... so, we spend a lot of time in the kitchen. aside from needing a major make-over, the kitchen layout was not conducive to that. therefore, the goal was not only to update the kitchen, but to reconfigure the layout to make it work for us. in order to do this, the new design needed to:

·  “feel bigger,” as it is a small kitchen (120 SF);
·  be efficient;
·  provide more counter space and distinct prep areas;
·  provide more storage area;
·  provide functional storage areas;

…and last but, definitely not least, this one is difficult:

·  have the right balance between form and function

…redesigning the kitchen entailed:

·  inverting the location of the refrigerator and range. the previous layout felt small because every wall plane was broken up. this change creates an unobstructed wall, opening up the space; inverting these appliances also creates a better flow or “work triangle;”

·  removing the unnecessary soffit. the result of this was instantaneous; immediately it felt as though the volume had grown;

·  extending the partition wall to create additional counter area. creating a separate prep area, outside the triangle, eliminates  path conflicts and unintentional toe-stepping. as it turns out, there was no actual net gain in counter area [I had to do the math twice]; however, increasing their functionality, creates the illusion that counter area was added;

·  using every inch of space by designing floor-to-ceiling custom cabinets;

·  using open shelving in lieu of upper cabinets to maintain the “openness.” In spite of eliminating upper cabinets, the usable storage area increased by 40%;

·  shifting the location of the sink. in order to maximize storage areas, the dishwasher had to be moved to the exterior wall; in order for it to fit on that wall, the sink had to shift from its location (centered on the window). …and no, it doesn’t bother us that it is off-center. symmetry is overrated;

·  removing the ceiling fan. it had to be done; and

·  installing recessed light fixtures. the lighting placement was perfected by our light-savvy friend, Hector, whose only direction was “It needs to be bright and Manny does not want to see his own shadow as he is chopping away on the counter.” not only did he accomplish this, but he also successfully used lighting to emphasize design elements.

…take a look:

...existing plan:

...proposed plan (roll over the image):

...interior elevations:

 

{ KITCHEN: BEFORE }

…a year and a half after buying the house, back in December, we finally started remodeling the kitchen. it’s been so long that even we have forgotten what it looked like. here it is was…

 

…the original plans indicate that this was possibly the original kitchen. as was customary in the 1950s—before we started living in our kitchens—it was designed to be partially enclosed, hidden  behind a wall and door. the wall featured an opening and formica bar overlooking the dining room. at some point in the last 60 years, this was changed to open up the kitchen entirely and a tall pantry cabinet was added next to the refrigerator. aside from cabinet refinishing, we think this might have been the only alteration.