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January 4, 2007
Kitchen Reno: Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours
Some of the newer readers might not even realize what a big part of the site our renovation blog was in the early days of Brownstoner. Truth is, we miss it. Plus, we did kinda leave people hanging by not showing the finished product. It may have had something to do with a couple of harsh comments about the choice of shower curtain in the kids' bathroom and something to do with the fact that a house like ours is never really done. Unless you have a bottomless pit of money that allows you to perfectly restore everything in the house before moving in, a brownstone reno is really a lifelong commitment. Which makes it hard to say, "Okay, we're done now!"
With that said, it's time to start revealing the finished product in bits and pieces. As promised last month, we're starting with the kitchen and hoping other readers will follow suit by sending us their photos and stories to run on the main page. There are some good shots of the evolution of our kitchen in the July 2005 archive that are worth checking out as background.
The current kitchen is at the top of the stairs on the second floor where a bathroom used to be. We closed off the original doorway from the hall (where the fridge is now) and opened up the wall to the dining room. We were able to salvage enough of the old pipe molding from our demo to cover the entire opening. The counters are veiny white marble cut from a very large slab (found at Build It Green!) that had been salvaged from the bathroom of an old theater in the West 40s in Manhattan. We saved money with IKEA cabinets and splurged a bit on appliances, with the theory that we could move the appliances if we ever have the money to move the kitchen down a floor to the rear of the parlor. So we went with a Bosch dishwasher, a Bluestar range and a Jenn Air refrigerator. We capped it off with a vintage Art Deco ceiling light.
Okay, your turn. (If you emailed us last month already, please send us a reminder.)
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Comments
What do you think of the Bluestar? I considered it on my reno but couldn't find enough reviews/info on the quality.
Posted by: Anonymous at January 4, 2007 9:32 AM
It's been okay but the oven temp has been a little unpredictable. If we're being honest, we bought it because it looked cool...
Posted by: Brownstoner at January 4, 2007 9:51 AM
Looks very nice! Kitchens are such a pain to renovate. Congrats on surviving yours.
Posted by: Anonymous at January 4, 2007 10:17 AM
how are the ikea cabinets holding up?
Posted by: Anonymous at January 4, 2007 10:29 AM
looks good.
Posted by: Anonymous at January 4, 2007 10:33 AM
16 months later and the cabs are doing just fine.
Posted by: Brownstoner at January 4, 2007 10:33 AM
looks great! when we renovate our kitchen i want to use old marble too... i'm looking forward to more reno blog updates! i want to see the wallpaper in the hallway!
Posted by: lc at January 4, 2007 10:53 AM
Thanks for the pics, Mr. B. I know it takes some guts to set yourself up for unflattering or unhelpful comments.
Looks like this kitchen is not eat-in. What floor is it located on - above parlor?
Posted by: North Sleeper at January 4, 2007 11:22 AM
c'mon - take the dish towels off the stove b4 taking the pics.
We also bought a range for looks and have problems with oven temp (Capital - supposedly from founders of ACS). Also have Ikea cabs (just not same one as you) and were on discount to boot) and they look great.
Posted by: Anonymous at January 4, 2007 12:04 PM
Mr. B. Not sure of how appropriate this is but.... How much did the cabinets go for? All in? I'm second guessing what I sprung on our kitchen. (hopefully you'll share the pics of the NewStoner Kitchen Reno). I was overwhelmed @ IKEA so I never got the chance to fully look at their selection, but I like yours.
Posted by: NewStoner at January 4, 2007 12:09 PM
Very nice kitchen. You did a great job.
Only suggestion I have is to add a sliding cage door to keep the wife inside. I have one and it works wonders!
Posted by: Anonymous at January 4, 2007 12:17 PM
Did you shorten the size of the kitchen window in order to install cabinets/counters under the window? In general, what do you think about doing that in order to increase cabinet/counter space in kitchens with windows that are very tall?
Posted by: anonymous at January 4, 2007 12:47 PM
Think we spent about $1,800 on all the cabinets for this kitchen and the rental (which is a 6-foot galley). Pretty amazingly cheap. The ordering process was a friggin nightmare though.
We did not shorten the window. The only downside is that occasionally a sponge or detergent bottle can fall off the counter and onto the sill. Has not been a big deal at all though.
Posted by: Brownstoner at January 4, 2007 12:58 PM
Sorry to dwell on the window, but: how much lower does the window in your kitchen go below the countertop? Are you still able to open it? Do you think it would be a mistake for someone to actually shorten the window in order to install cabinets/sink beneath it and then to create an above-the-counter sill that could be used for plants, etc?
Posted by: anonymous at January 4, 2007 1:05 PM
The problem with shortening a window for more counter space inside is that a) new windows are fairly expensive, b) the exterior sill needs to be brought up and the space below it patched, and c) the result usually looks pretty tacky from the outside.
--an architect in Brooklyn
Posted by: Anonymous at January 4, 2007 1:10 PM
Is there a backsplash there or is that the plaster wall? What did you use for backsplash if so? Can't tell in these pics.
Posted by: jimkk at January 4, 2007 1:11 PM
if you order from Ikea, make sure that you have them deliver it to you. Otherwise you will have to trek all the way to a remote section of jersey to pick it up. And they're not that organized at the pick up center.
Posted by: Anonymous at January 4, 2007 1:15 PM
The cabinets look okay, but those stainless steel appliances are totally out of character, imho. Wish you'd provided shots of your Deco fixture, and your floor.
Posted by: anon at January 4, 2007 1:22 PM
Anon 1:25pm,
Let me guess, you live in a shitty walk-up rental and burn with jealousy, eh?
Those stainless appliances fit perfectly in that kitchen. What would you prefer, cheap white appliances?
Posted by: Hemlock at January 4, 2007 1:33 PM
just as a reminder and fyi, this is what we hope will be our "temporary" Kitchen and that we'll be able to take over the parlour floor in a few years and have a larger, more eat-in style Kitchen. The appliances are pretty much in character, if by that you mean our character. the size of the Kitchen has been a struggle with a growing family but for that IKEA has been invaluable - alot of space saving solutions, etc. I agree with the poster about the dishtowels. note to the mister.
Posted by: Mrs. Brownstoner at January 4, 2007 2:06 PM
So the Parlor is currently a rental? I guess now that makes sense. We're currently using the lower duplex and the upper two floors are Rentals. But as we are currently thinking of expanding the family, we're thinking of turning the garden into a rental and taking over the remaining triplex.
So that would leave us with the Kitchen in the rear of the parlor and a living/dining area. But no master bath.
Mr./Mrs. B. How do you plan on sectioning the house after the take over?
I'm struggling with the forethought.
Posted by: NewStoner at January 4, 2007 2:42 PM
Looks good! Glad the cabinets are holding up, as we're counting on Ikea for our kitchen reno. Did you pick one of those Ikea-affiliated installers/planners, or did you do it yourselves?
Posted by: srr at January 4, 2007 3:02 PM
Looks great, congratulations and happy cooking!
Posted by: Anonymous at January 4, 2007 3:09 PM
It's a little more complicated than that. The front of the parlor is our office and the rear of the parlor is rented out. That means we can enter throug the main doors and be in our self contained 3.5 floor unit.
Posted by: Brownstoner at January 4, 2007 3:18 PM
Hemlock...not that you really deserve to know, but I happen to live in a clapboard house built in 1876. So now, go ahead, tell me again that stainless steel is even remotely in character.... Oh yeah, and where do you live?
Posted by: anon at January 4, 2007 3:26 PM
anon at 3.26. Wouldn't any modern kitchen (cabinets, stone counters, backsplashes and appliances) be out of character in these old mid to late 19th century houses? We could all use coal or wood fired cast iron stoves in the hearth of our original ground floor kitchen. (Sorry for the snarkiness... just joking really :))
Also, Hemlock mentioned "cheap white appliances". I like stainless steel, and I like white appliances too. I think it depends on the kitchen, especially the cabinet color. White appliances in brownstoner's place would not look good, imo, with the finish of the cabinets. Stainless steel works.
Good job, especially considering the potential to move downstairs later. A happy medium I think without busting the bank.
Posted by: lp at January 4, 2007 4:36 PM
So glad to see pix of your place again! I started reading your blog when it was largely devoted to your renovation effort, and I miss it. Show us more, please! (And I promise I won't criticize your color choices ever again -- and who cares, really? Color choice is so personal anyway.)
Posted by: Park Sloper at January 4, 2007 5:03 PM
Person with the Window question.
I saw a house that did a window box.
So they did a counter top where the window is which is lower then the counter top. Basically the counter top is not as deep where the window is. The window box is perfect for plants or herbs. So you don't have to cover the window and you still get that extra counter top space and it looks really nice. I thought it was a great idea...
Posted by: AL at January 4, 2007 5:44 PM
I too got hooked on Brownstoner when it was more of a reno blog and I miss it! I think your kitchen looks great. Nice design to take advantage of the small room and optimize counter space. I love the look of a modern kitchen in a detailed old house. Why not? Right now, I'm renovating my own kitchen and will send photos when it's done, including some of along the way. I tried to do more of a vintage white feel (and, yes, one of the appliances was cheap but with some appliances color, including white, is an upcharge). I also got a BlueStar, and oddly Capital was my runner-up but it doesn't come in white. I can't wait to try it out... My kitchen in my last apartment was Ikea cabinets mixed with some salvaged 1920's cabinets and stainless appliances. The cabinets were great for the 3 years I was there, though they did chip a little. Ordering was tough, requiring on-the-spot changes to the design to avoid long wait times.
Posted by: Julie at January 4, 2007 6:24 PM
RE: out of character appliances...You can do antique cabinets, sink and refurbished antique appliances or new retro appliances such as Heartland or Aga. Also, copper countertops.
Posted by: Yente at January 4, 2007 6:31 PM
In re: out-of-character appliances: should Mr. B also install washer/dryer technology true to the mid-1800s? Wear a top hat? And what kind of television should he have? Let's not get toooooo silly with slavish Periodism...
Posted by: Bob999 at January 4, 2007 6:55 PM
I agree Bob999. I'm all for preserving historic detail of these old houses. However, sometimes going too far in the "antique" decorating and modern amenity design choices can look a bit odd or cheap. Then again, if you actually do spend the dough for real antiques, not imitation replicas, it looks great. For kitchens (and baths), I like both old fashioned design and more contemporary designs, so long as you get the amenities you want and don't destroy the old house details in the process (though that's the owner's decision to make really).
Posted by: lp at January 5, 2007 9:43 AM
You should be allowed to criticize one's kitchen unless you're willing to show your own space! Period!
What clowns!
Posted by: Anonymous at January 5, 2007 10:17 AM
not bad. looks a bit pokey and no island but thats just our taste.
Posted by: anon at January 5, 2007 11:01 AM
Where, exactly, would an island go? It would take up the rest of the space of the kitchen!
We're running into money problems with our garden floor (where the kitchen will be) and are trying to decide where to cut $ out. Those cabinets look pretty darn good.
Posted by: Amy at January 5, 2007 3:56 PM
We are thinking about going with a pretty expensive, Italian modern kitchen in our rowhouse. Putting aside the argument of whether this is in line with the style of the home, which we are debating at home right now. My question is does modern cabinetry look high end enough for a reallly high end renovation. I see them in use all the time in fancy new condos, but not so much in the brownstone resale market. I think this is because usually sellers of brownstones are older and it's a bit of a generational thing to go for the really classic wood looks out there. But does that mean the newer stuff automatically looks cheap by comparison, even if it's really not. I'm talking about using laminates and expensive appliances and countertops. Reason for concern over how others view it is purely for resale reasons. So any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
Posted by: Anonymous at January 6, 2007 9:44 PM
You should have bought used cabinets at Build it Green while you were there for marble counters. F that IKEA noise.
-a Cabinet Maker in Clinton Hill
Posted by: Anonymous at January 10, 2007 9:39 AM
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