Crown Heights Reno: q & a
March 28, 2007
thank you & buried treasures!!!!!!
inspired by the scary bathroom
the collector in me wishes that i could have sifted through the basement demolition debris to see what was uncovered, especially after finding this bottle (AW BELLS PHARMACY 357 FULTON ST) half buried in the dirt.
what really puzzles me is the large number of shells that are down there...
AND
a huge thanks to all those who have taken the time to share their experiences and suggestions on the previous posts,
it is extremely helpful on many levels and we thank you.
the one big question that has been looming from the beginning is the heating /cooling system:
we currently have forced air and a 50 year old monster of a furnace (with no humidifier & only minimal filtration) & who knows what's lurking in the duct work, but it does heat the house.
we are struggling with:
keeping forced air and adding an a/c system to it, yes the cooling part will be undersized, but we are not "cold" freaks and really only use a/c during the dog days of summer
or
converting to radiant heat and installing a separate a/c system
i know this topic has been discussed elsewhere but if anyone wants to weigh in here with general thoughts on the benefits/drawbacks of
combined forced air heat/cooling
vs
radiation and a separate a/c system
it would be greatly appreciated
March 25, 2007
good morning, mr. phelps...
one of the next big hurdles is appliances.
the reality is that 25 years ago i moved into a loft that had formerly belonged to a caterer. the focal point of the kitchen was a 10 burner commercial garland range with 2 ovens, no salamander, no broiler, a hood that wasn't hooked up and it was a bitch to clean.
the double porcelain sink had come off the street and when i left, the original kitchenaid dishwasher was still running. the only appliance that i replaced was a glass doored restaurant refrigerator and my criteria at that point in time for a new one was to get the largest freezer i could find (i was a photographer and i kept my color paper & film, yes film, in the freezer.)
i cook a lot and i was perfectly happy with this setup...
but now i am agonizing over every appliance
and this confuses me far more than tile.
i am not, at ♥ , a consumer
so,
your mission,
should you choose to accept,
is to weigh in on the previous 4 posts
with any feelings/experiences/wisdom you care to share:
stoves/ovens
refrigerators
laundry
fixtures
what's cookin'
the stove
i suppose it makes sense that the stove and the oven constitute by far my biggest dilemma...
background
since this is a 2 family, the house will have 2 kitchens,
the main kitchen on the parlor floor with a smaller one on the ground floor.
i cook a lot but mostly stove top
i do not make a large amount of roast meats
i have been known to do thanksgiving for 14
i don't bake that often now, but bread making is is an eventual goal
i don't microwave
i do (finally) want a broiler
main kitchen:
i definitely want 6 burners
i can either do a complete stove or a separate cook top & oven
since i will have an additional oven downstairs, i am only putting one in this kitchen
2nd kitchen:
there is an existing gas stove that, if it proves to be functional, i will keep
otherwise i will need to purchase a separate (inexpensive & small) cook top and a 2nd oven
questions
any feelings on separate vs. combined when it comes to the stove/oven?
what are the things you love/hate about your own set-up?
or
what would you do differently if you were starting from scratch?
brands:
i have been looking at the thermadors...
but what about viking or ge or ... ?
ovens:
gas vs electric?
what about dual?
is it the 21st century and i should have convection?
bonus question:
does anyone else covet the cobalt blue enameled interior of the wolf ovens?
lg has this with their complete stove, but it's only 4 burners
i know i am going to have at least one ridiculous splurge, and it will most likely be color related, but considering how often i really use the oven, even i am having a hard time going top of the line solely because of an interior finish
(nb. i did however go one model up on my trek (to get a purple fade) because i felt a red bike just wasn't "me". that was 15 years ago, i still have the bike and have replaced the fork with one that is a completely different color but i've never regretted that decision)
keepin' it chilled
the refrigerator
no, i am not actually going for one of these,
(tho i won't say i wasn't tempted)
i just happen to be a sucker for anything pink & green
background:
i honestly loved the first refrigerator i bought
but it broke on a late summer weekend
and i had a freezer full of freshly frozen soups & sauces;
my winter's supply of summer bounty.
i panicked and bought blindly:
something that was too small, badly laid out, not adequately customizable
and i can honestly say
that i every time i opened the door of that new fridge,
i felt a little stab in my heart, i hated it that much
requirements:
30": so we are talking top freezer, no double doors
maximum fresh food storage (as i'll have extra freezer space in the downstairs fridge)
i was thinking the lg...
i guess reliability is the big issue here...
(there seem to be so many subzero service traumas)
share your cold storage stories here...
fluff 'n fold
laundry
background:
i admit it, i am spoiled in this area
and i am so over the laundromat
2 more appliances that i haven't had to buy in eons...
so some of the finer improvements are probably lost on me
requirements
water/energy efficient
front loading for both washer & dryer (we will be using them side by side)
durable
large load
i put EVERYTHING in the washer
i use lots of garment bags
wash in cold water
and hang stuff up
i need a delicate cycle but i am not a nut about this
i want something that will last and that i don't feel too terrible about running
as far as drying goes...
again efficiency is more important than a myriad of cycles that i will never use
plumbing particulars
the fixtures
do you love your kitchen faucet?
this seems to be a hot topic...
and i can understand why
one of the things i ended up replacing in my last kitchen was the sink
i splurged and got a 3 basin stainless w/drainboard
it required an over sized goose neck faucet (to hit all 3 basins properly)
it wasn't installed properly
and no matter how many times it was fixed it always ended up leaking and wobbling
eventually i began to hate the whole thing...
what about your toilet?
honestly, this is not a place where i need to make a major design statement
there is actually one old toilet in the house that we will probably refurbish because its design is far more appealing to me than any modern interpretations that i have seen
(no pic yet because it's in a little dirty alcove and there is no way i could make it look even remotely appealing)
but if you have a great recommendation, i'd love to hear it
shower heads!!!
big issue: looking for major pummeling power
question:
do you sacrifice power with a rain head?
tub
we will be putting a tub in the guest bathroom which is 6' wide, the tub will sit width wise in front of a window.
(as we have windows in both upstairs bathrooms we are considering selling the viewing rights to help finance the renovation)
we are deliberating between 3 scenarios:
1. free standing claw foot (much like the b's)
2. free standing contemporary
3. built in tub
i guess what i am curious about here is anyone's experience with restoring old tubs...