The 515 Bathroom Remodel-Cabinets

All remodels require many steps and, the different trades involved are separately working on their particular specialty, just waiting for their turn to do the installation.  This is where and why our bathroom remodel took the 515 days to complete.  There was only one very handy, engineer husband doing virtually all the work.  That is, he was demolition guy, plumber, cabinet maker, tile and stone mason, electrician, flooring installer, along with ordering all the parts for every one of the above tasks.  My engineer wears many hats.

One of the engineer’s favorite mediums to work in is wood.  I offered that we could have the cabinet maker I’ve used before make the vanity and linen cabinet for the bathroom, but he wanted to make them himself.  There was one caveat with the vanity cabinet.  I wanted a decorative detail applied to the drawers; again, offered a couple of different ways he could achieve the look I wanted.  One, was to apply a simple, thin molding to the outside of the drawers.  Two, we could paint the detail on the drawers, or three, he could inlay them with a thin ebony trim.  Naturally, he chose the latter, it was a new challenge for him, and he began researching materials.  Adding the trim would turn out to be one of the last things done once the bathroom was totally functional, since it required more exacting patience and skill.  He had made the drawer fronts so they could be removed to perform this task.

The first cabinets he worked on was the linen, drawers and laundry cabinet.  These three spaces all functioned independently, but had to occupy one space.  As you will recall from the previous post, the shower wall had to be created with the linen cabinet as a support wall.

We had decided on a simple flat faced, inset cabinet style.  This is a more precise style of cabinet to build, so it took more time.  Not to mention having to drive some distance to obtain the needed materials, remember this is in the time of Covid, with limited stock and access.

To maximize storage, the cabinet was built to the ceiling and several shelves were planned to accommodate towels, supplies and various and sundry bathroom items.

The laundry pull-out was a design the engineer devised to suit our needs.  He found a large wheeled laundry basket and built the pull out bin to be one that the wheels could just roll off the platform and onto the floor without having to lift the heavy basket.

Once the cabinets were built, they could be installed and the shower plumbing could be finished.  There is an access panel inside the linen cabinet to get to the plumbing should that be necessary.

The engineer then began working on the vanity cabinets, since he had purchased all the wood needed for both the linen area and vanity.  There was much measuring and figuring as he wanted to allow for the largest drawers and full extension.  This was the result of living with cheap, ineffective drawers on one half of the vanity and practically non-usable drawers on the other half.  

The inlay is one of the most noticeable details of the entire remodel.  The engineer built a jig for his router to be just deep enough so that the ebony wood would be flush with the surface of the drawer face.  The effect is dramatic.

I was so excited to be able to get those drawers organized.  I am not a fan of having a lot of things on the counter and with a huge trough sink, there isn’t much counter space to begin with.  At this point the bathroom was beginning to feel much more finished.  But, I’m getting ahead of myself, the tile couldn’t be started until the sink counter was set.

Next:  Tile and stone

Commitment Problem

Everyone has a problem with commitment at some time or another whether it be personal, financial, family, or design.  Design commitments will have far less impact, hopefully, than family issues or employment decisions,  but hesitance to make design commitments seem to result in people doing nothing rather than something or anything, when it comes to changes in their home.

I, too, have commitment problems with some design challenges.  My solution is to find an option that will give me more choices.  The most recent dilemma I faced was what to do about the inside of my upper cabinets in the kitchen.  The doors on the upper cabinets are glass and therefore expose my dishware, which is white; with the interiors painted white, there was no contrast and hardly made an impact.  A few weeks ago, I emptied the upper cabinets of all the dishes and glassware on both sides and painted just the back wall of each of the upper cabinets the color of the kitchen walls: a soft sage green.  While I liked the change, it was barely noticeable.  At least that exercise forced me clean all the glass shelves, and the new color did give it a fresh look.

Still not satisfied with the lack of impact in those cabinets, I had toyed with the idea of painting the backs of the cabinets black—yep, black.  I can imagine what many of my readers may be thinking, “Is she painting the entire house black”?  I do like a bit of drama in design.  The kitchen is one of my favorite places, and I thought the introduction of a little more black would give me the impact I wanted.  Painting the backs of the cabinets is not an “in your face” dramatic change; it is more subtle.  In fact, people hardly notice it; but I do, which is the point.

As for the lack of commitment, I decided to use black foam board cut to size before painting the cabinets and then painting over the black if I did not like it.  I have suggested to clients over the years that to add a little color in bookcases or glass fronted cabinets, first use foam board painted the color they want, to see if they liked it, before painting the back of an entire bookcase.  This option also allows for seasonal changes for displays for Easter, Halloween and Christmas.

I will confess that painting would have been cheaper and take less time than I spent on cutting foam board and going back to the office supply store for more material.  I was pretty sure I was going to like the black, but thought I would give the foam board a try.  I am glad I did.  I like the smooth texture as opposed to the less than perfect plaster walls behind my cabinets dating back to 1938, and all the things that have been done to these cabinets over the years

I still have some black paint plans for my home.  They too will be subtle, but will make an impact.  If you have considered taking an old entertainment unit or bookcase, and using it as a room divider or as a display area for some of your collections, you might consider removing the back of the cabinet and painting it a bright accent color that you are using elsewhere in the room.  Painting an old cabinet or dresser that you are re-purposing, is a win-win project, with little to lose and a good exercise in trying something new.  Try it, you might like it.

Panel Problem Solved!

In my last article I described our latest project, which was removing a peninsula that closed off the kitchen from the dining area.  No regrets!  However, it posed a question as to what I would do with the pretty panel that faced the dining area and backed the peninsula.  My husband was successful in removing the panel in tact, which pleased me; to have destroyed it would have been very disappointing to say the least.  

I did not know if or how I would use it, but I would have offered it up for free to anyone who could use it before I would have it cut up and put in the trash.  The panel was set aside in our breezeway for the time being; I passed it many times a day when I went to the backyard or garage.  It was always on my mind.  I decided I needed to measure it and see if I could find a place to use at least part of it, if not all of it.  

It dawned on me with its dimensions, it might be a perfect panel for hiding the space behind the washer and dryer and the wall.   Since we replaced the original apartment-sized stackable units with full sized appliances, we needed to rotate them 90 degrees, leaving the backs exposed to the side wall of the basement.  The smaller units had been housed in a cabinet, hiding the vents and hoses against the back wall.  With the rotation, those unsightly, but necessary hoses were exposed; and you could see where the painters had painted back as far as they could reach on the wall, without moving the bulky appliances.  It was just plain ugly and I would see it every time I walked through the hall or went to the basement.

With the measurements of the panel in mind, I used my trusty tape measure on the space and discovered with a little cutting down and turing the panel on its side, it would be a perfect covering for the gap between the wall and machines.  Now I had to convince my husband this was a great use for this panel.  I am the idea person; he is the engineer who can figure out how to attach it to the wall.

The result is perfect!  I love that the pretty panel is useful again, and that the ugly space between the wall and stackable units is hidden, and I did not even have to paint it.  My original thought was to have the panel on a sliding mechanism, similar to a sliding closet door, for easy access to the machines if necessary, but my husband decided in the short term to simply screw it to the wall until he comes up with cabinets above the machines.  Saving the panel from the landfill has been achieved!  It is a win, win either way—proving once again that reusing what is salvageable is the best way to recycle.

A Pretty Utility Cabinet

 I have had a curio cabinet for many, many years; and it has been in a couple of different rooms in my home, always holding pretty objects that I have collected.  Sometimes it held delicate china and porcelain figurines, while at other times I used it to hold attractive serving pieces in the dining room, and sometimes a combination of both.

With limited space, I had planned to sell it, but it must have been too dated in its traditional pecan finish to be very appealing to buyers.  I decided to give it a bit of a facelift with some cottage looking paint; even the paint had a few iterations before I settled on a lime washed finish.  Right up to the time I was putting the final finish on the cabinet, I planned to sell it; but then I began falling in love with it again. 

I took measurements around the house, trying to find a place where I could squeeze it in.  The bedroom seemed like a good place, but no.  The bathroom would have been my first choice for anyone buying it, but our bathroom would not accommodate its dimensions.  Then I thought of our laundry area.  We do not have an actual laundry room; the washer and dryer have space at the back entrance, but not room for much more.  I had a multi-tiered wire rack on rollers that fit behind the back door—it was pure utility.  Because the rack was all open, I did my best to disguise the huge jug of laundry detergent that stood out like it was on the grocery store shelf—ugly!

I did find a solution for covering the bright green jug, because I just could not stand looking at it.  I bought an attractive, firm storage basket, and turned it upside down and covered the jug completely; it was quite the curiosity object.  A recent party guest just had to lift it up to see what it was—boy was he surprised!

The space that the wire rack occupied was perfect for the cottage style, transformed curio cabinet.  Now I have space for bottles of water to grab when I leave, a place for towels that are always needed when an accidental spill occurs, and a space for the laundry products.  It is a perfect combination of using what I had to fill a need, and it is pretty too!  I guess it is a good thing no one wanted my old curio cabinet.

An Inexpensive Privacy Solution

The house we have recently moved to is what you might call vintage; it was built in 1938.  It has many great features; and over the years, some of the features have changed and others have remained the same.

I am certain the master bathroom has seen some remodeling; however, unlike other improvements in the home, the bathroom could use another refreshing.  We plan to make some changes in the near future, but our most important issue after moving in was privacy.  A prior owner had used a spray giving the window glass a frosted look with a clear border.  This solution seemed to be a good enough for the tenants who occupied the home while we were preparing to sell our home.  However, the last tenant removed the frosted part on one window, and the children must have picked away at the other window leaving it less than attractive.  Once we moved in, we needed the light, but needed the privacy more.  I had purchased some temporary blinds, and we lived with them for a couple of weeks; but I could only tolerate that for a short time.

In the mean time, I had been thinking of an inexpensive solution that would be attractive enough, private enough and easy enough for the short term until we make some major adjustments to this bathroom.

On a previous trip to IKEA, I had seen a new pattern of sliding panels and was thinking of different ways I might make the panel work for me.  The panels are only 24 inches wide, and fortunately the bathroom windows are about the same size.  The upper portion of the double sash windows provide enough privacy because of foliage outside, but the lower half was my concern.  I did not want to install the sliding frames that are available for these panels, but did want to keep the project simple.

I purchased small, slender, cafe curtain rods easily found in just about any hardware or big box store.  To give the panel some weight to hang properly, I purchased one- quarter inch steel dowels, and sewed a pocket on the top of my fabric and bottom of my panel fabric; slipped the curtain rod in the top and the steel dowel in the bottom; gravity did the rest, pulling the curtain down snuggly to the window sill.  

One of the reasons this was so easy and simple is that the fabric edges, a poly or plastic of some sort, will not fray; so there was no finishing to the edges, as there would be with other fabrics.  I liked this grid or checker pattern because it lent itself to a country or more modern style.  I had enough fabric left to do a similar treatment on the back door window that gives both our neighbor to the north, and us a bit more privacy.  The only change I made in the construction was to fix the same type of rods to the top and bottom so the bottom was firmly fixed, and would not bang on the door every time the door opened or closed.  With the bathroom windows, this was not an issue and, having the bottom of the window blind not fixed, makes opening the windows in the bath room easier.

Covering three windows for under $30 feels like a good deal to me.  I saved my dollars for the kitchen and dining room windows and went with linen top-down and bottom-up blinds that allow light and privacy, a win, win.

A Trip Back in Time

This is one of my favorite times of year because the Pasadena Showcase House Tour is running through May 17th.  I have been visiting this showcase for decades and always marvel at what designers can come up with in new and inventive ideas of the designers; I do not always agree with what I see, but I usually come away inspired.  This year was no different; there were some likes and some not so much.

One of my favorite rooms was the Artist’s Retreat.  I nearly gasped when I saw the quiet color palette, the same palette that I planned for my new office, and some of the same materials.  The designer who was responsible for this particular room, used very expensive oak planks on the walls and spaced them tightly together, while my plan is to use wide pine planks with a shiplap look instead.  Cost is always an issue for me.  I loved the use of cork for the floors, they actually looked like travertine.  I had planned to use travertine, but I think cork is the way to go.  With advances in the use of cork, you can find it in a variety colors.  You can mix and match to create designs such as the harlequin pattern in this room.  Cork is warm, quiet and renewable, therefore a very “green” product.

Another take away from this year’s house was the liberal use of Edison light bulbs.  No doubt you have seen them in many magazines, brochures and other advertisements.  One of the designers commented that the Edison lights used in the room he designed were from a local and well known lighting shop—Lamps Plus.  I guess even showcase designers have to find savings where they can.  Edison lights were used throughout the house in a variety of designs from industrial to elegant.

Pasadena Showcase House 2015, from Google Images

The color palette for this year’s house has some of my all time favorites and some new colors from Dunn Edward’s newest collection that I have already used—it is good to know I’m on trend.  There were some pretty bold colors but they were well balanced in the private rooms upstairs where the family stayed, while the more public rooms were much more neutral but had accent colors repeating some of the bolder colors used upstairs.  I found it to be a good exercise in the use of the color palette keeping it unified without creating a rainbow effect.

Pasadena Showcase House 2015, from Google Imagaes

As I mentioned, there were some “misses” for me.  I felt some of the bathrooms were a bit overdone with the use of stone, and I love stone in a bathroom; but I felt there was too much pattern conflict.  There certainly were a lot of bathrooms to choose from, something for every taste, and I had some favorites there too.

You can go online and see some of the photos from the Showcase House, this year and past years; but if you have a chance you should go and see it for yourself this year’s Tudor style house designed by Fernand Parmentier in 1910.  There is always something gained, besides the benefit to children’s music programs throughout the community that the Showcase House funds.

New Life for an Old Bird Cage

A few weeks ago, we took a short trip to Phoenix, AZ.  Which gave me another opportunity to explore some different shops than I have here in Southern California.  My friend and I headed to  a little enclave of antiques stores.  Some specialized in painted furniture, others offered what my parents and now I would term just junk.  In keeping with today’s trends, there even was a shop dedicated to “man caves”, featuring all things guys collect.  However, that was not our favorite shop.

We felt like we had hit the mother lode at the first shop, which was charming without being overcrowded, and the items were very well priced; we’ll be going back!  Both my friend and I made several purchases including old books to clever signs.  My favorite find was a beautiful antique Victorian bird cage.

I had been looking at several bird cages that this shop offered; however, the proprietor had added to one cage what I’m sure she felt were improvements, but not to my eye.  While I was contemplating how to remove all the chandelier crystals and old fringed paper and then the paint, my eye traveled to another cage with less requiring less work.  I had pretty much decided on the second cage.  However, when I headed upstairs, I spotted the beauty pictured here!  Immediately I was reminded of great grandmother’s cage hanging in her kitchen.  She had a bright yellow canary that sang the most cheerful song each morning when presented with his daily  piece of toast.  My kids fondly remember “Dicky Bird”.

While I considered adding a small bird to my cage, I thought better of it, when I considered how much entertainment or terror it might provide for my own Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird; so, I thought a plant would be a wiser choice.

The bird cage itself is solid brass with fine brass mesh around the lower portion to keep seeds from becoming a mess on the floor.  The pretty harp stand was simply painted a gold, I’m sure to simulate  brass.  I decided that painting it black would be more authentic, and not distract from the beauty of the brass.

The cage bears a small brass plate above the door with the manufacturer’s name,  “Hendryx”.   A little searching online revealed that Andrew B. Hendryx moved his company to New Haven, Conn. in 1879, to continue his business of manufacturing fine brass products.  My cage is a good example of a Victorian era cage that also bears a made in the U.S.A label.

I haven’t decided yet where I will place the cage— probably in my office— but there are many possibilities.  I’m just thrilled to have found it and will enjoy many years of imagining its history.  You just never know what you might find when you are not looking for anything in particular.

Laundry Rooms--To Stack or Not To Stack

Laundry rooms are without a doubt a service area, but they can be attractive, colorful and functional spaces.  In two recent cases, I faced with the question of whether or not to stack the washer and dryer.  In the first case, stacking was the most practical application given the available space, a very awkward room inside the garage.  

Removing a deep and poorly spaced shelf was the first practical thing to do.  The client was using it for storage with predictable results:  things were out of sight and got lost.  The shelf was too high and too deep.  What seemed like a good idea in theory was disastrous in practice.  

Once the shelf was removed, it was clear that stacking the washer and dryer was the answer to this awkward room.  The space once occupied by the washer became available for easy-to-reach narrow shelves to hold laundry products within easy reach of a person of any height.

The second laundry room was an addition added to the existing room.  In this space, the washer and dryer could be useful either side by side or stacked.  Stacking the appliances in this instance improved the storage capacity of the room.  Since only tall people could access cabinets above the washer and dryer easily, stacking would permit the space for a tall cabinet into which anyone could reach for laundry or cleaning products.

In this second situation, stacking allowed more visual space and made room for a folding table or desk, adding another definite advantage.  This laundry room provides a corridor to the back yard and patio where the homeowners hold summer parties.  As an additional bonus, this space make a great landing place for food, buffet style, keeping insects outside and off the prepared foods.

Changing out the old door with windows in the top half for a door with a full window from top to bottom floods the room with light, making it feel even roomier.  Tall ceilings and more windows are the answer to many small room problems if they can be made to fit into the remodeling plan.

Stacking the laundry makes a lot of sense for most applications, but side by side appliances allow for a counter on top for folding, if you are lucky enough to have windows above the machines for light and air circulation and do not have to reach into upper cabinets.  

Make sure you look at all the aspects of your situation, keeping in mind that light as well as storage need to be considered.

Contrast Adds Drama

While it is true that high contrast will add drama to a room, it is wise to consider how you use contrast.  A painted accent wall is fairly easy to change should you decide you cannot live with the drama the color created, but a floor or a tiled backsplash or shower enclosure is a bit more complicated in terms of expense and time invested.

When you are considering changing something more permanent in your home, like flooring and counter surfaces as well as backsplashes and tub/shower enclosures, try less contrast.  You will be living with these changes for a long time and a classic surface in these areas will serve you better.

Think of all the homes built in the early to mid-20th Century; for the most part, these homes were built with hardwood flooring.  Over the years, as wall to wall carpet became popular, these floors were covered with soft, colorful carpet.   Today, that carpet is considered undesirable and old fashioned.  Carpets in older homes are routinely being  pulled up, exposing those now treasured hardwood floors.  If the wood is in good condition, a simple sanding, staining and fresh coat of polyurethane to preserve its beauty for another half century or more.

Choosing a new color for the floor will be important and fairly permanent.  While it may be tempting to add or stain a border or pattern, think in terms of long term use and how you will feel about such a contrast as a wide, light or dark border verses a solid-colored floor.  An exception to this rule, would be if the floors cannot be successfully refinished, but can be painted instead; then I’d say, go ahead and paint a fun harlequin pattern or boarder.  While the traditional black and white pattern is always popular, you can use softer colors for less contrast, like shades of grey or spa colors like blues and greens; even shades of beige would be a calm and peaceful color combination. 

Tile and natural stone is an expensive and fairly permanent surface for kitchens and baths.  Tempting are the bright colors and fun patterns, but again, consider how long it will be in style, staying classic is wiser.

Unless your home is clearly in a particular style like a Spanish Revival or Spanish Colonial, the use of colorfully patterned tiles might be a bit risky.  Adding cute “accent tiles” to a kitchen backsplash will date your renovation very quickly and reduce its value at resale time.

If using these colorful and playful tiles is something you have your heart set on, use them in less permanent ways.  For instance you can make tile trivets and hang them on the backsplash to add some personality without risking the need to tear it out once you tire of it.

When considering high contrast, think about how long you will live in this home and consider the home’s style.  High contrast will give you high drama, but you can enjoy soft contrast too and it is often easier to live with in the long term.

To Paint or Not to Paint

For many of us, painting natural wood is considered either difficult or forbidden; these views are understandable and have been handed down for generations.  In the past, people did not paint furniture of good quality and workmanship; it took valuable time and resources to do so; in Victorian times, it simply wasn’t done.  As furnishing were passed down, they may have been revered as family treasures, and to paint them would be to dishonor them.  As these pieces were passed down further, such feelings became less important and more distant; and painting was more acceptable and in vogue.

Not much has changed today.  Pieces that hold fond memories from a favorite aunt or grandmother still may be left untouched.  However, if you have such a piece, have grown tired of it, but still can’t part with it, and know that the next generation is not interested in it, why not consider giving it new life and paint it?

Painting often is dismissed as a solution because it is considered time consuming and difficult; thoughts of stripping the piece are shunned.  It is true that painting is time consuming, but painting is not so difficult; taken step by step, it is really quite easy.  If you consider it boring, plug in a book or your favorite music on your CD player; being entertained while doing a task you have been putting off, makes it enjoyable and a new hobby might be born.

Once a piece has reached the end of its life cycle for me, I think first of reusing it in another way or place in my home or yard; doing so usually involves recovering the fabric portion or painting the piece, sometimes removing or adding ornamentation.  If  I can’t reuse the piece, I offer it to a family member; if there are no takers, I move down the line, friends, associates and charities.

I remember my mother-in-law telling me how exciting it was when painting furniture was in vogue.  Living with furniture from previous generations was oppressive; such furniture often was dark and dated, and the freedom to paint it gave the family a lift, like coming out of a depression.

The pendulum swings back and forth in both fashion and interior design.  We experience it daily in print and television shows, as we see what was old is new again.  Take, for example, the renewed interest in Mid-Century Modern and the juxtaposition of a Victorian piece, or the mod-textile prints popular in the 1970’s, placed in a more contemporary setting.  In some cases, a little paint and color can go a long way.  Today there is a plethora of colors as opposed to what was available a few decades ago.