Thursday, January 26, 2023

"THE KITCHEN"

After three emails asking how the kitchen remodel I did ended up, I had never got around to posting the pictures. I usually like to keep my worked related things off the blog for escape, but here they are. "The Kitchen" as it is called, was a free-lance project I did in the middle of the pandemic and one of the longest projects I ever did. From design time, consolations, personal time shopping, the install, to the final touches, took about 10 months. My friends who asked me to do the project asked me to do it since I wasn't working...and quite frankly I was tickled and honored they asked. I knew their style. but had no clue just how much they planned to spend, or how much time this would take. The house when they bought it had the kitchen already stripped down to bare walls, because the previous owners had planned to remodel, but then lost their jobs in the pandemic, and had to sell their home, so it did save some money for my friends from gutting the kitchen and gave me a clean slate. The cabinets all ended up being all custom made from a place I knew of in NJ from River Wood Craft, which saved much time in the pandemic since they were local. I also had my contractor to do the install and also had him for consultation on any structural issues. See, I can get very clueless sometimes like Joan Crawford..." Knock out that BITCH of a bearing wall, and put a window where a window OUGHT TO BE!" This was the biggest kitchen project I ever did and thought it turned out rather very nice...even though it tested my patience at times.

The floors went in first, followed by the lower cabinets and island.
The kitchen stove went in , a La Cornue, a small fortune you ask me. But Darrin is a HUGE cook, and a good stove was important to him. In the planning when they mentioned that was the stove they wanted, I knew then price would be no object.
The one small pantry got gutted and became a wet bar, and wine frig before entering the dinning room.
Most of the metro tile work and the few upper cabinets were installed. They have such lovely ceramics, pottery collections and dinnerware and such, we though it a same to hide it all in cabinets, and they didn't want a typical kitchen. The one stimulation for me was to try and eliminate upper cabinets. My contractor and I came up with long linear shelves with brackets to run the length of one wall where the window is and run them right past the windows and have them meet the one custom made curio cabinet. It also helped to save money for other things they wanted. Like the Sub Zero frig and the Viking range microwave. The island even had their dog bowls built in. 
Then the fun part of decorating and accessorizing with what they had and infuse with some new things.
There was also a closet for brooms, cleaning supplies and such, that I talked them into gutting out and turning the closest into a bookshelf for all of Darrin's cookbooks, eliminating the need for an actual bookshelf to add into the kitchen. And he has some serious cookbooks.
I was both sad and relived when the project was done, and won't mention the final price tag of the project, but I sure can't complain with my commission of it. It got all banked while I was on unemployment, and by then, by a month, started working for the Dame in his floral shop as his shop assistant. The boys were over the moon when they got home from a trip to the finished kitchen. Of course, the joke ended up on me. As they were so impressed, they asked me to do their dining room next! Soooo.... while I was working in Harrisburg during the week, I spent weekends at my place planning and working before moving from Bucks County on their dining room. It only took a little over a month. But what a difference! And talk about timing...I finished that project and timed my moved perfectly. 
 And friends wondered why I was always so tired.

61 comments:

  1. Oh, wow. If ever I win the Lottery and get a place that needs interior design - you're it!

    Clink, clink, sweetie! Jx

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    1. That will be one way I get to see London!!!! And through camp eyes yet.

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  2. You should get Sixpence to blog a review of your reno.

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    1. He could blog that... and then blog my sexcapades.

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  3. I am content with my "new" kitchen, but I would LOVE that butler's sink! Australians have gone quite mad for fiddle-arse little sinks.And often what they call a "bowl-and-a-half" But well done, you for taking on such a project!

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    1. Oh Dinah, I'm with you. No small sink business with me. We have one of those double deep sinks, side by side in the kitchen. One side to wash in and the other contains the dry rack..

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    2. I have a huge butler sink - always my choice when I do up a kitchen - so useful.
      Sx

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  4. Pardon my total ignorance but is the designing you did in department stores and the remodeling you did in these pictures all fall under the title of "interior design", or are these just two different things altogether?

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    1. Two different things altogether. My original career and degree are in Interior design...and then a long story, ended up in visual display, although I always did freelance on the side when projects came up. But my interior design background has given me many avenues to go down. And now it seems I've come full circle and back into design again.

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  5. That is eye popping, my dear. Can you do NO WRONG??? Wow. I am so impressed (and embarrassed by my own sad attempts at style.) So... you are even MORE talented than I thought, and I thought you were very, very, very talented. WTF? Did you just hoard all the gay style coupons when you got your card? Leave some for the rest of us. No, seriously, you put me to shame, as in, shame on me for ever thinking I knew anything about anything. You go, my dear! This world? Your damn oyster. Shuck it and suck it, darling. Kizzes.

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    1. Your too kind Upton and I adore you already!!!! And you have me thinking I should change my business card and add the slogan...Shuck it and suck it!

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  6. Impressive!
    Coffee is on and stay safe

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  7. I am mad-jealous. My kitchen is in desperate need of remodeling. Oh to have a working microwave and a cooker with four working heaters!

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    1. I had a stove once with three working burners for some time. I was so overjoyed when I finally took the time to get a new one and one that self-cleaned!!!

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  8. I'm glad it turned out gorgeous, but I'm jealous. Not because of the fixtures. The fact that the nook is nearly the size of my full kitchen! LOL

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  9. Oh it's absolutely stunning! If I win the lottery, would you come and redo my kitchen?😁

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    1. Thank you Christina!!! It must be nice to have money right?

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  10. I swear, behind all your talents, just with one, you have more talent in your head then my one finger! I can't say this surprises me, as I have seen your apartment in your pass posts and a few jobs you did some freelance. It is a huge undertaking and in a most stressful time.It turned out so gorgeous!!!! It showcases their collections and is still useful at the same time. I could LIVE in that kitchen. Thanks for sharing this with Miss Noisy!

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  11. As a fellow interior designer, I have got to say Bravo!!!!!! That is spectacular!!!! Kitchens to me are and can be difficult and the most time consuming to create and bring to final fruition. And talk about stove envy?!? Your friend must love cooking. I know those stoves yet never had a client bring one in. They start at $13,000 on up to $21,000!!! They have exquisite taste I'd say. But I love the white and blue together.

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    1. Yes I agree Samantha, kitchens definitely are trickier and take more time to plan out I agree. I had heard of the stoves but then when we were actually looking at them I could not believe the price of them. For that price I won't tell you what I think the stove should do with to me!

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  12. I am weeping over this stove and kitchen. It is glorious, and I think I need a lie down now. Can we imbibe while viewing this?

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    1. There's always time for a cock-a-tail!!!

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  13. I saw this and my jaw hit the floor. I just went KABOOM! This is simply beautiful and enjoy seeing the pictures as it progressed. Really a beautiful space it turned out.

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  14. Damn Boy!!! How much can I hire you for? LOVE! Major Candy and what a space. I work with some contractors and that La Cornue is the pie'ce de la re'sistance!!!!! Not to mention River Wood Craft. Excellently made cabinetry.

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  15. talented boy! and a price tag like that? during the pandemic? marry them, the minute they ask!!!!

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    1. Marry them? Now that would raise eyebrows these days in the gay community.

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  16. it's a huge kitchen! it could be a restaurant kitchen! I mean: I've seen much smaller restaurant kitchens

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    1. Me too! I couldn't believe how big the kitchen was when I saw it.

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  17. Very nice. That touch of blue in the kitchen is such a bright spot! Color is great!

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    1. Their collection of blue and white China really turned out well with the white. Which was one reason we went with the Dark Island.

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  18. Mistress!!!! That is simply gorgeous! That cabinets are very nice. I don't know much about design but even I can see the craftsmanship in the kitchen. If there are two things you know, its art, visuals and design and your way around a cock!!!

    I'd hire you but don't know I could afford your rates, could we take it out in trade?!?!?!

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    1. Oh Cali.. I'm sure we could work something out to your satisfaction;-)

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  19. Wow. I love the library -

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  20. That's it.
    You're hired! The transformation is fantastic. It takes eye and knowledge to be able to see how something is going to end up being when the start point is so totally bland. Great job, Maddie! Love the colors you used and that blue in the accessories? Fab. The cabinets? Yes. The use of open shelving? Yes. The lights? Yes.
    You're great. But we all knew that.

    XOXO

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    1. Thank you sixpence! I wanted to get in to take more pictures, but at the height of the pandemic we had to limit how many people were in the kitchen at one time. So I didn't get in to take as many pictures as I wanted. I'll come out to Chicago and help you do anything baby,;-)

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  21. OMG what a Dream Kitchen Mads, I'm so Happy for you, it's a Kitchen Ideal in every way.

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    1. Thank you Dawn. It certainly kept me busy in addition to my volunteer work I did during the pandemic I'll say that.

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  22. Anonymous1/27/2023

    HuntleyBiGuy:
    That is some fantastic work. You should be very proud of your abilities. All of them 😉

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    1. Who knows Huntley, maybe one day you'll see some of my abilities!

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  23. The kitchen is spectacular! And the dining room looks so inviting. You just need to find a straight twin to work with and you could be the next Property Sisters!

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  24. Now that's what I call a beautiful kitchen! The range, the light, the touches of blue--gorgeous! It's your usual outstanding work. Lovely dining room. It's a joy to see what you come up with for people.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. It's not always this easy. Sometimes one has to go back to the drawing board six times. Thank you so much Janie.

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  25. I do like those glass shelves at the windows. The new kitchen looks smashing (but hopefully not literally).

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    1. I usually like upper cabinets, so this was new to me. I actually really surprisingly like the look of it. And as long as they were happy I was happy.

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  26. Anonymous1/27/2023

    Tundra Bunny here.... WOWZA! Interior Design magazines should be knocking on your door, Maddie!

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  27. I misread "Darrin is a HUGE cook" as "Darrin has a HUGE cock."

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    1. Well it's funny now that you mentioned it..

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  28. Anonymous1/27/2023

    Pat Lark says,
    VERY nice. I want the stove!!!! But not a fan of "under-the-counter" microwaves. "It doesn't require you to bend down" goes the marketing ploy. I beg to differ.... Then that dining room floor is perfection itself!!

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    1. I'm the same as you Pat. At all my places my microwave has been at waist height . I've seen some built under oven hoods and I don't care for that either.

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  29. It was funny Linda they went complete opposites in both rooms. The kitchen went from dark to light and the dining room vice versa.

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  30. I was also drawn to the stove! But Wow! It all looks so fabulous!
    Sx

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  31. Your multiple and exceptional talents astound me.

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  32. Beautiful job! I LOVE remodels!

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Go ahead darling, tell me something fabulous!