Done! Pics of creamy, yet colorful and 'eco-friendly' kitchen

15 years ago

I'm finally getting this posted, after being done for 3 months. Thanks to everyone here for your contributions. The littlest comments are far-reaching and I learned SO much. My favorite part of the kitchen, the staggered island, came from this forum. Being 5'2, that lower counter has been the most used of all my counter space. Here's a pic and a link to the full album. Info below

the pic.

Again, thanks all! Chin up for all of you still in the thick of it.

Cabinets: Perimeter: Medallion Brookhill with Oyster Vintage glaze

Cabinets: Island: Woodmode, Custom, black with red undercoat and distressed

Sink: Shaw farmhouse (a mistake)

Faucet: Price Pfister Marielle

Countertop: Perimeter: Soapstone, don't know what kind, dark (love it)

Countertop: Island: Bianco Romano* (remnant)

Floor: Mix of old and new oak*

Windows and French Door: Jenn-Aire*

Appliances: GE Profile Series incl. induction stove*

Backsplash: Custom tile. I can't remember from where, but could find it, if necessary.

*eco friendly. BTW, we also used denim insulation and the lighting plan was greened up, including green undercabinet lighting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jeana's kitchen

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Comments (18)

kclv
15 years ago
Very nice, but why was the sink a mistake? It looks fine to me.
danielle00
15 years ago
love it! thanks for sharing!
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oliver yes I'm a KD Circuspeanut - no have not tried that one. You might say I'm from Missouri. Also a note I forgot to mention- if you are chemical sensitive waterborne does NOT mean you won't have problems, nor does anything that says no VOC. That simply means that it does not have volatile organic compounds which are bad for the ozone layer. Everything I have ever looked into that had low or now VOC did have isocyanates, which are not bad for the ozone, just bad for you. In a former life it was my job to research all of this sort of stuff for a trade organization back when "non toxic" was the buzz word instead of green. I moved to Missouri then. As an aside my better half happened to forward me an interesting (timeley) piece, follows: Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days." The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations." She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day. Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day. Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property, (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags. But too bad we didn't do the green thing back then. We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day. Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day. Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana . In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then. We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then. Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint. But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then? Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smart young person...
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laxsupermom
15 years ago
Nice job! Your pendants are beautiful and I love the color of your island. I, too, would like to know why your Shaws sink was a mistake.
rosie
15 years ago
Very nice job! I really like your island. How tall is that lower counter? I'm 5-2 also. We dropped our counters to 35", but a lower stretch, maybe about the height of my antique bin table, would have been great.
jeanar
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for your kind words.

Lax and Maple, I should reword what I said about the sink. The sink itself is lovely, but it is either defective or the install was handled incorrectly. There are a hundred or so hairline cracks leading to the drain, and replacing the sink is too much of a hassle to redo it. I'm going to contact Rohl soon to see what they say.

Rosie, the lowered part of the island is 33". I would've liked to do 35" all around, but my little boys are skewing toward the tall side, and I had to consider them in the long term. I hope 35" feels good to you.
kitchenredo2
15 years ago
Beautiful!

Can you tell us more about the denim insulation? Where did you get it? I am renovating and it seems when my house was built they didn't insulate in the walls so we are going to have to do something and I would love to use a green alternative.

TIA
sergeantcuff
15 years ago
What great colors! I love what you've done. The lighting and vintage poster really make it special.

Thanks for sharing - but tell us more about the insulation. My house has a little bit of blown-in insulation that apparently falls apart and falls down over time - it's coming out of holes in the baseboard! I'll try to keep my chin up!
malhgold
15 years ago
I love the island design and the color. It really pops with the lighter granite. I also like your mix of colors with the black and white. Makes it very unique!!!

If you don't mind, can you share a per square foot cost of the granite. I too am looking at the Bianco Romano and would love to have a comparison. Thanks!
laurap_2007
15 years ago
really lovely and a nice mix of colors. I especially live the red pendants. Enjoy!
PRO
Window Accents by Vanessa Downs
15 years ago
I love your new kitchen and the mix of the colors. Your island is very unique and I like the different levels you created.

Enjoy!
marthavila
15 years ago
As one who is also in the "creamy, yet colorful" camp, I'm really loving this kitchen. 2 thumbs up as well on the denim insulation. And, of course, a major high five on your cute little helper who is showing off the place. :) Great job all around!

Just one note of caution about your sink -- your mention of numerous hairline cracks near the drain might be a warning sign of a more serious problem to come down the line. So do call Rohl for advice right away! Believe me, I know what a hassle it is to replace one of these sinks after it's already been installed. I did that and it is been a HUGE deal, resulting in additional project delay and me pulling out both my hair and my wallet in the process. In the long run, though, I'm thinking it made sense to have the hassle now in exchange for peace of mind in the future.

At any rate, enjoy your great kitchen!
caligal
15 years ago
I really like your color combo. The backsplash tile really warms up the range area. Great job, enjoy your kitchen. I hope the sink problem is resolved.

Like the pic of your son and dog, adorable.
Fori
15 years ago
I like it, and YELLOW! My favorite. All the colors are great, really.

I love the lowered area and feel more secure doing something similar (but less sophisticated) in mine now. Thanks for sharing.

Three cheers for stubby people in yellow kitchens!
kraftdee
15 years ago
Your kitchen is absolutely lovely!
phyl345
15 years ago
ohhhh,after looking at your pictures my head is spinning with ideas!! your kitchen has such a warm & inviting feeling.

by any chance is the painted cabinet on the far right in one of the pictures something you did yourself? ~ perhaps an upper cabinet you repurposed???

congrats on a fabulous job, phyl
jeanar
Original Author
15 years ago
You are all, as always, so nice. I hope that your kitchens all finish up where you'd like. It's a nightmare when you're in it but, like childbirth, fades when it's done.

Denim Insulation. First, your project has to be down to the studs since this rolls in like typical fiberglass insulation. Then, the cost is about 10% more than standard. For us, it came out to about $200 more. In the grand-scheme of things, $200 wasn't much. We bought ours at Greenmaker Supply in Chicago, because we live just to the west. We also went with FSC certified wood from them.

Granite Cost. It think it comes to about $75/sq. ft. installed and fabricated, but keep in mind that's for a remnant, so it was cheaper than the full slab I had quoted.

Red Painted Cabinet. Alas, no, it's new. I bought it at a reproduction antique shop in Wisconsin along with the photo above it. I really did look ALL OVER for a vintage piece I could repurpose in that space, but couldn't find anything. Originally, that piece was supposed to be a tall pantry. Maybe some day I'll find something else I love to fit there, but I'm happy with the kitchy red cabinet for now.

"Stubby People in Yellow Kitchens" That's me! Love it.
karena_2009
15 years ago
Hi Jenar,

Thank you so much for posting your pictures! I am considering the Medaillion cabinets with the Brookhill door style and in the cream vintage finish with a peninsula in the black heirloom finish. It's great to get a perspective of a real-live kitchen instead of just looking at brochures and design ideas.

I think your kitchen is just beautiful, quaint, and sassy at the same time. I like the way you used your photo as an inspiration for the colors in the room.

I hope you worked out the problems with farmhouse sink.

Cheers,

Karen
plllog
15 years ago
Wow! I love the sight lines of your island. It's like a rocky outcrop. Very artistic, as well as functional.

Done! Pics of creamy, yet colorful and 'eco-friendly' kitchen

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kclv

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Done! Pics of creamy, yet colorful and 'eco-friendly' kitchen

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