Merry Christmas! It depends on how much the lines of the loft coincide with the the layout of the kitchen. If the upper wall ends in the middle of the fridge, it'll look downright foolish. If the major workzones are under the overhang, and the island/seating area is in the vaulted part (or even vice versa) it'll look intentional. If it's in between, it depends on what's where, and if you can make it harmonious. There are all kinds of ways you can make sense of the space. Some of it depends on whether the loft wall is open to below, windowed or entirely closed.

You can decorate the loft edge with an exposed beam, corbels, etc. Calling a little architectural attention to it will actually disguise it better than ignoring it. Or if you want more of a gallery look, you can go for the plaster edge and humongous artwork.

Do you have a sketch of the new floorplan with overhang?

Thanks plllog. We are in the midst of proposing this change to the architect so don't have a finished drawing, yet, but I will post it when I do get it.

From what I can tell, the only thing not covered will be the fridge, (which is at the end of one "L"), a foot counter & half the cooktop and half the island. I'm thinking overhead lighting over the island will be tricky.

We plan on a loft/study area showing a railing w/balustrades. There will also be a door leading to a guest bedroom & bathroom.

Thanks!

Hm.... That might be a problem. Is there any way to extend the loft to the edge of the island or just beyond? I think it's fine if the fridge is outside of the loft, especially if it's freestanding. Having half of the cooktop under and half out is a really big problem. There's no way to make that look good. If you can't extend the loft edge, can you pull back the cooktop?

There are ways you can extend the loft without actually building it out farther. For instance, you could put a horizontal extension on the far side of the rail. A lattice or something, to extend the line. It would have to be something that people wouldn't be tempted to climb over and stand on. Just a visual extension.

How are you going to vent the cooktop? Were you planning any upper cabinets in the area that extends from the loft? If so, you can make it all look more intentional by adding some customization to the cabinetry. Rather than just ending at "ceiling" level with the outside of the overhang area, and having raw tops open to view from upstairs, you can add an angled upper upper that extends up to the floor or railing edge, with finish sides. Again, designed so that no one is tempted to reach in from the loft rather than a ladder. Nothing is going to make upper cabinets look like anything but that the kitchen didn't fit under the loft, but you can make the best of it.

Another idea, which you might really hate, but might be worth it, would be to redesign the kitchen to fit the new space. I don't remember your plans well enough to speculate, but if you can dislocate some of your storage to outside of the overhang (including freestanding fridge), and, for instance, use a freestanding cabinet as well, instead of a matching built-in, it will look more like furniture, and less like overflowing kitchen. This means tightening up the kitchen and reworking the flow, but it could pay off in the end.

Thanks, plllog...you've given me lots to think about! I can't picture what you mean about an 'extension'...

I'm going to ask hubby if we can extend the loft by about about 18-20". That will cover the stove and leave only the 1' counter & fridge. I can turn the island the other way so it sits under the loft area. Not going to be as ideal but it can work, I guess.

We're venting the cooktop with an exterior exhaust hood (or whatever you call them!).

Here's the floor plan of the kitchen:

Here is the fridge view:

The other end of the "L"

Looks like I have cabinetry all the way to the end. This loft business is going to be tricky.

The change we want is the dining area to be to the south of the kitchen. It used to be under the loft when the loft was on the other side.

I just didn't like the DR to be so far from the kitchen. I felt we'd get more use if the DR table were close to us. It's just the 2 of us & we felt the dedicated DR space was kind of wasted since we'd only use it when we have company which is not often. Our house plan is as small as we can get it and I'd like every square foot to earn its keep! :)

Thanks for all your input - I really appreciate it!

Well, having the DR out from under the loft, and in the southern exposure sounds absolutely right. Some people are very view oriented in the kitchen, but I find I'm mostly looking at what I'm cooking. :)

The edge on the fridge side is a quandry. I don't have any better ideas, and I think, of the ones I've had, I like the extension best. Basically, think of something like the fantail of a boat crossed with a logia. I'd do 2x2 strips a couple of inches apart, with cross braces, in the same finish as the cabinetry, to extend the ceiling over the kitchen to the edge of the cabinetry over the fridge, and bring back the edge of the island to match, or turn the island as you suggested. With a cross beam extending over the island you'd have somewhere to attach the lighting.

That would be a better solution if it were only 2-3 feet, rather than 5-6 feet. As it is, it might close up the area more than you wanted by having a loft in the first place, and framing out the loft further might cost less.

Someone else might have a much better notion. I hope. :)

Thanks, plllog. I just sent the new info to the architect so I should be hearing back from him soon. It's been quite the experience for him since he lives in Atlanta, GA to be designing a small house for the snow capital of Alaska! :) He says he's had lots of fun with it & has learned lots.

Yes, we really like the southern location of the dining area...I didn't tell you the old DR was on the other side & a bit pushed back - the living room was 'right there' on the other side of the kitchen. We'll have a wall of windows on the south side so it will look much bigger than it really is. We have beautiful, majestic mountain views so I'm excited! I think the ceilings are about 14 to 16'. I'll post a pic in case you didn't see when I posted it before. There are mountains all the way to the east & west as well.

South view:

OK, now I have to admit I don't know what you mean by logia? I feel so dumb! I cannot for the life of me picture what you are trying to say to me. There must be something wrong w/my brain 'cause I know you know what you are saying! LOL

Thanks for all your help - I really appreciate it!

Well, that's because of the typo!! It's "loggia". An arcade. Specifically, I was thinking of the kind with a slatted "roof". Check out the shadows below:

What I meant was basically wood slats.

Your view is beautiful, and it looks so warm with the red of the sun on it. How deceiving! Maybe your fine Southern architect has a great idea for making the loft and the kitchen work together!

I had this in my house in Seattle. The library was a loft above one side of the kitchen. Made the kitchen seem really big, but if you were up in the library, which really was a small space, it seemed bigger as well. And we could talk to each other when someone was in the kitchen and someone in the library. The ceiling in the kitchen was just a regular ceiling with lights in it- nothing special. No special woodwork to define the space, but it was a modern house. The overhand went to the middle of the island. The library upstairs had a railing around it. I wish I had a picture to share, but I don't!

plllog...I think we MAY have a solution to our dilemma! Hubby always gets his best ideas when he's sleeping/just waking up. He decided to reverse the direction to go up the loft staircase so that we don't have to have the open loft part. Now that we will have a really big (to us! 24' deep & 28' wide (minus a little for the stairs) living area...we really don't need the small loft area. There will be just a landing before going into the guest area.

Here's a very rough sketch (it's not exactly to scale - the study is bigger than that)...that's the closet in the lower right hand corner with the BR to the left...study above BR & bath above closet. Sorry for the fuzzy pic...this is today's stair up & down direction change to show the new landing in the loft area.

I can leave my island as originally planned!

We have a different situation for us since I hate having my closet in the BR since hubby has a wild work schedule...he sometimes works nights so I end up piling/stacking my clothes in the bathroom/laundry anyway. I don't NEED a master bath access to the bathroom. Since it's a small house, it will need to serve as a casual guest BR as well. The guest bedroom will have a bath upstairs for more long-term company.

Here's a very rough sketch of the main level showing the living area...just reverse the 'up' & 'down' thus eliminating the open part of the loft.

Living in snow capital of Alaska, we have to consider tons of snow when entering. Arctic entries are very common. I love that the pantry will be kind of 'cold' storage. We will have lots of windows in the entry area for lots of light.

Melaska,

I'm not sure I follow the story, but it sounds like a very good outcome! While lofts can be nice, I also didn't like how close to the windows the edge was as first proposed, let alone with the additional space. This new plan allows you to keep that volume for the living area. Especially during the darker months, getting to make the most of the sunlight in that space will be great.

As to the bathroom arrangement, that looks good too. Your bedroom/study/closet/bathroom area is a standard master suite in a larger, more southerly house. Since the bathroom is also your only first floor bathroom, having it separated from the actual bed space just preserves your privacy. And, so it sounds, works for your lifestyle as well.

So glad the dreamstate brought the answer!!

plllog...it was hard enough for ME to follow the story! LOL

We're waiting to hear back from the architect.

I cropped the master bath to show you - I love having my laundry in the bathroom - have lived with that for 33 years. It's kinda fuzzy since I cropped it out of a larger drawing. Next to the shower are stacked high-end front loaders. There's a pocket door that I can leave open if I want but can close when people are over. I have a full-length mirror on the side of the shower. I plan to make it a shallow cabinet as well. I'm also thinking of putting a second sink in there, too. Has to be placed just right, though, since the door could smack someone in the hiney ;) There will also be a high, window to get lots of natural light. That pull-out is a hamper along with cabinetry.

Like I said...a very small house but it's what we need & want. Our tax rate up here is awful - 20 mill. There's a senior benefit in Alaska when you turn 65 that discounts the first $150,000 of appraised value but who's to say that will still be in affect in a few years?

We just don't have the room for a separate laundry & to be honest...I wouldn't want one with the size house we're building. Neither of us have tons of clothes...so we can always use the guest huge walk-in closet for non-essential stuff if need be.

Here's the old plan showing the entire loft. We'll now just have the guest Bedroom, bathroom, closet & linen closet without the open loft area. Of course, the stairs will be on the other side as shown in the above drawing.

If you see anything that you'd change, move or whatever, feel free to comment. Thanks for all your help! :)

Well, I think the design in general is lovely. Simple, neat, good flow and stunning view. The kitchen elevations are very nice looking. I especially like how the raised DW/MW/oven area all works to make it all make sense. That's why I was so hesitant to say scrap it when the loft question came up.

I'm a little unclear just how the stairs will come out on the second level, but I was thinking it might be nice to leave a vestigial loft. Just enough room for a couple of chairs and a little side table. Basically, a large landing.

When I look at a house I always think of how it would look to anyone, not just the current inhabitants, because houses should live for hundreds of years. What I see in your plans is either a two masters house (i.e., master plus well regarded guest), or a future three bedroom house with the master upstairs, part of the downstairs WIC made into a small laundry room, and some of the downstairs master combined with the study, to leave two kids' rooms. That wouldn't be a very difficult remodel down the road. Nor would it be difficult to sacrifice the pantry and put in a powder room, and maybe a laundry, then open up more of the down stairs rooms to make a more integrated master suite. Though I think all the walls and doors probably help with the heating. :)

Looking at all of this, I can see how the house works for you, plus how it can change way into the future, and it all looks good! Unlike the looming loft, which I'm sure worked great in OldHouseGal's case, but felt really wrong with your Southern exposure windows and airspace. I think it's a great design, both for your intentions and for future adaptability. Especially with that view. That's also why a view landing upstairs would not only provide a seating area to the guests/alternate master, but also might be a place you'd like to go to sit and watch the birds and snow and whatever can be seen out of those two storey windows.

I'm not entirely understanding the outline of your master bath. Is the laundry in the bath or the closet? My one concern as I think I see it would be humidity in the closet with both the laundry and shower there. Nothing insurmountable, but something to think about dealing with as you build.

Please do let us know what the architect says. It really does look like a lovely house.

Thank you, plllog!

I forgot to mention that we will have a full basement with about half taken up for an exercise room. Living so secluded here & far from town, going to the gym in inclement weather (14 miles) just doesn't sound like fun all the time. The rest will be utility & 2 large storage rooms. We like to haul back stuff from Anchorage (300 miles away) - the prices are much better. Hubby's employer has a health benefit that gives him mileage for travel for doctor's visits. (or air fare). So, we do that several times a year.

We talked to the tax man...basically, finished space upstairs will be about $70 sq ft and basement about $20 sq ft.

I love the raised dishwasher/wall oven/micro, too. We designed this with my back problems in mind. I have rhome to thank a lot for help in the arrangement (Thanks, rhome!). It was a hard-fought arrangement in the relatively small kitchen.

The corner kitchen window won't have a very lovely view so I decided to do something like this. Sorry for the fuzzy pic. The window will have glass shelves & will house various sizes glass containers with different things in them...basically, pretty prettys :) It will be lit from above. But, I can still see outside to see who's at the door.

Thanks for all your options...I do love the one about the landing for upstairs, I'm going to see if we can make that small area :)

Yes, the W/D is in the closet - hubby says we're going to have really good ventilation in both bath & closet. I'll have the closet door open most of the time. Plus, I can open the bathroom window.

Thanks for all your great input and I will let you know what the architect says.

plllog...forgot to mention that we probably won't be able to add a bath in the daylight basement because we will have a gravity septic system. The city considers ground level to be the water table. (although it really isn't...I guess they just want to be safe). We'll have to build up a bit. We don't want to rely on a pump. When things go wrong with a septic here, it's not always easy to fix in the winter because of frozen ground, pipes & such.

Yeah...I looked at the house like you did for future changes or future buyers. Yes...all those doors are needed for our 'arctic entries'. I was just thinking this morning that the entry probably isn't as big as it should be.

Now I have to find another place for my control center...it used to be at the end of the kitchen wall with the dishwasher...it was partially built in (facing the old dining room). I was thinking maybe in the entry...I like to deal with 'stuff' at point of entry and not pile it up on the kitchen table or island.

Something like this from Pottery Barn
{{gwi:1992582}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Pottery Barn entry control center - storage

'Morning, Melaska!

I like your decor idea for the kitchen window. From the outside, what people will see is the pretties, but you can see them walking up without devoting your eyes to that which is unlovely. My sink window looks on an old fence. :) I put in the grid (faux divided) to match my other windows, but it also helps to arrest the eyeline. :)

It's kind of a shame not to have a bathroom accessible to the exercise room, but much better to be sure of the plumbing. This is where I start getting lost again though. I keep thinking I should know better how your house goes, but I think maybe I've only seen about the kitchen before, or else I've forgotten.

I take it the main entry is to the area called "Entry", and it's through the door in the dashed space, and up the stairs. But is the dashed space a lower level garage? Or the line of the basement, but garden? Or the line of the front garden? Are those stairs to the entry coming up from the garage?

If the stairs lead from the outside, would it help the heating situation to have a door at the top? I think your idea to have all the organization right there is a good one. It helps home organization to have the dumping point too far from the point of use to leave things there indefinitely. :) You might find a really narrow console table useful as a ledge to balance bundles on, but too small to set them down. A good place to set keys and sunglasses, though.

Cubbies and lockers are very useful. Since this is the main entry, however, you might also like to have a simple shade or something that is mostly out of your way, but which you can lower over the cubbies if you want to hide them a bit from company. In real life, they rarely look lovely like in a Pottery Barn ad. Inevitably, there's a lot more stuff put away and it looks a bit like a jumble.

I'm not 100% clear on how the interior stairs will be in their new configuration. If the landing with the exterior door is the same, I'd think you'd want some outdoor gear management there, as well.

"Evenin', plllog!"

Question...is your name using all "L's" or is that a one in the middle? Just wanted to use the right name :)

We heard back from the architect & are working toward a finish...I'll post finished drawings soon.

You know, I did catch that needing a door at the top of the stairs...I need to mention that to hubby & the architect - thanks!

That dashed space is a carport/future garage if possible.

The entry through the driveway as shown is a typical Alaskan entry. Most homes do not have a formal front entry.The Alaskan experience is unlike anything 'normal' (that doesn't mean we're abnormal - just the climate. :)) For instance, this past month...we have been living with temperatures ranging from -3 degrees F to about 12 above with continuous winds of 50 mph with gusts to 90 mph. To the south, in that southern view I posted above, we have a river that the wind actually roars down (no exaggeration).

The setup for all of this is normally a high pressure area out of Siberia into northern & central Alaska and a low pressure area in the Gulf of Alaska. And we are in between. Alaskans need a fairly large 'buffer' between inside & outside.

We decided to do away with that entry on the other side and put a staircase in the 4 feet of space between the deck & greenhouse with a 'bear' proof door at the bottom (we live on a migratory path - it can be interesting at times!) That 2nd entrance was just to satisfy code for a 2nd exit.

Thanks for your entry suggestions...I feel so overwhelmed at times trying to put everything together. This will be our first 'real' house in 33 years of marriage so I'm excited & nervous! Sometimes I wonder if it will actually happen...I told hubby I'll believe it when I can put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Something else I've lived without for most of our marriage!

I've been keeping watch on the thread that's asking for pics of your kitchen...I love what I've seen already - VERY artistic! Are you an artist?

Thank you for all your kind help!!!

ROTFL!!! I'm delighted. You guessed. ;) But it's old style, so written with all L's, even though that's technically inaccurate.

Thanks for the kind words about my kitchen. And, um, yes, I have been an artist, but kitchen seems to be my current medium. I figure I need to finish the kitchen and de-box the living room before I get back into the studio or it'll never get done! That's just a discipline thing. Even though the planning seems to take forever, your house will get built and your dishwasher will get loaded!

Chalk me up a point, I finally followed the story back to the plans! You mean that by putting the bear-proof stairs by the greenhouse door that counts as a secondary egress, right? I think that works better than exiting from a narrow landing. Boots can go in a drip tray under a seeding bench or credenza or whatever your furniture is, and there's room for a coat tree without killing the space, or you could put a floor mat between the greenhouse door and the entry door and just centralize all of your outdoor things.

The bedrooms should have exitable windows, and you should have easy to get at emergency escape ladders, because the exits are so close to each other. There also should be an exterior exit from the basement. It's all about getting out in a major emergency, not anything you plan on using. I'm sure they must make them with some kind of anti-weather seal that can be broken in case of a fire or whatever. And you should probably bury a bear and other critter proof emergency supply barrel in a sheltered place (under a tree?) a little way from the structure, that includes coverings for both of you on top, so you don't escape one emergency just to keel over from the cold.

I have no idea what all you were talking about regarding your climate, but I do understand heat/cool retention. :) I'm still trying to understand how guests approach your house. I wasn't making aspersions on the lack of formality, just not understanding. So the guests walk through the carport to the stair door? What if you enclose it as a garage? Do they then walk up a path beside the garage and through a door into the garage and then into the entry door?

I ask because while I get the informal entry, but are hidden entries normal there? Should you plan some kind of decorative treatment to let people know Here Be Door? I'm assuming you don't have RFD? That you go to the P.O. for mail and newspapers? (Unless you've gone digital on those.)

LOL pl1log...I laughed all the way through your post - you have quite the sense of humor :)

I really don't understand the thing about the weather, either...I was quoting from what hubby wrote the architect LOL I figured it would be easier than trying to come up with my version.

"Here be door", still laughing. Ummmm, good idea...hmmm, OK, another point to address...wow, the things you miss when thinking! "Hidden doors", again, still chuckling. BTW, how do you make italics?

Yes...the bedroom windows will be exitable. (My spellcheck wants me to use excitable but I'm resisting).

I'll have to ask archie (thus named for architect, it's too long to write out all the time) about the basement exit. We had planned on using a window exit but not sure if that's 'code'.

Oh my, I first thought you wanted me to bury a bear! LOL OK, I get it now. Good idea...we'd have to get a bear-proof container. In fact, the city is thinking about getting bear-proof garbage cans for us out here since we've had so much trouble with bears this summer. Of course, there will always be the idiots who don't practice good bear safety rules so we all have to pay for it.

No, we don't have mail delivery. The subdivision used to have a big mail box at the corner of the highway but vandalism took care of that. I'd never use it, anyway. So...we have to make the 14-mile trek to town just to check the mail. The Post Office is a community meeting hall of sorts. Everything is done in town so it's no big deal to let the mail pile up...it's like Christmas at pick-up! Except when you get a surly new Postmaster who doesn't KNOW the rules of small towns & keeps sending back boxes you are expecting. I'm still trying to understand his explanation but I think I put the fear of God into him since it hasn't happened since ;) I've learned (the hard way) to weigh my packages with my nifty new very sensitive digital scale. I write exact weight & postage in the corner so he knows I know...I've come to find out that the scale there can be way off, especially if a large package had just been weighed. So, if the numbers don't match, I just have him recalibrate the scale. I'm very nice about it ;)

Ohhhh, I'm arty, too. I keep telling myself that I am going to be just like Gramma Moses. We did have an art studio built into the attic above the garage so that went by the wayside when we took a knife to the plans to cut building costs. *sigh* Oh well, I'll just have to use the deck in the summer.

Have a grand day!

LOL!!! It wasn't that I didn't follow the explanation, so much, as my only relationship to the temperatures you're talking about are in reference to my freezer! I once saw a couple of snowflakes. And I've seen glaciers. Generally, think of me as one of the King of Siam's children who think that snow is some kind of made up thing. For a class once I had to do an impression of walking in snow. I finally tore up a plastic wastebasket liner, because they use little white plastic film pieces as snow on soundstages sometimes. My instructor was not amused (thank goodness you have a better sense of humor!), but it's the closest to walking in snow I've ever been!!! I do understand about the heat traps and all of the doors, though. It might not be life or death where I live, but the principles are the same. :)

The architect should be useful for Here Be Door ideas. They're usually very good at that kind of thing. :)

Italics are easy. The forum runs on HTML. In HTML, most mark-ups, including italics, use an opening tag and a closing tag. What's between the tags is what gets changed. Each tag is enclosed in angle brackets (greater than and less than signs). The closing tag is the same as the opening tag but has a forward slash (/) in front of it (inside of the bracket). If you want the word SNOW to be italicised, do this;

opening angle bracket (less than)
em (stands for "emphasis")
closing angle bracket (greater than)
SNOW
opening angle bracket
forward slash
em
closing angle bracket

It used to be "i" for "italic" rather than "em" for "emphasis" but that's been "deprecated" and is no longer the right way to do it. Because there's so much old stuff on the internet, however, it still works. Similarly, the correct tag for bold is "strong", but you can still use "b" for "bold". It is possible to underline, but that is so associated with links that you shouldn't do it. There are also ways to make the text whatever size you want, and other cool stuff, but the font itself depends on what is local on the computer viewing it, so Times and Ariel are the best choices, being just about everywhere. Colors are easier.

SNOW

Sigh. The trouble with bearproof trash cans is that the bears eventually figure them out, especially when there are non-compliant neighbors. And y'all have much bearer bears than our cuddly black bears. If they don't make bearproof emergency rations, it would probably be best to put clothes, boots, weather gear, blankets, instant shelter, first aid (and medicines for serious conditions), flashlights, tools, rope, lighters and water in the emergency bin, without any food. Probably be careful with things like ointments and candles that they don't smell like food to bears. The first line of bearproofing is making what you're trying to keep them out of as boring to bears as possible!

Thanks for the laugh, imagining you berating the surly new postmaster! And nicely chiding him over the inaccurate scales. With a little training, he may yet become your new best friend. ;)

So sad to lose the studio, but there are other ways! I don't paint much, and don't have room in my studio for it. I also don't use turps. When I had an itch that needed an outlet right then, I dragged my easel into my entry hall. I had a small, thin blue tarp in my travelling art supplies and folded that to a decent size and put it underneath, with an area to stand on. Dragged my taboret in from the studio. With acrylics, it's fine to use the laundry sink for the brushes and all. Even when I kicked over the water, it all stayed on the tarp. That sufficed for a 4'x6' canvas. The light is pretty good there, because the front porch protects the windows, which are West facing. Only bad while the sun is going down.

I don't know if y'all up there are so into northern light for painting. The main deal is that it's not direct. I don't know if by your Southern windows would be ideal, but you don't have a ton of sunlight half the year, anyway, right? And if it's electric, it doesn't matter so much, anyway. So couldn't you set yourself up a corner by the windows with some pastels, acrylics, or maybe even soluble oils? I don't know if the solubles are free enough from fumes for a living area, but for sure they don't require all of those evaporating turps!

Oh! Do you know about the Sta-Wet palette for acrylics? It's possible to make one's own version, but I like the commercial one. It's a tight plastic box, with a tray inside. There's a thin, loose sponge that covers the tray, which you wet, and a moisture-resistant paper you put your paints on. When you need to put down your paints in the middle, you just snap on the lid and rinse out your brushes. A really thin layer, like where you're blending, will dry, but the globs of paint stay moist for days and days. It makes it much more pleasant to paint! And no fumes, so you don't have to worry about poisoning your living area.

Poor pl1log - dear, dear pl1log - SNOW really is a made up story!

Wow...all that just to italicize 2 words! :) Thanks for the lesson...I'd hate to see the directions for that fancy snow you made:)

Yes, bears are very smart. They have problems over across the bay. (I live in Valdez, where the oil tankers come to load up with oil & have tanker crashes & spill millions of oil in the Sound heh heh). Anyway, hubby works there & he's told me some stories. You cannot even trust a bear with your car. They use their claws to open around the car window like a can opener to get to food inside. They WILL find a way.

Oh yes, you just reminded me that I need to get an official 'earthquake survival bucket' together...been putting it off. Valdez is on a major fault & it runs right under my chair. I swear, most of the earthquakes I feel are when hubby is working nights & it's pitch dark outside, freezing winds and I just KNOW the earth is going to split open & snap me in its jaws! Old town Valdez was destroyed in the '64 Good Friday earthquake. What's really weird is the '89 oil spill was also on Good Friday.

Sooo, that's another building consideration we have...it has to withstand some amount of shaking. Hubby used to work for Morrison Knudsen who built the oil terminal (he was a draftsman at the time). You can imagine the scope of that design! They chose Valdez since it was the northernmost ice-free port.

Valdez can be a hard place to live in - the remoteness can get to you. Weather can keep the planes from flying, avalanches can close the roads and last Fall, the bridge was washed away during a flood & road traffic was closed for several days. We had to have food & supplies barged in.
But...come summer and life is beautiful! We winter hard but we do summer easy! It's a different life then - so much light - moderate temperatures, cool breezes and there's a 24-hour energy that is much anticipated during the long, dark winters.

Daylight
The longest days come around the summer solstice, June 21.

In the southernmost Inside Passage, around Ketchikan, the sun is above the horizon for about 18 hours then. In southcentral Alaska, Anchorage gets 19.5 hours of sunlight. Fairbanks in the Interior, gets 21 hours, and Barrow, at the northern edge of the state, has 24 hours of daylight.

Winter brings 24-hour darkness to only the part of Alaska above the Arctic Circle. Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, Nome and the rest of the state all get some sunlight, however pale, for a few hours each day. The longest nights occur around the winter solstice, Dec. 21.

The days and nights are each 12 hours at the spring and fall equinoxes. The daylight info is from:
http://www.alaska.com/about/weather/story/4481284p-4460281c.html

I have a special treat for you linked below. :)

Ahhh, oh yes, I know about North Light! In fact, the studio was going to have lots of it...maybe someday we can do the garage & I can get it. First things first. And I've used the Sta-Wet stuff before. I'm fairly new in the painting medium as my first love was drawing. I tried watercolors once...I'll post the pic below:

My only picture of it - I gave it to a friend. My 3 daughters are standing in front but you get the idea.

Do you have any pics of anything you've done? I'd love to see some! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: some snow for pl1log!

Adventure Heli-skiing, huh? Not me!! Nice pictures though of that fairy story stuff.

The boy next door moved to Alaska decades ago. He's in Anchorage now. My brother has gone to visit. In the Summer. And told me what happens to sunflowers.

I'm pretty sure I set foot in your fair state once, but it was during a drive North through B.C., where there was a side road into a not quite town with a U.S. post office. :)

I have been far north in the Winter too, in Germany, and while there were 5 hours a day of what is technically sun, it wasn't sun like we think of sun down here! And certainly didn't keep the electric lights off. That's why I was thinking that during can't paint on the deck times, you might never notice the direction of the sun in the living room. :)

Nice water color. :) I don't have any pictures, don't even have the computer where they'd be if I had them. I mostly work in fiber, and digital snapshots don't really cut it.

I was thinking you had earthquakes too when I mentioned the emergency barrel. I wouldn't buy any kit that has rations in it so that the smell of food doesn't get on the other stuff. Maybe you can have an indoor spot or two to stash emergency rations that will be helpful if the house is safe. :)

I don't have a good space for a disaster barrel. A big enough quake to do in the house is going to do for the barrel too. So I keep my kit in my car. I worry more about being caught away from home. No bears to worry about though. And there are lots of places in walking distance for help and succor.

I do have two escape ladders upstairs, however. :) Hope never to use them. They're the kind that fit over the window sill and have solid rungs but rope sides. Velcro quick release straps.

Did your brother go anywhere else besides Anchorage? Anchorage isn't really a good place to 'see' the real Alaska :) Too citified but I guess it has to be. I lived there for 5 years before moving here.

I like the coastal cities like here, Seward & the Kenai Peninsula.

Through B.C.? Did you go up Yukon Territory? I thought you had to go through there to get to Alaska. We've driven the Alcan a few times - you haven't lived til you've done the whole thing, especially in the winter, yikes! Fall & summer is much better but then you run into all the tourists...and their Winnebagos.

But...Canada is also where I found the most luscious dessert, ever! Canadian Nanaimo Bars - ever have one? You don't even have to go to Canada to get one - I'll link the recipe & story below.

Fiber! Sounds interesting...do you weave?

Yeah...we need a kit for the car...especially on our long 300-mile trips to Anchorage.

Where did you get your escape ladders?

Here is a link that might be useful: Nanaimo Bars

Oh, yes. He goes everywhere. But his friend lives in Anchorage, so if he's going to Alaska, he'll spend a few days visiting. He's been places that most Alaskans never get to.

We did get into the southern Yukon. It was August. It did snow, but burned off while I was asleep. It was very pretty. And we could stop in the middle of the road (it was gravel, but might be paved now) because there just wasn't anyone there. Haven't heard of the bars, but I'll keep that in mind if I ever have to produce something gooey.

I don't weave cloth. More on the quilting/embroidery side, but I do mixed work as well.

The ladders came from an emergency preparedness place, about 15 years ago. They're pretty easy to find if you go looking.

Gotta run.

Any news from the architect?

It was something like 25 years ago (!!) but the name of the Alaska town I set foot in is Hyder. There wasn't much there. I don't remember a lot about that part of the trip other than big skies at the top of the world, tall green trees, and very few people. Until we got to Banff. I'm allergic to Banff. At least during the Summer. I've been there twice. I'm not going back!

Re escape ladders, Amazon, purveyor of all things, has them, including one that looks quite sturdy, that mounts between the studs under the window in its own box. It is important that the ladder be easy to get at from the window, which isn't always as decorative as it could be. :)

Ok, you two. I got lost and confused SO long ago in this discussion (about the beginning), and since then the conversation has taken on much more of a life of its own. ;-) I just have to know one thing....Is the kitchen plan staying as it was? I was pretty excited about how it developed and was afraid you'd have to scrap it and start over. Is the loft still hanging partially over the kitchen?

LOL rhome...I was wondering why no one else jumped in - I probably skeered 'em off with all my ramblings!

Yes, I held onto that kitchen design you so greatly helped me with - no one was taking that away from me ;) No, the open loft area isn't to be anymore...just a landing area now.

So nice to see you , rhome - how's it going at your house? I'm sure you & your family are giving that wonderful kitchen a good workout during the Holidays :) I can't wait until I have a nice kitchen to do the same.

pl1log...yep - have been hearing from Archy...still in the 'working stuff out' phase...does it ever end???

Hmmm, I've never heard of Hyder - I'll have to look it up. From all our travels up & down the Alcan, the Yukon Territory seemed the most desolate. BC is much prettier...I remember my favorite town was Hope. It was close to the border (I can see why it's named Hope - by the end of the Alcan, you've about lost all hope that it would end!) ALL our trips were fast ones...we'd do 12-14 hour days. Just once, I'd like to stop & smell the roses.

Good ol' Amazon. They love me. Whenever I need anything, I always check them first. 9 times out of 10, it's cheaper. Plus, it's usually free shipping.

We're doing well, thanks. Lots of baking around here lately, for sure. I can't wait to see your kitchen and hear about you loving it!

Hyder, back then at least, was at the end of the road if you drive West(-ish) from Stewart. I just Googled to see if the road went any farther, and found a web page for Stewart and Hyder. Sounds like there's more there there now, but I didn't find out about the road.

Since I was travelling with a photographer, I think the point of going to Hyder, besides seeing where the road ends, was to mail film from the U.S. P.O. Remember film?

Film? What's that? I remember having to mail in all my film - we had no place here to develop it. Only about 90% of the entire roll usually turned out...how did we do it without digital photography? The only thing I see now, though, is the tendency not to put them in photo albums.

I use Snapfish for all my printing - I just keep a running shopping basket of all my absolute favorites so I can do an order when they have a big sale. The gift items are fun.

I'm not all that picture oriented (I tend to mess with them more than print them), but I've seen the things my cousin has done with Snapfish, and they're really cool. Even something as simple as professional looking birthday invitations. One of the great things about travelling with a photographer, besides stopping dead in the middle of a gravel road to make photographs, is that, since I had to also take pictures in self defense (or be bored silly), I have these wonderful transparencies to mine if I don't have an artistic direction.

I painted a mural in my old kitchen, for which I bought an actual flower as a model, but I've been wanting do do up my powder room based on one of my old pictures too. I'm just not sure I want to spend that much time on a scaffold, and may cheat and get it put on wallpaper.

I'd LOVE to see that mural :) Go ahead & cheat & put it on wallpaper.

Have you ever heard of picnik.com? It's a really fun free photo editing online program. (They have premium features for a very small fee). I'll link it below.

Here's a pic I did of me & my son - I'm pretty sure I used picnik for this one...one of our last ones together (we lost him to an avalanche April 09 - it was bittersweet for me to post that video of Valdez mountains since that's where it happened, but I'm doing much better). He was a gentle giant bear - 6' 7"!

Here's a beautiful picture of one daughter taking a pic of her sister visiting his grave...I love this! (Picnik) Honestly, I'm not being morbid...I deal with it a lot by making pictures...it helps me :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Picnik - free online photo editing program

Oh, hon, you don't have to apologize for remembering your son!! Lovely pictures. I'm so glad that sharing them helps.

What I meant above is that I don't take a lot of pictures, but I do stuff to them once I have them. I've been using PaintShopPro since it was shareware. The largest project I've done is a digital slideshow of the whole family through the last hundred years, with identifying embedded captions, for a big party. Some people questioned showing pictures of the recently gone, but their nearest were thrilled to see them.

I've also done things with photocopies and turps, with partially finished polaroids and wood tools and stuff. It's amazing the cool things you can do if you're ruthless!

Digital is the most fun for me though. I even did a digital scrapbook style storybook. My good printer is 8 color and large format, so I generally print my own stuff.

I just don't take a lot of pictures. :)

Thanks, pl1log :)

Wow, you're a pro then if you do Photoshop! I'd love to learn all that stuff but I do better with one-on-one teaching rather than reading manuals (I swear they outsource manuals to Mensa w/instructions "Make as impossible to understand by mere mortals as possible!"

I'd love to see your work...sounds very interesting!

I can understand how the relatives who lost family feeling thrilled to see old pics. I had a friend post a picture of my son on Facebook in a totally unexpected way - I was shocked into pure delight. It was like a 'visit' from my son :) I'll post a link to the blog where I wrote & put the pictures in if you'd like to see it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Surprise pics of my son

PaintShopPro is a lot easier than Photoshop. I did use a Photoshop lite for the slide show, but usually stay in my comfort zone.

You may have seen this before. It's the mural from my old kitchen. It was about 5' high and 10' wide. There was this blank wall above the backsplash you see... (Don't know where that white dot came from. It's in the image.)

GORGEOUS! I'll have to hire you to paint me something in the new house :) Is this acrylics? Is that a poppy? Funny, that's the name of my blog "Poppy's World" (Mine & the kid's nickname for him). :)

Thanks. :) Yes. It's an interpretive (not accurate) depiction of a California poppy. The real thing isn't as variegated. It's just solid orange with little crease lines running through it. I traced out the lines, and then just painted it in to please myself. And the center is an impression. I think there are way way too many stamens.

This is the old kitchen, cleaned out for demo.

The center is acrylic. The rest is wall paint. I had bought some red/orange samples and used them. I knew there would eventually be a new kitchen and that the poppy was temporary. It was cheery though. :)

You can paint your own mural! All it takes is courage.

I think I remember seeing that picture, now. Way cool. I'm afraid any mural on my present kitchen wall would only show the stamens.

Maybe I can put this guy up - I did this on granddaughter's doodle pad in about 30 seconds - she's very arty & loves to draw with me. Can you guess who this is? LOL

Is this a loft about 1/3 of the way down?

Here is a link that might be useful: look for a loft picture

Hi pinch_me,

We're still in the midst of finalizing plans but I think the loft area is pretty much finished. We took out the open area & just made a landing for the bedroom/bathroom.

I went to the link you had 'colors gone wild'...but I didn't see a loft?

Look for this post
Posted by lyvia (My Page) on Thu, Sep 23, 10 at 21:21
It's about a third of the way downs the page. Small colored picture.

pinch_me - OK, now I see it...thanks!

No viewing balcony then? Oh, well. :)

Guess? Lenin, right?

If not, Dr. Phil, but it really does look like Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.

LOL pl1log...I forgot about the drawing when I read 'Lenin'. ha ha...I see what you mean about it looking like him. But, your 2nd guess is correct. Dr. Phil just happened to be on the TV when I was playing w/granddaughter so I just quickly drew what I saw.

Viewing balcony...I will continue to campaign...I'd really like something but don't know how it would look if it covered part of the kitchen.

Just heard from Archy! Got the preliminary drawings for all 3 levels...here's the main level. I LOVE how he dealt with the entry/my office area/pantry. We were going round & round.

I NEEDED better access to one freezer I access all the time & didn't want it in the pantry with the other one. My desk (to the right of the freezer) is in a perfect area - just the right location upon entering - just dump & dash :) Deal with later. We needed the entry to the greenhouse from there to give us 2 layers of entry to the deck because of heat loss & bears.

Next to the entry closet will be bins & more storage for boots, outdoor gear, stuff like that. We'll have doors so it won't look messy.

I heard the bells rings when I saw this so I'm pretty sure this is a go! So hard when you only have so much room to work with & a fierce winter climate that is working against you. :) Thanks for all your input & help.

Looks good to me! So glad you're this happy!

I meant to say, my desk area is to the right of the fridge, just below the dining area.