Island slightly too large for most countertops- should i make smaller?
bardzil
6 years ago
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debbie12153
6 years ago
Fori
6 years agoRelated Discussions
double island, extra big island or smaller island + nook table
Comments (35)Doug's wife would hate my fridge location, lol. And, Lavender, I'm not so organized but was raised by a mom who would yell at you if you stood with the door to the fridge open for very long as it let "the cold out!" so I automatically think through what I need and where it's at so I don't let too much cold out. mlogin, it's great that you're striving to incorporate the 31 Rules into your design. Just know that many of us find we have to compromise on one or more of them. I chose to do so on my fridge location and it is working out just fine for me. Below is my kitchen showing the former fridge placement and the current one. Current placement is actually in the opening between the laundry/pantry room. It does impede traffic through that route once in awhile but only for a few seconds so it isn't a big deal. I would rather experience a bit of congestion there than at my sinks, range or dishwasher locations. Or at my prep space or baking area. I just strongly feel that the fridge is the appliance you are standing at doing something the least time of all the appliances. If any appliance has to be placed in a less optimal position, I would choose the fridge. Remember that you also want your fridge on the edge of your working spaces so that someone who just wants to access it for a drink or snack isn't walking back-and-forth inside your work areas. I just don't see another place in your kitchen plan where your fridge is accessible to both cook and a drinker/snacker. Of course, someone more creative than I am may suggest a layout none of us have thought of yet but I think it would require re-arranging most of the rest of your kitchen to find another good location. Again, I'm not writing to try to influence you one way or the other but just to give you as much info as possible to consider in order for you to make the best decision for you and your family....See MoreLarge white Kitchen -- should cabinets in island be different color?
Comments (12)I think when you use a black (or other neutral/non-busy) countertop, it's OK to mix up both the cabinets and countertop colors. But you have to be careful.....one top should be more solid color....not a lot of pattern. Here is a kitchen I just did for a client that wanted a rustic cabin look. She had leathered black countertops on the perimeter and a busier granite on the island. The island is an olde world distressed green. The perimeter is knotty alder. Here is another kitchen I did...white with different color island....and the use of ONE color on the countertop. I prefer this look if using two cabinet colors. UNLESS, someone is going for a rustic look like the photo above. If you want a matte black...consider a leathered finish, not honed. Honed shows fingerprints a LOT more! Leathered is way more forgiving....See MoreMaking a Butcher Block a Warm Slightly Darker Shade
Comments (11)Thanks to all of you!! I should have explained: The maple is 1 1/2" wide cut on the EDGE grain. This is more resistant to wear, is a longer grain, won't be blotchy. Each piece is the length of the side. There are no glue joints within the work area. Forty years ago, I used a product that was food grade and made the maple more golden, warmer, deeper. I can't find it any more. It was either based on Tung Oil or Mineral Oil. That old counter top is in great condition and being used in the laundry room. I use unfinished unsealed wood cutting boards for raw meat, veggies, fruit. I roll my pastry and knead my bread on the counter - which is meticulously scraped and cleaned. I have the underside of the butcher block to experiment with! Cookncarpenter: I'll try the tea on a scrap. Thanks for your kind words on the cabinet work! luckyblueeye: Thanks! The house is Arts & Crafts. There cherry clavos on the cherry, but on the island, they are stained black for a more furniture look. aurora Tee: Thanks for the link! Michael: I was thinking about the Boos! I'll try it on a scrap piece. Design Loft: Good info. Rest assured, I would never use a regular stain. I'm leaning toward the Mineral Oil. I'm going to try that on some scrap and also try a Mineral Oil and Beeswax combo. And some Tung Oil. Sophie Wheeler: All good points. I used to own a custom lumber milling shop. I learned that working with the properties of the wood you could often get away with the impossible. It's been a long time so I've asked the community for input and appreciate everything you have said....See MoreI repotted my peace lily into a pot too big...should I repot again?
Comments (7)Try using a "tell" to tell you when it's time to water: Using a 'tell' Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need plenty of air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support the kind of root health most growers would like to see; and, a healthy root system is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to avoid over-watering leads to a residual build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil from tapwater and fertilizer solutions, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. Al...See More
mama goose_gw zn6OH
6 years ago
MaWizz
6 years agobardzil
6 years agobeachem
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agobardzil
6 years agodan1888
6 years agopalimpsest
6 years ago
PROLampert Lumber - St. Croix Falls
6 years agonumbersjunkie
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agobardzil
6 years agoMaWizz
6 years ago
janecalle
6 years agobardzil, no they are not frameless. MaWizz, yes, we like to mix it up and we tend to be "rule breakers" when it comes to design. and the pull-out trash was a cabinetry option, not a revashelf. I will post photos below so you can see how we mixed up the hardware sizes and orientation. This is the 3rd home I have completely remodeled over my many years. Went from 8000 s.f. to 5000 s.f (both historical homes) to this 3000 s.f crazy, not my usual style home on an amazing waterfront lot. We call it "rustic contemporary". But oh, was it ugly. Many here will say, no,no on the busy rustic backsplash with the granite countertops that "should be the star". No subway for this place. Wouldn't change a thing for this particular spot, style and our now emerging empty nest status (3 boys out, one more with a big toe out). Bardzil, as Mom of 4 boys I get the dishwasher thing! Became a big fan of the double drawer dishwasher. Good luck with your remodel!
PROJoseph Corlett, LLC
6 years agoBuehl
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoM
6 years agocatbuilder
6 years agojanecalle
6 years agojmorawiec
6 years agobardzil
6 years ago
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