Marcellin Dufour '83

Marcellin Dufour '83
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

Yesterday I got a call from the picture framers to say the painting I bought on ebay before Xmas was ready. It's oil on canvas so it had to be stretched, I chose a matte black wood for the frame and it came out beautifully. When I got it home I realised the background colour was very similar to the Benjamin Moore Titanium in the dining room, and it has deep red splotches, the same colour as the curtains. I'd originally bought it for my office but it seemed to want to hang in the dining room so that's where I nailed it. And for once I only had to make one hole in the wall.
It was meant to be.

In Memorium

We are in mourning today.
Last night the cathode ray tube in my ruby iMac G3 emitted a loud bang, the screen went dark and that was effectively that. The iMac was just about the first thing we bought when I arrived in the US at the end of September 2000 and it's been pretty much turned on ever since.
Although we added some extra memory in 2003 we never upgraded to OS X because I knew Ruby didn't have enough power to drive it. As programmers stopped writing for OS 9 Ruby's functionality has been declining. Some web pages looked truncated on her screen, but I didn't care, she opened my email and kept my photos and acted as the server for the wireless system in the house.
And know she's gone it renders my original iPod obsolete too, as it was only compatible with pre-OS X systems. Without Ruby there's going to be a big hole in the middle of my desk but the hole in my heart is bigger.





Ruby Red RIP 2000-2007.

Downstairs bath remodel

downstairs bath remodel
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

We ordered another wenge vanity from the people who made the one for the boys' bath but this time we went with a Caesarstone countertop in Copper Canyon. It seemed a better fit with the fawn tiles and the white ceramic vessel sink. But I didn't want a splashback so I spent a couple of hours yesterday playing with Appleworks to come up with ideas for a tiled backsplash. This one uses Daltile Modern Dimensions and Urban trims. The alternative below is with Crossville Mosaics, Metals and their Questech trim.



I guess we'll be spending this weekend checking out the trim tiles in the flesh and making sure we can remove the existing vanity without doing any damage to the wall tiles.

Is there rehab for remodelers?

It's like a bad habit we can't break. Actually, if I'm honest I have the habit, Steven just supports it.
The boys' bath wasn't even half-way done before I started on the girls' bath. This was completely crazy because the master bath shower has been out of commission for months (possibly over a year, I can't bring myself to check). The logical thing to do, and let me say also the plan when we first making "to do" list, was to remodel the master, then move on to the boys' bath. It's funny how easy it was to talk ourselves out of this plan and into Plan B: boys' bath, then master. The reasoning was we knew exactly what we wanted in the boys' bath but couldn't agree on anything for the master. We also told ourselves the boys' bath would be practice for the master, we'd get all the mistakes out of the way in a bath that was less important.
Well, that was a specious argument. In reality we knew the challenges and problems would be totally different; I just wanted to get rid of those crazed tiles. Somehow, though as the ugly tiles came off I realised I could not live with the avocado in the girls' bath. Once again, logic dictates that you wait until the first bath is done before you rip up the second. But I have a habit, so it had to be done.
Now the boys' bath is beautiful but it isn't finished yet: no shower doors, no hardware and the girl's bath doesn't have a working basin - won't have for at least two weeks- so why would I undertake the downstairs bath remodel at this time?
Because I have a serious problem, that's why. I have a habit and it's controlling me.

Bathroom Renovations Part Three

De-laminated Vanity Door
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

I took my eye off the downstairs bathroom and this is what happened. It got jealous. I guess everyone using the one bath while the others are being renovated has taken its toll on it.
It seems that faucet that we didn't think was leaking too badly back on Thanksgiving weekend was, in fact, silently dripping hot water onto the vanity door. The plywood has swelled up beautifully to the point I could no longer miss it when I walked in the door. The fact that I was also standing in a pool of water was a bit of a hint.
I turned off the hot water under the sink but the damage has been done. Tony the custom vanity guy is coming to measure for the countertop on the girls' bath vanity next week so I guess I'll ask him to make another floating vanity for this bath while he's about it. After all we already have the ceramic vessel sink and pillar faucet we decided not to use upstairs so the cost won't be as great as it might be.
The dilemma is whether I can do a partial update in this room. I love the original floor and the wall tiles are sand coloured hexagons in great shape. I think if we get rid of the fawn beige toilet and replace it with a white one and pick the right countertop we could get away with it. It would have a more beachy feel, which, as this is the bath people use when they come in from the beach or the pool, would be appropriate.
We'll see.

Bathroom Fixtures

Bathroom Fixtures
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

They are in, they function and they shine.
The Toto Nexus maple seat is so warm and it's a soft close model so no-one can slam the seat down. Hurrah.
The vessel sink doesn't splash because it's huge and because the faucet has a water restrainer in it. It delivers just enough water in a steady stream to wash hands or face or clean your teeth. And what about that Tenso faucet? Form and function in one.
The Grohe Freehander shower kicks ass. So much water, sparkly, clean water that you definitely need shower doors. The shower door guys measured today and promise that in another two to three weeks I can try it out. I can't wait.
Oh and the best. As the plumbers were leaving they called me and told me they had totally changed their minds about the shower. It isn't a fancy-pants piece of chichiness. It is a beautifully designed triumph of engineering and they'd be happy to put one in their own bathrooms! This is true plumber praise.

Plumbing the fixtures

The plumber is here now, and for once he was thrilled by the tiles and vanity and the vessel sink. He thought the guys who cut the countertops did a perfect job, the Ronbow vessel sink is the best quality he's installed. He only ruined it by saying "Where's the fancy shower head you want me to install?". Oh well, I really shouldn't be seeking plumber-validation anyway.

Girls' Bath Vanity Top Chosen

ivory coast silestone
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

The silestone samples arrived from e-counters today and it took about oh, three seconds to make a decision. The Green River was much too dark, the Yukon Blanco too light but the Ivory Coast was perfect. The only real choice was whether to go for the slightly glossy finish or "leather", a honed matte look. (The bigger tile is the leather finish). I think either would have been fine, but the glossy is slightly cheaper and I think it will reflect some light, which in that bath with its tiny triangular window, will be a bonus.
Now I can go ahead an order that countertop. One step nearer to finishing the girls' bath.

Odds and Ends

Nothing much going on in the bathroom remodel department; the ceiling in the boys' bath got a coat of primer on Saturday and I've put four coats of stain on the window, touched up the door frame and the stained the piece of molding on the girls' vanity. Luckily, Cabot dark walnut matches the door and the vanity so that's what I used on the window- it makes my life simpler.
I ordered an undermount sink from Toto to match the toilet in the girls' bath but I'm still waiting for the silestone samples I ordered from e-counters before I can finish up the vanity. I think I've chosen a faucet that will match both the round George Kovacs bathroom sconce and the linear Lew's Hardware pull. It's the Stillness faucet by Kohler, sort of modern but not too cool. As it's an 8" center spread and an American brand the plumber should be really happy with me.
Obviously, we are going to miss another deadline this week. There is no way either bath will be operational by the end of March and even though the plumber is coming Friday to hook up the water and put in the toilet in the boys' bath, the shower doors won't be ready for at least two weeks after that. So that puts us past Easter too. Seriously, I'm shooting for Memorial Day.

Eye candy

new vanity, vessel sink, vessel faucet
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

The vanity guys just left after installing the wenge floating vanity and they were so patient with me. I was concerned that the faucet would be bumped by the medicine cabinet doors if we set it at regular height, and they measured it out perfectly. The vanity is set at 28" off the floor with another 1" for the countertop. That's about 3" lower than normal but because we have the vessel sink it doesn't feel low. It turned out to be a very good thing that we placed it lower because the plumbing is low in this bath, and the wastepipe would have been smack on the bottom of the cabinet otherwise. As it is, after the plumber has decided where the sleeve for the P-trap will fit, I have to take the drawer back to have it notched.
I don't feel so bad about mis-measuring the plumbing in the girls' bath now, or about adapting the vanity in there.
But don't you think the vanity's awesome? And as for the faucet and wood-effect glass vessel sink: pure fabulousness.

Girls' bathroom

new vanity girls' bath
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

We did make progress on Friday afternoon. In addition to all the work we did on the boys' bath, we finally got the vanity installed in the girls' bath. We went with the option of notching out the backboard and cutting the middle drawer down by half to accommodate the faucet shut off and it slid into place. A small piece of molding was cut for the left side so we can open the drawers and all the hardware was put on. The vanity is almost the same colour as the door and there is certainly plenty of storage in it.
But as soon as it was in position I knew the whole vessel sink and pillar faucet idea wasn't going to work. The vanity is just too high. While it would work fine for Steven and I as we are both tall, it wouldn't work for shorter adults or children. So we'll get an undermount sink and shorter faucet and we can use the ceramic vessel sink in the downstairs bath. It's annoying but not a huge deal.

Andrew Geller Sketches

andrew geller beach house sketches and plans
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

Or how we met then man who designed our house and came away with two of his beach house sketches.
We had the best time last night. DWR East Hampton hosted a fundraising event for the Pearlroth House with a presentation detailing the efforts to save the building by the filmmaker Jake Gorst who also happens to be the architect's grandson. Andrew Geller himself was there and the highlight for us was talking to him about our house, which I hope he'll come and see soon, just to make sure the renovations we are undertaking meet with his approval!
There was also a raffle and the biggest surprise was that Steven won, not once but twice. He chose these signed sketches by Mr Geller. I suppose etiquette dictates that we should have put one back in the raffle but they look fabulous together and they are going into an Andrew M. Geller house, so in a sense they are going home.
Oh, and I won a bag of swag, too courtesy of Vox, so it was a totally rewarding evening in the Hamptons.

A lot more money is needed to secure the future of the iconic "kite house". So if anyone reading this feels they can make a tax deductible contribution or any corporations are interested in sponsoring the work please contact The Pearlroth House Foundation.

Save The Pearlroth House Fundraiser

We're just off to DWR in East Hampton for a fundraiser in aid of The Pearlroth House the beach house Andrew Geller designed in 1959 for Arthur and Mitch Pearlroth. Time is running out and a lot of money still needs to be raised so we're going to do our bit. Plans for the evening include a 40 minute documentary about the "kite" house, wine and cheese, and a silent auction to win a Herman Miller chair. It sounds like it will be fun trip.

Lights, please

metro light techlighting.com
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

The tiler was totally in love with the Metro light from Tech Lighting. I hadn't seen it in real life even though the box has been sitting in the spare bedroom for a month, I'd resisted the temptation to peek. When they called me up to see it I was blown away. I'm so glad I didn't have to compromise and go with a satin nickel finish, the polished chrome is much punchier. And I'm even happier we kept the medicine cabinets. They look so much better than they did in the old bath. A little recycling is a good thing and probably saved us $500.

Boy's bath 50% done

shower tiles
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

Maybe even more. All tiling, grouting and caulking has been completed. The shower caddy went in the corner. The old mirrored cabinets went back in and look fantastic and the Tech Metro light is so awesome.
More later

Ferroker floor with Summer Wheat Grout

Ferroker floor with summer wheat grout
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

That's all that got accomplished today. Tomorrow: clean up; install lights and hardware; install medicine cabinets; install vanity in girls' bathroom, install GFCI sockets in girls' bath; patch ceilings and walls; caulk, caulk, caulk.
Then clean all the dust from the last couple of days.
That sounds like a long list for one day, especially a Friday.

At Least Someone is Happy

As Brooklyn Row House pointed out in the comments on Noncompliant Dogs, cats like dog beds.
Not a complete waste of money then.

Grouted

grout eidos ambar and area
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

We have grout on all the walls. The tiler was a little concerned and a wee bit confused because I told him the silver grout was for the walls but when he mixed it it didn't resemble anything silver at all - it's more like a sandy beige.
I don't pick the names, only the colours.
He's gonna have fun with the one for the floor tomorrow: summer wheat. Summer wheat? Toasted barley would be more like it.
As long as it matches the floor tiles I'm happy.

More shopping

Because I was frustrated that the vanity didn't go in yesterday, which meant I couldn't order the countertop for it, I had the "spendies". That's when I have the money, the time and the energy to purchase something and nothing is going to deter me. I could have bought something cheap, like a bar of chocolate, but I didn't think that was going to satisfy my craving - it had to be something bathroom related.
So I threw the dogs in the car and headed off to the fancy fixture place in town where, as luck would have it, the guy who delivered my shower base was just finishing with a customer. He asked if I'd had it installed yet and mentioned how he loved his and the teak insert he'd ordered. Teak insert. That would slay the spendies good and dead. A few questions about the durability and slipperiness of the wood and all my concerns about the slatted base were laid to rest and then the clincher: you don't have to clean the base as often.
Done, sold and sated. I'm much happier now.I can go back to dreaming about non-essentials like this.

Noncompliant Dogs

sadie lounging
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

I was so fed up of the kitchen looking like an animal doss house that I ordered two Fatboy modern dog beds from Design Public. If you clicked the link you will have seen the extremely cute black lab lounging on his red Fatboy bed.
Maybe my dogs didn't like the colours I chose (lime green and brown), although dogs are colour-blind aren't they? Maybe I didn't adjust the stuffing enough for their comfort. But they have flat-out refused to have anything to do with them. I have resorted to putting blankets on top of the beds to entice them, which sort of defeats the purpose but nothing works.
Here is a nice photo showing the dent that Sadie made when she stepped over the dog bed on her way to find a better place to sprawl out and here is Polly ignoring her bed.


Steven suggests I give in and give them their old duvets back but I'm persevering for a while. I want a sleek, modern kitchen with sleek, modern dog beds and I'm not prepared to give up yet.

Measure twice, cut once

not enough room
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

We installed the girls' bath vanity this afternoon, at least we attempted to. I swear I measured this space at least five times: length, height, width, every which way. I measured the plumbing also, but only once and obviously NOT correctly. I need an extra two inches on the left. Bugger.










So far I have come up with two solutions:
1) Notch out the back of the cabinet three inches; remove middle drawer, cut 6" off back and bottom of middle drawer, glue and clamp back shortened front to back piece.
2) Move the water pipe right 2.5"
I knew we had to move the vanity over an inch and put in a filler so we could open the drawers but I never thought it would be 2" short.
Damn imperial tape measure! Metric is so much more precise. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Heavy Glass

That's what we have ordered for the boys' bath shower. I thought that all glass was "heavy" but it seems also to be the technical term for the glass used to make the frameless shower doors. We ended up going local and chose clear glass with polished chrome handles from The Shower Door in Huntington. They were the only people to demonstrate the special hinge that stops the door from swinging out too vigorously, which is very important in this household of really clumsy people. I was worried that someone might push the door too hard coming out of the shower and smash it on the wall. Now I can breathe easier.
Although it's ordered they can't take precise measurements until we have grouted and the grout has cured for 48 hours. So realistically it will be Monday at the earliest before the order is processed and then it will be "two weeks", which I take to mean four weeks to manufacture the doors. I was assured because ours is simple- just two pieces of glass, really - it should only be two weeks. But I was also told that the vanity would take 10 days to make and that was back in January, many, many "ten days" ago.

Toto Toilet @ Prime, Huntington, NY

Toto Toilet @ Prime, Huntington, NY
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

We went for brunch at Prime Restaurant in Huntington, NY. The decor is gorgeous, warm woods, cool marble, blazing fireplaces and a killer view over Huntington Harbor. But the best surprise was the restroom. Not only do they have motion sensor swan-neck vessel faucets, but they also have my Toto Nexus toilet. And yes, I did lift the lid off the tank and it was installed with the Toto G-max fill valve. I shall be telling the plumber this next time I see him.

Floor Tiles Are In

boys' bath floor in
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

Just a little update. The floor is in. Hurrah. I worried it would be too dark but it's perfect. It echoes the tones in the redwood floor , the great room ceiling and those umbrella stand lamps.
The tiler did say that I was challenging him when he saw the 24"x17" Porcelanosa Ferroker floor tiles, and I have to say that I do not know how he managed to hold them and make the cuts necessary to go around the toilet wastepipe. Even carrying them upstairs was a challenge. Those babies are heavy.
On Monday he will finish the wall tiling, then grout and then the glass door guy can come and measure. He has me a little worried though; he isn't sure how they are going to drill through the wall tiles to hang the doors because the Area tiles are so hard. That doesn't bode well for the towel bar and robe hook either.
What kind of drill cuts through really hard tiles, anyone? Diamond, do you think? We went through this with Pete the Floor Guy and the redwood floor. He had to go buy a whole new blade for his saw. I guess this will be the same. I'm off to research drill bits.

Spoiler Alert-injured toe pic below (fuzzy)

Yep, I managed not to hurt myself at all doing the demolition on the boys' bath, not with the flying shards of tile, not even carrying the heavy stuff out to the curb. Then we farmed out the trade work, plumbing, electrical and tiling so I couldn't injure myself there could I? Well, I suppose I could have dropped a 24"x17" Ferroker floor tile on my foot while appreciating its beautiful bronze and pewter tones but, no, I managed to photograph it without crushing anything vital (or breaking the tile) so kudos to me.
Yesterday evening, though, I was excitedly running upstairs to see what the tiler had done during the day, when I failed to leave enough clearance between my toes and the baby gate we use to keep the dogs out of the tiler's way. It hurt like hell and this morning it is a pretty shade of purple. Can't bend it either.
Worst is, I can't brag that I did it engaged in a house renovation project. It was just a clumsy moment. Bah.

Tiling 3/4 done

Just a quick update on the boys' bath. Tiling is about three-quarters complete. It's so pretty and light that I more relaxed already.
As you come up the stairs you can see the light flooding out of the room and then the trees reflected on the tiles. That's so cool and an unexpected bonus. Such a difference from the previous "crazy bat cave" theme we had going on before.

The annual swarm

The clocks have sprung forward and the temperature is nearly 60F so it must be spring, right? I wasn't convinced because I like to go by the equinox but when I looked out of my bathroom window this morning I noticed this beauty. At the moment it's only tiny so we will need to get rid of it pronto.
Every year it's the same, they build 'em, we knock 'em down. A kind of renewal of the earth ritual, involving sacifice and slaughter. These guys are getting craftier. The first year they were in the weeping juniper, which is a good 15' from the house and easy to spray and remove. Last year they were under the garage overhang - a quick bang with a stick into a waiting sack and they were gone. This time we are going to have to get on a ladder, on Saturday when the temperature is set to plummet 30 degrees to below freezing and we may be blanketed by a late snowstorm too.
I'm looking forward to it. Let battle commence.

Bathroom Tile

Boys' bath tile
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

Real progress was made yesterday. The tiler was concerned it wasn't going fast enough, but he had to straighten the wall before he started and work out a pattern for the window to solve the pesky problem of possible future water leaks form the shower. So I was really happy he got a whole wall done.
I was going for a totally clean look with the glossy 12" tiles but I actually like this. The wall behind the vanity and toilet will be tiled with the mosaic and the other walls with the large field tile. It just adds another accent. I love it when we have a happy solution to a problem. I love it more when we can discuss it rationally and come to an agreement that suits us both.
I finally found out why the plumber installed a generic fill valve in the new Toto toilet rather than Toto's patented G-max system. He says the G-max is an inferior copy of this $10 Korky fill valve and he'll install the Toto one in the next toilet if I want because he'll be happy to get a call to repair it when it breaks down in two years' time.
If he'd told me that at the time, I could have decided whether to try it or trust him but he didn't, nor did he tell me he was ignoring my precise instruction to install the shower base as we'd discussed because he knew better. Working with the plumber is stressful because he doesn't communicate and he complains about everything from the choice of fixtures to the placement of the pipes. Mostly he complains that I'm European and haven't chosen Kohler or American Standard fixtures. Hmm, I'm not about to apologise for either the land of my birth or my taste. But at least he doesn't make fun of my accent like one guy we had (very temporarily) working for us.
Enough rant, I love my tiles, I can't wait for it to be finished so I can see the total effect.

Framed

framed house plans
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

The real remodelers do actual framing, lite remodelers get the plans framed.
Well, at least people will be able to orient themselves before they go off exploring the house.
This was Steven's birthday present. Happy Birthday honey.

Challenges

If you live in a twelve-sided house, one of your walls is going to be off, probably by a lot. That's a given, and today we found out which one. Of course it's the boys' bathroom wall, the one that you see as you come up the landing. And the bigger the tile the more obvious it will be. And that window in the middle is going to complicate things too. I'm beginning to understand why the original owners went for a busy broken pattern - it's much easy to hide the flaws that way.
The tiler is attempting to mitigate the problem right now, which involves a lot of "oh, c'mon" and "gee whizz", both of which he apologised for. If I were tiling that wall it would be more like "@#!&" and "%~/*". In fact just thinking about it makes my language more creative. And I'm resisting the temptation to run upstairs every five minutes to see how he's getting along, which is also very stressful. I've got a serious case of remodeler's remorse. Right now I can't remember why we started this remodel, the old tiles looked fine didn't they?
At least we've come up with a creative solution for the window frame, involving the accent tile. I think it's going to look ok, of course I hope it will look fabulous, but I'll settle for straight and tasteful.

The new window, same as the old window

bath window exterior
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

But without the fogging, with low argon, and fully operable. An open window over the shower, it's going to be a huge novelty. We only have to work out a tiny design dilemma, to wit: how to finish the tiles neatly around it. I'm leaning towards a small trim abutting the tiles rather than the 2" piece by that was there before. Small is usually better. If a bullnose had been available, I might have been persuaded to go with that but luckily, because I hate bullnoses, Porcelanosa doesn't have anything that will match the tiles.
The new window, like all the replacements in the house is by Marvin.

New profile photo

I haven't really calmed down enough about the Toto installation (or the shower base install* for that matter) to blog about it. At the moment I'm alternating between tears, swearing and sang froid, all the signs of grief, I have to note. I am too emotionally invested in this project.
But in the interest of looking at things in a more positive light I have changed the photo on my profile from the original photo I took of the back of the house on the day of the "walk through" April 2004, to one I took last year (2006) with the new paint and stain.

Just to remind myself that some contractors do a bang-on job, and that we have made at least one positive contribution to the renovation of our home.


*it looks like a Bugatti with a Trabi hubcap

Freakin' plumber

is making Jane freak out. This morning I went to take out the trash and I noticed that the Toto G-max fill valve was still in the Toto toilet box. Now that was surprising because the toilet had been flushed three times by the plumber before he left. I ran inside and opened up the tank and there was an ordinary Fieldmaster fill valve inside. Why? Why would anyone take a piece of equipment specifically designed to work with the toilet and replace it with some generic thing?
I rang Toto to see what would happen if we left the Fieldmaster in there and they said it would affect the fill rate and eventually the flow of the toilet. Great. I ordered the Toto is because the G-max has a great reputation and because all the plumbers like them. This plumber told me it was a "good" toilet. So once again why? I'll be asking him to explain and then install it as it was meant to be installed, but only when I've calmed down.

Welcome Toto Nexus

New toilet
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

It's so slim and shiny and clean. Isn't that the prettiest wc you've ever seen?
Okay, the Toto Neorest (tagline:Sophisticated Sensuality) is possibly more impressive but at a retail price between $3200 and $5600 depending on model I'm unlikely to do a proper comparison. Plus, the Neorest has a remote control. Who needs a remote control in the bathroom? The possibilities for losing that thing would be endless and probably quite expensive. And this bathroom is only 5'x8'. The Neorest lid opens as you approach it and flushes as you leave. In a space that small it would be constantly opening, flushing and closing. We'd probably wear it out in a six-month.

More gems from the plumber

One thing the plumber asks that is guaranteed to make modernemama freak out:
"Did you measure this?"
The answer was: I measured it; my husband measured it; two contractors measured it and YOUR DAD measured it.
"Well, I'd better check, it looks big.....hey, what d'you know, it just fits"
Good, now if I could just remember how to breathe again.

Things you are relieved to hear your plumber say:
1) "There's nothing difficult about this, it's just different"
2) "The base went in"
3) "Let's break for lunch"

Do all plumbers moan?

new grohe shower valve
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

Five Things You Don't Want To Hear Your Plumber Say

1) I've never seen one of those before
2) I've never installed one of those before
3) I don't know how we are gonna install that
4) That's too heavy for the wall
5) That drain won't fit

I heard all of those on Friday afternoon. The offending items were: 1,4 the Grohe Freehander and 2,3,5 the mti-whirlpool shower base, both of which had been approved by the plumber's father (also our plumber).
They are coming back on Monday morning to install the toilet in the other bathroom and put in the shower base in this bath. I can't wait.

Bye Bye Green Vanity

bye bye green vanity
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

I'm missing you already. You and your faux marble top (that weighed a ton) and matching Kohler avocado toilet, which, according to the plumber must have weighed 300lbs. They don't make them like that anymore.

Now we just have this little hole in the floor, and a scrap of that wallpaper insert on the vanity on the wall. It must have looked really, truly groovy in 1970.

Custom Copper Shower

The Expo catalogue arrived yesterday and fell open at the bathroom page, and there was something I'd never seen before, never even knew existed: a copper shower.

It spoke to me enough to make me tear up the plans for the master bath and install copper instead. Before I go down that route, though, several things occur to me: Wouldn't the copper get too warm for comfort if you're taking a long hot shower? How do you clean a copper shower? What stops it turning blue? How much would a 48"x36" beauty cost? What would Greg the Plumber say?

A bit of research later and I had the answers to some of my questions, the cost starts just shy of $3000. And there is a no-tarnish option. But...... will it fit in with my cool house? What other fixtures (towel rail, toilet holder etc) and tiles would look right with it?
So many questions. Here are a couple more: Has anyone seen a copper shower in real life? Better still , has anyone got one?

Snow Melt

snow melt
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

The sun is shining and the snow is pouring off the roof. Huge drops of water are reflected in the sunlight and it's so pretty.
I love the California overhang. You may get a little wet walking beneath but there is no maintenance and that is so much better than gutters.

Setting a New Budget

It's going to be the end of the week before the plumber can do the rough work and move the shower drain so in the meantime I thought I'd frighten myself by ignoring the bath remodels and looking at the budget for the 2008 kitchen remodel.
I started this spreadsheet back in July 2004 when we purchased the Sub-Zero with a view to building the kitchen around it and completing it within two years.
It seems we were a little optimistic in our timeline.
Over the past two and a half years I have researched options for replacement cabinets and countertops, chosen 16x16" and then 20x20"floor tiles, and picked out stainless steel appliances. The spreadsheet is a thing of beauty with internet links, retail and discount prices, lead times and possible alternatives. As we changed our minds about products, new versions came on the market, or prices rose, I updated the spreadsheet but the basic price of the remodel never fluctuated by more than a few hundred dollars.
Walking around Soho one Saturday last October we wandered into Henrybuilt and fell in love with the hardwood cabinets, they seemed to have been designed with our house in mind. Suddenly the perfectly acceptable Ikea boxes didn't seem to cut it anymore, even if we used our own custom doors. The budget got a huge makeover, upwards.
Then I starting reading the Brooklyn townhouse renovation blog Here is the House. Big mistake. And I showed the post on appliances to Steven. Even bigger mistake. He fell completely in love with the Hansacanyon LED faucet and wouldn't be dissuaded even when I showed him the price.


Of course you just cannot have a beautiful, expensive faucet pouring red or blue water into a bog standard kitchen sink, even if it is the BlancoPrecision 10: Super Single Bowl Undermount, sink of choice for Varenna and other German and Italian kitchen cabinet manufacturers. Never fear, Here is the House gave us an idea for a solution. We only have to add an extra $3000 to the budget and we can be professionally washing up, chopping vegetables and cooking with the Kohler PRO CookCenter sink. Actually, this will also solve a design dilemma too. We hate seams on countertops but the quartz we have chosen only comes in 10' slabs. Our sink area is 10' 8". If we go with the mega sink it is countertop width so we can have two separate pieces of quartz on either side. Smart but not priceless.
The new kitchen budget? Even though we will save on extra plumbing by not having a prep sink on the island and we save the cost of an extra sink and faucet, it's increased by 50% since we started and that's without adding the built in coffee maker I have lusted over. I wonder what we can cut back on so we can afford this remodel before we get too old to enjoy it. Food maybe?

Setting a new timetable

It seems my suspicions were correct and Steven didn't make time to arrange delivery of the shower base while I was away because one call to the bathroom accessory store this morning and 10 minutes later I had the MTI shower base in my garage. I wonder how long it will be before it finally gets to the bathroom?
Yesterday we agreed to revise the order of work for the on-going remodel. It now reads:
1) the boys' and girls' baths will be done simultaneously - whatever part of the project is less hassle (requiring the fewest runs to the hardware store) will get done first
2) the downstairs bath will get its facelift: new vanity, sink and faucet, plus new towel bar and toilet roll holder.
3) the master bath
4) the laundry room
Depending on how long the first three take we may do the laundry room with the kitchen remodel - that's the big project for 2008.
It's funny how things can quickly change, though. This morning we woke up to 3" snow so I reached for a dog towel in the laundry and tore the sliding door off the last remaining cabinet.
The revised, revised list goes:
1) boys' and girls' bath; depending on number of tiles we use there we may have enough to tile
2) the laundry room floor, making this project #2.
3) downstairs bath facelift
4) master bath
Either way it is going to take much longer than we thought to finish this part of the remodel and I seriously think we need to increase the gin budget.

Renovation frustration

Okay, I didn't really expect to have all the bathroom renovations completed in the week I was away (although I did leave Steven detailed instructions) but it was really depressing to come home and find nothing had been done. Everything was exactly as I left it, except that an extra layer of dust, dirt and dog hair had accumulated.
Even the shower base that they promised to deliver on Wednesday or Thursday hadn't arrived. My feeling here is that Steven was too busy to schedule a drop off time, but I could be doing him a disservice. At this rate the boys' bathroom won't be ready for him to shower in on his birthday, we'll be lucky if it's done by Memorial Day.

So simple even a .......

The Martin Agency did such a great job for Geico with its Caveman commercials that the Caveman now has a life in cyberspace. I wandered happily through his apartment, envying the flat screen tv and his awesome kitchen and clicking on every possible clickable link (tip: click multiple times, this is a very innovative site) but it wasn't until I got to the bathroom that it hit me. The faucet, vessel sink and wooden vanity look pretty similar to what I've chosen for the girls' bath.
I have caveman taste.

Basic Needs v Bathroom Jewelry

I was extremely distressed at having to part with $500 yesterday just to ensure continuing warmth and security. The garage door opener was declared dead and that was the cost of a new one, installed.

Apparently it was a miracle that the thing had held up for 38 years because the door is heavy and the Genie opener only had a single chain. Amazing. So I should expect the other one to go any second now? Anyway, I am now the proud owner of a double chain opener, guaranteed for one year.
I had that $500 marked down for the start of the downstairs bath remodel and specifically for either one of these beauties. They are both sleek and modern but the one on the left is the angular Tosca Bergamo and on the right we have the more traditional KWC Vesuno Classic.
Strictly speaking, I don't need a new faucet, but we do have a leak on the existing one, and the vanity is starting to de-laminate and I hoped that while we were on a bathroom remodelling kick we should just go with it and update the lot. I hadn't discussed this with Steven because I know he'd be even less enthusiastic than he was when I suggested adopting a new kitty........
In the unlikely event I should have a spare few hundred bucks in the future it would be good to have the fixtures already chosen, so some input on my faucet choice would be appreciated. Vote here for your favourite

Your favorite faucet
	Tosca Bergamo
	KWC Vesuno Classic
	Either, I love them both
	Neither, they leave me cold
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Tiles & Vanity

Oh, and hardware too. The tiles were delivered in the ice storm and join the vanity in the garage. If you're counting that's two bedrooms and a garage full of stuff waiting to be transformed into the kids' bathrooms.
I scored a major deal at Expo yesterday paying $1.68 per cabinet knob, reduced from $7.99 (their price, list price elsewhere about $6.00!) As the cheapest I could manage on The Hardware Hut was $5.70, I was a happy girl. And the custom vanity countertop is being made as I type. I should have the whole thing in ten days. I'm still waiting for word on the window and the shower base, though and that's what we need to re-start the boy's bath.

Garage Door

If you were a garage door which day would you pick to stop working?
a) A warm and sunny summer's day
b) The first ice storm in several years
This house has a sense of humour.

Weekend Chores

nickel door knobs
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

The pink granite is gone and we have this splendid new knob from Baldwin in it's place. It took me two hours to finangel into place this one and the bigger version on the powder room door. Most of that was spent upside down turning the locking screw with the allen key. I was extremely nervous about dropping the knobs on the tiles, or my face, as they weigh a ton. I guess that's why they were so expensive. And I discovered by removing the old porcelain knob that the powder room used to be painted oil blue. No why doesn't that surprise me?
On Saturday Steven put a coat of primer on the new ceiling in the boy's bath and re-attached the towel rails in the girl's bath. We chose hardware for the new vanity but they are out of stock so eventually we may have to find something else. I'm hoping not as they are the right size, shape and price and we both like them. How often does that happen?
No luck getting the new vanity installed though. The faucet lines are as tightly corroded as the one's in the boys' bath were, and the P-trap won't move either. Oh well, the plumber will be here next week to install the shower base and he can wrench it apart then. Things are progressing but really, really slowly.

No room to sleep

more new fixtures
Originally uploaded by modernemama.

The cat doesn't seem to care, but the bathroom remodels are taking over the house. Every surface in this room is covered with a faucet, sink or towel rail just waiting to go into the new baths.
The vanity for the girls' bath arrived yesterday but it's so heavy it has to stay in the garage until some man with muscles can help me negotiate it upstairs. FedEx also dropped off the faucet for the girls' bath and the fixture store called to say they have the closet door knob ready to be picked up. That means we have everything for that bath except the countertop and we can only order that when we've mounted the vanity. I could do that this weekend but we would be without a sink in that room for at least two weeks until the countertop is installed and we've connected the sink and faucet. I'm not sure whether that's a good idea or not.

Knobs

Ah, door knobs. Functional and decorative and the quickest and easiest way to give your interior a whole new look. Ha, that piece of advice comes from some design show or HGTV website. That's cyber reality.
In the real world, where I live, changing a door knob is frustrating, time-consuming and very, very expensive.
In this house all the public spaces have Schlage teak trimmed knobs, very 70s but also tasteful and they match the doors. They are staying. The closets and the front door have pewter handles from Arrow. Also gorgeous, and we will not be replacing these either. But the private spaces, bedroom and some bathroom doors have porcelain or granite knobs and these have to go.
In bizarro universe I'd just pull/unscrew the offending part off the door, trot down to the local hardware store and buy some sexy replacements. In my world, I discover that no one makes decorative trims for Schlage knobs so I have to buy a whole new knob. As a temporary solution I settle on pulling the offending pink granite trim off the bathroom door and swapping it with the trim from the basement door. The basement is now looking a little funky but who's going to notice?
Then I try to replace the above knob in matching pink granite but it requires an allen key in a size I don't possess. A quick trip to the local hardware store and $1.29+tax buys me a set of allen keys, one of which is the correct size. (This turns out to be the bargain of the week).
Armed with the offending door knob and original manufacturer's name (Arrow) I head off, at the hardware store owner's suggestion, to the local locksmith. He looks at it, declares he doesn't understand how it works, but can sell me an absolutely hideous shiny brass and glass knob in a vaguely Victorian look at a reasonable price that may work. I decline and he suggests I visit the local fancy decorative hardware store where he assures me I'll find something more my taste but "it's going to cost you".
And the local expensive store? I show the guy all the bits and he finds a manufacturer he swears is going to have a knob to fit, even though he doesn't understand how it works either. I pick out one small knob to replace the above monstrosity and two larger ones to take the place of the flowery porcelain powder room handle. Then he totals it all up for me, three knobs plus plates = $257. These had better work, I have my doubts as the knobs screw onto the spindles and I don't see how the replacements are going to do that but I'll bow to the salesman's superior knowledge.
But good grief, $257 just to get rid of a little hideous. Imagine if I had to replace every door knob in the house. Especially when I really want these beauties from
Turnstyle Designs which I believe run about $450 each.