Project: Kitchen [12' x 18']

We renovated our 1957 circa kitchen, doing all of the construction ourselves [minus electrical]. My husband did the cabinetry, I did the tiling, we both put the hardwood flooring in. Everything took longer than expected [working day jobs, etc.,] but for the most part we're pleased with our Harry & Harriet Homeowner attempts. Every project is a learning experience and be patient, it's all worth it in the end!

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I LOVE my double, extra deep sink with gooseneck single handled faucet. The double sinks give me lots of room to wash large pots and wash veggies while the other sink is being used to rinse hands. The garbage disposal and dishwasher out-take are installed on the left side. The gooseneck faucet gives me lots of room for tall pots and the single handled hot/cold lever allows me to control my water tempurature with one hand. A water filter is hooked up to the cold water, so we can drink/cook without chlorinated water. The hose sprayer is handy for getting hard to reach areas, especially cleaning the sides of the sinks and rinsing off veggies in the colander.

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The woodwork is done in maple. I like the clean color of maple better than that of oak. I wanted the eye to experience some movement so I angled the tiles to flow upward, and to make a small space look bigger, I continued along the complete area of the kitchen wall, including above the doorway to the right of the stove.

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The wall tiles are a textured porcelain imitating sandstone with accent pieces. The counter is a soft black "Imperial" granite that has subtle grey/blue undertones. The "accent" tiles give an otherwise neutral color scheme some interesting detail. Note the detail of the "fiddle leaf" graining of the maple on the counter trim.

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These cabinets were built in two pieces with a pre-made maple block top laid on top. They can be removed when needed. Drawer space is limited, but efficient. Top drawer for flatware, middle drawer miscellaneous items [foil, plastic wrap, waxed paper, etc.], bottom drawer is extra deep and houses a chrome dishrack to hold all of my pot covers. Center cabinet stores cutting boards and trays. The extra storage is a big bonus in a tiny kitchen.

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The finished kitchen under going final inspection.

The corner counter cabinet has a piano hinge to allow open access to this odd corner area that is frequently lost storage space. The wide opening allows me to store large pots, utilizing the entire space.

Project: Basement Bathroom

The basement bath was an absolute horror. It consisted of a wall mounted porcelain sink (no counter), toilet and a grubby fiber glass shower, not built to code. The floor tile was linoleum, circa 1957. I wanted a neutral, but elegant bath that would entice people to want to use it. I opted for a tiled shower instead of replacing with another fiber glass for a richer look. The shower base is a fiber glass unit that is easier to clean and more cost efficient than a tiled one.

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The wall and floor tiles are porcelain. The accent pieces are a mosaic of sliced river stone. The counter top is a hard fossil imbeded stone. I helped with the shower mosaic and laid the countertop, but the rest of the tiling was contracted. The gooseneck faucet and deep sink allows me to fill gallon jugs to water my indoor plants. The sprayer hose is handy for clean ups. The cabinet has yet to be finished, so more details later.

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Frosted glass/chrome accessories were chosen to accent the natural stone.

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Wood Working Projects

My husband and I created this table as our first major woodworking project together. I wanted a modern/rustic style to go with our adjoining kitchen and the teak Scandinavian chairs and we needed a narrow table for a small dining area.

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We chose two colors of fiddle leaf/tiger maple, a light honey for the surface, and darker hue for the legs. The finish is "rustic" to hide any flaws, as the rippled graining creates problems of pitting when put through a planer. 8 can be seated snuggly, as the chairs are a wide comfortable armed style. These were re-upholstered with an extra 4" foam bottom cushion and a cat proof chinelle fabric backed with a rubber coating that prevents snagging.

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Detail of the darker wood of the legs. ~*~