thinkin' sink.

Quick update:  Our closing date has been moved from this Monday coming up (Dec. 3rd) to two Fridays from now (Dec. 14th) Bah humbug. -- STILL better than waiting the standard 4 month minimum for a short sale though.  (yup, still in the spirit of being thankful and not sweating the small stuff)

Anyhoos..  Last night, I've made an Eek-inducing purchase, our new kitchen sink.  Ok ok, maybe that's a little dramatic, but I never realized how much sinks were (good ones at least) until I started doing some research.  And oh the options: fireclay, cast-iron, ceramic, stainless steel, granite, titan quartz, copper, undermount, apron-front... it's enough to make my head spin and re-think any of my prior decisions. 

But no matter what, I always knew that I wanted a classic glossy farmhouse sink to go with my new classic country kitchen (with subway tiles and white shaker style cabinets... swoon).  At least that narrowed my choices down to material.  

Although, this is not our first rodeo (ha, I've always wanted to say that) buying a kitchen sink , we did do minor renovations in our current kitchen, but it is an overwhelming process, regardless, especially since it's a totally different style than what we're used to.  Granted we LOVE our current sink, it is a very deep black Silgranite, but somehow that same style doesn't seem fitting in our new kitchen.  What I do want is the same durability and depth (i.e. let the dishes pile up and stay out of sight!).  And classic ceramic sinks don't seem to have the same durability rep with its tendency to chip and crack (or so I hear).  With my not so gentle washing methods and a very active toddler, I need something that'll last.  Not to mention that we would have to plan on custom cabinets for the sink to retrofit an apron front sink, something that we don't want to install more than once.  The pressure is definitely on.

Through the process of elimination, out went the classic fireclay and ceramic sinks (everyone seems to rave about a Shaw's original fireclay sink).  Fireclay is a bit more durable than ceramic, I still didn't want to take my chances.  I've also heard that cracks tend to occur with the standard use of a garbage disposal (vibrations + ceramics = cracks!) Cast iron, another gorgeous option, though durable, usually has a ceramic veneer that could also chip and crack over time. 

And as much as I loved our uber strong, and garbage disposal proof granite sink, it is much pricier in an apron front style than our last one (I'm talking several thousands and I'm bound to spend less than that, we only spent a couple hundred)  Besides, I wasn't sure if I was feeling the natural veins/patterns that comes with it.   What's a girl to do??

I now present you with.. Titan Quartz.  WTH is that, you say?  Yeah, I was wondering the same thing, until I read more on it.  It's a mineral composite material (eh, sounds like granite?), and it is extremely hard, stain and scratch resistant, has a smooth clean surface (classic look that I'm going for), heat resistant, and is garbage disposal safe.  Is this thing for real?? After all, I've never ever seen this anywhere. Guess I was thinkin' outside of the "big" box (stores).. Ha, someone stop me now.

Although I've never seen such a magical sink in person, my interest was piqued enough to plug in the credit card numbers and buy one site unseen. EEK! (see!)  But to calm those fears, my research proves that the brand itself is pretty reputable according to people's first hand experience in message boards and in the blogospheres (I can trust those guys, right??)

Anyway, here are the deets: 

West Brass Farmhouse Sink
30" Mitrani Titan Quartz Single Bowl Apron Sink

•  Single Bowl Sink can be undermounted with a reversible fluted or smooth apron front with a lip. Available in white

Measures 29 3/4" x 20" x 9 7/8"

And I got it here with 10% off (their weekend special).  Though not cheap, this is by far the cheapest I've seen (with the discount).  We went with the single bowl (we currently have a double bowl that we mostly use one side of), and will probably use the smooth side vs. the fluted side --I do love that it is reversible though.  

One drawback, I have read that it isn't as glossy as a real ceramic sink --sad :(.  But in the long run, it's quiet (and satin finish) strength wins practicality points with this family.  It's also non-porous and can be easily cleaned and even waxed (turtle wax high gloss finish?? maybe)

Well, wish us luck, I'll post an update when my magical sink makes its way to our new house from the magical land of Narnia.. er, the manufacturers in New York.

Stay Tuned!

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happy and thankful.

Hope everyone had a happy thanksgiving!

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Lo(we's) and behold...

My husband, Steve, and I wanted to get a headstart on kitchen planning this past weekend, so we could get right to it as soon as we sign on the dotted line. We decided to check out a few different stores and get quotes from several places, which is always good advice when you're planning on spending a few thousand dollars on something. (Always do your research, kids.) Our first stop was Lowe's, because as we all know "Lowe's knows home-improvement."

Excited at the prospect of designing our new kitchen, we strolled into the store with a few ideas and, what some might say, naive expectations. We sat down with one of Lowe's designers from the kitchen department, Jennifer. Our new friend seemed friendly enough so we continued to grill her with lots of questions that needed answers, covered the basics and then some. She walked us through the different styles and brands of cabinets, from basic to high end custom. And even surprised us by showing us a few kitchen designs from her portfolio costing hundreds of thousands of dollars (although, not necessarily the greatest sales pitch to our tight budget.)

We were really feelin' the white shaker style cabinets from Diamond, a mid-grade brand that offered quite a bit of configurations that really appealed to my organization and neat-freakishness. And we couldn't wait to pair it up with some glossy white subway tiles and either some butcher block counter tops or light granite. So classic!

So when could we get a new Lowe's kitchen? We were promptly informed that it would take 4 to 6 weeks until the cabinets would arrive in the store, and that's not even including installation. So we are looking at having a finished kitchen not until the following year. Womp womp.

I probably knew deep down that it would take a while (After all Rome wasn't built in a day, yada yada yada) but oh man, was that disappointing to hear. Especially after waiting for the short sale approval, even though we should be thanking our lucky stars that it didn't take as long as it could have been.

So after thanking Jennifer for her time, Steve and I walked away with our heads down a la sad Charlie Brown. We've come to realize that this will probably be typical for all of the stores that we end up talking to. But we didn't want to let that little sidenote dampen our spirits, we decided to make the most of our trip by exploring the store and getting more info on other projects we could get our little mitts on.  And oh boy, did we find a lot of reading material.

We even found a few nice color palettes for our future walls. Pretty serene, eh?

So overall, talking with Lowe's was a very informative and even a humbling experience. We'll certainly know what to expect talking to other kitchen designers. Have you guys ever worked with a designer at any big box stores? Anybody have any solid advice for kitchen remodeling newbies like us?

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knick knack, paddy whack

As a kid, I remember making sure that all of my toys always had equal playtime.  I would talk to my barbies and tell them that it was time to play with my stuffed animals because it was their turn. Somehow, I always felt like playing favorites would just hurt the other toys' feelings.  I guess I was kind of a weird kid.

Anyway, remember my post about our über cool moose knocker that we found at the new resale shop in town?  Well, I guess I forgot to talk about all the other random chach we picked up that day too, so I thought I'd mention them in this post right here.  And not because I think I hurt their feelings (I swear), but because I think they're wonderful and fun just like our moose!

First up is probably the coolest coffee cup known to man, for men.  I say for men only because the little lip protruding inside the cup is for a gentleman's moustache (mooos-stache). It's the little things that make a difference and Steve can definitely appreciate the thoughtful way this protects his Movember 'stache from his hot beverage of choice. Brilliant!



Then we found some more animals to keep the moose company while we're at work.  (I imagine them hanging out while we're gone, drinking coffee from Steve's móustache cup.)  We found a lovely ceramic yellow rooster for four whole dollars.  She's a steal and a nod to classic french country decor, but I feel the bright yellow color makes her more modern and hip to the times.  She's a perfect size and would add a great deal of kitsch to our future kitchen (ha, see what I did there..nevermind.)

I also found these super cute bird and squirrel coat hooks for $2.50 each.  I actually got these from the Land of Nod outlet, but they were a really good deal since they are quite a bit dinged up.  But that's ok, I have different plans for them in terms of paint colors.  I was thinking a lovely shade of yellow (surprise) to go with the  light grey (stripes!) that I plan to paint in Olive's new room (or the playroom)

And last, but certainly not the least... I found these amazing books, Design Research: The Store That Brought Modern Living to American Homes and Paris in Color, at the Crate and Barrel outlet for a whopping five dollars each.  Not only do they look good displayed on your coffee table, but they're also full of fun photos and interesting tidbits about design.  I just love all the beautiful pictures in Paris in Color, such great photography and each chapter is separated by, well, color.  It makes me dream of Paris.  Design Research is such a beautifully laid out book (I appreciate that having worked in publishing) and I'm a self-professed typophile, so the giant typography on the cover is quite fetching (not to mention the fun yellow pattern in the background). 

 

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed checking out our cheap finds.  Happy thrifting!

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UPDATE: We got the House!

Whoomp, there it is!

As of noon on this VERY Happy Friday (today is a two-fer Friday post), Steve, Olive, our dog Erin, and myself are moving into a new (old) house!  I expected this day not to come for awhile since the house is a short sale, but a month and a half of patience and wishful thinking later, the house has been approved. Yippee!  And I won't even apologize for the excess amount of exclamation points in this post, because that doesn't even express how excited I am for this day to come (wait for it..) !!!

I was going to wait to post a photo of our new crib, but in the spirit of not-waiting-anymore.. here she is  in all her charming glory.  Grab your bibs, and get ready to do some droolin' (ooooh... ahhhhh)

Isn't she beautiful??  She's almost perfect in every way, just a few updating/maintenance items (gutters, siding, kitchen update, 2nd bathroom, radon mitigation..the list goes on)  but I wouldn't have her any other way.  We're in love (but not in the crazy TLC show, kind of love)

So tell me, have/did you guys feel/felt this excited about buying your/a house (that you just can't hide it)??

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Friday Flashback: Carpe(t) Diem

So technically, this is the third post of its kind since I first started talking about our current home a few posts ago and then followed up with a post about Olive's nursery, but this will be the first one under the Friday Flashback heading. Exciting, I know!

Ok, enough chatter.  Let's talk carpets. Aside from the granite countertops we've installed in our kitchen, this was probably the other biggest change we've made to the interior of our turnkey, do-nothing-but-move-in, and at the time, only 4 year old house.  It's about as exciting as it gets here.

And like any good homeowner, we lived with the previous carpeting  for awhile until we just couldn't squeeze any more life out of it.  So to say goodbye, we decided to throw it a farewell party.  Actually, it was a huge ugly sweater party/fundraiser for Steve's rugby team.  We're talking lots of foot traffic, spilled beverages, and who knows what else. Squeeze we wanted, and squeeze we did.

Here are some candid party shots to the right.  Don't we look innocent in our darling sweaters next to the tree.  Apparently, the drinks that warmed our bellies also made us forget about how gross and stain-ridden, the icky berber carpeting was.

Here's another shot of the wild and crazy kids later on that night.  The cold winter winds forced all of our guests inside (we did have the closed garage, complete with space saving heaters, for extended mingling locations, but everyone wanted to snuggle up inside instead).  I swear if there was a low hanging chandelier, someone would have been hanging off of it, by the looks of this shot.  OH, and I almost forgot about the infamous red Jello incident spilling gloriously onto the carpet, as Jello usually does.  Party on!

So here is the nasty aftermath, right before the switch.

 

 

We also debated getting hardwood flooring (in hindsight, we wished we had- for resale value, but the thought of trying to match our hardwood in the kitchen and foyer just gave us both a headache).  We settled on berber carpeting again with the intention of getting a darker shade as to not show every stain and discoloration through regular wear and tear.  We stayed in the beige/tan family as to not alienate our existing furniture. I leaned towards a lighter shade to keep the room bright and Steve was lured by the dark side.  Upon remembering those ugly stains in our old carpet, we decided to go with the dark shade (2nd to the right).  We also went with Beaulieu which featured some carpet technology that I never realized carpet could possibly possess such as:

• Magic Fresh® odor reducing treatment works to reduce common odors in your home.
• Silver Release® antimicrobial carpet treatment inhibits the growth of odor- and stain-causing bacteria, as well as mold and mildew.
• PermaShield® advanced stain protection defends your carpet from life’s occasional accidents.

After shopping around, we decided to go with the same place we got our granite from, Best Buy Carpeting and Granite, and they managed to beat out all the other popular carpet  places (Luna, Empire, etc.).  Although, Luna, with their best price guarantee initially balked at the great price we were quoted at the other place, they did come up $50 less after much hesitation. In the end, we remained loyal to our original local shop, and they actually gave us a loyal customer discount.  So it came out to be the same, and they were glad to have us back!

When the day came, we, somehow, were able to fit the contents of our large family room and office/loft into the kitchen and the 2nd bedroom.  It was very messy and gave me lots of anxiety.

 

And here are some gratuitous striptease shots of our floors down to its naked subflooring.. Grrowll..

And the padding...



And AFTER with new carpeting.. Ta Da!

Such a small change, but it made a world of difference breathing in clean carpeting and not having to look at those ugly stains.  And the new padding makes us feel like we're walking on clouds (slight exaggeration).   All in all, the experience didn't take as long as I imagined it would and the installers were very courteous and wore booties to protect our new floors.  Not bad for a quick half day project. 

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