Let's Talk Remodeling

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Thanks! It is called Tumbled Marble from PGM Products. We found it at Lowes.

That's where mine came from. After seeing yours, mine looks so boring now. I really do love how yours turned out. It's beautiful!

 

[SplshMtn99]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU !!!!

I love the pictures - the kitchens, the backsplashes, the inspirational pictures. - all of it.

In case you didn't already know, the true home page of that blog is this:

http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/
Use the finished kitchen slideshow button on right or search the categories.

Also, if just a photo, try clicking on it to get to another page that has more info about the kitchen & often a link to a whole album of the kitchen.

 

[blanq]

Thanks for the tips, and I am going to try and keep the hard surfaces more neutral. It sounds like that may be the main thing to stick to for resale purposes. I am going to add period faucets/hardware, and likely a farmhouse sink in the kitchen and main bath. I do have a beautiful clawfoot tub that I am going to reglaze. I'll have to look into the soapstone suggestion.

Yes, there will be unavoidable trends that you may get swept up into. Think seaform green and mauve from the 80's (Yes, we had a lot of mauve in our house back then. We also had octagon shaped tile and bumpy ceramic tile. ).

I really had to laugh at this. Guess what color my kitchen laminate countertops currently are? Yes, you guessed it....mauve!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Okay, here are the backsplash photos. My husband was pestering me to hurry up, so I didn't get a good picture of the pattern for the inserts (I know they repeated every few tiles). Once again, the great photographer in my strikes out!

Here is a close-up of the backsplash:

Here is the corner window showing how they tiled all the way up:

The photos really don't do this justice. It was very subtle, but looked very nice.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Ohh I love the look of the tiling all around the window.

Thanks everybody for your kind words about my kitchen. I am very pleased with the end result.

holbear, your backsplash looks fabulous!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Ohh I love the look of the tiling all around the window.

I do too! I wish I would have thought to do that.

Oh well... there's always next time.

 

[mickeysgal]

Here is a close-up of the backsplash:

Here is the corner window showing how they tiled all the way up:

The photos really don't do this justice. It was very subtle, but looked very nice.

Beautiful pattern. The 1x1s look a bit iridescent - like perhaps a natural slate/glass tile look. Were they?

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Beautiful pattern. The 1x1s look a bit iridescent - like perhaps a natural slate/glass tile look. Were they?

No, I think that was the photographer.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

No, I think that was the photographer.

 

[mickeysgal]

No, I think that was the photographer.

I think you took great pictures.

The only reason I asked is because recently I've seen slate-like irridescent glass tiles that are beautiful and I'm wondering how'd they look as accent pieces against a tumbled marble pattern such as this.

Either way, this pattern is indeed, very pretty.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I think you took great pictures.

The only reason I asked is because recently I've seen slate-like irridescent glass tiles that are beautiful and I'm wondering how'd they look as accent pieces against a tumbled marble pattern such as this.

Either way, this pattern is indeed, very pretty.

Well, you know how slate has a natural metallic look to it, in some areas? I guess they did have a certain sheen to them, since they were real slate. I think glass tiles would look really good too. My only concern would be that they are a trend right now.

I really wish I'd never walked inside of that house though. Now I want to repaint my cabinets and the trim/doors in my house, to match the cabinets there.

I'm asking myself if I really want to go through that again. It's sort of like childbirth. You do it, and swear you're never going to do it again, and then you forget and end up pregnant a second time.

BTW, as I'm sure you're aware, I never got you that name from Gardenweb! I'm sorry! I totally forgot about it. Do you still need it?

 

[shovan]

I really wish I'd never walked inside of that house though. Now I want to repaint my cabinets and the trim/doors in my house, to match the cabinets there.

I'm asking myself if I really want to go through that again. It's sort of like childbirth. You do it, and swear you're never going to do it again, and then you forget and end up pregnant a second time.

BTW, as I'm sure you're aware, I never got you that name from Gardenweb! I'm sorry! I totally forgot about it. Do you still need it?

I can't see the cabinets & trim, what color was it, that would make you consider doing your's over?!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I can't see the cabinets & trim, what color was it, that would make you consider doing your's over?!

It was a warmer tan color. The whole house had the trim and the doors painted the same color.

The tumbled marble used, is that same tumbled marble I have, and the Verde Butterfly looks almost identical to Uba Tuba, so now that I've seen it with a different paint color, I want it.

Who am I fooling... I can't even get my master bathroom off of the ground, and I'm talking about redoing what I've already done!

ETA: I'll PM you a photo of the whole kitchen. I don't think it look as warm in the photos, as it did in person though. (I can't post it here, since I took the photo from our MLS.)

 

[shovan]

It was a warmer tan color. The whole house had the trim and the doors painted the same color.

The tumbled marble used, is that same tumbled marble I have, and the Verde Butterfly looks almost identical to Uba Tuba, so now that I've seen it with a different paint color, I want it.

Who am I fooling... I can't even get my master bathroom off of the ground, and I'm talking about redoing what I've already done!

ETA: I'll PM you a photo of the whole kitchen. I don't think it look as warm in the photos, as it did in person though. (I can't post it here, since I took the photo from our MLS.)

I was going to ask if it was warmer than the pic showed? Well that is just painting, so if you really want it, you could do it. Or just put it in the file of things to do down the road! What about that glazing technique, you had wanted to do? Maybe you could try it again, to warm up what you already have?

I love those floors, is that slate? I had wanted to put slate in the kitchen, but everything I found had much brighter colors, not anything as subtle as that! Really pretty.

I love those floors in that kitchen!

I have a sketch of the bathroom vanity, it's a pdf. file though. Does anyone know how to post a pdf.file?

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I was going to ask if it was warmer than the pic showed? Well that is just painting, so if you really want it, you could do it. Or just put it in the file of things to do down the road! What about that glazing technique, you had wanted to do? Maybe you could try it again, to warm up what you already have?

Glazing went into my "I tried it, but don't do it well & it's too expensive to pay someone else to do it" file.

I love those floors, is that slate? I had wanted to put slate in the kitchen, but everything I found had much brighter colors, not anything as subtle as that! Really pretty.

I love those floors in that kitchen!

Yes, they're slate! There was slate on all of the high-traffic and wet areas, and the stairs were hardwood. It was a really pretty house.

For anyone else wanting to see this picture that I keep referring to, let me know. I don't mean to exclude anyone by PMing it.

I have a sketch of the bathroom vanity, it's a pdf. file though. Does anyone know how to post a pdf.file?

You can save it as a jpeg and then try it. At least I think you can!

 

[mickeysgal]

The tumbled marble used, is that same tumbled marble I have, and the Verde Butterfly looks almost identical to Uba Tuba, so now that I've seen it with a different paint color, I want it.

Welcome to my world!

I think I sometimes torture myself by going into models to hunt around for "ideas".

I just saw a decorated model this past weekend that the builder was selling for a great price. If it were in my kids' school district, there would be some discussion going on in this house right now. It had everything done right - updated kitchen not too small yet not too large, right size rooms, right layout, lots of windows, etc. It had all the things that we've been upgrading this house to have. All that without the work. Even my DH liked it and he is very picky.

Lesson: Stay out of model homes.

Hard to do in your profession, Am_I_There_Yet. How do you see model after model with the latest and greatest designs and not go crazy?

 

[mickeysgal]

It was a warmer tan color. The whole house had the trim and the doors painted the same color.

I've seen a lot of homes lately doing doors and trim in a light tan/beige.

Personally, we've had homes with stained/varnished doors and trim (midwest U.S) and white (south). Even though the tan is trendy right now, I much prefer the white. Its classic and I truly believe it won't go out of style. Especially here in the south. I'm not sure about other parts of the country though. .

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Hard to do in your profession, Am_I_There_Yet. How do you see model after model with the latest and greatest designs and not go crazy?

For the most part, I'm in ratty foreclosures, so they make my home look like a dream home! Usually I can't get out of those fast enough!

I sold new homes for awhile though, and had to sit in one of those model homes all day! It was fun watching them decorate them!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I've seen a lot of homes lately doing doors and trim in a light tan/beige.

Personally, we've had homes with stained/varnished doors and trim (midwest U.S) and white (south). Even though the tan is trendy right now, I much prefer the white. Its classic and I truly believe it won't go out of style. Especially here in the south. I'm not sure about other parts of the country though. .

I worry about it being trendy too. I would paint my cabinets that color, but I worry about going to the expense of painting all the trim and doors.

You never see stained wood trim here anymore. When I show homes built in the 80's, you see it, but not the newer homes. Isn't it funny how different parts of the country have different building styles?

 

[SplshMtn99]

I think I really HATE the new refrigerator. Every day when I walk by the old one sitting in the garage, I just want to drag it back upstairs & tell it I'm sorry for trying to replace it.

The new one:
PROS:
-The fresh food is at eye level.
-Its black & matches other appliances now.

CONS:
-Extremely difficult to find any convenient settings of shelves that allow for realistic food storage containers or jars or bottles.
-Freezer below is a sliding basket system. You have to make sure food isn't too high in the basket or it impedes getting the basket & drawer closed. You spend time with the freezer open arranging food so you can get the door closed.
-The frig handle sqeeks & creeks and drives me CRAZY!
-It sticks out from the wall further than it said it would...and is just too big looking in the kitchen. It actually makes my small kitchen look even smaller.

I don't think I can live with those cons. And its only been 3 days. I think its getting returned. I know now why Sears has soooooooo many more frigs at their "dent & scratch" centers compared to any other appliance type. Frigs are just huge today & the big thick clunky handles make them look even bigger from the side view in a galley kitchen. But inside, they are totally useless.

This is only a 19 cubic foot model. I can't go bigger on the outside to get bigger on the inside. I had a 18 cu foot model & it had plenty of room...except for at holiday time. I can' get enough storage in a 19 cu foot today ...what will it be like at holidays. Yikes!!

And I'm only talking about a 19 cu ft model here. How big would a 22 cu ft model have been in my kitchen? Yikes! I used to have a 18 cu ft model & it had alot more room in the frig & freezer. I haven't even been grocery shopping & there's no room now. Just bad!