Source: Kelsey Leigh Design Ah, the kitchenette. So simple at first glance... and then it got complicated. I made it complicated, but still it got there.  I talked about it in this post about what my intentions were for the space and why I wanted the features that I wanted . BUT, then I talked to a few people and they really suggested I consider adding a range. I pushed back. "There isn't enough space!". They said try harder :-) But, I'll be honest it was my friend Meredith that really made the decision for me. It was clear that anyone with kids (and I hope to be that some day) needs both a stove and an oven.  In the interest of really weighing out all my options, I mucked around a bit in Ikea Planner to see how things might look. You have to use your imagination for sure, but just play pretend a bit. Option 1: Hidden Microwave Option 2: "Speed Oven"--> like a microwave and oven combined Option 3: 20 inch range Initial thoughts?  Yeah, nothing is quite as...
So this was a relatively big week - but at the same time not a whole lot happened from a construction perspective. I spent a lot of time this week on the kitchenette. Like a lot of time. But it all feels really valuable. Designing the kitchenette is important because it's not easy to change after it's installed. Cabinet color? That can be fixed. Sink placement? Not as easy. I'm trying to get a whole lot accomplished in this small amount of space... and a recent discussion has caused me to really assess whether or not a more substantial cooking appliance should be added. Okay... so here's the summary.... Things that happened: lots of blueskin up on the exterior walls flooring went up for the 2nd floor  East and West walls got framed up and vertical - and you can see the framing for the Marvin windows! found out the mudroom tile is delayed for 6 weeks from Bellew Tile so much kitchenette thinking so much garage door talk limited research on decorative brackets Want more d...
Source: Room for Tuesday As part of the garage project, I'm including a friendly little kitchenette.  The idea being, it's a place to keep drinks, make popcorns, and perhaps party overflow appetizers or what not. After looking at a LOT of kitchenettes on Pinterest, I got a pretty good idea for what I am hoping to accomplish.  Here's what I'm trying to account for: 24 inch wide (or shall we say narrow) fridge not a miniature sink as much countertop as possible not a million cabinets hidden microwave space for coffee / Keurig maker What I'm not trying to do?... fill the wall with silly cabinets. If you can't actually cook in this area, what are you actually putting in all these cabinets? Source: my design via Ikea Seems simple enough right? Ok, here are the wrinkles. There must always be wrinkles in my hair-brained schemes. pocket doors on the "utility pantry" as I'm calling it pull out counter space to extend the working area only 9 ft of space... b...
... and we are back for update and design posts! The garage construction has officially started and is running right along. It is amazing how quickly new construction can go up when compared to rehabbing a 1900s beach house. A little preamble? Prior to this week, we've repaired the septic system, demoed the existing garage, and poured a new foundation. All of that probably took 6 weeks give or take due to weather challenges. Thankfully to a Nest camera, I've been able to keep a solid history of the construction. While I haven't looked back at the recording, this would have been quite a week to do so. The garage went from a pit in the ground to something with all the necessary walls. It also would have caught the crew correcting for a placement of a giant steel beam by hand... and opposed to a giant crane which had placed it the day prior. So what happened this week? all the walls went up steel beams installed to support the structure all first floor windows and doors framed...
source: Houzz Life has just been to easy - so I decided to finally start the last phase of my renovation... the garage. Sounds so simple, but of course my vision is a bit more complicated than that. The original garage was perfectly charming. I loved the stucco walls, lofted storage area, and bath house feature. What wasn't great? It was slightly crumbling and too small for modern day cars. It was a wonderful home for probably some mice and chipmunks... and my stash of antique bricks. What was my vision? attached 2 car garage bonus first floor living area with kitchenette outdoor shower fully conforming to local zoning So why spend the money on something like this? Living near the ocean, the salt water can be murder on cars. Never mind running errands in the cold New England winters. I'd like to grow my family and life is hard enough without an attached garage. I'm joking of course. Life is quite great. I'm feeling pretty great about the design. It was a very iterative...