Mini Update

Reno was at a standstill while the Polar Vortex was in town.  So, its been slow through the holidays up to now.  We are picking up again.  A bunch of insulation got blown into the attic -- nothing to see, but it makes me v. happy.

Visually, Adam was at the house today and put in the tile backsplash.  Here's his photo via SMS:

For contrast, here's a shot before the tile:

My stone guy was at the house recently too - the rest of the countertops finally went in.  I'll try to update those photos tomorrow.

Its supposed to warm up a bit, so hopefully, the laundry room window replacement will go in.  That leaves just the powder room as the last "big" thing.  Lots of small things, though.

Sub-Zero Gets a Makeover

So, one of the things that I really liked (one of the only things) about the old kitchen, was the Sub Zero fridge.  I'm not sure its vintage, but I'd guess late 80s or 90s.  It was glossy black.  It still seemed to work quite well.

I had thought it was one item we would not only keep, but around which we might even re-do the kitchen.

Here is its "before" photo:

I kind of liked the glossy black of it.  Everyone has stainless these days, I thought it looked pretty cool. As we got to designing the kitchen, though, and picking colors, it made less and less sense to let that one thing drive all other choices.  Eventually, we were just going to "live with" the black color as a slightly mismatched aspect of the kitchen.

It would have looked like this:

It wouldn't have been horrible, but not totally ideal, either.

Mid-renovation, however, I discovered that Sub-Zero sold replacement panels for these fridge models in a variety of colors -- black, stainless, white, etc.

Given that we had picked the glossy white cabinet fronts for all of our lowers, I thought that a glossy white might work well.  This wouldn't be a "white kitchen" circa 1993 with a low-end, painted metal, all white fridge.  It would be a white Sub-zero with small stainless details, trim, and handles.  I checked online and it turned out that Sub-zero made these panels themselves.  I ordered the glossy white. And, last night, I installed them.

I had been dreading putting them in, suspecting that I'd have to disassemble the fridge in a manner similar to disassembling a MacBook, with a million screws, moving a battery out of the way, unsnapping plastic fasteners, etc.  It turned out, though, to be a breeze.  Seven screws in all.

Here are the panels in the box and then pulled from the box on the kitchen floor:

There's a magnetic strip that cover the screws holding the upper door and the lower freezer door in place:

With those screws removed, the handles came right off and the panels just slid out:

The panels were 1/8" acrylic plexiglass.  Probably not proprietary to Sub-zero. In hindsight, we probably could have just painted these, or bought "after market" white acrylic. The ones we ordered from Sub-zero were powder-coated metal. They used two pieces of the packing cardboard as filler to make them as thick as the acrylic.

Its not hard to see how easy it is for Sub-zero to "customize" their fridge to match cabinets and make them blend in with anyone's existing custom cabinets.

As for us, after sliding them in and re-attaching the handle, we had a "new" fridge:

Under and Over Cabinet Lighting Installed

Not a huge update here, but the electrician was back at the house yesterday and installed / completed both the under and over cabinet lighting as well as the "can" / LED lighting.

Between removing the paper covering the floors and installing the lights, there is a pretty massive difference from a few days ago.

Here it is last night -- floor paper removed and lights working (overhead / can / LEDs not on).

The soffit for the range hood is being constructed and the Sub Zero is getting a makeover from black to white.  Finally, backsplash tile will be installed.

We are getting closer, though.

Compared to a similar view (floor paper and cardboard in place, overheads only -- with CFLs, not LEDs -- and no cabinet lighting present, also, without counter tops and range hood installed).

HUGE difference, imo.

Will post some laundry room and mud room photos soon.

Mud Room / Laundry Room / Powder Room Are Getting their Tile

Over the last few days, tile has been going in three areas that didn't get the White Oak.  As noted in this scheme, they are the "brick pattern" areas:

This area had largely been a mess / holding area for a long time.  When we moved in, I insisted (at my wife's insistence) that the washer and dryer go in on at least a temporary basis so we'd have those functions.  The lived, where they will permanently live, in the far right portion of the tiled area, just below the new half bath.

Monday, they moved from the temporary / permanent residence and a lot of junk moved out also, to make room for the new tile we were had picked out.  They are the large 12" x 24" big bricks that are more popular these days.  According to my receipt, it is "Europa Grigio" Floor Tile, which sounds more like a wine than a tile to me, but what do I know. I'm not positive, but I think its this tile here:

So, it started going in:

There's looking from the kitchen back to the garage.  This is as deep as they got on Day 1 -- but this is deceptive, because they made it all the way down the hall and into the laundry room and powder room, as seen below. In looking at this and the original drawings, it looks like somewhere along the line, we carried the hardwood floor into this gap covered by cardboard, whereas the original drawings had it being tiled up to the edge of the cabinets.

Down to hall to the laundry room (above).

From the laundry room, looking through the powder room into the living room (Christmas tree in the background).

The hallway completed to the wall.

The laundry room.

From the living room, looking back to the laundry room closet.

Photo Dump / Update

Being on trial last week (secured a nice victory for our pro bono client via jury verdict) and the week prior being our move-in and Thanksgiving weekend, I haven't had much chance to do proper posts.  There are many proper updates coming, but folks have been asking for photos, so here is a dump (forgive the mess and forgive the sloppy photos).

Visually speaking the only big change here (besides de cluttering and some area rugs), are three pendants installed above the island (the orange boxes you see on the counter top).

Looking over the island to the LR/DR.

Same shot.

Same again.

Looking from the play room / family room.

Looking straight down the LR/DR.

Same.

Same from other corner, in front of the fireplace.

Looking back towards kitchen and family room from corner of the LR/DR.

Counters Went In - Serious %$#-ing Drama!

We've finally got kitchen counters.  Tomorrow water in the kitchen.  There's been a lot going on this week since Thanksgiving.  But I've been on trial and way busier than usual..

Only one photo from last night -- Sylvester and his crew putting in sink holes.  Great view, though, of the full island wrap and the counters in the back.

Better photos coming soon -- hopefully in daylight.

IKEA Craziness - I used to Love Her, But I had to . . .

Oh, IKEA.  I remember when I loved you so, so, so much. I blogged of my love here expressing my great pleasuring in having a (literal) ton of cabinetry delivered for $69.  Oh, how so much has changed.

This was my Saturday night:

I'm not blaming IKEA for this. We tweaked some stuff in our setup so even when they messed up some of our order, I was having to go back there anyway.  In any case, this wasn't even the bad part.  "Magda" helped me out with what we needed. I waited about 20 minutes for the order to be processed and picked up two carts worth.

After navigating past several random people, who I refer to as "human cholesterol" (people who linger in aisles and walkways blocking the passage of others), I made my way outside. Not many other folks around, so I snapped the above photo.

For good measure, I took this one too:

So, there's the back of the car, loaded up with some extra cabinet parts, some new ones, etc.  That load includes two 24" x 39" wall cabinets that we needed for a new configuration (shown as marked).  So, here starts the problem.  We needed, and ordered, three.

This guy:

as we found out on Sunday morning with my GC, who was continuing with installation, was missing.

So, back to IKEA . . . on a Sunday night.  Thankfully, IKEA is open until 8pm on Sunday night, so I could walk the dog and start dinner for Laura and Margot and then head out.  Sunday night at IKEA wouldn't be that bad, right?

Wrong.

IKEA was packed!  On top of that, the mechanism for getting a missing part of an order was NOT straightforward.

First, I went right back to where I picked up the order, figuring it was my best bet.  Jacqueline informed me of two scenarios: (1) if inventory was off, they would pick up the item and give it to me; or (2) if inventory was "correct," then they would do what is called a "customer accommodation."  Inventory was "correct," so the easy scenario wasn't happening.

Jacqueline gave me this:

After getting this, I was instructed to get in the "returns" line, which seemed funny to me as I wasn't "returning" anything but needed the omitted cabinet frame.  I didn't protest.

I picked a number to wait in line -- "B03" -- and looked up at the light to who who they were "now serving."  Much to my chagrin, it read "72." About 25 minute later (nearly an entire episode of some DIY show playing on the ceiling-mounted TV monitors), they called Oh-Three and I popped up to the counter to explain my situation:

IKEA Dude:  Do you have the XXXX credit card?
Me:  Yeah.

[Long pause while he types things into the computer.]

IKEA Dude:  [handing me the receipt below] So, $34.88 will go back on your card.

[He ends the sentence as though our transaction is finished.]

[I pause.]

Me:  Yeah.  OK. Where do I pick up my cabinet?

[He pauses.]

IKEA Dude:  Oh.  I thought you were just returning it.

Me:  No.  I need that cabinet.  It was missing from the order.  That's why I'm here.  Jacqueline told me that I needed to come here.

IKEA Dude.  Oh.   OK.  We'll get that for you.  I'll also have to charge you again for it.

[Credited back and now re-charged.  Didn't seem to make much sense, but oh well.]

Me:  Should I go over there [gesturing over towards where merchandise pick up is]?

IKEA Dude.  No.  Just sit down over there and we'll call you when its ready.

I'm skeptical, but I sit down.  I immediately text my wife about the exchange and inform her that it will be another 15 minutes before I can leave.

After nearly another full episode of another home improvement show, I look at my phone to check the time of my last text -- 25 minutes ago.  No one has "called me" with my cabinet.

I return to the "merchandise pick up" to tell another person what the story is.  She checks with IKEA Dude and comes back.  She then looks back at a herd of IKEA carts and finds mine (which seems like its been there for more than a few minutes).

I thank her and ask whether this is how its "supposed" to happen when they forget to give you an item.  She says it is.

My brain, (as the kids today might say "literally") explodes.

Thus concludes Chapter I of the IKEA craziness.  Chapter II below.

So, I'm making my way out of IKEA with my 24" wall cabinet in tow and en route to my car, a lady shouts behind me:

"You hit my car.   I've called the police.  They are on the way."

Now, this caught me somewhat by surprise.  The only cars out in the lot, now that IKEA has closed, are mine and this lady's (apparently).  I say "somewhat" because this lady backed her small SUV into the space on a pretty severe angle so that her front tires here on the line between spaces.  I snuck my small SUV directly between the lines in the adjacent space, front first.

I recall the relationship because people who park like she does is a pet peeve of mine. And, I distinctly recall being very careful to open my door so as not to hit her car.  Also, I was particularly proud of myself for not parking closer to the line to "teach her a lesson."  Both driver doors were accessible.

Turning back around to face her, I said:  "Lady, I guarantee you that I did not hit your car."  Looking up at the entrance to IKEA, however, I saw the police car entering and I then added "but since I've already been waiting here for 90 minutes in IKEA, I can wait a few more."

I won't bore you with the inane conversation that this lady had with the Arlington Heights cop but suffice it to say that she was insane and he was sane.  After explaining to her that it was pretty much physically impossible for me to have "scratched" her car where it was supposedly scratched, he said I was "free to go."

Its not my last trip to IKEA -- several of the cabinets have to be returned since we just bought replacements for now without returning the originals.  I don't look forward to that. But I certainly won't be returning on a Sunday night.  Maybe Sunday afternoon in the middle of a bears game.