Easy as subway tile

Subway tile makes a fine backsplash in a kitchen for a few reasons.  First, it’s a classic American look that is as timeless as a Rolex watch (but much cheaper).  Second, it is white, so it complements pretty much any color scheme.  Finally, it’s so easy to install that even a moron like me can do it.  And did.

I ordered my tile from Andy at Magnolia Home and had Dave help me install it.  Dave kept insisting that it was easy enough for me to install by myself, but with no knowledge of how to run a wet saw or spread mastic or anything else related to installing tile, I insisted that he help me.

Between the two of us, we knocked it out in a matter of hours.  I even learned how to use the saw and only almost cut my finger off once!

As you can see from the photos above, the finished product turned out real nice, especially once Dave came back and grouted it this past weekend.  It especially looks nice with the addition of the under cabinet lighting that Dave and his wife Veronica installed as a housewarming gift to me.  They truly are the nicest people on earth.  With the exception of you, of course.

Now to test the backsplash.  Any of you have a recommendation for a kitchen project messy enough to ensure that the subway tile gets splattered?

At last, the angled bookshelf

Dave finally completed his work today and the finished product is just great!  He left me with a lot of neat things to show you over the next few days, but I’ll start by showing you the project that he completed last (today).

Now, I’m kind of partial to the angled kitchen bookshelf, in part because I came up with the idea for it and designed it on my own (with some help from the good folks at the Not So Big House), and in part because it turned out so well.  If you forgot how the idea came about, read my earlier post.  Once you’ve refreshed your memory, check out the finished product:

Once my countertops arrive, they will extend to cover the top of the bookshelf.  This will add additional square footage to my overall counter space, but also (and perhaps more importantly) to the counter height bar that will be to the left of the bookshelf in the photos.

As previously discussed, I think the bookshelf will be both functional and will be a nice added design detail to the kitchen.  Of course, all of this will look much better once I get it caulked and painted.  All in due time.  Nice work, Dave!

Take them out; open it up

The picture on the left is the kitchen that I started with.  At first, I thought that the cabinets suspended from the ceiling over the counter on the left were fine, but the more I looked at them, the more I realized that something just wasn’t all right.

The first time co-worker and building inspector Victor Stokes came to look at the house, he immediately suggested that I take those cabinets out and hang some pendant lights over the counter, opening the kitchen up to the breakfast area that lies just beyond.  I told him I just didn’t think I wanted to do all that.

The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized he was right.  Taking the cabinets out between the kitchen and the breakfast area would really open things up and I wouldn’t be losing too much cabinet space.  Especially considering that it’s just me, and I don’t cook all that often anyway.  At least not yet.

So, I told Dave to take them out and open it up.

Boy, I’m glad I did.  Looking at the photo on the right, you can see how removing those cabinets took down the visual barrier between the kitchen and breakfast area.  In doing so, I was able to work in a counter-height bar on the breakfast area side of the counter, as well as the nice angled bookshelf addition to the end of the counter (see three posts down). Photos yet to come.

What you don’t see in the “during” photo on the right is the mirror image bookshelf that Dave constructed opposite the one to the left of the sink. It will really balance out the weight of the cabinets visually along that wall.  Dave did a really nice job tying the new cabinets into the existing cabinetry (you’ll have to wait to see photos).

What you might notice in the “before” photo that you don’t see in the “during” photo is the wood grain Formica wainscot along the walls of the kitchen.  I had Dave take that out, only to reveal a thick layer of textured glue that simply could not be sanded down and worked with (see “during” photo).  So we ripped the sheetrock out from there down and replaced it with new rock.

The sheetrock work was the first unsuspected expense, but it needed to happen and it looks really nice now that it is floated out and blends with the existing wall seamlessly.  It will really look nice with a coat of paint on it!

Patience.

The angled kitchen bookshelf

In order to add some length to the counter-height bar I am building in the kitchen, I decided to add 13” to the end of the counter in the form of a bookshelf.  With the refrigerator recessed into the wall, there will now be some wiggle room on that end of the counter.

I was inspired by a photo I saw in Inside the Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka and Marc Vasallo (see photo) to design the bookshelf with an upward angle, an interesting architectural detail, I think.  This bookshelf will be perfect for storing cookbooks and keeping other kitchen-related items out of the way.