The cook's dilemma

Why does the kitchen design consume me so? I have cabinets going into the master bath, too, and I haven't given them a moment's thought. Cherry? Maple? Plywood? A cardboard box? Yeah, whatever. But the kitchen... I've not only agonized over the wood type, but the cabinet style, the stain, the number of shelves, whether to have pull-outs or lazy susan's, or both! And I keep coming back to the design. Is it 'just right?' So here is my architect's original plan, and here is an alternate plan that some stranger on the internet came up with. I am now considering shelling out a few hundred bucks to get the professional advice of a certified kitchen designer. I'm that obsessed. Please PLEASE analyze these plans to death and give me your opinions in excrutiating detail.

The big dig

Pool excavation has begun... in the pouring rain. After an 8 day dry spell, the temperature went up and the rain came down. So we have quite a muddy mess in the back yard now. Here's a 'before' and 'after' pic. So beautiful.

Kitchen analysis paralysis

Current floorplan:

Met with our architect today and he presented us with his design ideas for our kitchen and master bedroom remodel. Here's the kitchen design we chose. Please feel free to analyze it and give your opinion. You can see the way the kitchen is laid out now vs the redesign. We are converting the area labeled 'sitting room' into a dining room and expanding the kitchen. The floorplan is very open, so it won't be a 'formal' dining room. I just like having a big table for dinner, doing homework, projects, etc., rather than a small eating area in the kitchen and then a family room. It seems redundant to have two living rooms so close together anyway They're not even separated by a wall. A dining room just makes more sense to me.


New design:

Let there be light, ugly light

I went over today to let in the oil furnace technician so we could decide whether to keep the oil heating system or convert to gas. Fortunately, the furnace is in good working order so we'll stick with it for now. While there, I snapped a few more photos. As promised, here are some of the fun features this house has to offer.

As you enter the foyer, you can't help but be struck by the original light fixture that Rejuvenation only WISHES they could get their hands on. Behold....


The brownish branch-like design appears to be made of real leaves... or old discolored crepe paper. Hard to say. My husband actually wants to keep this fixture as an homage to the era.

Next up, the plastic panels between the stairway and hall. They were obviously designed to let in light, but they are so flimsy I can't believe nobody has fallen through them in the 43 years they've been there. We will be removing them and adding a railing. (If you want to let in light, why not just go all the way?)

This isn't the only place in the house that plastic panels were used as an architectural feature. The hall bath and master bath share a wall, but neither has a window. So in another obvious attempt to 'bring in the light,' a square of plastic with a design reminiscent of the foyer swag lamp was inserted between the two bathrooms. Awkward.

Run-in with the commie bastards

Lake Oswego is the Little Switzerland of Oregon. By that I mean there are rules, laws, and regulations for everything. It's one of the only places I know of that requires a permit to cut down a tree on your own property. Protection of trees is paramount in LO, and there are lots and lots of trees. Most of Lake Oswego is in constant shade because there are so many trees. According to the permit regulations, there are only two valid reasons to remove a tree (other than disease): Development, or landscaping. And for every tree you remove, you must plant one on your property.

A year ago, I even attended a workshop on LO's tree removal regulations. At the time, I was assured that as long as you didn't want to cut down the only tree on your lot, a permit would be granted. After consulting an arborist, who also was confident my permit would be granted, I took my forms and photo of the offending tree, along with my check for $170 to City Hall. I covered my bases by claiming development (the pool) *and* landscaping purposes (too much shade cast).

Yesterday I received a phone call from 'Deborah' at City Hall. She informed me that she was going to deny my permit because she doesn't see any reason to cut down a healthy tree just because I don't want it there. Then what *is* a reason to cut down a tree? The offending tree is a tall Douglas Fir that is effectively blocking the sun in the yard from morning until mid-day and will cast shade over the pool. By the way, if your permit is denied, you don't get your $170 back. Nice racket they've got going. In the meantime, my previously mentioned landscape designer is calling to try to find out what the valid reasons are for removing a tree. If not for landscaping purposes, which this is, then what?


No shortage of trees here.

The beginning...

Here it is. The house we just bought. Built in 1966, and only one owner. Isn't she a beauty? Not the sort of house I ever pictured myself in, but the low price and Madmen-ish possibilities won us over. Now the fun begins: Restoring this home to its original glory. Unfortunately, we don't have a bottomless bank account at our disposal so we have to be choosy. First and foremost: A pool. This house SCREAMS for a pool. That's a big chunk of our budget. Then, the kitchen. It still has the original push-button electric cooktop. The master bedroom is very 1966, aka 'small.' The bathroom is ridiculous. Who puts a toilet in the center of the room? All of it has to go, too. So first things first. We find a builder. Then we find out we have to submit plans to the city if we're doing a room addition, and that requires an architect. Then there's the pool builder. Of course, the front yard needs some serious help, so enter the landscape designer and landscaper. Are we done yet? No no. Just beginning.

Have I mentioned the basement yet? Ah, well that was the icing on the cake. 1600 sq feet of playroom/media room/guest room. Plus a full bath. What's not to love? Maybe the way it looks right now. Wood paneling, orange linoleum and get a load of the bar with the red shag carpet. This room is truly frozen in time. There are also a few peculiar decorative elements that I need to photograph for your viewing enjoyment before they are ripped out.