Quite a bit accomplished since my last installment - more photo updates posted to Flickr now. The wiring and other electrical rough-ins are pretty much finished. After a weekend spent pulling old nails out of the ceiling joists, a guy came in yesterday to put up new strapping, and today the electricians installed all the boxes for the new pendant lights and mounting plates for the potlights. Tomorrow, the new ceiling is going up!
Other things: I stripped off some awful 80s floral-print wallpaper in the pantry, and A. is carrying on with pulling up the old tile floor (a miserable job, as there are three layers of plywood beneath that have been nailed down every 2" or so). I've also pretty much decided on my countertop, which will be Hanstone quartz (engineered stone) in Juniper Green. It was an easy decision in the end, since the other surface I was considering, Zodiaq quartz, was going to be $1,600 more expensive.
But the most exciting development by far is that on Thursday last week, we signed off on the cabinetry designs. I've posted all the final drawings in my Flickr album (click on any of the pics to enlarge them). So the new cabinets are now in production, and we're due for installation during the week of February 9th.
Still plenty to do before then, though. The floors are to be relaid next week, the chimney repointed and the old stovepipe hole filled in, the window trim finished, the siding reinstalled outside, and plastering aplenty to fill in all the holes in the walls. Want to get the walls painted, too. Whew.
27 January 2009
26 January 2009
Fishies!
New additions have been made to our menagerie - tropical fish.
We acquired a largish tank and accessories last summer, courtesy of my brother-in-law's parents (who had all the stuff sitting in their basement, gathering dust). A. cleaned it up and started the water filtration systems in November, and in December we added some live plants. Finally, a couple of days ago, we got the fish from a client of A.'s who is a breeder. There are five angelfish (one is pictured above), two cory catfish, and one other (the name of which I can't remember!). The last three are all bottom-feeders, who eat algae and bits of food that fall to the bottom, and so help to keep the tank clean.
We'll see how they get on, but they seem to be doing fine so far. We will only end up keeping a single pair of angelfish because apparently, as they get older, any more than two in a tank will end up fighting. So the extras will go to the pet store later this spring, for resale. And you never know, maybe we will have baby angelfish in due course! In the meantime, they're all pretty fun to watch.
We acquired a largish tank and accessories last summer, courtesy of my brother-in-law's parents (who had all the stuff sitting in their basement, gathering dust). A. cleaned it up and started the water filtration systems in November, and in December we added some live plants. Finally, a couple of days ago, we got the fish from a client of A.'s who is a breeder. There are five angelfish (one is pictured above), two cory catfish, and one other (the name of which I can't remember!). The last three are all bottom-feeders, who eat algae and bits of food that fall to the bottom, and so help to keep the tank clean.
We'll see how they get on, but they seem to be doing fine so far. We will only end up keeping a single pair of angelfish because apparently, as they get older, any more than two in a tank will end up fighting. So the extras will go to the pet store later this spring, for resale. And you never know, maybe we will have baby angelfish in due course! In the meantime, they're all pretty fun to watch.
25 January 2009
E.D.D.
We did not come to remain whole.- From "A Home in Dark Grass" by Robert Bly
We came to lose our leaves like the trees,
The trees that are broken
And start again, drawing up from the great roots.
18 January 2009
Kitchen Reno Diary - Week Three
It's been a busy week. The electricians have been in each day, replacing the ancient (and in some cases, dangerous) wiring and doing rough-ins for new fixtures and new power hook-ups. The plumber dismantled the old sink area and relaid pipes in the new location. Habitat for Humanity finally showed up to haul away our old cabinets and countertops. And we had two new windows fitted, which are looking great.
Had an epic 4.5 hour meeting with our designer this morning, to go over the final drawings from the cabinetmaker. Also had to mark out on the ceiling where the potlights and different light fixtures are going, so the electricians can install the boxes for those this week. But we discovered that some fixtures just aren't going to work in the locations I wanted. It's amazing how many things you have to change at this stage, because you just can't envision them properly until you're actually standing in the new space.
On the cards for this week is plastering and drywalling, tearing out the old floor, stripping wallpaper, and picking a paint colour for the cabinetry. Because as we all know, there are a million different shades of white!
Had an epic 4.5 hour meeting with our designer this morning, to go over the final drawings from the cabinetmaker. Also had to mark out on the ceiling where the potlights and different light fixtures are going, so the electricians can install the boxes for those this week. But we discovered that some fixtures just aren't going to work in the locations I wanted. It's amazing how many things you have to change at this stage, because you just can't envision them properly until you're actually standing in the new space.
On the cards for this week is plastering and drywalling, tearing out the old floor, stripping wallpaper, and picking a paint colour for the cabinetry. Because as we all know, there are a million different shades of white!
11 January 2009
Kitchen Reno Diary - Week Two
Good progress made this week, and the photo diary has been updated with a few new pictures. All the drywall has now come down from the walls that are being taken out, and A. is working on pulling down the ceiling and all the wall studs today. We also opened up the area which used to house our oven. It backs onto the chimney so we were interested to see what additional space might be revealed, that could be used as part of a new design. As it turns out, there's not much - but it should still be enough to install the planned liquor cabinet and wine fridge.
This week we also received a quote from an electrician, lined up a guy to install the two new windows, and had a plumber come in to look around before giving us an estimate. On Thursday afternoon, we had a second (and hopefully final) meeting with our cabinetmaker. He is coming in on Tuesday this week, to do a final measure of the space.
This afternoon, the engineer who came round last year to advise us on the feasibility of our plans came back to have a look at the work so far. A. wanted him to give the OK before he started removing the studs from the old walls we have taken down. And we now have a busy week ahead. Tomorrow, the electrician is going to start work on some rough-ins, and the window guy is coming in as well.
In the meantime, the "camp kitchen" I have set up downstairs in the laundry room is working out quite well. I have a table and chairs, open shelves, and a standing cupboard, as well as a bar fridge, microwave, kettle and hotplate. The laundry tub is serving as the kitchen sink (though thankfully, we still have the dishwasher hooked up, upstairs - I'll be using that as long as I can). Cooking down in the basement feels a bit like being a student again, though. That said, I'm far better equipped now than I was during my last year in England - when I lived in a small studio flat where the permitted cooking facilities consisted of a microwave only. Most of my housemates subsisted mainly on frozen ready-meals from Marks & Spencer, but since I couldn't afford those (and had a care for my health), I was forced by necessity to learn the techniques of early-1980s microwave cuisine. I bought vintage microwave cookbooks in used bookshops, and picked up obscure accessories at jumble sales and charity shops (sizzler plates for crisping meats, a chicken roaster, potato roaster, etc). Like most people, I only used the nuke for reheating food, and had no idea you could cook all sorts of things in it. So, I don't think we'll starve, this next month or two - nor will we have to subsist on take-out, which is good.
This week we also received a quote from an electrician, lined up a guy to install the two new windows, and had a plumber come in to look around before giving us an estimate. On Thursday afternoon, we had a second (and hopefully final) meeting with our cabinetmaker. He is coming in on Tuesday this week, to do a final measure of the space.
This afternoon, the engineer who came round last year to advise us on the feasibility of our plans came back to have a look at the work so far. A. wanted him to give the OK before he started removing the studs from the old walls we have taken down. And we now have a busy week ahead. Tomorrow, the electrician is going to start work on some rough-ins, and the window guy is coming in as well.
In the meantime, the "camp kitchen" I have set up downstairs in the laundry room is working out quite well. I have a table and chairs, open shelves, and a standing cupboard, as well as a bar fridge, microwave, kettle and hotplate. The laundry tub is serving as the kitchen sink (though thankfully, we still have the dishwasher hooked up, upstairs - I'll be using that as long as I can). Cooking down in the basement feels a bit like being a student again, though. That said, I'm far better equipped now than I was during my last year in England - when I lived in a small studio flat where the permitted cooking facilities consisted of a microwave only. Most of my housemates subsisted mainly on frozen ready-meals from Marks & Spencer, but since I couldn't afford those (and had a care for my health), I was forced by necessity to learn the techniques of early-1980s microwave cuisine. I bought vintage microwave cookbooks in used bookshops, and picked up obscure accessories at jumble sales and charity shops (sizzler plates for crisping meats, a chicken roaster, potato roaster, etc). Like most people, I only used the nuke for reheating food, and had no idea you could cook all sorts of things in it. So, I don't think we'll starve, this next month or two - nor will we have to subsist on take-out, which is good.
10 January 2009
Moving Office
Next week, I'll be packing up my old office and getting ready to move to a new one the following week. My unit is moving out of the top floor of the main administration building on campus - temporarily, we're told. There are long-term plans to renovate the entire floor, but moving everyone out and doing all that work is expected to take about two years. The people in our unit are the first to go, though I wish we didn't have to as we are being moved to buildings off-campus.
On Friday, we got to see our new home, at 5248 Morris Street. It really is wonderful, though - a three-storey, Georgian stone building which is a registered heritage property. According to the blue plaque on the facade, it is called Crofton-Uniacke House (presumably after the original inhabitants) and it was built in 1816. The funny thing is, I have actually walked past this house many times over the years, and admired it - so can't quite believe I'm about to move in!
The interior is in very good condition (it's better maintained than our current offices, for sure!), and it should be very comfortable - eventually. There are 18 of us crowded into this one building for the next 7-8 months, until the second building we've been allocated (located across the road) becomes vacant. When that happens, some people from our sister unit will be moving over there. So it's going to be, um, "cosy" until the summer, with all of us squeezed in 2 and 3 to a room.
Despite the coolness of this building, and the wonderful downtown location (a stone's throw from great shopping, cafes and restos) I'm still sorry to be leaving main campus. It will mean the end of commuting regularly on foot, as my new office is located more than three miles from my house. I'm going to have a go with the bike come spring, though.
On Friday, we got to see our new home, at 5248 Morris Street. It really is wonderful, though - a three-storey, Georgian stone building which is a registered heritage property. According to the blue plaque on the facade, it is called Crofton-Uniacke House (presumably after the original inhabitants) and it was built in 1816. The funny thing is, I have actually walked past this house many times over the years, and admired it - so can't quite believe I'm about to move in!
The interior is in very good condition (it's better maintained than our current offices, for sure!), and it should be very comfortable - eventually. There are 18 of us crowded into this one building for the next 7-8 months, until the second building we've been allocated (located across the road) becomes vacant. When that happens, some people from our sister unit will be moving over there. So it's going to be, um, "cosy" until the summer, with all of us squeezed in 2 and 3 to a room.
Despite the coolness of this building, and the wonderful downtown location (a stone's throw from great shopping, cafes and restos) I'm still sorry to be leaving main campus. It will mean the end of commuting regularly on foot, as my new office is located more than three miles from my house. I'm going to have a go with the bike come spring, though.
04 January 2009
Kitchen Reno Diary - Week One
So the reno has begun! Very exciting (though living in a building site is less so, obviously). A. has been working tirelessly for the past four days, and has nearly completed the demolition work in that time. All the appliances and cabinets have been removed, and the wall between the kitchen and pantry has been broken through.
I'm going to aim to do a weekly update here, and have also set up a Kitchen Reno Photo Diary over here on Flickr. I will post more pics each week, as we go. Stay tuned.
I'm going to aim to do a weekly update here, and have also set up a Kitchen Reno Photo Diary over here on Flickr. I will post more pics each week, as we go. Stay tuned.
01 January 2009
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