Our Kitchen.

[swestoyz]

Dave, not sure what there is to complain about! Your kitchen is functional for the two of you, and until you are ready to rip into it, it should be just fine. The Frigidaire is just beautiful.

At this stage in the game knowing what you've got and where you want to be are a great place to start. I was in the same situation 3 1/2 years ago (photos taken during my first walk through in May of 2006).

The final productis actually posted right now in the "Should it stay or should it go - GE Americana" thread.

Ben

 

[a440]

I think your kitchen looks just fine.
If you love it that is all that matters.
I love the Magic Chef Range! I bet it is fun to cook on!
Brent

 

[toggleswitch2]

.
Actually it is my understanding that gas stoves have their controls in the front because it's safer. Long sleeves and other garments won't get into the flames.

Gas surface burner controls must be push-to-turn for safety and the normal clockwise motion of the right hand turns the gas jets/cocks off (not on).

Electric stoves here tend to have their controls on the rear because it's safer that way. (No flames to worry about). Kids can't get to them, and the wires are further from the oven and oven door. Shorter wiring runs too. The normal pattern of the controls is Front-Rear-Rear-Front.

Some gas stoves emulate this, while others may have F-R F-R or R-F R-F. The two front and two rear burner can therefore be identical and interchangable in terms of the piping of the burner to the venturi valve/jet and knob.

 

[volvoguy87]

Thanks Y'all.

The floor has 2 layers of cheap roll vinyl and no matter how much we scrub, it just won't come clean. The layer that is on top now had the worst installation I have ever seen. There are also lots of cuts, gashes, gaps, and incorrectly trimmed corners that aren't even covered up with the additional molding installed by the former occupants. Long-term plans call for wood or real linoleum. For the foreseeable future, however, we are looking into Armstrong Commercial Vinyl Tile.

The walls, trim, and ceiling need to be painted (but the ceiling is in very poor shape. Long-term plans call for taking the drywall off of the original walls, assessing the condition of the plaster, and either repairing it or removing it and replacing with new drywall (so the trim profiles are the correct depth). The ceiling had a texture applied over some of it to hide the deteriorating plaster. We don't think the ceiling is good enough to be salvageable.

The cabinets get to stay, for now. They are cheaply made Home Depot builder's grade cabinets from a few years ago. They have led a hard life and are in poor condition. We will be painting them because the polyurethane finish had deteriorated and is flaking off. Eventually, Wes wants to take the kitchen back to the 1890s (the house is 1892), and I hope to be living elsewhere by that time.

The counters are 1980s wood pattern laminate. For a short-term solution (several years), we are looking into a 1950s kitchen, so there may be a home here for some Boomerang Formica.

Dave

PS: We have 2 more lights like the one we just installed. No idea where to put them yet or if they will stay.

 

[volvoguy87]

The front of the house:

The bushes are now gone.

 

[volvoguy87]

Parlor.

There's now a pump organ on the right side.

 

[volvoguy87]

The Piano

Is about an 1894 Kanbe 6 foot grand. The fireplace mantel is a replacement and is too old for the house. It SHOULD be much more ornate. A new mantel has been obtained and is awaiting some work and installation.

 

[volvoguy87]

The parlor at Christomas.

Showing the pump organ, converted to electric.

 

[volvoguy87]

Outside in the snow.

Yes, the house needs a TON of work. We're doing the work while we live here.

 

[bugsyjones]

toggleswitch2

I was gonna say the same thing.

I wouldn't want to reach up to light the burner and find out my shirt was on fire!

~Tim

 

[bmgilk]

Beautiful Queen Ann

I really like your house!!! My wife and I love old holmes. What year was it built? Our home was built in 1900. Renovating an old home is definatley a labor of love.
Mike

 

[favorit]

Dave,

your parlour looks somewhat familiar to me.
Maybe it's that Thonet chair ... or that filet towel on the little table ... the persian carpet ...or that sofa.

If i didn't know you're in Ohio, I'd say mainland europe

 

[volvoguy87]

The house.

Built in 1892, first occupied in 1893. The 3 pictures in one frame on the easel in the parlor are the original owner. The house was cut up into 3 apartments (one per floor) in the later 1940s. We've recombined the 1st and 2nd floors, and the third is still an apartment.

Dave

 

[elginkid]

No, the kitchen certainly isn't horrible. I've seen far worse. It photographs better than it actually looks though. When the pantry is removed (there's an area to create another, larger pantry) I will either take the newer layers (plywood, vinyl, vinyl) up and have the floors (4" pine) refinished, or lay the VCT floors on the plywood layer until I'm ready for a complete kitchen makeover. The walls, in the meantime will probably change to a pleasant yellow, cabinets and woodwork a creamy white, and formica counters with stainless edging. (I'm partial to the Coral Boomerang) but I see in Canada they offer the linen pattern (same pattern that's on the island)...Can you take counters over the border?

 

[elginkid]

Actually, you're the first person who's ever appreciated the chair as a Thonet chair, everyone else just thought it was a crappy cheap thing I got at the thrift store. I bought it for it's pseudo art noveauesqueness.

 

[danemodsandy]

Wes:

"in Canada they offer the linen pattern"

WHAAAT!?!? Do you have a link? I've been looking for a source forever!

I'd be super-grateful for any info!

 

[rapunzel]

Beautiful Queen Ann !

I second that. That is one lovely home with so much potential. Beautiful wallpaper, wainscoating and an ornate mantlepiece around the fireplace - the possibilities are limitless.

Is that fireplace functional? In my mind there is nothing worse than having a useless fireplace that has a flower arrangement where there should be hot embers glowing.

Victorian and Queen Ann architecture are among my favorites.

Best of luck with all the work.

Olav

 

[volvoguy87]

Fireplace.

The fireplace in the parlor was a coal burning fireplace. It might be functional, but we won't burn anything in it until the chimney is inspected and any repairs deemed necessary are completed. You cannot burn wood in a coal burning fireplace, so we would burn coal.

Dave

 

[rickr]

Beautiful queen anne style home! Yes, they always need lots of TLC after 100 years or so, but it will be worth doing.

The kitchen is cozy!

 

[circlew]

Wes & Dave,

That house is beautiful. It has excellent proportions and details, both inside and out. I'm very much looking forward to seeing it in person, and meeting both of you.