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| Doggone you, Steve Miller! | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 29 2009, 09:29 AM (434 Views) | |
| brenda | Nov 29 2009, 09:29 AM Post #1 |
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We had the builder here yesterday morning to talk about the options with the long outer wall of the kitchen. Option one: remove the wall, and support the load with a new beam, and move the wall out four feet to line up with the rest of the pantry. Option two: open one section of the wall to create a new entry into the kitchen and build a porch entry in that space. Option two is based on the original use of that area in relation to the kitchen and the house. We have very old pics that show a porch used to be on that side of the kitchen. That's why there is an indent in the footprint of the house there. (This is a 1900 house.) You can't take all the blame, Steve. Hubby and I have wanted to rebuild that porch for several years. It would make a good mudroom and entry point, rather than having people enter directly into the workspace of the kitchen. |
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“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” ~A.A. Milne | |
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| Steve Miller | Nov 29 2009, 10:33 AM Post #2 |
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Bull-Carp
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Good plan! No matter how clever the design, there is simply no substitute for space. Have you considered removing all or part of the wall between the kitchen and dining room? ![]() Note - this a nice concept picture but a terrible layout. The island between the fridge and the sink will drive you crazy. Edited by Steve Miller, Nov 29 2009, 10:46 AM.
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Wag more Bark less | |
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| brenda | Nov 29 2009, 10:54 AM Post #3 |
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The dining room is meant to be formal, and it has the original pass-through to the butler's pantry. I can't see changing that. The home has no historic designation, but it is over 100 years old and very original as for features such as the oak woodwork and floor plan. Only the kitchen seems to have had any alterations. Oddly enough, what we want would put it back closer to the original. |
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“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” ~A.A. Milne | |
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| Steve Miller | Nov 29 2009, 11:07 AM Post #4 |
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Bull-Carp
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That style comes and goes, as do all the others. My Mom would never want an open kitchen (who wants the guests to look at the mess?) but a lot of people seem to want "open" right now. So formal it is - good because that is the way the house is set up now. A (heated/insulated) porch/mudroom sounds terrific, especially if the house had one originally. Is 4' the max you can bump out? Cost would not change much to go 6' or 8' out and it would allow you to line three or four walls with cabinetry. Putting the freezer on the porch would also be traditional. |
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Wag more Bark less | |
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| brenda | Nov 29 2009, 11:14 AM Post #5 |
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We'd like to try to stay in the historical footprint of the residence. Otherwise it would stick out from the rest of the house. Again, the house is not on any historic register, but it is important to us to respect the historic integrity as much as possible. We could put the freezer on the porch, or we could even fit it into the new wall of the butler's pantry. Hubby already has his eye on the end of the porch for a potting bench with a small sink in it. He says he could use that into his old age, so we've been teasing him about his cane with the four-pronged legs, each with a tennis ball on it.
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“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” ~A.A. Milne | |
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| Kincaid | Nov 29 2009, 11:21 PM Post #6 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I don't want to encourage you to spend money that you'd later regret, but in my mind "integrity" is not damaged by merely enlarging the foot print. Integrity is harmed by lack of proper design. The fact that the house had something "originally" or was made a certain way should not be sacrosanct. Who knows, the original builder/owner might have had a bumped out kitchen in mind but couldn't afford it and so it was never done. The 1927 house I grew up in was interesting because the guy that was building it went bankrupt and didn't finish it. It was completed by another local businessman. We had both sets of original blue prints showing all the changes that the new guy made (mostly cosmetic to roof lines and finishes and style). Anyway, I'm just saying that any addition, if designed right, can compliment a home and look as if it was always supposed to be that way. In fact, bump outs, roof lines, and the like make most homes much more interesting and pleasing to look at, IMHO. I have to agree with Steve on the idea of space. A cook like you should have LOTS of it. Best wishes as you find what's right for you. Can't wait to see it. Edited by Kincaid, Nov 29 2009, 11:22 PM.
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| Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006. | |
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| QuirtEvans | Nov 30 2009, 05:16 AM Post #7 |
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I Owe It All To John D'Oh
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Stop telling them about my house. You must be seeing it telepathically. |
| It would be unwise to underestimate what large groups of ill-informed people acting together can achieve. -- John D'Oh, January 14, 2010. | |
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| John Galt | Nov 30 2009, 07:27 AM Post #8 |
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Fulla-Carp
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I love that you are trying to stay within the footprint of your home, and are trying to preserve the essence of what made you love it in the first place. I'd kill for that butler's pantry. Have you read any of Sarah Susanka's books? She is the architect who coined the term "Not So Big House" to describe a style of design that focuses on function and attention to detail, rather than sheer size and simply following trends. Her books showcase not only her designs, but those of architects from all over the US who share her design principles. Her latest book is Not So Big Remodeling, where she goes through a series of steps (from least to most expensive) to demonstrate how you can get better use from your home. Systematic and with lots of practical suggestions. If you aren't familiar with her books, just to see what Not So Big is all about, you might take a look at her Showhouses on her website: http://www.notsobigshowhouse.com/ Maybe you'll get some ideas! She's big on built-ins, like banquette seating in the kitchen. I have many of her books, and return to look at the photos again and again for inspiration when we undertake a remodeling project in our home. |
| Let us begin anew, remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness. | |
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| brenda | Nov 30 2009, 10:30 AM Post #9 |
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Kincaid, you are very correct that a well-done addition can be lovely on a home, no matter what age or style the original structure. If money were no issue, we would go for a huge bump out on the back for a mud room and more, and a porte-cochere on the side for the entry point. How's that for ideas of more ways to spend the $$$$$. Oh, baby, could I spend it on this house, if only I had bigger piles of it. I really do love this house. It has such a warm family feel to it, even though it is large. Some houses are just happy, and this is one of them. |
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“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” ~A.A. Milne | |
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| brenda | Nov 30 2009, 10:41 AM Post #10 |
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John, I will definitely check out her book! Even though we have a big house, I love to see ideas for efficient use of space. A good idea is still a good idea, even if it was intended for a smaller home. I love to make good use of our space, even though someone else might think there was no need to be frugal. Our home is very true to its original construction. The only space that seems altered is the kitchen, and that was done in the late 1960s. We are only the fourth family to live in this home since it was completed in 1900. The third floor ballroom was never completed, so we made that into a family room/movie room. While not original, it's a sympathetic use of the space in that we did not chop it into smaller rooms. We left it one big open space as originally designed. Daughter and her friends will be using this weekend for a slumber party. People often ask us how much of the house we use. They are surprised when I tell them, "ALL of it." It's true though. We enjoy using all of the space. We also have room to have certain parts of the house under renovation and still live in the rest of the house. That's very nice and saves the cost of living somewhere else during a big project. Last year we redid three rooms on the main floor all at once. |
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“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” ~A.A. Milne | |
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| John Galt | Nov 30 2009, 01:04 PM Post #11 |
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Fulla-Carp
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Now that's one you don't hear very often: five bedrooms, four and a half baths, ballroom.... All kidding aside, we had friends who had an older home with a third floor ballroom. It was so much fun! You've kept the original function by making it into a media room; just the technology has changed. |
| Let us begin anew, remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness. | |
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| Kincaid | Dec 2 2009, 12:00 AM Post #12 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Ah, we really think along the same lines! |
| Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006. | |
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| Dewey | Dec 2 2009, 04:45 AM Post #13 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Brenda, good luck with the project. And do check out Sarah Susanka. Even if her specific ideas don't mesh with your thoughts for this project, I think you'd enjoy the book and her other writings as well. I heard her at an AIA convention in Boston a few years back, and she was a very good and inspiring speaker, with application to things well beyond design, bricks and mortar. |
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"By nature, i prefer brevity." - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, p. 685. "Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you." - Anonymous "Oh sure, every once in a while a turd floated by, but other than that it was just fine." - Joe A., 2011 I'll answer your other comments later, but my primary priority for the rest of the evening is to get drunk." - Klaus, 12/31/14 | |
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| John Galt | Dec 2 2009, 06:40 AM Post #14 |
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Fulla-Carp
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And if Dewey's recommendation isn't enough.....Susanka founded SALA Architects, located in Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesooooota! Don't hold it against her that she's since moved to North Carolina. |
| Let us begin anew, remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness. | |
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| brenda | Dec 2 2009, 07:01 AM Post #15 |
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Thanks for the additional recommendation, Dewey. I respect your opinions on this and many things. |
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“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” ~A.A. Milne | |
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| brenda | Dec 2 2009, 07:02 AM Post #16 |
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Well, no wonder she's so brilliant! And how sharp you are, Mr. Galt, for already knowing how to properly spell Minnesoooota! |
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“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” ~A.A. Milne | |
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He says he could use that into his old age, so we've been teasing him about his cane with the four-pronged legs, each with a tennis ball on it.

11:36 AM Jul 11