Landing Kitchen Reno — Day 6 Trim, Paint, Sink

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When the crew showed up this morning they had some precision tasks on their list.

Hot and cold water were hidden behind a new wall then sent to the second floor bathroom through the original holes in the ceiling.

The pipes are now enclosed in a box on the ceiling.

The drywall specialist built a little box around the rerouted plumbing. Then he added more joint compound  where necessary, sanded, and wiped down the walls.

The refrigerator side of the kitchen has been trimmed with crown molding.

The next step was to prime the old and new drywall to show any flaws.  Having the room more or less the same color was a big step in revealing how it will eventually look.

It takes 2 strong men to lift this sink.

In the meantime the boss and his second-in-command worked on installing my huge ceramic farmhouse sink (Kraus Turino Farmhouse apron front 33-in x 18.25-in fireclay single bowl) since the countertop tech will be coming tomorrow to lay out the template which goes over the sink.

The sink is marked made in “Italy”.

Fireclay uses a dense blend of clay and minerals fired at over 2,200°F, which fuses the clay and glaze into a glass-like finish. Traditional ceramic uses standard clay and glaze fired at lower temperatures, making it slightly more hollow and delicate.

The sink will be below the countertop.

They actually had to uninstall the sink cabinet so they could cut down the face of it and install the sink with plenty of support.

More progress.

The space on the far end of the kitchen will house the stove.  Above it will be a cabinet and range hood.  Unfortunately that cabinet was damaged upon opening and has been reordered.  Thankfully it is the only damaged cabinet.

View of the kitchen from the planned coffee bar.

The kitchen is set in an open plan near the dining room and the living room.

The kitchen is open to the other ground floor rooms.

The living room, dining room, and entire backyard including the bay are visible from the kitchen.

The view of the kitchen from the living room.

However, since the kitchen can often be cluttered and chaotic, view into it from the other rooms is now limited.  That was the plan.

The floor is ready to be tiled.

Tomorrow hoping for the countertop to be templated and the tile floor to be started.

Jo

Landing Kitchen Reno — Day 5 Cabinets, Hardware

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Day 5 was taken up with the details that had not been fully addressed.

All of the base cabinets had been installed on Day 4.

When the crew arrived the kitchen looked as they had left it on Day 4.  Notice that they clean up every afternoon before leaving the premises.  Love that.

This cabinet is both heavy and awkward with lots of room to stash rarely used kitchen items.

All 3 members of the crew worked on installing the over-the-refrigerator cabinet.  It is placed so the doors are as far front as possible.

The pipe to the upstairs bathroom is still there but will eventually be covered with a piece of trim.

The placement of the over-the-fridge cabinet has recessed the pantry cabinet which I like. These 2 cabinets are Sandhill Crane (beige).

The floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinet is the only one to get both types of pulls.

I was called into the project to determine where I wanted the drawer pulls and cabinet knobs. I had chosen Amerdeco 5-inch Champagne Bronze cabinet pulls and matching knurled cabinet knobs.

Two more cabinets will be hung on the far wall over the stove unfortunately one of them came damaged and needs to be remade.

I decided all the upper cabinets would get knobs and all the lower cabinets would get the 5-inch drawer pulls on both the drawers and the doors.

Our starting setup with the kitchen island in place.

The plans

The sink wall yesterday

The sink wall today

As details are being worked out and hardware installed the kitchen is really coming together.  Taking out the island and enclosing the space has made it more spacious especially if 2 people are trying to work simultaneously in the kitchen.

Even with the enclosed wall a view of the Chesapeake Bay from the kitchen is available.

Kitchen on the left; dining room on the right. (That refrigerator is not staying there!!)

I was ready to install the kitchen before last Christmas but alas it takes much more lead time than that.  As a result I had all the cabinets, appliances, and hardware on site before the building crew got started.  The contractor has had to purchase some building materials but mostly everything else was in our garage.

A view from the entrance to the kitchen.

Maybe 2 more weeks or less until I get cooking.

Jo

Landing Kitchen Reno — Day 4 Cabinets

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Days 1,  2, and 3 of the kitchen renovation have been completed.

Beginning of Day 4.

Although not necessarily looking like a kitchen, the room is starting to be more finished.

The range and range hood will be centered on this wall.

First thing in the morning while the drywall was being given a second coat of mud the hole for the over-the-stove exhaust fan was finalized.

The horizontal opening at the top is for the range hood vent.

Instead of patching the opening the boss decided to remove enough old drywall to accept a new full piece of sheet rock.

The first cabinets were installed on this wall where the stove will take center stage.

Then the fun part: the crew starting hauling in and setting up base cabinets (in Sherwin Williams color Upward).  The color goes well with the mural in the adjacent dining room.

This morning

The same afternoon.

I was concerned picking an actual color in lieu of a neutral for the cabinet finish but I looooovvve the pale blue finish.  It’s bright, cool, and classically chic. I’m hoping never to tire of it.

This morning.

The entrance to the kitchen this afternoon.

The upper and floor-to-ceiling cabinets are a neutral shade of greyish-cream called Sandhill Crane.  This color will be more visible from the living room/dining room than the lower cabinets.

The refrigerator wall this morning.

The refrigerator wall has a deep floor-to-ceiling cabinet and will have another cabinet over the fridge.

The kitchen feels much bigger since the island was removed. Tomorrow I expect the rest of the cabinets will be put into place.

Jo

Landing Kitchen Reno — Day 3 More Electric, Plumbing, Drywall

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The kitchen renovation started this week.  Day 1 and Day 2 have been completed.

The beginning of Day 3.

Day 3 was all about getting the kitchen ready for the appliances and cabinets.

These are the only lighting fixtures on this side of the kitchen.

Yesterday’s holes in the ceiling were filled with 2 recessed lights.

Day 2

The front wall under the big window will house the sink, dishwasher, and coffee bar.

At the same time voids in the drywall were filled.

The walls were mudded being careful NOT to touch the ceiling.

The first coat of joint compound was applied around the room.

The range and range hood will be centered on this wall.

The contractor and his top guy began working on the stove wall to accommodate the range hood.  They examined the new hood and found that it needed to exhaust through the cabinet above it.

Unfortunately the first cabinet unwrapped was damaged.

When we took the cabinet out of its protective wrapper we discovered it was totally broken. I immediately texted our cabinet provider to start the remake process since the cabinets are custom orders.

A hole for the exhaust will be cut through the outside wall of the house.

Nonetheless the crew opened the wall to reroute the stud since (naturally) the exhaust vent was centered on it.

The house is built on beams so they cannot be removed.

The space enclosed between the beam and the side wall will create a false ceiling above the cabinets.

On this same wall the contractor decided to add a header between the beam and the side wall to close up the gap that would be created when the 15-inch deep cabinets are hung.

The entire floor has been covered with cement backer board and is ready for tile.

Although Day 3 had a few snags important decisions were made about each issue.

Jo

Landing Kitchen Reno — Day 2 Electric, Plumbing, Drywall

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A lot of work was completed on the first day of renovating our kitchen.

The kitchen area at the start of Day 2.

The crew arrived bright and early in the morning.

New water lines will be behind a wall and the old will be removed.

First on the list was to rearrange the electric and plumbing to suit the new configuration of the kitchen. Now instead of traveling along the outside wall of the house the water is under the house in the crawlspace and then climbs up an inside wall to the second floor.

The pony wall divides the kitchen from the dining room.

Simultaneously the new pony wall (a short, non-load-bearing wall, typically 3 to 4 feet high, that separates spaces without fully dividing them) between the kitchen and dining room was framed .  .  .

The half wall hides from view some of the inevitable clutter that comes with cooking and serving.

and covered with drywall on both sides.

Patches on the floor, the pony wall from the kitchen side, and Dash in a photo bomb.

Holes in the floor were patched ready for cement backer board to be applied.

Before: Former pantries were removed and will be replaced with a new refrigerator and deep floor to ceiling cabinets.

During: The walls behind the original pantries were not on the same plane, now they are.

After: One unexpected concerning issue is the drain pipe from an upstairs toilet that was hidden in a wall. We have a workaround. More later.

The former pantries have been removed and replaced with a wall onto which the new cabinets will be attached.

Two new holes have been drilled in the ceiling for can lights on a formerly dark side of the enlarged kitchen space.

And finally our contractor suggested we add 2 ceiling lights so the new pantry cabinets and coffee bar side of the kitchen have light.

The old holes (in the ceiling) toward the bottom of the photo will be concealed by cabinetry.

This wasn’t an easy task since the wood ceiling cannot be patched once it is cut.  The old light connections that had been in the closets were run above the ceiling.  Larger openings to access the electric lines were necessary but they will ultimately be hidden by the floor to ceiling cabinets.

The end of Day 2.

Tomorrow I imagine the drywall will be finished and the cabinets begun to be set in place.

Jo

Landing Kitchen Reno — Day 1 Demolition

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At long last the construction company showed up to get started on our kitchen project at The Landing.

The kitchen doesn’t look bad cleared up but it’s totally useless.

Charlie and I had done everything we could to clear out the pantries and the cabinets.

We had even started tearing out shelves and cabinets ourselves.

These two photos above were the starting point for the demolition crew.

The center island which housed the stove is gone and really opens up the room.

The first order of business was to remove the appliances: sink, stove, and refrigerator.  These will be replaced with new ones.

Former pantries were removed and will be replaced with a new refrigerator and deep floor to ceiling cabinets.

Some adjustments not planned for were necessary when the drain pipe from the upstairs bathroom appeared.

At the other side of the room the pantry walls were removed which led to problems of needing to move wiring and plumbing that had been hidden in the walls.

Before the tile is laid the floor will be covered with cement backer board on top of the plywood that is already on the floor.

The vinyl flooring was pulled up and will be replaced with WOW Color Drops 7″ by 7″ porcelain tile in off-white.  This tile is an indoor/outdoor floor and wall tile which would also work is wet locations.

Some of the cabinets were reclaimed by Charlie and some by one of the workers. I’m happy not everything will go into the landfill.

The old kitchen was out in the yard by the end of the day.

The holes in the floor will be filled then covered with cement backer board.

At the end of the first day the kitchen is a relatively clean slate ready for plumbing, electric, and HVAC rerouting.

The open kitchen will eventually be partially closed in.

I can’t wait to see the progress tomorrow.

Jo

The Biggest in the World

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Charlie is an aficionado of organ music.

Anna Lapwood sitting at the Midmer-Losh organ in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

While in London we were hoping to catch a concert at the Royal Albert Hall by their resident organist, Anna Lapwood.  Alas we were a week late.

We both had VIP holographic wristbands.

However, to Charlie’s great delight Ms. Lapwood had a scheduled concert at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  I organized 2 VIP tickets to the event.

We were seated at the center of the hall which I especially chose for hearing the organ’s sound capabilities.

We were seated in the center of the hall to listen to the “The Largest Musical Instrument on Earth”:  The Midmer-Losh. With an official total of 33,112 pipes, the organ is not only the largest but also the loudest musical instrument on Earth. 

Some of the 33,000+ pipes are behind the green lighted area.

The pipes are accommodated in eight chambers arranged in opposite pairs on the left and right sides of the auditorium – there are four chambers in the stage area and four near the center of the room.

Although the largest organ in the world, it is dwarfed in this huge arena.

The main console is located to the right of the stage, near the proscenium arch. Its seven manuals are called, from bottom to top: Choir, Great, Swell, Solo, Fanfare, Echo, Bombard. There are 1,235 stop-keys, consisting of 852 speaking registers, 35 melodic percussions, 46 non-melodic percussions, 18 tremolos, 164 couplers, and 120 swell pedal selectives – for switching the shades of the swell boxes onto the six swell pedals (a seventh pedal is the crescendo).

The organ is encircled to the right of the stage.

Since the organ is to the right of the stage and the organist had her back to us, the entire concert was filmed close-up and aired simultaneously on 5 Jumbotrons.  We could see her hands, her feet, her expressions, her enthusiasm — everything that makes playing the organ interesting — while listening to Anna’s great talent and virtuosity.

This Victorian era inn is unique among the casino hotels in Atlantic City.

After the concert we stayed overnight in Atlantic City at The Chelsea Inn, a beautifully-preserved Victorian-era hotel which included a complimentary hot breakfast and free parking.

We were on a similar ferry headed in the opposite direction.

We took a different route home driving from Atlantic City to Cape May (a little over an hour) then cruised (car and all) on the ferry to Lewes, Delaware.

Taking the ferry alleviated the confusing traffic around the New Jersey Turnpike that we hit on the way up.

From the ferry we drove to pick up Dash and then back home.

Jo

May, 2026: Gonna

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A year ago in May I began designing the new kitchen.

A bird’s eye view of the new layout.

This May it is finally underway. Woo hoo!!

This bathroom needs to somehow be opened up.

Next big project is the primary upstairs ensuite bathroom.

In May I plan to:

  1.  Go to Anna Lapwood organ concert in Atlantic City, NJ.

    Anna Lapwood sells out all over the world.

  2.   Arrange the new kitchen.
  3.   Add weatherstrip to garage door.

    We did this before but it need tweaking.

  4.   Wash cashmere sweaters and put away until fall.
  5.   Work on exterior painting.

    The east façade is yet unfinished.

  6.   Decide where to plant flowering quince and bearded iris.

    I brought offshoots of this flowering quince from our former home.

  7.   Clear the “office” portion of the primary bedroom.

    This area needs to be addressed.

  8.   Plan something fun.
  9.   Hang a US flag on Memorial Day.

    I hope to improve last year’s display with a bigger flag.

  10.   Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: TRADITION.
  11.   Write a goal list for June, 2026.

Jo

April, 2026: Wrapped

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At the back of the house we have a marsh that separates the yard from the Chesapeake Bay.

Mid-April and the marsh is beginning to green up.

The weather has been warm, then cold, then warm, etc.  Everytime I planned for an outside chore I was forced back inside by winds or even frost.

Finally by the end of the month I was able to get busy outside.

In addition to the numbered list below I:

  • walked through our marsh and picked up trash brought in by storms and tides.

    In addition to 2 bags of trash which I threw away, some stuff from the marsh.

  • with Charlie’s help got the pressure washer working.

    We rejuvenated the hand-me-down pressure washer with a new hose and spray tips.

  • made space for our kitchen cabinet delivery.

    Our cabinets were delivered early in the month.

  • emptied at least 5 more boxes in the garage which had been damaged by water and were molding.
  • put some of the old kitchen cabinets on Facebook for free — just haul away.  A very nice young man came and got them.  Better than in a dumpster, I think.

    My trash another man’s treasure.

  • got a haircut.
  • transplanted hosta, columbine, and geranium (cranesbill) in the front garden.

    Found these in the yard: hosta, cranesbill, columbine (L to R)

  • signed up for the 2026 Bay Bridge 10K which takes place in the beginning of November.  Don’t let the word “run” fool you; I walk.

    I was all set to walk last year but the bridge was closed due to high winds.

I challenged myself this month to get a lot of tasks started.  Here’s how I did:

  1.  Celebrate Easter.  We had a splendid and meaningful Easter week.

    Charlie’s answer to Easter is to stock up on custom-made cream-filled chocolate eggs.

  2.   Put away last year’s tax papers and bills. In addition I started dedicated folders for all our capital projects. My advice to anyone starting a capital project is to keep all orders and receipts together — it’s difficult to assemble later.
  3.   Decide on a kitchen countertop.  I chose Calacatta Safyra after getting a third estimate and saving over $1200.

    Calacatta Safyra

  4.   Set up temporary kitchen in laundry room.

    I super-scrubbed the laundry room sink so I could use it for food.

  5.   Stain primary bedroom outside deck. Last month I cleaned this deck with exterior house cleaner and a directional spigot on the hose. It must have been a pretty thorough job because I also cleaned it this month once we got the pressure washer working and it didn’t look much better.

    A nice shady spot to have morning coffee overlooking the Chesapeake Bay.

    After letting the deck dry very well I stained it with Cabot Semi-solid Exterior Wood Stain and Sealer in One in the color Foothill.

  6.    Power wash front pavers.  Actually Charlie did most of the work; I supervised.

    No detergents, only water pressure cleaning the front pavers.

  7.    Begin reading The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough.  This book is the very detailed story of the Panama Canal.   I’m making my way through it in prep for a visit to Panama in the fall.

    The Panama Canal is well over 100 years old.

  8.    Make reservations for high school reunion.  The committee has not yet sent the information but I have at least narrowed down the choices of accomodations. I’m on it as soon as the info hits my inbox.
  9.   Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: DELIGHT.
  10.   Write a goal list for May, 2026.

Jo

Balcony Deck Project

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All of the bedrooms — whether first or second floor — have private decks.

The deck for primary bedroom is on the second floor, far right.

The deck outside the primary bedroom needed a little upgrade before it can be regularly used as an outdoor space.

The deck off the primary bedroom needed an upgrade starting with a good cleaning. (Before)

First I washed the deck with housewash and a jet spray nozzle.

All the balconies need cleaning and staining — primary bedroom is first.

The pressure washer helped get the last bits of moss off the edges.

Then, when we finally got the pressure washer working, I hit it again.

Even cleaned, the deck doesn’t look very good.

I had ordered the stain in January but when I opened it I found that I had received basic untinted stain.  I returned to Lowe’s (a hassle) to have the requested “Foothills” color added.

In some areas there was very little finish left — especially on the drip line under the eaves.

As it dries the finish doesn’t look as splotchy.

The deck has many surfaces so staining took a good while.

“Foothills” over the old brown is very much like the downstairs deck made from composite. (Seen at right of photo)

Covering all the dark brown on the outside of the house will be a challenge.

A nice shady spot to have morning coffee overlooking the Chesapeake Bay.

Two more decks to go plus all the dark exterior wood trim.  Ugh!

Jo