Aug 30, 2010

Princeton Design Guild Helps with Marble Install


Mr. Wilkes came to oversee the marble fabricator this morning.   I just love  how he works with Charlie to make sure there will be no mistakes and all will be seemless.  Kevin is wonderful at working with me as I am much more traditional than his aesthetic. No worries... Templating took place and marble will be installed this week.  Here  Charlie and I are working together on the slab placement today.
 Here's a look at what is coming.  Calacutta Gold Extra simply means stronger veining and more select.  I will need to seal it two times a year.  Doing it more is not good for the marble.  It is honed so it will be more forgiving to spills and I prefer that to anything polished personally.  After going through this process I don't think I would want to buy a home that is all done.  I am truly loving picking out what I like.   I would feel way too guilty ripping stuff out if it was in fine condition just because I do not like it.  But with leaking and true grudgy tile, it was easy. No lost sleep.   All I did was gut counters from  the seventies..I have actually taken the house back in classic time.   So happy about this!

Aug 27, 2010

Princeton Design Guild Kitchen Cabinets Go In

Princeton Design Guild's head cabinet maker is making progress.   Shaw sink in, Perrins Rowe polished nickel faucet set, and cabinets in.  This part of the house is so old there is a 2 inch difference because the floor slopes!!
I can already tell that they bumped up the height of the countertops.  Thank the Lord because I am 5'9" and I needed that bit of luxe.  Monday I meet with my marble man.  Template and then I will go and decide exactly which part of marble I want on the countertop and which on the backsplash from the slab.
Perhaps marble is trendy now but the French and Italians have loved it for hundreds of years so I am going with that.  My last home was an Arts and Craft Bungalow.  Not right for a Shaw sink. I have coveted them for years...Nice to add one to this nest and it works.  Knobs are in polished nickel as well,  and very plain. I have started moving much loved items back to my open shelves.  
Miele dishwasher is happy to be next to such a stately and useful sink which is  a 30 inch. Burleigh ware is pleased to be back on the shelf.



I love the hot and cold knobs from England!

Aug 25, 2010

Princeton Design Guild Cabinet Maker will grace the Carriage House


I am so excited to share what is happening in the carriage house!  Princeton Design Guild is a very expert group to work with on a project.   I met with Kevin Wilkes who owns Princeton Design Guild and he walked me through the seemless process of restoring this kitchen to its roots.  First he listened to me and then drew me up a design for the kitchen.  He brought out his head cabinet maker, Richard who has been making furniture for over 40 years.  He is friendly and professional and sketched out something while Kevin and he were talking so I could follow their line of thinking.
We are going to re-center the  new English Shaw farm sink in front of the two kitchen windows and add a space for cooking trays along side of this sink.  It will be practical which is what a working 1890 carriage house would have been.  This will give me four more inches on the other cabinet that will have pull out drawers for pots!  Kevin even had his draftman do a sketch for the countertop even before the installer is doing his own.  No room for any mistakes is how I see it!  He also threw out the idea of raising the height of the countertop which is super because I am taller that average... so superb idea! Though my project is not a big one for this firm,  they have made me feel as important as if it is!
The truth is the honed Italian marble will need some care but it will impart a quality of life that will bring me such joy!  Granite and corian would have been more practical and yet it would not have been the kitchen I want to return to.  The open shelves will retain the airy feeling in this space and marble on the wall will allow me to look at it too!  Carrera marble is too safe for me and too grey.. Calacutta Gold Extra is white with grey green veining and a subtle touch of gold.
I can't wait to show you Kevin's latest project of his own.  I posted earlier pictures and we are almost ready to return for more progress so stay tuned. Though Wilkes firm works on very forward thinking design I knew that his firm would be a good fit for me.  First priority is quality with PDG,  as is mine. I don't care about BIG in anything. I care mostly about handmade quality and artisan skilled in everything.
What a pleasure to work with them.  What fun it has been in just over a year to transform the carriage house with garden, patio, and landscaping.. It is fun to add some value to the inside  with timeless and elegant design for those that love a smaller sized nest because to me,  quality endures..

Aug 19, 2010

Princeton Design Guild Kitchen Gut





As the heat slows down my desire to work on the inside heats up! The carriage house needs a  Shaw
sink fitting its era of 1890 and a  proper Perrins and Rowe English faucet.  I love,  love this design company in England Plain English Design  which really suits this Wren nest.  Simplicity and some timeless elegance.  Since the original beams are still in the kitchen,  anything too fussy would  look ridiculous. The Shaw sinks are popular now though I have loved them for years.
I will keep the open shelving because I love displaying my Burleigh ware and other treasures. It's humble and works with the house.  If you remember the tile that was here, that is what Princeton Design Guild  came to dismantle... That is putting it nicely...Today Kevin came over with his head cabinet maker to give me wonderful options. I will be sticking with a plain Shaker style cabinet to match what is already here.  It is amazing how quickly a kitchen can be taken apart for a redo.  It took them a couple of hours.  And they seem to have taken every bit of dusk with them from the tile. That's it and we are on to the next phase.

Kevin explains everything in a such easy detail;  I have so much confidence working with him.  All I have to say is Calacutta Gold Extra Honed!!!This marble is not safe.  Veins will be throughout and the backsplash will be marble also.The slab I chose does have some very soft gold in it and subtle green. I am a marble girl, what can I say?  A carriage house to me, needs some classic marble. Soapstone might have been a nice option also,  though the kitchen is on the north side of the house. Too dark for my liking for this kitchen.  Yes,  it will need to be cared for a bit and I am just the woman to do it.

 I am very happy to have picked a home that needed some updating or restoring. I get to make all of the decisions and since I know what I like that part is easy.  I also paid close attention to what will make a solid investment, will  give me pleasure, and respect the intregrity of this historic home in the Boro.  The Boro is so close knit that I have had three families tell me when they have lived in this house!