Where the magic happens…

So we are officially at the punch list phase with fewer than 50 items, big and small, left to go.  Small items include things like touching up a paint spot here and there; larger things include finishing the pantry or redoing a broom closet that ended up extending too far to allow our mammoth fridge door to open. Our contractor’s team is trucking through it all, but some require outside finish work, and these things just take time.

In the interim, here are some photos of our 90% finished kitchen. Missing is the finish work on the pantry, the panel work around the fridge and freezer (more on that below), the aforementioned broom closet, the final installation of our baking station and the final bit of moulding at the top of the cabinets to tie it all together. Nearly there!

Regarding the fridge/freezer: a few works of advice for anyone intending to purchase the Miele fridge/freezer combo: they are awesome. They look huge, but the counter depth actually means they store less than you think, but the quality is top notch. It’s amazing how much longer things stay fresh. We’re very pleased with their function.

What aren’t we pleased about? The whole overall installation process. These babies come with a fancy monitoring system that will actually send you an email when something has gone awry. However, one needs to have a PhD in Miele refrigeration to be able to install them. Luckily, they are willing to send a technician out who will hopefully help us through the process.  Another point of frustration is that the units require merging kits and heat pads that weren’t supplied, and we weren’t informed by our salesperson about the need to use them.  We thankfully hadn’t finished the panel work, but even still, this has created a bit of a spacing issue. If you do decide on this duo of pricey appliances (or any other) be sure to ask your salesperson about any installation accessories you might need to complete the job.

Ok – on to the kitchen! More complete photos to come once our terrific architect, Ben Herzog, is able to come in and take fancy shots:

Our beautiful Modern Aire hood and Bluestar range top. Paper will be removed ceremoniously when all work is finally completed!

We opted for Super White Quartzite (beautiful), a Bluestar 48 Range with grill (awesome), a Modern Aire hood (powerful and really beautiful), beaded face-frame cabinets in White Dove and Alno pulls (heavy, beautiful and very high quality). The mess in the cabinets and corner will be eliminated once our pantry is finished.

Miele fridge and freezer, Bella pendants from Niche Modern, prep sink by Blanco, prep faucet by Waterstone, double ovens by DCS. Unfinished pantry and missing framing around the fridge and freezer visible.

So far, the DCS ovens have been a little dicey. The upper oven often seems to be heating up but ultimately doesn’t, and they take forever to cool down (emitting a fan noise for hours after they are turned off). When they do cook, they are sensational, but we’re already scheduled for our first service call this week. Here’s hoping they can repair the problem, but a word to the wise for those in the market.

Main sink faucet by Waterstone, main sink Blanco Silgranit. Structural opening was pricey and time consuming, but she sure is pretty.

This faucet really is a sight to see, and the function is top notch. It does however have a design flaw: the hand spray gets extremely hot to the touch. We’ve contacted Waterstone to notify them of the issue, but alas, we’ve not heard back. Again, something to consider.

View to the dining area from the entry point of the house. Niche modern light fixture, Anderson doors to the deck. Our home’s original post all cleaned up.

Dining area up close. Carpet tiles by Flor, dishwasher Bosch 800 Plus series (still covered). More dreamy glass to flood our home with light from sun up to sun down. Amazing drying rack by Simple Human visible on the left of the photo.

View looking back from the kitchen to the front of the house. Light fixture purchased at Lightology, Sharp over the counter cabinet depth microwave on the right – cabinetry not complete around or below for our baking station, which is now serving as the construction materials way station.

We were able to restore the original front door and front interior door, but unfortunately the beautiful etch glass that the secondary door contained was shattered in the process. We really had no choice about doing the work because the doors needed new locks and a fair bit of love overall, but it really was a shame to lose the beautiful detail.

We hope our next post will be a final “before and after” of the whole house room by room! Wish us luck for the next phase – the final DOB inspections.