Monday, June 23, 2014

Why?

Asked my old prof when I told her we were considering remodeling the kitchen. "I've lived with mine for more than forty years despite it being small and having three doorways in it." "You just make do," she said, "but nowadays you might as well tell that to the Marines." "All that good stuff going into the landfill just because some dolly desecrator says so." Warming to her theme and sipping her wine "It's not that I'm advocating waiting for the tinker to come by and have him repair a pan as my great-grandparents had to do – not that these gals nowadays would know how to wear out a pan; they don't cook! Can't cook, in most cases. Didn't you once tell me about a neighbor who threw out all her old pans because they didn't go with her new kitchen and bought a matching set of fashionable, so-called professional pans? Who do these people think they are – chefs? Can you imagine Piero throwing away a pot because it doesn't look good? It should be about function not fashion." 


"Is there a problem with the new menu?" said Piero (whose grandfather, as a boy, saw Buffalo Bill in Piacenza) walking over from his kitchen – we were having our usual Friday lunch and I guess we'd got bit excited and enthusiastic. There's never a problem with the food that comes out of your kitchen except, perhaps, my waistline, I assured him. 


Our kitchen, as you see from these photographs, is a galley and its layout was designed in 1969 by the architect of the buildings. It was designed as a "work center" – a place where the help could enter by the back door (there's a doorbell on the door frame) and begin her work without entering the main door. The room functions as both kitchen and laundry. Not an entirely satisfactory situation by modern standards, but as a good instance of 1960s thinking and planning it cannot be beat. Ted Levy, the architect, had provided a laundry room for tenants in one of the buildings yet I have come to appreciate the combination of kitchen and laundry – perhaps because I grew up with such an arrangement, and being able to keep an eye on more than one task is of great use to me. 


The kitchen was fitted with new cabinetry and appliances in the 1970s and when we bought the place it was in a terrible state and only one appliance worked – the oven, and it died halfway through  baking a cake on my birthday. Given that the building/selling boom in Atlanta was then at its peak we couldn't get a contractor because we lived in a high-rise – they were too busy with building the suburbs. Nowadays, of course, they're fighting to get in the buildings so, perhaps, this time it will be easier to remodel. 

We painted the dark cherry cabinets a soft grey-blue, built a cabinet for the stacked washer/dryer, replaced the peeling counters with Silestone, backslashes with subway tile, and used Miele and Sub-Zero appliances. You see the results – on a summer morning, facing the rising sun, the kitchen is a joy to walk into. On a winter's night, orange curtains closed against the cold, it's delectable having the Celt sit at the table telling me about his day whilst I futz at the cooktop and then join him in one of the Provençal chairs we bought more than thirty years ago. 


Now, nearly ten years later we both want a new kitchen – one without oddly projecting cabinets with more work surface, no stainless steel (a misnomer if ever I heard one), no visible hinges and without paneled doors. In other words we want a contemporary, streamlined, easy-to-care-for and to cook-in kitchen that is beautiful and suits someone with back problems. 


Inevitably, fashion plays a role in decorating and remodeling decisions. Neither of us wants the kind of curlicued cabinetry that refers to a mythical Victorian past – kitchens until the late 20th-century were hellish and from our first-world perspective created more labor than they saved. The modern kitchen is one of the wonders of the modern age and also of modern marketing – as much a product of suburbanization as was the creation of the family room/great room/keeping room/kitchen combination with attendant butler's pantry and wine cellar. 


What exercises us is not when to remodel, but whether or not we remove the wall between the kitchen and the dining room. In essence, the kitchen would not get any bigger except than an island or peninsula would supplant the dining table, yet I see the attraction of taking away the wall – the undertow of fashion and marketing is strong. We are divided about it – not acrimoniously but certainly typically.


It's likely that making do as my old prof advocates is not a choice – the concept of "aging in place" and the adaptability of the environment to the needs of the user already require that changes be made to the room.  Also, perhaps, what should exercise us more than the possible removal of a wall is what happens to the old cabinets and counters. Do they go into the landfill? Would anyone even want them? 

25 comments:

  1. Well your "old" kitchen looks perfectly good to me, but I can understand the desire to increase the space. Whether removing the wall and incorporating the dining area is the right choice is very much dependent on your lifestyle. It's much more practical, but it does mean your guests see a messed up kitchen, (if you're cooking for them), and of course cooking smells do permeate the rest of the flat, (including the fabrics etc). I prefer to shut ours off, although open plan kitchens are all the rage and dining rooms much unused.

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    1. columnist, thank you. I prefer not to have a kitchen seen when in the throes of either cooking or clearing up. We use our dining room for dinner most days of the week. Sometimes the table in the kitchen is used.

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  2. you use my dining chairs - subject of "biography of a chair" where I blog; mine are in knoll's "palomino," with the arm pads like yours; the floor is like yours; the table is mahogany chippendale from a shop I valued on upper Michigan. I think they are timeless and it pleases me to see that you enjoy them.

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    1. Anonymous, thank you. Your combination of Chippendale table and Brno chairs sounds marvelous. Our dining table was my desk from a previous house when I was a graduate student. I find the combination of modern and antique very exciting.

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  3. I hope y'all don't mess with the little table at the window. Whether you use it or not, it's seems so accommodating. You do use it? +1 for laundry NEXT to kitchen.

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    1. Terry, thank you. No, that little table from Ikea is perfect for breakfast and sometimes a quick dinner. I grew up with a dining table in the kitchen and cannot imagine being without it but ....

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  4. Dear Blue,
    Until the bit about taking down the partition wall all I could think was,' don't do this to yourselves, kids!' In other words make do, by altering one or two minor elements.
    I too am sick of our own kitchen remodeled in 1991 even though its pale cabinets are simple, its worktop cherry wood, the layout as practical as the space will allow. Looks more like a pantry than a kitchen, which was the original intent.

    Today it begins to look bland. Shall it be made dramatic and dark? Should the little American Empire pedestal table be replace with Saarinen's white tulip table? There is no end to the muddle. A small degree of satisfaction came from painting the skirting boards deep bronze green. For the moment, it will suffice.

    But back to your own dilemma---if that partition were removed, the real benefit would be evident in the dining room, don't you think? And it would be the most natural thing in the world to insert a rectangular island "dividing" the dining room from the kitchen. Only please, please don't lose your dining table or the concept of having one.

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    1. Toby Worthington, thank you. Though some modification could be a good idea to help an ailing back, as I wrote yesterday, I began to wonder to what degree our decision (yet to be made) is driven by the constant pressure of advertising and magazine images. As I write now, I take your point about your own kitchen, which sounds perfectly beautiful to me, looking bland. Perhaps it both our cases its familiarity breeding contempt.

      Last night we had newly married gay friends over for dinner together with another married couple and we did what I love best – as dinner was finished and cleared we remained at the dining table with coffee and liqueurs chatting our heads off. The wall between the dining room and the kitchen hid the noise of the already working dishwasher (quite quiet as it's Miele) and the mess that was littering every surface in the kitchen (we'd both cooked). So, I guess the decision about not removing the wall was made last night.

      If any improvement needs to be made (as opposed to could be made) I thought last night as I surveyed the kitchen, it is the addition of a second dishwasher and possibly staff.

      We use our dining table most days and when we don't we use the small ikea table in the kitchen.

      BTW, last night the menu was vichyssoise, crab cakes, asparagus and corn relish, followed by a raspberry pavlova.

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  5. A painful experience is about to ensue whether it is a gut job, an inbetweener or a freshen up. My husband and I decided to annex from the long living room and add to the kitchen/library/dining room. For a variety of reasons it has taken almost three years. It's become a whole house remodel and I've been cooking on one induction hob and and Breveille Smart oven (quite an amazing product actually) in the basement!!!!

    The reason for the drastic redo was to have the back of the house a retirement cottage that faces the garden and space large enough to "house" my 6'5" husband when he retires in a year or so.

    I have been passionate about cooking for at least 40 years. My view of kitchen is one of tool and task based on the memory of my great aunt's farm kitchen but with a modern twist. About the only thing our kitchens will have in common is the Miele.

    I think one of the biggest dividing lines is what we want and what we need. I have always liked the open kitchen to dining room. The lights in the old kitchen and now in the one coming into place have always been on dimmers. And although we are close in age, you have a more formal side to you that I don't think would be happy having the kitchen in your dining area. For me, the kitchen "fades to black" when the lights are off. For you, I think you would never feel that intimate enclosure your dining room now provides.

    I know you will proceed crab-like as you survey and surmise and you will develop a plan. I do think the advice of planning on: twice as long and twice as expensive seems to have been borne out at my place!

    ps: I think your menu sounds like a wonderful tribute to the solstice.

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    1. home before dark, thank you. I'm sorry for the late reply – I have not had internet access from this afternoon until five minutes ago.

      You are right when you say that one of the biggest dividing lines is between what we want and what we need. It is quite clear in our case we do not need a new kitchen but would like one and after cooking dinner yesterday and seeing the mess in the kitchen afterwards convinced me of two things: one, the more space we have the more we'll fill it and, two, a second dishwasher if we continue to entertain as we to is going to be a necessity.

      You are also right about the more formal aspects of my character. Last night it was a celebration thus the full monty with linen napery, crystal, candles and silver cutlery. A beautiful setting but not frigid coz I really do like for everyone to feel at home and have the best time.

      Crabwise – perfectly true. You know me well, ma'am! Thank you.

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  6. Hello Blue,

    Your kitchen in it's present state looks very attractive and serviceable, but I can understand your desires for change. Perhaps little "tweaks" may satisfy that desire, such as resurfacing the cabinetry. I love the shot of color your curtains provide.

    As for the wall, I'm glad to read you've decided to keep it for all the reasons other commenters have written of. It is so nice to not see a mess at the end of a meal with good friends.

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    1. Chronic Domus, thank you. As I say to home before dark above, I apologize for the late reply as we hadn't internet service until a few minutes ago.

      I think the wall stays because I really don't like seeing the mess in the kitchen and the idea of having it visible to guests is not what I want.

      However, I'll have to wait and see for after all there are two of us.

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  7. First can I just say how happy I am to have you blogging regularly again!
    The whole kitchen fad of the last few years has me thinking about it a lot lately. In my own condo which has an 'old' unfashionable kitchen that works very well -everyone asks when I'll be 'remodeling' it. In my mind, I need to replace the refrigerator which is on its last legs and paint but as everything else is serviceable I was going to leave it as-is. I'm against open kitchens, particularly in apartments, because as you say the dirty dishes are always visible and in a smaller space (not a larger house) you can't get away from it! I also am a little sensitive to smells and so like closed off kitchens entirely but I realize thats a personal choice.
    I think your kitchen looks swell as-is but of course one always wants 'better' no? I'm sure whatever you plan will be amazing though. And I too hate 'folksy' kitchens! It's 2014...... I like the Euro take on this. Ancient house, modern kitchen.

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  8. ArchitectDesign, thank you – especially for the kind comment about me blogging again. I have just the last hour in a friend's kitchen, spacious and completely contemporary and though I find that look and inherent design attractive it, in essence, doesn't work any better than mine. It's utterly beautiful, though, and therein lies the temptation.

    I agree, ancient house, modern kitchen. Have you considered Smeg refrigerators? I love the way they look and being European mean that one only stores the essentials.

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  9. Well people with our interests will always be tempted by aesthetics!
    The smeg refrigerators are really interesting and I especially love the choice of colors -however I do wonder if they're a bit forced or trying too hard; Or am I overthinking the decision?

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    1. ArchitectDesign, thank you. Smeg refrigerators are a bit forced and trying a wee bit hard – that's the whole point – they're like the Mini or the Fiat for the kitchen. (You'd probably have to get an ice maker, though.) I love 'em. They're young and flighty.

      No, you're not overthinking.

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  10. Well, I think you know I'd kill for your kitchen, but it's all a matter of perspective, isn't it? LOVE your dining room chairs!

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    1. Daniel James Shigo, thank you. What's perspective? I'd LOVE to see you in my kitchen sitting by the window, glass of wine in hand. I'm too short for my own dining chairs but I too love them. Thank you.

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    2. Perspective? I can't moonwalk in my closet of a kitchen like I can in yours! The glass of wine by the window sounds lovely, and the company even better, my friend.

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    3. Sorry, Daniel. I was being fly when I made the remark about perspective.

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  11. Your kitchen is lovely and you have found menus for entertaining that accommodate the size of your cooktop and your storage space. If you could add an additional or larger cooktop and perhaps another dishwasher, you would have all you seem to be asking for. As to your cabinets, indeed they could be taken to Good Will Industries, the Salvation Army or some other salvage source and they would be gobbled up in no time. Can't wait to see what you do. Definitely leave your wall intact. One man's meat is another man's poison as they say.

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    1. Anonymous, thank you. I'd love another dishwasher – it seems I use every pot in sight when I'm cooking and clean-up is grueling (actually not too bad but I hate clean-up).

      There will be someone who would appreciate the cabinets if and when we remodel. They must not go into landfill. I think you're right about keeping the wall.

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  12. By the way, I meant to compliment your pristine kitchen. I hate the ones so often featured on blogs with roosters, baskets of artificial flowers and every kind of plate, bowl or pitcher perched atop the counter which then begs for work space. Your kitchen says "I'm here to help you prepare a memorable meal".

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  13. Its a bit of a waste, though, isn't it? Are you just trashing all of that because you've grown tired of it? Putting that money toward a more sound investment or annuity may prove to be more fruitful over time.

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    1. Anonymous, thank you. "Putting that money toward a more sound investment or annuity may prove to be more fruitful over time." I cannot disagree with you.

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