Major gloat time! The kichen is finished!!

[Dan Mages]

This is my first SMC gloat, and it is a doozy!!

After 8 months of work, I consider my kitchen complete!! It was 90% complete about 4 months ago, but I have been adding a few details here and there. This project has challenged by abilities in carpentry, woodworking, metal working, electrical, plumbing, and tile work. Click here (http://photos.yahoo.com/danmages) to view some pictures of the final product.

Here are some detals of the pics

The Tin Ceiling:
The tin came from Brian Grier's Tin Ceilings up in Canada. It was a real challenge to get it up. The hardest part was mitering the cornice. I have never had to a compound miter cut a complex curved piece of metal. It also required a cone head nail every 6 inches. That required quite a few drill bits and many, many nails.

Left Side of the Kitchen:
The oven is a GE Monogram oven. It is the finest oven I have ever used!!
The dishwasher is a GE Profile model. I like how it can monitor the water quality to reduce its water usage.
The sink is cast iron and comes from Kohler. The faucet is also a kohler unit.

Right Side of the Kitchen:
The cooktop is a glasstop GE model. It is a bit of a pain to keep clean. Otherwise , a great cooktop.
The GE Profile microwave/convection oven/vent hood is one of the coolest things on earth. If I want to heat up some fries or some fish sticks, this thing heats up in no time and saves a lot of energy.
The fridge is also GE (do you see a trend??), nothing fancy there.

Other kitchen details.
The kitchen cabinets are Shrock from the Orange Borg. That is the biggest mistake I have made. The installers did a horrrid job and really screwed things up. Dont get me started...
The countertop is Imperial Green Granite. I have a closeup pic for ya.
The floor and backsplash are travertine stone. Its a beautiful stone, but it is very porus and has sucked up a ton of sealant.
Its hard to see it, but the soffit is recessed by 2 inches. This gives me a channel to run the low voltage wires for the puck lights and the rope light I added to highlight the tin.

How did I celebrate the completion of the kitchen? A 10 oz medium rare tuna steak and potatoes grilled to perfection. This was followed by a 750 ml bottle of Imerial stout... Im still rather buzzed from that bottle.

Comments? Critiques? Criticisms?

Dan

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dan, you did a great job on that kitchen remodel! Nice work! As a GE employee and stock owner I especially appreciate your choice in kitchen appliances! I wish more people were like you! Thanks to your insite and wisdom, I'm one step closer to retirement! :p :D Seriously, I like your choices in colors and style. It looks very nice! Have another one! You deserve it!

[Todd Burch]

Dan, the kitchen is really nice. The tin ceiling is unqiue - you don't see that many of them, and the only ones I have seen have been in small towns in old, old buildings, and they have been painted.

When cutting the tin crown, did you use a compound miter saw? What blade? Did you use a backer board?

Sorry you had headaches on the cabinets. Again, nice job. Todd

[Dan Mages]

Ken. My employer is a major supplier for GE, so I was able to purchase the appliances at a very lucrative discount.

Todd. The tin is influenced by one in my family's now defunct hardware store. My great grandfather, who opened the store, was a tinsmith and I believe he put it in himself. I always loved that ceiling and I wanted to add one to my house.

I tried several methods of cutting the crown, including a hacksaw and miter box. However, cutting it with a hacksaw did not produce the greatest results. Because of the pattern, I had a problem with a gap in the seam. I found that it worked best to freehand the cut plus 1/8 of an inch with a pair of tin snips and then use my dremel with a grinding wheel to refine the cut. Yes, there is a backer behind the tin. I attached some 1/2 inch BC grade plywood to the ceiling and then covered that with red craft paper.

Dan

[Jim Becker]

Looks GREAT, Dan!! (And trust me, I know how much work this kind of project is) Your cabinets are absolutely beautiful, too. Good choices in colors and materials. Super job! Congratulations!!!

[Chris Padilla]

Nice job, Dan. I bet you smile everytime you walk into the kitchen: either for the fact it is done and/or that you did it yourself! :)

[Paul Downes]

Very unique looking kitchen. That tin work looks awesome! I also like your choice with the granite. It's amazing the different stone counter top choices available. Some day....err year, I hope to redo our kitchen. I think I hate it worse than my wife. I just need more money and time, and money............