# Palace Kitchen



## PolishWineP (Jun 18, 2008)

Work on the palace kitchen is in full swing.




So far, nothing horrible has happened, and for that we are very grateful. 
Old cabinets






Everything has been removed from the kitchen. Our house is a maze of furniture and boxes. But it's for the good! The flooring guys are here right now and in a few hours we will no longer have acres of white, aging floor! 






Bert and I replaced some drywall behind the sink and stove areas. Bert and son Brian replaced the window over the sink area! And get this, it opens! And closes! We've lived here for 9 years and have never been able to use the window over the sink.






The plumber was here last Friday to disconnect all the water stuff for the kitchen. When I tried to do laundry on Saturday night, all I got at the washer was a tinkle of water. I could have spit into the washer to fill it faster.



Same thing at the laundry tub. I figured it was a mineral build-up that had come loose when he turned off the water for the house. I left a message for the plumber, Help! Monday night we had the best water pressure for the washer ever! I found a note and this little white ball on the ironing board. Note says, "This white ball was in the pipe."



A mystery! How would something like that get into a water pipe? 






So it is now time for me to take a few wine books out to the screen porch and maybe even nap!


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## grapeman (Jun 18, 2008)

I hope the Royal Playground gets put back together soon. What's for dinner tonight? 


The window will certainly be an improvemnt if it opens. I usually have clients put in either a slider or a casement window over the window. It is hard for a vertically challenged person to reach the center rail to open it up. A hand catch makes the job easier. You will see what I'm talking about after the counters are back in. Be sure to show us the cabinets.


My guess about the ball is that it came out of some type of checkvalve somewhere in the water system. The spring that holds it in place rusted out and the pressure moved it somewhere else-like the washer.


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## PolishWineP (Jun 18, 2008)

appleman said:


> I hope the Royal Playground gets put back together soon. What's for dinner tonight?
> 
> 
> My guess about the ball is that it came out of some type of checkvalve somewhere in the water system. The spring that holds it in place rusted out and the pressure moved it somewhere else-like the washer.


Dinner tonight will be something that can be cooked in the microwave, electric skillet or rice cooker. There's all sorts of convenience foods in the freezer. I normally don't buy them but forced myself so Poor Bert gets some dinners!
Thanks for the idea about the white ball. It's been making me crazy!


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## NorthernWinos (Jun 18, 2008)

Looking good.....Is Wade coming to install the cabinets????


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## Wade E (Jun 18, 2008)

I would love to install the cabs and flooring for you but its a little to far to travel. I think Appleman maybe right with the check valve and youll know when you can not shut off the water at one of those check valve points. You should have that looked at especially if you have any PVC shut-offs in that line somewhere. Typically they are brass or copper balls but a PVC shut off would have a PVC ball like that. Maybe its a Pearl!


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## NorthernWinos (Jun 18, 2008)

So...will there be a wine making and tasting area in the new galley?????


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## PolishWineP (Jun 18, 2008)

Of course the plumber will have to be back to hook things back up and get the kitchen running again. At that point we're going to have the city turn off the water at the street and we're going to replace the main shut off in the house, along with some other things. I'll bring up what's been suggested. All our pipes are copper and there are certainly things that need to be replaced. I'll feel better about it all when everything that needs to be new is new. Wade, if that's a pearl from our pipes then we have more trouble than we thought!




The wine tasting area will have to double as our dining area. I'd love to be able to afford to push the wall out about 10 feet and have a deluxe kitchen, but that would be more to clean.


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## Wade E (Jun 18, 2008)

Granite or laminate counter tops? What species cabinets are going in?


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## PolishWineP (Jun 18, 2008)

Laminate. Granite is too hard on wine bottles and carboys and way too high maintenance for me. "Maintain" my counter tops? I don't think so. My idea of counter maintenance is a good washing and a shot of K=Meta once in a while. 
The cabinets are KraftMade Mapleton Square with a chestnut finish. I've always liked the darker woods. The simple design is easy to clean and not a lot of edges to them.



We went through Lowe's for most of the work as we don't have the time or where-with-all to play contractor. And, we didn't have to pay sales tax on anything that their installers install for us!




Floor is done and the cats have been banished to the screen porch until bedtime. They will then be locked in with us to keep them and their fur out of the seam sealer.



I had them locked in our bedroom and one of the workers had to open the door to remove the strip between our carpet and kitchen floor. Out came Red the cat. The guy had to find me in the yard and told me, "Garfield escaped."



Poor Red. 
So the next step this weekend is to start painting. Yes, I have a good drop cloth!


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## grapeman (Jun 18, 2008)

That all sounds great PWP. Maybe you can have lasagna with "Garfield" tonight.


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## Wade E (Jun 18, 2008)

Granite is $ but what is high maintenance about it? It definitely is not friendly to carboys and wine bottles though.


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## PolishWineP (Jun 18, 2008)

Things like tomato and wine spills can etch the finish. Oils can stain it. If you don't get your spills wiped up right away it can stain. I did study my options before I made a decision and any type of stone just didn't seem right for us.


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## Wade E (Jun 18, 2008)

Never knew that. All the things Ive heard about granite was that it was stain and burn resistant. I know Corian and Silestone were stainable and burnable though.


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## uavwmn (Jun 19, 2008)

PwP, when it is all said and done, it will be beautiful and functional and a wonderful place for family and friends to gather.


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## Waldo (Jun 19, 2008)

DAMN PWP !!! _I'm all tired from just looking at those pictures..I gotta go get me a glass of wine and crawl in my hot tub and relax for a spell_


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## PolishWineP (Jun 19, 2008)

Oh Waldo! Now I'm jealous! I do have a clawfooted bath tub out in the shop. Maybe I can get Bert to get some guys over here to haul it into the yard for me. I could fill it one day and it would be warm enough the next day to sit in it!


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## swillologist (Jun 20, 2008)

PWP have Bert rig an air-compressor up to it and you will be in business. Can someone say Jacuzzi?


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## PolishWineP (Jun 22, 2008)

Swill! I love that idea! Except that the air compressor is so danged loud that it would ruin any relaxation I'd get from the tub.




Time to quit having fun here and go back to painting! Bert's already at it!


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## swillologist (Jun 22, 2008)

Leave the compressor in the barn and run an air hose to the tub with a shut-off valve on it.



Drink a lot of wine that will help relax you also. Have a good day!


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## PolishWineP (Oct 30, 2008)

I finally remembered to post pictures of the completed project! We are loving our new kitchen. Bert and I got through the whole project without a single fight about the project itself.


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## grapeman (Oct 30, 2008)

So now there will be no excuses not to bake everyone their Royal Birthday Cake!


Have you had the Royal Proclomation yet declaring it open?


Looks great!


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## NorthernWinos (Oct 30, 2008)

It's so clean and neat....Looks like it is never used...or...no one lives there....?


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## PolishWineP (Oct 30, 2008)

Northern Winos said:


> It's so clean and neat....Looks like it is never used...or...no one lives there....?


It was photo day. It hasn't looked that neat since...


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## Scott (Oct 30, 2008)

Very nice PWP, makes ya want to spend alot of time in there. The only thing, maybe more counter outlets??? JMO i like plenty of outlets.


Enjoy


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## Wade E (Oct 30, 2008)

Looks great PWP. Im sure that was a long time coming but surely worth the wait!


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## PolishWineP (Oct 30, 2008)

Scott said:


> Very nice PWP, makes ya want to spend alot of time in there. The only thing, maybe more counter outlets??? JMO i like plenty of outlets.
> 
> 
> Enjoy


I have some of them hidden as the cover plates weren't ready when I took the pictures. The only electric thing that stays on the counter is the coffee maker, so I really don't need many outlets. I'd thought about it but it would have added a lot of $ to the job, so I decided against it.


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## Scott (Oct 31, 2008)

PWP,
That's the way to do it, customize to own preference. As long as none of them pesky building inspectors are around



.


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## Bert (Oct 31, 2008)

Guess who showed up the day the cabinet guys were there.....One of the cabinet guys said he had been installing cabinets for more than ten years and that was the first time he had seen a building inspector....But no problems


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## Waldo (Oct 31, 2008)

Very nice PWP..I know you are quite proud of it.


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## rgecaprock (Nov 1, 2008)

*PWP,*


*I was wondering how the Royal Kitchen was coming along. Now I can see how beautiful it looks. I know you must enjoy being in there. Now we need to get back to Wine of the Week!!!! I miss that.*


*Nice job..........Ramona*


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