Orange You Happy About this Backsplash?

So I've mentioned the backsplash a few times already, at least I know I keep muttering away "orange backsplash" from time to time when everything looks like a huge mess and nobody quite understands where I'm heading with this project. I keep telling everyone: the backsplash will pull it all together and it will read as a kitchen, rather than a cobbled-together grouping of furniture in a room where cooking takes place. See what I mean?

What I like about this pair of photos: everything has changed except the location of the microwave. I learned this (among many other things) from my mom: move stuff around and see where it works for you. The thing is, here: the location of the doors was what didn't work for me. And of course, the hideous Jed Clampett was in the way (remember that? That was only five weeks ago!)
Well, we still have lighting to install and electrical to trim out. As I review the photos from over the years, I realize how the lighting is what changes the experience of the house more than anything. This room became so bright when I put all these white surfaces into it and moved the glazing just a bit. The new color on the walls is "Stone Harbor" I believe. It looks like shadow--the color of a Weimaraner, actually. But really what I was thinking about was the stone countertops that will replace the oh-so-economical white laminate (from IKEA, less than $10 a linear foot, and made in France to boot!) Laminate is cheap, easy to transport and install, and it ain't bad as a starter. In fact, with the right edge detail, it's just fine for most kitchens. I do think the recent real-estate boom has led us down the path of insisting on certain materials largely because the realtors call them necessary. Don't even get me started on the "stainless" appliance fad. Note, I do not have stainless. I don't particularly care for it, and I absolutely don't like it in this kitchen.
The white enamel stove is original to the house (c.1925.) It's a Detroit Jewel and I like it. It could use some work, but it throws out a nicer flame than the Viking, in my opinion, and the burner-covers are extremely handy. (detail photo forthcoming)
The old metal cabinets are white "enamel" too, so that pulls together with the fridge and the dishwasher. (p.s. I love love love the dishwasher. More on that soon.)
Well, thanks for reading. It has been too long since my last post. I was a little overwhelmed by all the mess, and then overwhelmed by the calm utility of this space. It actually works!

First Meal, New Kitchen

Really I can't blame them for looking so pissed off. Every day, there's a new order of business in here, and I try to at least keep the first feeding consistent in terms of location. Hugo snarfs his food, especially if he's nervous. Angus nibbles, especially if he's nervous, so we run into some issues of competition and territory with the feeding.

All in all, they're great dogs, and relatively adaptable to the contingencies of renovation. They like the tradesmen and assorted other visitors. Angus in particular, excels at meeting, greeting and learning all about what the electrician/plumber/painter/carpenter actually does, up close & personal. But, like me, they're sensitive to upheaval, so I think this weekend I'll whisk them off for a few days at the family manse in Baltimore. Upheaval, yes, but they'll enjoy the steady stream of affection and those with more generous hands when it comes to treats. Well, I could use a little of the same, plus some time with my family to recover a bit from the drone of constant work in my own house.

Lucky for me, my parents completed a big kitchen renovation fairly recently and they are basking in the glow of it. My mom bakes like she never has before, and it's just a pleasure to see how she and my dad are using the reconfigured space in unexpected ways. Like my house, theirs was built in the 1920s, and so the kitchen redesign is tricky for so many reasons (link and essay forthcoming) Also like my house, the reconfiguration of just a couple windows and doors made a tremendous impact on the use of the space, and also on the way light behaves in the room. Here I wish I had a better camera (better photographer too!) to demonstrate that point. It's astonishing to me how much it changes a space when you move a window up just a bit. Well, this will link into a whole new topic, because in the end, it's all about light.

At the heart of it, clean dishes

So, dear reader, you might be surprised to discover that the genesis for this little (and rapidly expanding) project was the desire for a dishwasher. Today Jessreal is here to rough-in the dishwasher I picked out yesterday. Angus tries to help with any tradesman, but he's especially fond of Jessreal.
It's a little tricky to work modern conveniences into an old and idiosyncratic kitchen, especially when one's tastes veer towards expensive things like panel fronts and smaller sized appliances. But after much consideration, I settled on a simple WhirlPool model that almost looks like it has a panel.
These old metal cabinets will look a bit shabby next to the new ones on the way, but they'll do for now. The sink is a classic: an old American Standard cast iron porcelain with double drainboard. It's sturdy and I like its looks too. I'd like to replace cabinetry underneath, which may be feasible. We'll have to find out just how much that sink weighs...

How many cooks in the kitchen?

In this case, I say we have exactly the right number. Remember that little receptacle I showed you in the last post? It's a dedicated line that I had the electricians put in way back when I had a refrigerator here. So, given the impending SawzAll and the ideas brewing in my brain about potential appliance usage in this corner, we called in Mark Schuyler to figure it all out. He's an interesting guy not only because he's a great lighting designer. He's also a Master Electrician, so we know he'll figure out how to make it legal, and safe to boot. What I didn't know was that he'd actually pull the wires through and label things and make me understand how these things work just a little better.
Here's a detail of that little corner. Paul's drilled out some holes through the existing structure so the Romex will fit in a convenient way. We went through the likely scenarios of electrical usage in this area and weighed that with the feasibility of running lines to the panel, etc. Note here the plaster and lath which exists in this house. We considered cutting it all out back here in order to simplify things and insulate the wall. With an old house, it's best to be prepared for compromise. This plaster is particularly tricky due to its brittleness. The rest of the house was a bit more predictable, but back here in the kitchen it's not too cooperative.