Achieving Perfection

Somewhere out there is perfection. Just because you are not there, doesn’t meant you shouldn’t try. The goal of perfection is noble, but taking the steps of the journey are more valuable then nobility.

Scope Creep

Architecture speak for the way in which,  in the course of a project,  other things just keep adding themselves to the list of things to do.  And in my case what seems to be happening on the “home” front. Also what can happen to a procrastinating perfectionist.

$28,450

Kitchen Remodeling. Everybody always says that kitchens and baths are the most commonly remodeled portions of houses. The Kitchen is associated with dreams and fantasies and the remodeling industry is filled with offers to get your dream kitchen. Consumer Reports offers your dream kitchens for less. Get everything you ever wanted in the room that has become the heart of the home, on a budget. More awake time is spent in the kitchen then in any other room in the house (that’s a totally unsubstantiated statement/opinion). Party goers often end up in or near the kitchen in the search for social lubrication and snacks. Beyond all of this, the kitchen is one place in a home where efficiency and effectiveness yield great comfort (along with a sink big enough to hide the holiday dishes, and countertops that go on forever). Kitchen design is filled with work triangles, work surfaces, work zones, all intended to let contemporary humanity spend less of our precious time efficiently in the kitchen.

I like kitchens and cooking, and I admit that I have kitchen dreams. I want good counterspace, sweet appliances, a gas stove, and efficient space planning (ok, throw in a convection oven while we’re at it, I’ve never used one, but they sure do seem great).

I also want crisp contemporary cabinets! Combine this with my personal sense of quality and we may have found my undoing. For a few months I have looked at the various possiblities: Ikea – Nice from the outside, reasonable aesthetic, but very cheap feeling on the inside, environmentally aware, but still big box. Home Depot cabinets to match any price range, but all some version of “country kitchen”, not environmentally considerate, big box, factory made, not much in the way of creative aesthetic. EastBank Interiors – Similar to home depot, except represented by Cliff, a pretty nice guy with a little showroom in SE PDX.

Finally, in an article in the New York Times Thursday Home Section, I spot some really nice work by Henry Built. Turns out they are in Seattle, which almost qualifies as local. There stuff looks great, and the Times article suggests that the featured NYC apartment was done on a tight budget. So far so good. I drew up my kitchen elevations according to their standards, with a few design extras for good measure, sent them off for an estimate and then visited their showroom for a little research. That’s when I realized I was in Trouble… the stuff was way too nice, and having my hopes on them was merely setting myself up for disappointment.

Oh well! I guess I get to chase another of my making dreams in the adventure of constructing my own cabinets. Can’t wait to share that story!

A Contributing Citizen

After years of observing the interweb, I have decided to contribute something. What follows, if you follow, in the coming days weeks months will be a public journal of my life.

You can expect to read here about the renovations on my house, bicycles (especially my cyclocross adventures), design comments, and anything I see fit to post into the public eye.

Its not grand as taking a walk in the space station but its my life and I’m proud of it.