Kitchen Accomplished

The planning started the day we moved in. The cabinets showed up in October. The demo began in November. It is April, and it is done. This was a 95% DIY effort and I'm excited to finally be able to share it with everyone.

We had a 15K budget and actually came in a good bit under, including appliances. We kept the same essential footprint and plumbing locations and kept the original paver flooring. The original pantries stayed in place and got a coat of paint (and the microwave moved into one of them). We built a new wall to create a fridge alcove and separate the range area for the backsplash feature. It was all DIY except for the countertops and the plumber. (Rest assured that the vintage Norge fridge found a great new home).

New Listings for Spring.

The kitchen is one coat of paint away from the reveal. So, while I wait for the next-to-last coat of paint to dry, I'll share with you some recent mod listings in the Birmingham area.

I try to ferret out the available mods because . . . well . . . because no one else is doing it! I wish income weren't so important to me. Because if it weren't, I'd become a baby realtor specializing in Magic City mods. We have them, it's just that they aren't marketed particularly well. Maybe in ten years or so. A girl can dream, can't she?

In Birmingham, on Scenic View, for a mere 99K. This is still Crestline Gardens, but at the top of the hill on the ridge. It hasn't been as well-kept as the area below, but that means there are bargains, and up that high, possibly some views:

http://tinyurl.com/5152-Scenic-View-Drive


And in Crestwood for 179,900:

http://tinyurl.com/1036-53rd-st-so


And in Homewood -- This little neighborhood is just off Valley Avenue, so I can't vouch for its family-friendliness. But you can get a lot of mod bang for the buck and Homewood schools to boot.

http://tinyurl.com/1645-beckham-drive


On to Vestavia . . . this one looks really interesting, but you wouldn't know it from the one gloomy, fuzzy picture on the listing. I drove by and it is on a nicely secluded wooded lot on a dead end road. 259,900.

http://tinyurl.com/2500-glendmere-place


Now, over to Mt. Brook, where there are several new goodies. This one near the junior high for 449,900:

http://tinyurl.com/111-Richmar


For 490K, not as mod as I might like, but the covered pool is pretty darned cool:

http://tinyurl.com/3713-overbrook-circle


For 549,900, this one looks to be somewhat huge, complete with velvet-couched theater room and wet bar. Some standard Tiny Kingdom updates (kitchen and baths), but a lot of the original charm is still there.

http://tinyurl.com/3733-valley-head-road


This one is pretty swank. I'm sure it has seen many a shindig in its day, and is ready for many more. The Old Leeds Road address is a coveted one. And because most homes on this road are well above or below the street level, one seldom gets to see them. 899K is steep, but you're talking location, location, location:

http://tinyurl.com/4912-Old-Leeds-Road



I love this one. I think. Because there are no interior photos. So, I am expressing my love based on the exteriors only. For all I know there have been farm animals living inside the ca. 1967 home for the last decade, but I'd still give it a chance. A mere 1.8 million in Altadena (Vestavia), but it looks to be a custom-designed architect home . . . on 12 acres . . . and could be something very special. Does anyone know anything about the history of this place? I may try to contact the listing agent and see if he'll let me get some photos for posting on the blog.

http://tinyurl.com/2564-Altadena-Road

At long last backsplash.

This DIY kitchen has been a long time coming. From the Ikea cabinet trek in October, to the initial demo over Thanksgiving, to just last weekend, we've come a long way, mod babies. The range hood should go up this weekend, and a little painting should happen as well. After that we will consider novel weekend experiences, such as sleeping in, going to the movies and driving past Lowe's with nary a glance in its direction.

The tiles are Sendai silk in the stacked brick pattern from Lunada Bay. These came face mounted on paper -- something I wouldn't recommend everyone try at home. If you are kitchen obsessed and a perfectionist (me) and have the aid of a willing and patient spouse (the Mister), then have at it. It took a good nine hours to get them set. A few more hours a few days later to grout and clean up. We're thrilled with the result. The hope was that it would bring an updated look with reference to materials past, and I think it is doing its job.

Oh, and the spot for the range hood chimney? You'd think it was intentional. You'd think wrong. I simply miscalculated the square footage by about two sheets of tile. This was our ad hoc solution, and I'm hoping no one will be able to tell the difference once it's all in place.

Updating an MCM home is always difficult. There are the purists who believe that technology is secondary and period-correctness is paramount. Then there are those who totally compromise the space with insensitive "improvements". I'm hoping we've landed somewhere in the middle. The footprint is the same, as are the pavers on the floor. But the cabinets, countertop and tiles are new, with a touch of the "Dwell" sensibility.

Let us know what you think!