Goodbye mancave

Saturday was devoted to making the final choices for appliances and plumbing fixtures. We're trying to finalize all of the cabinet designs and to do so we need accurate measurements for all of the appliances, sinks, and plumbing hardware. We started out at Monterey Peninsula's largest showroom for all things kitchen and bathroom. We're not going to mention their name, but their motto is "Nobody expects more from us than we do." We expected some customer service but left the store after an hour without a single salesperson asking if we needed any assistance.

We then drove over to the BID (Built-In Distributors) showroom for the second time this week to pick up a quote for all of the kitchen and BBQ room appliances. We had some questions for our very helpful salesperson Billy, specifically about the Thermador dishwasher and how quiet it was compared to the Bosch model we had originally specced. They're having a promotion where if you buy two Thermador products you get a third appliance free. Because we're buying a Thermador oven, refrigerator and induction stovetop, we're going to get a dishwasher and a downdraft vent for the stovetop at no cost. The Thermador dishwasher is actually a Bosch in disguise but it is two decibels louder. Saving over $1600 makes it easier to accept a louder dishwasher.

Next, we headed for Salinas Valley Kitchen & Bath located in the Nob Hill shopping center in Salinas. Unlike our first experience, we were greeted the second we walked in. We instantly hit it off with their sole salesperson, Jeannie, and although the showroom is considerably smaller than the big box chain we had visited earlier, we were able to find lots of options to choose from. We spent over two hours and by the time we left, all of our choices were made.

The hardest choice was for the wall mounted faucets we'll be using in all four bathrooms. Of course, everything we liked had a list price hovering around a thousand bucks. Ouch. Ouch times four! With Jeannie's help, we were able to find a Delta model that perfectly fits our aesthetic for about a third of the price. Sold! We also selected the wall mounted toilets we're using in all four bathrooms.  Both Jeannie and our architect Doug highly recommended the Toto Aquia model. It's not as minimal in design as some other brands but Jeannie said you won't find another wall mount system that's as well made. Again, sold!

Returning to Steinback Mountain late in the afternoon and a bit exhausted (shopping can be hard work!), we mustered the energy to return to the cabinet layouts. The bathrooms are relatively easy to design, it's the BBQ room that we're the least sure of. Why? Because it's the room that will be having the most extreme makeover. In its current form, the BBQ room is the quintessential man cave.

The BBQ room is where we display most of the Native American art we've collected over the years and where we entertain. Every Spring we have an end-of-the-semester party for our capstone students and this is the space most of them end up in. Could it be the bar? Probably, but it's also where we spread out the food. And the BBQ room has some of the best valley views. The BBQ room is also where we sit down for holiday meals as it's the only room that can accommodate more than six people. And, occasionally, it also morphs into an extra bedroom for guests.

So our challenge is to modify the space, to make it less cowboyish and more modern and functional without losing its warmth and charm. The pine paneling is going, as is most of the rough hewn trim. It'll be replaced with cabinetry matching the rest of the house. The tongue and grove ceiling stays as will the two shadow boxed paintings we assume are original to the 50s construction.

Hidden behind the island will be an under counter fridge, a full size dishwasher, electric range oven, and a sink. We've yet to figure out where the microwave is going....

Originally, we had planned on keeping a double oven in the main house kitchen. But since we've only used both ovens a few times since moving in, we decided one would be enough and it made more sense to move the second oven out to the space it would be more convenient. As in transporting a Thanksgiving turkey a few feet to the table rather than the 50 or so feet through the main house, into the backyard and then onto the table. The same goes for reducing the return journey of the dirty dishes.

The BBQ room, in its original drawings by Mr. Tombleson, did not have any windows facing the backyard. This was probably to make it easier and safer to grill on its built-in barbecue and cook on its built-in smoker. We have no idea if either of these are still functional and hope to someday restore them. Did we mention there's a pool beneath the deck? We've yet to see it but do plan on someday restoring it as well.

Tomorrow, we're taking the cabinet drawings and all of the cutout spec sheets to John Laughton.

Demo on the guest house starts in a week!