Sorry about your window company problems. At least they look very nice.

Your kitchen so far is coming along beautifully! I can't wait to see more of it done as you have fabulous taste.

Love the bathrooms also, loved your last house and excited to see your progress in this one. Would you mind providing details on the hexagon tile floor and the white subway in that shower? Love, love, love it!

rtwilliams:
The gray bath has white (really actually off-white) 2" hex tile from Mission Tile $4.99. The other white bathroom has marble 3" hex tile from Mission Tile and it was $15.99. They were both on sale when I bought them...I think 20% off. Both ended up being really really nice. I am grouting the gray bath with a slighty lighter grout and the white bath with a lightly gray grout.

wowza! drooling over your windows and cabinets. you are really making me wish precision cabinets was in nyc. when is your marble hood going in? can't wait to see!

Ya, dying to see the marble (?) hood. How does such a beast get attached, pray tell? You'll have to take pics of that install...

It's all looking beautiful! Love the chalkboard area.

How many kitchens have you done so far?

Oh, wow, I'm feeling very jealous that you're about to finish your 2nd kitchen while I'm still waiting for my 1st kitchen remodel! It's gorgeous! Can't wait to see more pics.

Sounds like your life has thrown you for a loop as well, sorry to hear that and I'm glad you're on upward swing.

firsthouse, also wanted to say that you have previously responded to some cabinetry questions i've had and i love your work, glad to hear that you are feeling better.

absolutely stunning!

Looks fabulous

Firsthouse,
I would love to swing by and have a look. I should warn you though, I might burst into tears when I see your steel framed windows. I should have held out for them, as the custom wood was only about 1-2k less. I've activated my email, let me know a good time/day for you. I'm free pretty much any time. I'm excited to see it first hand!
Gigi

Yessssss!!!!!!

Sooooooo Gorgeous!!

Where have I been? Marble Hood? What? Really?

~Bee

Firsthouse, thank you so much for your lengthy reply regarding windows. I could never live in Calif. with their nanny state mentality and state taxes. So sorry to hear about your huge window problems and having to go with the larger frames. I feel your pain. Since you went with an aluminum frame company, I'm assuming your window frames are aluminum, is this correct? My struggle is similar to yours. I like the architectural look in windows, but the aluminum window borders will be 2" wide like yours and my preference is 1" like the single pane aluminum I now have. I haven't checked out steel framed windows for residential settings yet. My home is a modest patio so cost is a factor. Fortunately, I will be able to get a 72" w x 76" h single pane aluminum frame picture window on either side of my fireplace. I don't want to hijack your thread so if anyone has info about steel windows, my personal GW email is available and would be appreciated.

Marble island counter was installed today! They installed fairly late in the day but I had to run back and see the finished product after the installers left. I seriously LOVE marble. I don't care if it etches and if it stains, but I think I am never going back to another counter material. They haven't cleaned it up yet and the corner are still taped for protection, but it is a lovely piece of stone.

From slabs to actually installed, I really love marble:

Mock up of the marble hood:
My contractor did a working mock up of the marble hood. The plywood is where the marble will be once it is finished. There's a steel cage supporting it underneath and various engineering supports through the ceiling and in the wall.

Arabesque tile in laundry room with Carerra:

Completely giddy to see it all finally coming together....this will have to carry me through the next 90 days because I still need motivation to do two moves: one to my mom's until house done (our rental is getting torn down), and then into the house at the end of June. We'll be living out of suitcases for 60 days. I know you all have lived through "stuff" with your remodels, so you can feel my pain.

I had a GW fun day last week: Gigi came to visit me and see the house in person. It was so fun to meet up with a fellow GWer!!! It's like meeting your soul sister when you meet another TKO person :)

OMG!!! You're countertops are gorgeous!!! You're home is going to be beautiful!!! What kind of marble is that?

Love all of your choices...thank you very much for sharing progress of your beautiful home. A perfect illustration of how a kitchen is more than cabinets, counters, and appliances - the architectural proportions and details are just wonderful.

The counters look so beautiful with your grey island. The tile choices in the bath are stellar as well.

So happy for you. What gorgeous marble. When I go to the slab yards, I don't see anything as thick as that. Did you buy slabs that thick or do they piece it together? I also want your laundry room, as well! How many laundry rooms have marble in them? I'm thinking not many! I cannot wait to see your hood. It will be one heck of a focal point! Good luck w/ your moves.

Wow. This is so unbelievably gorgeous! The space, the cabinets, the counters! I can't wait to see the hood!

The marble counters are gorgeous! I also love your cabinets so much and can't wait to see what hardware you chose. Your island is a perfect shade of gray with your counters. I can't wait to see more of the kitchen completed including the grouting of that beautiful backsplash!

Well, what can you say...beyond gorgeous!

I've been waiting for this thread to pop back up. How lovely. Your counters must be pieced, to have such an edge ... but please tell me they're solid. I'd love to sw, oon over that!

I love that window picture you posted. I, too, would love that look. I also, on my 1976 ranch, wanted casement windows to give it some height. Unfortunately, in 2006 I didn't know what casement windows were, and was rushed into giant windows were they're 3 panes, and the two outside ones slide right or left. Hate 'em.

Kitchen window, too, which is too small to open more than 3" on either side. When I can afford my soapstone counters and to lower the window to counter height, it is GOING and I'll get something with the steel/aluminum frames.

It is in my plan to swap my windows out for something I want now that I know what that is. I state that here for all the world to see and hold me to. Make sense?

I've been looking for an industrial window to reuse as my future shower door. I might just make it out of a French door enameled black, but I'll figure something out.

Could it be that a 1" rail or stile isn't strong enough to hold what you want? I can't imagine after that Brook Ginaitti photo. Love that!

Anyway, I'm rambling about windows. Just wanted to say I'm still in love with your colors, too!

Amazing! :)

wow wow wow, just wow. gorgeous all around. please post a pic as soon as that marble hood is installed as i am dying with anticipation!

Oh honey, your selections are stunning. Well done!!!

I'd like to see some pics of the marble hood BEING installed. What a feat that will be! It is very beautiful stone for sure.

Thanks everyone for admiring the marble--I know how many people love it and I too appreciate the beauty of it, but just have never been able to pull the trigger on actually purchasing it.

The island and counters are all Calacatta Supremo from Pietra Fina in Hayward, CA. The slabs are not 3" solid. They have 3" (waterfalled when possible) mitered edges. The island slab was the most perfect piece but it was 3" shy of the original island size I wanted. To laminate the edges and match everything up, they had to cut the overhang back to 15". I bought slabs with large cracks at 40% off for the other counters and the sides of the hood to try and keep costs down. It meant that I had to be happy with how they placed all of the templates on the cracked slabs. Some people may notice that the veins are not running exactly perfectly through the whole kitchen since I had to turn a few of the cracked slabs to fit pieces in. But, for the face of the hood, I purchased another non-defective slab. That should be installed in another 3 weeks...can't wait for that. I think it's a bit of a design risk since it's so heavy and will be such a standout in the kitchen. I am hoping that the focal point will be a positive, not a negative....still a bit nervous about it.

CEF: I share your fixation with the steel windows. Ever since I saw my first window with the black metal, I was certain that my next house would have it. When we ran into a problem with the style vs CA regulations, I practically had a fit because the entire premise of the house was supposed to be designed around the black/white theme with steel windows. I pretty much had to lop off a ton of beautiful design details to afford these windows and keep this one design feature. I am hoping the trade off will be worth it in the end. I liked your "Steel Window Manifesto" that you declared to the world/GW....I can see us holding you to it now!

Deedles: Never fear, the entire install process will be photographed (if they let me be in the room). When they brought in the island slab, I think I made them nervous, so my contractor and I stepped out while they worked. However, I really do want to see that marble hood go in!

Absolutely beautiful. I can't imagine have a kitchen with so much space. Wow!

firsthouse, how is your reno coming along? can't wait to see that hood!

They pulled down the mockup and the steel cage was finished yesterday. I saw it on the driveway today and am anxious to see the rest of it it up. We ended up doing the wood flooring and have delayed everything around that. A few bathroom progress pics but not much else. Wish I had more to report!

I do have this little nugget...this slab of Zebrino Marble:

Got turned into this powder room vanity which will have a vessel sink, wall mounted faucet and mirror behind the spout/handle:

Library uppers:

A few more counters in:

Grin. It is wrong to live vicariously? So fab.

Love the library built ins! Fabulous color and design. And that Zebrino White-WOW.

That marble is to die for! Everything looks like it's coming along beautifully. I, too, can't wait to see the hood finals. I know it's going to be spectacular.

Yes, when is the hood going up?

Firsthouse, are those slab pieces around your shower? That looks awesome!

Two more weeks on the hood. We decided to wait until the flooring is all done and various other stone pieces have been put in. I ask my contractor every other day "When are we going to put up the hood?"..... I think he's holding his breath too about this because the teamwork between the fabrication and engineering teams has been fairly extensive. It's all worked out but we hope it all goes without any problems.

Jelly: Yes those are pieces of Caldia Marble that frame the shower (cut from the same slab as the counter).

Here's a pic of my wildly "Wearstler-inspired" master shower. I told Gigi from GW that it's very "aggressive design" and she agreed. These are slabs of another type of marble that I put on the ceiling and the walls of the shower. More slabs on the tub, the counter, the walls near the tub.

Risky design element that I am trying to pull off:

Incredible shower. Truly. I love it!!

Zowie :)

M, I agreed that it was going to be FABULOUS!
Also, you didn't post the money shot, so I will. What did you end up using for the master bath floor? Can't wait to come by and see the progress.

Firsthouse, Would you please post some more of your inspiration photos? You have excellent taste and I love the blackboard photo above.

I'm also looking forward to seeing the progress on your beautiful rooms, especially that drop-dead gorgeous kitchen!

berard:
Am in the midst of moving but will promise to get some inspiration pics and progress on line once my computer is up and running and I am back with my reg home computer.....iphone doesn't quite cut it!

Firsthouse, I hope all is going well with the move. Looking forward to your inspiration photos and updates of your remodel when you have time. I love what you're putting together.

Moving, how exciting! Been wondering where you have been!

I love how your kitchen is coming along! I LOVE the marble counters! I can't wait to see finished pictures. Thank you for sharing.

All the thought and planning you have put into these beautiful rooms is an inspiration to those of us still stumbling along.
Even if they are not the ones you wanted, the windows are striking and they look perfect in your rooms.
Can't wait to see the finished room in some magazine or featured on Houzz.

thanks for inspiring us, first_housemp, I have enjoyed your other two remodels, and I am loving this one so far as well.

I see what your frustration is with the windows, but most people would not see it as a problem at all. I love the look you are going for, just be patient, when it is all done up, it will be spectacular!

I keep checking back for more photos. So looking forward to your updates and most of all - PHOTOS! I am addicted!!

I was thinking about your questions about chalkboard paint and wondering whether you thought about installing a real chalkboard?

Update? I hope you've found some fun amidst the stresses. In the long run you will have created another amazing home.

Hi firsthouse, once more, your kitchen, well your whole house actually, is a stunner so thank you for sharing it w/ us.

I have a question for you. Since you have the 3" edge on your countertops, did they have to build your cabinets up under the marble so it didn't hang in front of the doors? What did your counter height from the floor turn out being? I'm doing full overlay doors & am considering a mitered edge a little thicker than my slab, so am wondering if they'll have to build up under the marble, which will raise the counter height higher than 36", which should be fine. I'm just wondering if that's normal & want to be prepared when they come to measure.

Thank you!