It has been a long time since my last blog and I thought I would give everyone a quick update.
The cottage / garage living arrangements seem to be working out really well. We have learned to cohabitate in a very small environment. A key issue for us was keeping the mud at bay with all the wet days we had. Millie the dog would tramp through our swamp of a backyard and then come racing into the garage or cottage spreading wonderful muddy paw prints everywhere. One minute of running through the house equaled 40 minutes of cleaning. Very quickly we learned to catch her and wipe down her paws BEFORE she came inside.
The weather has really played havoc with the work schedule as we haven’t been able to lay the footings for the new foundation. We have to wait for the ground to dry out some more. With the dryer weather I am optimistic that this week we will see a burst of energy around the house.
The relative sound of silence around the construction site has made me re-think some of my decisions on the interior of house. I would love to hear from viewers if they have had any experience – good or bad – with the following products I am contemplating using in the home. The choices I am pondering are:
· Hood: Vent-a-Hood
· Range: Lacanche-Cluny versus La Cornue – CornuFe
· Dish washer: Miele versus Bosch
· Fridge: Liebherr versus Sub-Zero
· Cabinets: Kraftmaid
· Radiant Heat: Nuheat (Radiant electric floor heating system)
Please weigh in!–Lisa Murray
(Lookiloos is following Lisa Murray and her family as they remodel their Los Gatos home.)
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Thanks for sharing. We are also in the middle of a major remodel and have chosen Kraftmaid cabinets. No experience yet of course but the research we did and our designer’s imput steered us in that direction. Our contractor also says they are very good quality. Good luck!
We remodeled our kitchen and two bathrooms a year ago and chose Kraftmaid cabinets. We love them. Great quality. The pull out shelves on the bottom cabinets are wonderful.
Dear Lisa,
Love the pictures of the angel, and of the family wrestling in the mud! I want to advise you not to put in super high end appliances in the house. I especially do not like my Fisher and Paykel dishwashers. Very fussy, and limited numbers of repair professionals to fix them every time they break down. I would also be careful about Sub Zero refrigerators. I do recommend putting in a very large one, or having two side by side. This comes in handy for holiday time, or when the extended family comes to stay. Other than that, my only advice is to remember that it is the journey, and not the destination!!
I would recommend you stay away from Fisher and Paykel dishwasher. Ours broke the first week we had it and it took some time for repairman to show up. As far as refrigerator, I have heard that Sub-Zero refrigerators have there issues as well. Please tell me about the other refrigerator choice and why you are considering it. I love reading you blog because you seem to find some humor in all the chaos.
I just love the updates and can’t wait to see the finished product and you all some day!! As for dishwashers..bosch is overrated (we have one). Just to shake it up a bit..we are in Deer Valley and are renting a lovely home. Their dishwasher is a Fisher and Paykel and I love it. Can’t wait for the bosch to break at home. Keep sending us updates!!! xoxo Dawn
Funny you should ask, a freind and I were discussing high vs. mid-level appliances just this weekend and we agreed for as much as they cost…they are just ok. She had to have a Miele in the latest house. We have them at work too, but it’s just ok. Another friend loves her FP dw, but they don’t have good reviews overall if something goes wrong. Yet another friend out of town has some old Kenmore that I covet because she doesn’t rinse anything – at all, not even eggs or pancake batter and days later when she runs it everything comes out spotless. (We have no idea how she got so lucky.)
Another freind who has built many a high-end home and another who is an architect have both sworn off Sub-Zeros because every one they had broke and has gone GE Monogram for refrigerators with good luck.
I’ve always been a big fan of the looks of the French ranges, but even though I’m a very serious cook not sure I’d opt for it. Example: would I actually like lateral doors on the oven?
For me it comes down to parts/repairs for these appliances. So I’d find out about that to help you decide.
I have had my subzero fridge for 5 years and love it! I would highly recommend a subzero fridge.
I have used sub zeros for 10 years. I had a big refrigerator and the same size big freezer. Two side by sides and also 2 under counter drawers for fruit and salad fixings.
The drawers had to be repaired just when the warranty was up. It took a while to get the part as it was defective but once fixed it has been fine.
Also the freezer went out twice. I had to rent freezer space as it is a big freezer. It was then fixed and went out again within 6 months. Again rented freezer space. Once that was fixed it worked fine ever since.
The one thing I will say about the subzero is that despite repairs it is the best. The food stays fresher longer in a regular refrigerator last 3-4 days a week at most and in the sub zero they can last up to 1 1/2 weeks. Something about the way it keeps the moisture out.
But on that last note. The ice machine in a sub zero freezer is horrible. Because it keeps moisture out it makes about 1 tray of ice in 12 hours. That is my big complaint.
Hope this helps.
Also I have an 8 burner Viking with the grill and Vent a Hood is fabulous.
Hope this helps