angelinethebaker's Profile

Display Name: angelinethebaker
Member Since: 3/5/12

Latest Comments...

Maybe "look expensive" is not really the right way to put it, but I say don't listen to the naysayers. This kitchen has some great potential with only minor changes. I listed my ideas above -- and I just went on Overstock and found they have a gorgeous white vent hood as low as $220. The hood is such a focal point in the kitchen -- centered and at eye level -- yet most of the ones installed are exceedingly ugly. And whoever above suggested track lighting in the kitchen area -- that is a great idea. You can replace the dining room with a hanging fixture that goes nicely with your other decor.

I promise, if you change the hood, the lighting and the wall paint you will hardly believe it is the same space.


How Do I Get Expensive Looking Kitchen Upgrades on a Budget? Good Questions
6/17/13 6:55 PM

Put in a tile backsplash. Change the countertop to go with the new tile, and eliminate the 4" integrated backsplash for a more streamlined look -- you don't need that bit if you are tiling the wall! The new counter can still be laminate -- check Ikea first for cheap, good-looking options, but "normal" laminate brands from Home Depot have great options -- they can custom-order from the whole Wilsonart or Formica lines.

Keep the white appliances, but look for a white range hood that has more style. Overstock.com is a good resource. Or think about maybe a stainless hood even though it won't match the appliances -- if you have enough chrome trim on the white stove, and brushed nickle hardware on the cabinets, a brushed stainless hood might look just fine.

Also look on Overstock for an upgraded faucet -- but if you have a stainless steel sink, I would not change it.

Get a more stylish microwave, or just get rid of it altogether whenever you finally put the house on the market.


How Do I Get Expensive Looking Kitchen Upgrades on a Budget? Good Questions
6/17/13 2:10 PM

If you like a dark finish, the seams won't show -- at least Wilsonart brand has a dark seam; not sure about other makers. With our black counters, the dark-brown-almost-black seam was invisible.


Counter Culture Sustainable Countertop Design from Wilsonart
6/14/13 2:05 AM

Also, many of the laminate options that have a more organic look, but do not mimic granite or another material directly, will give a "natural feel" to your kitchen. Some have sort of a rice paper vibe, others just have random speckles. The one called "soapstone" in my opinion doesn't look that much like soapstone, but it is lovely. Another, called "Beluga" has a suggestion of fossils in an abstract pattern.

I think the bright colors have wonderful possibilities, and maybe would be just the ticket if you want to go bright but are afraid the love affair will fade after a few years. Laminate is not expensive to replace, and without the rolled edge you can even glue new sheets right over the old, reusing the entire undercounter.


Counter Culture Sustainable Countertop Design from Wilsonart
6/13/13 7:32 PM

It's much easier to work without tape and results in better edges. I usually keep some on hand for tight spots -- although often enough a small artist's brush works better even for those. You don't even have to be so super careful with the drop cloths on a hard surface floor if you just keep a damp rag handy and wipe up drips as you go.

One great use for tape is to cover light switches and outlets (with covers removed) so you can roll right over them.


Is This Don't a Do? Skipping the
Painter's Tape

6/13/13 12:10 PM

I'll speak up for laminate -- I love the stuff as a countertop material. Yes, you can't put a hot pan right on it or cut directly on the surface, but neither of those things are what I expect out of a counter -- these are true of many natural products as well. Our laminate lasted beautifully for 16 years (we moved at that point) and it was no trouble at all when we wanted to do a small remodel and had to add a bit of counterspace. We did not have a fancy edge treatment, but I find the simple, streamlined look of a square edge appealing. Ours also predated the "natural stone look" now available, but the black speckles with matte finish resembled soapstone enough to get that sort of look, although no one would really be fooled into thinking it was the real thing.

The Wilsonart website has all their patterns with the repeat size listed and a picture of a whole sheet. They say you can undermount a sink, but I'd be hesitant to try it.


Counter Culture Sustainable Countertop Design from Wilsonart
6/13/13 12:06 PM

My husband and I both grew up with "assigned seats;" in fact our table still bears scars from its duty as his family's table -- his brother stabbed at the table over and over as a preschooler. It's been refinished, but some of the marks are deep! Now our family never varies where we sit, unless a guest is over and plops down in someone's usual seat. Then someone has to adapt and try to be graceful about it!

As for seats on the sofa, usually the dog gets the best one.


Do You Have Set Seats at Home?
6/13/13 1:07 AM

I used to stand at work 5+ hours, and I can attest that when they bought me mats it made a huge difference in how much pain I felt in my back and legs by the end of the day. I'm sure they purchased whatever mat was cheapest at Uline. It was basic rubber and would not look super in most home kitchens. At home, I bought thick wool-look polypro rugs and they are good enough. I rarely stand in my kitchen for more than 2 hours, and I am moving around not in one place as I would be at work. I also always wear shoes indoors.


Recommendations for Kitchen Floor Mats That Help Lower Back Pain? Good Questions
6/12/13 11:00 AM

I live in a 1909-built house that is largely painted creamy-white, and I think it fits beautifully. Unfortunately the paint job wasn't done very well, so I will have to face whether to paint over the same color or go through the 100-white/cream-paint-chips routine.

Our house gets TONS of natural light and has high ceilings, so a color that might look dingy in other spaces reads warm and welcoming here. There also simply isn't that much wall space due to many windows and doors in every public room, so that is a factor, too.

Where paint has chipped away in some spots I can see that the walls were once mustard and the trim bright green. The stairway treads were royal blue. The fireplace bricks were painted bright red. I have no idea if all these layers were visible at the same time, but knowing about them makes me grateful to whoever painted the whole interior cream, no matter how badly they did it!


Choosing the Best White Paint:
A Cool vs. Warm and Old vs. New Theory

6/7/13 4:02 PM

Whether your plants do well or poorly with mulch depends on the plants and the mulch. Mature shrubbery will do fine with something like bark or wood mulch. These mulches can steal nitrogen from the soil as they decompose, so young plants may be starved and stunted, while mature ones take it in stride. For your new bedding plants and perennials, mulching with compost is best. Either way, that nice even color below the plants does make the garden look beautiful, and cuts down on your watering needs, too.


5 Tips for Getting the Garden Party Ready The Gardenist
6/6/13 10:31 PM

We refinished our oak floors, and after viewing a sample patch decided that natural was too light and modern looking for the house and our stuff, yet we like a bright, open look. We also had fir stair treads that we did use only clear finish on, and the wood is naturally a bit darker than our oak. So we chose the lightest possible stain color and have been very happy with the result. The look is totally classic; while it may never be at the forefront of fashion, neither will it ever look "so 2010s!"


Should I Stain My Floor or Keep It Natural? Good Questions
6/6/13 10:13 PM

mdorothy, these are absolutely nothing like American-style graham crackers, although I like those, too. They are quite similar to McVities although they lack oats as an ingredient.


A Surprise From Carr's: How I Fell In Love With Their Whole Wheat Cracker The Cheesemonger
6/5/13 6:18 PM

I recently purchased a place that has a mosaic tile bathroom. It's a pretty crazy pattern, similar in some ways to this kitchen, but calm colors, and personally I love it -- definitely increased the value of that house for me as a potential buyer. If there is real art involved I would not assume something like this mosaic would necessarily make a place impossible to sell, even if it won't appeal to everyone.

On the other hand, I've been really surprised at the number of neighbors who assume I have plans to rip out and replace that bathroom.


Kitchen Before & After: A 1950s Kitchen Transformed by Mosaic Tiles Reader Kitchen Remodel
6/5/13 4:24 PM

The only problem with those crackers is how I can polish off a whole box as soon as I open it. No need for cheese, even, though I agree it is a good pairing. Mmmm...

They taste just like McVities digestive biscuits, which are also wonderful.


A Surprise From Carr's: How I Fell In Love With Their Whole Wheat Cracker The Cheesemonger
6/5/13 2:10 PM

In Cambodia, most people believe in ghosts and the sight of them is common, especially in urban areas where lots of people live close together (and given Cambodia's recent history). Since there are so many, having a ghost is not really a real estate issue. This info came to me from friends who lived in there for many years. I don't know if there are degrees of ghosts; i.e. if some are angry and less desirable roomates.

For myself, though I don't believe in ghosts, knowing my home was the scene of a murder would weigh on my mind. Better to not know.


Would You Live in a Home that was the Scene of a Crime?
6/4/13 12:22 AM

I like this idea because it doesn't jut out from the wall like most bookshelves -- especially since many cookbooks are oversized. But my go-to books are not all that pretty, so possibly this is not the solution for me. I keep mine on a pantry shelf. I'd like them more accessible, but my large kitchen has little storage space. Lots of windows and not very-well-considered design put storage at a premium. No, I didn't design it!


Would You Ever Store Your Cookbooks Facing Out Like This? Kitchen Inspiration
6/3/13 2:31 PM

Could be the difference in camera angles, but the "after" room looks smaller to me. I think it is the effect of the shelf visually cutting across that wall; plus smaller rooms sometimes do paradoxically look larger when painted darker.

Nothing really wrong with "after" but personally I'd skip the shelf, put the plant on the windowsill, and find other storage for the remainder. And I like a mirror over the sink.


Before & After: A One-Weekend Bathroom Refresh (+ Painting Tips from a Lazy Perfectionist)
6/3/13 1:08 PM

Strict time limits on screen time, however you manage them, work great for elementary age kids. As they near high school age, though, I've found they need to self-regulate more. For one thing, they are on computers all the time doing homework, and I can't watch every moment to make sure they are actually working and not gaming. For another, games are on phones, too, and by that age most kids have phones. "No" is still in the parent's power, of course, but it is more complicated and better to dialog about what the kid's goals are and how to spend time to allow for both fun and goal-reaching. I wish I could say I've had 100% success, but this stuff is difficult!


Managing Kids' Gaming Time
5/31/13 11:15 AM

Here is an amazing and unexpected use for rose petals. Line a plate with fragrant rose petals. Place prunes on top. Yep, prunes, as in dried plums. Get nice ones that are not rock hard but also not all mushy -- should be glossy, black and somewhat chewy. I've had good luck with the ones at Trader Joes. Let stand at room temperature for a few hours. The roses will perfume the prunes, transforming them. The black fruit on pink or red petals will look stunning, and I bet your guests will ask "what are these amazing things?"


Pretty in Pink: 7 Luscious Rose Petal Dessert Recipes
5/25/13 1:55 AM

If you go with all lamps, definitely have an outlet wired to a switch at the door, so you don't have to walk into a dark house fumbling for a lamp switch!

We went with a single center surface-mount light in our living room, in part because we didn't want to rewire and it already existed. I bought a hanging light with a large drum shade. It hangs on a pole that is maybe 10" long? Fine for our very high ceilings, but you may need something with a lower profile. We don't use it all that often but it looks nice and sometimes it is great to have all-over bright light.

Another nice option for the living room is track lighting.


Plan for New Living Room Lighting? Good Questions
5/24/13 5:44 PM