Our Orange Oasis

kitchen

August 25th, 2007

(click on thumbnails for larger pix)

So, the kitchen. The cabinets and major appliances are in place, the counters installed. We spent some time last weekend installing some of the cabinet hardware. Unfortunately, we cannot install the backsplash until the electrical is completed. To recap, K-construction’s electrical contractor, Belmont, in addition to not completing their work, also did electrical work that was not up to code, forcing us to hire Phase Out electricians. Phase Out has to pull new permits (oh, joy!) with a two-week lead. They also ordered xenon decalume under counter lighting, also with a two-week lead. So right now, we can’t use the dishwasher, for example, because the electrical work was not completed on that circuit. Also MIA are working undercounter lights, and the proper hookup for the microwave.
Less important technically, but infinitely more annoying, is the pink elephant that is the refrigerator. It juts out of its alloted space by 6 inches, looking awful and partially covering a bank of light switches. Dubravka, the architect, appears unwilling to take responsibility for this gaffe. She wants her last payment of $600 to sign off on the job with the DOB, but we contend that it is going to cost us a lot more to address this problem, and imperfectly at that. Her solution was to recess the refrigerator. Now that we don’t have a GC in the game, this creates an unwieldy thornbush. 1) According to the DOB, we’d have to file for another work permit. That alone is enough to make me scream, “Absolutely NOT!” 2) Finding and paying someone to do the work, likely to the tune of $1200+ 3) If the fridge breaks, the space is so specialized that we’ll have wasted money fitting it, and more to refit a new one. (Our current fridge is about 3-4 years old).

We want to go with option #2, which is to purchase a new fridge. But this will still result in some pricked thumbs. 1) a comparable fridge is now $800-1200. 2) We’ll still have to modify the space by removing a cabinet ($150), as no counter-depth fridges on the market will fit in a 64″x30″ space. 3) What a waste of a working refrigerator, and more time and effort spent trying to sell it (we paid about $600, and figure we could get between $200-400 for it). An average net loss of $1350, plus all the research and work trying to rectify it–priceless. Or rather, we think that Dubravka should call it even on the job so that our net loss is not $1950 (adding in her fee of $600) for a mistake that she made.

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