Paul Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 Some of you might remember I lost everything in a wildfire five years ago. Making a long ( I mean really looooong) story short, we moved in a couple daze (not a typo...it's been a daze) ago. I designed but, did not build the kitchen cabinets. Two sinks with a dish drawer next to each one. 48" dual fuel range with 52" hood. The house has 10' ceilings with 8' doors. I am going to coffer the ceiling but not right away. The last pic is one of the dish drawers open. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 Wow @Paul, that looks like one hell of a kitchen. Beautiful, great to have so much counter space and the two dishdrawers are a must in my opinion - somewhere to put dirty dishes while one washer is going. I was not on the forum when you lost your home but I am very pleased to see that you are getting such a beautiful place to make up for it. Any more pix??? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basher Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 Beautiful kitchen Paul. So much cupboard space and I love that Wolf oven..... shame you don’t need it now that you have a KK.My mum and dad lost our family home to a fire 15 years ago. It was very traumatic for a long time. My parents built this 5 bedroom log cabin on 15 acres in 1977. My 3 brothers and I grew up in this house with a lifetime of memories. Burnt to the ground with absolutely nothing left.I am not sure if they have ever fully healed from this experience. This Xmas will be the first since the fire that we will all spend it all together- in my new back yard and the KK firing.I’m thinking a slow cooked ham with maple, or jam, or honey, and also a slow cooked lamb shoulder with balsamic vinegar and rosemary. This may end more of a northern hemisphere Xmas meal. We normally eat cold cuts like hams and prawns given Xmas day here is as hot as hell.Any other suggestions?What will you be eating on Xmas day?Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted November 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 Thanks @tekobo The two sinks and dish drawers are due to this nasty habit my wife has of always finding something to do at the sink as soon as I start preping a cook. Drives me crazy! I'll take some more pix and post them. The contractor we hired does good work but, it was really expensive and so slooooow! He was released due to lack of performance. Here's a pic of what the house looked like the day he was released after almost three years. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted November 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Basher said: Beautiful kitchen Paul. So much cupboard space and I love that Wolf oven..... shame you don’t need it now that you have a KK. Thanks @Basher The Wolf range is awesome. We had a Wolf 36" in the house that burned down. The gas cooktop at the ranch we were living at sucked! I cooked most everything on the KKs and woodstove. I hate to admit this but, I haven't moved my KKs yet. The 16" won't be a problem. I'm not looking forward to putting the 23" in the back of my truck...again! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 What a traumatic experience and to had to go through that with your contractor on top of it all. Now, you have a dream kitchen, it is stunning. I hope you safely get your KKs home soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RokDok Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 What a trauma for you - can't imagine it. Beautiful kitchen - wood floor looks fantastic ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrus Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 (edited) Paul, that's a gorgeous layout with fine appliances and plenty of light, natural and recessed. I wonder, are there steps you can take after a fire to prevent or minimize the threat of a fire taking your home again. Seems to me that contractor needed a fire built under his butt, you must be a patient man, Paul. Best of luck to you and yours in the new castle Edited November 30, 2020 by Tyrus 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 4 hours ago, Paul said: The contractor we hired does good work but, it was really expensive and so slooooow! He was released due to lack of performance. Here's a pic of what the house looked like the day he was released after almost three years. As you are probably keenly aware by now, how do you know when your contractor is lying to you? Their lips are moving! I've had similar problems on remodeling projects and fired folks - as you said, usually for non-performance. But, when it's all said and done, it's nice to enjoy it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted December 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 On 11/30/2020 at 6:34 AM, Tyrus said: I wonder, are there steps you can take after a fire to prevent or minimize the threat of a fire taking your home again. Yes there are regulations (this is California) for building in fire prone areas. There's what's called the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) requirements. It states no eve vents, fireproof siding, class A fire rated decking, engineered sprinkler system inside all homes, and so on. I was talking with the Direct TV installer the other day and he was saying they can't take shortcuts and run wires through foundation vent anymore. The fire investigation found that they were running wire through vents designed to close at high temp. The wire blocked the vents from closing and fire gets sucked in. After seeing what fire can do I'm not sure anything is fireproof. A mate of mine had two, 40' sea vans (all metal ocean going shipping containers) that burned and melted to the ground. Another guy had a WWII surplus quonset hut (all metal framing and exterior) that burned/melted to the ground. Every person I know with a gun safe said they failed. I had all the underbrush cleared for more than 100' from house. All the ladder fuel on the trees was trimmed up high. I had a concrete around three sides of the house with a metal roof...and it still burned. We had granite counter tops in the kitchen and a marble bathroom which we could not find a trace of. The rock turned to dust. Fire can move very fast and it's so unpredictable. I hung around and tried to fight the fire. By the time I figured out it was a lost cause the fire was in the tree tops all around. By the time I got to my car to evacuate the outside temp was flashing 999°. I guess it went full scale but, I think it was somewhat accurate because I had to get new tires the next day. 1 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted December 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 On 11/30/2020 at 2:26 AM, Basher said: My mum and dad lost our family home to a fire 15 years ago. It was very traumatic for a long time. My parents built this 5 bedroom log cabin on 15 acres in 1977. My 3 brothers and I grew up in this house with a lifetime of memories. Burnt to the ground with absolutely nothing left. I feel your family's pain. The folks that tell you, "they're just material items" have never experienced losing everything. It's devastating. It took me a long time to get over the feeling I let my ancestors down. All of the wonderful furniture and hand-downs gone on my watch. Did your parents rebuild? 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basher Posted December 3, 2020 Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 I feel your family's pain. The folks that tell you, "they're just material items" have never experienced losing everything. It's devastating. It took me a long time to get over the feeling I let my ancestors down. All of the wonderful furniture and hand-downs gone on my watch. Did your parents rebuild? Yes they diid rebuild. Then sold the house 5 years later and moved on.That’s incredible heat to melt steel like that.The firemen tried to save our home and went into the house while it was burning. They are trained to throw anything combustible out of the house and away from the fire. The one thing they threw out was an original ancestors book written in the late 1800’s on the Irvine/ Irvin/ Irving family history( its a 3 inch thick leather bound book and I think only 20 were printed) and a bunch of original letters from the clan castle in Scotland to our ancestor who pioneered NZ from 1890- 1905.They then realised it couldn’t be saved, backed out and let it burn.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrus Posted December 4, 2020 Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 Well Paul, that's an amazing but heartbreaking walkthrough of what you went through to save your home. What's important is you were here to tell it. I just can't get my mind to wrap around granite turning to dust and those Quonset structures melting to the ground. In my area the Quonset huts are a familiar site here and there because they originated in R.I. Now when I see a hut my thoughts will be slightly altered, best of luck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troble Posted December 4, 2020 Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 Paul - I’m really sorry for your loss. I have friends and family in Santa Rosa that lost their homes a few years ago. Where are you located in CA? the kitchen looks great. And BTW I thought my wife was the only one who found something to do in the sink when I’m cooking! congrats on making it here. I’m sure it’s been a difficult journey. But you are here now. Congrats 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted December 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 22 minutes ago, Troble said: I have friends and family in Santa Rosa that lost their homes a few years ago. Where are you located in CA? I feel their loss. Sorry they have to go through the experience. That Tubs fire was mean and nasty. First time I drove through and saw entire subdivisions and the next subdivision destroyed my mind couldn't grasp or process it. The fire that took my homes was the third worst in California history until the Tubs and Camp fires. I'm about an hour north of Santa Rosa. A small community of about 1,000 folks in the Mayacamas mountain range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troble Posted December 4, 2020 Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 You’re also up early! you’ve been in the thick of things the past few years. That’s tough. Especially this summer. Unfortunately I think fires are a new reality of CA life. hope you break in that new kitchen with something nice to celebrate your long journey back home 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted December 7, 2020 Report Share Posted December 7, 2020 Hey there @Paul. Still super keen to see more of your house. I hope you managed to build in some things that you've always wanted and that you are enjoying the ease of being back in a place of your own. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted December 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2020 11 hours ago, tekobo said: Still super keen to see more of your house. Sorry @tekobo I haven't taken any more pix. I've been busy breaking down boxes, moving, cleaning, etc. I did manage to get the KKs moved yesterday. AND in one piece...each. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted December 8, 2020 Report Share Posted December 8, 2020 4 hours ago, Paul said: I did manage to get the KKs moved yesterday. AND in one piece...each. Great news re your KKs. I did not realise you were actually in the middle of moving house. Good luck and I hope everything goes smoothly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted December 9, 2020 Report Share Posted December 9, 2020 We expect picks of the KKs in their new home soon, @Paul 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
