Sunday, May 5, 2013

Kitchen Remodel, Week Ten: Hard as a Rock

The counters are in!


The soapstone is beautiful, although it is still in its pre-waxed state, so it is a pale greenish grey.  Once it gets waxed (or oiled), it will be a dark charcoal grey, almost black. I watered down the island top, below, to get an idea of what it will look like.


I’ve been reading Lavinia by Ursula Le Guin all week. It is the story of how Aeneas (of Vergil's Aeneid) fought the locals of Latinum, married the king’s daughter Lavinia, and founded Rome – told from Lavinia’s perspective. There is nothing food-related in it, except for several scenes of sheep sacrifice and an interesting bit about collecting sacred salt from sea mud.

So instead of reading about food, I’ve been daydreaming of writing about food. Specifically I’ve been fantasizing about the upcoming Cook N Scribble food writer’s retreat at the Tutka Bay Lodge near Homer, Alaska in July. Called “Food, Nature and the  Writer’s Wild Mind,” the retreat is facilitated by authors Molly O'Neill and Carolyn Forché.

It sounds like a heavenly five days of eating, exploring, writing workshops, and a cooking class, culminating in a LongHouse Food Revival billed as “a gathering of food thought leaders” -- more precisely, “an evening celebration of poetry readings, with a local seafood slam dinner by acclaimed chefs.”

I want to go!


Big thanks to everyone who has left comments and good wishes on these kitchen remodel posts. It has been particularly interesting to hear about other people's remodeling projects. Thanks!



WEEKEND COOKING

8 comments:

  1. Your kitchen is looking fabulous; I love the light pouring through the window, and the island is wonderful.

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  2. We have been thinking of replacing our countertops. The soapstone you've chosen has a classic look I really like. Hang in there! It really looks like it's coming together.

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  3. Diane: Thanks! Our old kitchen was really dark, so I can't get over how bright the new room is.

    Fay: We considered a lot of options before opting for the soapstone. We really were keen on stainless steel but it was way too expensive. We opted for soapstone because it isn't as shiny as other surfaces and doesn't need to be sealed.

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  4. Your remodeled kitchen is already looking beautiful! I love the wood and the wall color...and the new counters, too!

    Ours could use an update, too, but I don't see that happening for a long while...

    Sue

    Book By Book

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  5. Looking great! I'm envious of the size, the island, the light...well, just about the whole project, I guess! ;)

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  6. Wow, what a difference in coloring the water makes. It all looks great!

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  7. The countertops look wonderful. I have felt soapstone a few times, and it has such a soft touch. Will it still feel that way once it is waxed?

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  8. Your kitchen is so gorgeous! It's getting close!! And that event in Alaska sounds fabulous.

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