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Friday: millwork meeting, Vanity World
Aug. 30th, 2024 11:26 pmEarly morning meeting just me and the project managers at the builder. It was a long meeting and at times fraught, however, it went well. We’re working through the process of identifying what millwork really is desired on this project, and, of that, what millwork will remain with O., and which millwork we will part out to other vendors. I’ve already taken over the bathroom vanities. R. and I went to Vanity World in Canton, which has a _ton_ of vanities on display and the gentleman running the place was very helpful and clear in his explanations of various brands and options. If you are shopping for a vanity at any price point, this is a _great_ place to go and look and get a sense, and you might walk out with all your decisions made already.
R. and I are still talking through whether to go with the online choices I had picked out, or to go with a Bertch option through Granite Group / Sink and Spout, or something else. We are also talking about possibly having some stainless steel counter and racks for part of what is currently cabinets and stone.
Back in the meeting, we decided to turn the sauna woodworking over to the sauna vendor, because honestly that just makes more sense anyway. I specifically asked the builder to identify a second vendor for the kitchens, bar, and the closets that I still want to have cabinetry in. The pricing from O. is absolutely insane. I don’t think they want the job, both because they lack the capacity, and the way N. has designed it, it’s something they have zero interest in even doing.
I’ve picked out some alternate pendant options for the living room, that shouldn’t present visual problems when viewed from below or above; I’m going to ask for those to be wired and blocked for in case the trimbers don’t work out.
I’m also texting with one of the project managers pictures of people who’ve installed cork on ceilings in various applications. She’s going to see if she can find anyone who has done that kind of installation. If one of the arguments for tambour wainscoting or that weird ceiling in the pool room, or the trimber slats is sound mitigation, well, cork will be way better for that.
Late in the day, the architect emailed me to say that the structural engineer contacted him to say she wasn’t getting paid. I don’t even _have_ her contact information and she might not have mine, which is pretty ludicrous. She reached out to the person she used to work for and is now sub contracted to, and he’s like, we pay you when we get paid, but I haven’t gotten an invoice billing for her yet (this month’s is at least two weeks late, which isn’t that unusual, and last month’s didn’t include her but that could have been a timing issue with her submitting to them and them invoicing me). By the time I saw the email, it was after business hours, and it’s a long weekend. It’s aggravating, but not my fault. I sent email to the engineering firm asking what was going on. My guess is the accountant was on vacation, but it’s possible somebody dropped the ball somewhere, and me asking will nudge them into fixing it. I’ve also asked the architect for the engineers contact information.
It’s all pretty Extra, since the architect is in the process of holding up an invoice for the builder, for really petty reasons. I was telling Priestess about all this, and she had a whole series of stories from her job that amount to the same kind of bullshit. I think it’s just how things work, which is pathetic, but probably not worth getting overly agitated about. I feel for the engineer tho.
Yesterday, I looked at the banquette in my sister’s kitchen. It’s 6’ on one side and 8.5’ on the other side of the obtuse angle. I mean come on. The custom table is over 4’ x 7’. Absolutely insane. I figured out a way to put a 6’x2’ island at 42” from the main run of cabinets, and then extend at table height a quadrilateral that would have 42” from the walls on the other side.
I had another idea this morning for how to handle the banquette. The one big table could be converted to 1 or 2 smaller tables and the size and shapes of those tables are pretty open for negotiation, too. I still like the island plus attached dining table better, but presenting options is probably best.
Good news on the doors — J.’s idea of just fill the rough opening with very large double doors, no lights has resulted in an actual elevation of both doors. Next step is to turn it over to the custom door folks (she’s found a second option, too, and they are also an option for cabinetry) for the multi-point smart locks. Fingers crossed.
R. and I are still talking through whether to go with the online choices I had picked out, or to go with a Bertch option through Granite Group / Sink and Spout, or something else. We are also talking about possibly having some stainless steel counter and racks for part of what is currently cabinets and stone.
Back in the meeting, we decided to turn the sauna woodworking over to the sauna vendor, because honestly that just makes more sense anyway. I specifically asked the builder to identify a second vendor for the kitchens, bar, and the closets that I still want to have cabinetry in. The pricing from O. is absolutely insane. I don’t think they want the job, both because they lack the capacity, and the way N. has designed it, it’s something they have zero interest in even doing.
I’ve picked out some alternate pendant options for the living room, that shouldn’t present visual problems when viewed from below or above; I’m going to ask for those to be wired and blocked for in case the trimbers don’t work out.
I’m also texting with one of the project managers pictures of people who’ve installed cork on ceilings in various applications. She’s going to see if she can find anyone who has done that kind of installation. If one of the arguments for tambour wainscoting or that weird ceiling in the pool room, or the trimber slats is sound mitigation, well, cork will be way better for that.
Late in the day, the architect emailed me to say that the structural engineer contacted him to say she wasn’t getting paid. I don’t even _have_ her contact information and she might not have mine, which is pretty ludicrous. She reached out to the person she used to work for and is now sub contracted to, and he’s like, we pay you when we get paid, but I haven’t gotten an invoice billing for her yet (this month’s is at least two weeks late, which isn’t that unusual, and last month’s didn’t include her but that could have been a timing issue with her submitting to them and them invoicing me). By the time I saw the email, it was after business hours, and it’s a long weekend. It’s aggravating, but not my fault. I sent email to the engineering firm asking what was going on. My guess is the accountant was on vacation, but it’s possible somebody dropped the ball somewhere, and me asking will nudge them into fixing it. I’ve also asked the architect for the engineers contact information.
It’s all pretty Extra, since the architect is in the process of holding up an invoice for the builder, for really petty reasons. I was telling Priestess about all this, and she had a whole series of stories from her job that amount to the same kind of bullshit. I think it’s just how things work, which is pathetic, but probably not worth getting overly agitated about. I feel for the engineer tho.
Yesterday, I looked at the banquette in my sister’s kitchen. It’s 6’ on one side and 8.5’ on the other side of the obtuse angle. I mean come on. The custom table is over 4’ x 7’. Absolutely insane. I figured out a way to put a 6’x2’ island at 42” from the main run of cabinets, and then extend at table height a quadrilateral that would have 42” from the walls on the other side.
I had another idea this morning for how to handle the banquette. The one big table could be converted to 1 or 2 smaller tables and the size and shapes of those tables are pretty open for negotiation, too. I still like the island plus attached dining table better, but presenting options is probably best.
Good news on the doors — J.’s idea of just fill the rough opening with very large double doors, no lights has resulted in an actual elevation of both doors. Next step is to turn it over to the custom door folks (she’s found a second option, too, and they are also an option for cabinetry) for the multi-point smart locks. Fingers crossed.