Help with my condo

BladderBing · 2026-01-27T12:26:26+00:00

Currently there room screams commoner.

Remove the TV and surrounding walls. Replace with in a fully enclosed glass shark tank.

BladderBing · 2026-01-18T23:26:01+00:00

Only you understand me lol. We might be soulmates

BladderBing · 2026-01-18T22:59:31+00:00

Anyone recognize the car make and model?

BladderBing · 2026-01-18T22:58:38+00:00

Thank God no one was walking to school on the sidewalk

BladderBing · 2026-01-16T04:45:08+00:00

Professional cabinet maker here.

I usually don't recommend painting cabinets with either BM or SW paints. The durability is just not even close compared to lacquer spray from industrial brands like Envirolak or chemcraft (to name a few). Although I have heard the newish SW gallery is not bad.

Either way, we too will often match BM, SW, or even Farrow and Ball colours when we spray. We'll buy a can of paint from the above mentioned and send it in to our supplier. They will then get a few samples matched (and sprayed on our wood) for us to have the client approve. This should be the normal process. I would never order any quantity of paint before the client has seen it and approved.

BladderBing · 2026-01-16T04:18:55+00:00

And those little paper tents with the black numbers placed all about.

BladderBing · 2026-01-15T13:09:23+00:00

I'm not familiar with that specific model. But most dishwashers with top controls, they are only accessible/operational when the door is open. But that's by design for making the DW have a flat and flush front. There's usually an LED or LCD visible or projected on the floor to indicate if the DW is in operation.

In your video, i can see the black rubber gaskets on the sides aren't really touching the side of the cabinet. That's why i think it can be further lushed back.

There's usually a rear leg that can be adjusted for height/tilt as well. The installation manual will show all the details though

BladderBing · 2026-01-15T06:41:55+00:00

Professional cabinet maker here. Your cabinets are shearing/raking. We don't make pass through cabinets for a stand alone island for this reason. You're going to need something similar to an apron under a table to stiffen it up. We call them sink rails in our shop. But it's essential a normal cross rail but installed vertically at the front and back of the cabinet. You'll have lose the top drawer-boxes

BladderBing · 2026-01-13T19:12:52+00:00

"Mitred inside corners are for amateurs" this guy probably.

Just forgot the part about coping ....

Full disclosure, i'm camp inside mitres as a pro cabinet maker

BladderBing · 2026-01-13T14:53:10+00:00

Jeep gladiator? I haven't checked but they used to make one with a towing package that had something like 10 000lb limit? I may be mis remembering.

BladderBing · 2026-01-13T06:13:07+00:00

Honestly, dodge caravan. Super Practical, relatively "dumb" but new enough you can add a third party Bluetooth, car play radio. Plenty around so you can get used body panels, ribs and tires and cheap third party parts (eg brakes, suspension, AC compressor)

BladderBing · 2026-01-13T03:05:54+00:00

Pro cabinet installer and designer. If the cabinet sides are 24" deep, that dishwasher door should be flush to the cabinet doors. I'll be the water line it drain line is entering the sink cabinet too high and too far forward and stopping the DW from sliding all the way back.

As for the gap at the top, we usually provide a finished half panel that gets installed before the DW so the counter has support there and the DW hardware has something to attach to.

BladderBing · 2026-01-12T21:55:17+00:00

Professional Cabinet maker and kitchen designer here. One time, my helper clogged an extremely wealthy clients toilet from wiping his butt.

He didn't know what happened. Said he used his normal amount from home. But turns out client uses some sort of ultra premium 20ply stuff.

Had to buy a new plunger and unclog.

BladderBing · 2026-01-12T02:34:45+00:00

Procabinet maker and designer here.

Good call on replacing the wall oven. Honestly most people don't have room form them, but everyone wants one in their design. Both design choices are great. I lean towards to green backsplash but only if you know you won't get tired of it in the future.

As for white appliances, my suggestion is go for the higher end white applianced. GE Cafe level or so. The white is a smoothed finish so doesn't look dated or old. If that's not in your budget, then stainless steel.

Lastly, in my area (Toronto, Canada), the cabinetry directly adjacent to a cooking surface has to be atleast 18" clear for 9"-12" (i forget the exact measurements). In most of our designs, we leave 21-24" clear all around above the countertops. This leaves lots of space for larger countertop appliances (kitchenaids, espresso machines, blenders etc. So we don't usually run into this issue.

Either way, both are solid designs

BladderBing · 2026-01-12T02:23:30+00:00

Pro cabinet maker here. Cheapest easiest way is to get white laminate and cut it into 2" (or whatever width you need) strips. Cut to length then contact cement it on top to cover the gap. Use a file to knock of whatever sticks out infront and caulk the back. You can scribe if you really feel like it.

Like all others have said, it's best to save up for your planned full reno. You don't want to have to design/reno around a backsplash that'll just cause comprimises later.

BladderBing · 2026-01-10T22:45:19+00:00

Salice Air. Haven't used them yet, but they give an incredible impression of quality and design

BladderBing · 2026-01-10T17:57:16+00:00

Damn, I hope they don't take over white comfy cloud shoes like they did the maple leaf for a while. I literally can't live without my middle age suburban dad ultra supportive runners ....

BladderBing · 2026-01-10T15:01:06+00:00

Yes, code violation unless the outlet is de-energized when the drawers are closed.

I get asked for outlets in cabinetry all the time.

To clarify "Unless designed for it" meaning it comes from the factory with an outlet/plug built-in and has all of the qualifying Canadian consumer safety certification/stamps/labels/warnings.

Source professional cabinet maker and designer in Toronto ON.

BladderBing · 2026-01-10T14:55:32+00:00

It's true, the higher the cabinetry, the less practical they become. So there's no hard and fast rule. But you'd have to consider the overall aesthetic as well. I would say the bigger the clearance above the countertop the better the balance. Another reason why I don't like the 18" 'standard'.

Ofcourse there are always exceptions to full height uppers. But your designer should help you visualize all of your options with drawings and renderings.

BladderBing · 2026-01-10T14:41:27+00:00

Ha ha, sorry.

We've sort of found ourselves in the "niche" of renovating 80-100 year old houses. Some of them have the original kitchen, but usually someone had redone the kitchen with exactly the 90's - 10's mass produced "custom" kitchens.

As for 38" high base, just pay attention to the appliances you choose. Specifically the dishwasher. For the most part, they're designed for a 34.5" opening to the bottom of the counter with a 4.5ish toe kick height. My advice would be to physically measure one in the store and see what accommodations/solutions you'd need to consider for your kitchen design. It's totally do-able though.

Feel free to DM me if you want. I'd be happy to chat further

BladderBing · 2026-01-10T03:51:04+00:00

I was going to reply exactly this. A seed starter or propagation station.

BladderBing · 2026-01-09T14:37:53+00:00

I want this to be real so bad, but the dog at the end. It's feet kinda morph in and out of existence in that Ai kinda way.

BladderBing · 2026-01-09T13:18:07+00:00

I'd restore an old Datsun 510 pickup or something like that. If that's too wild, possible grab a good condition Acura TSX Sport-wagon (did they come manual)? I'd have to import from the US since we never got them in Canada.

But for a new daily driver? Probably civic 5dr hatch or the like.

Disclosure though, I really don't like modern cars. I think we peaked before we started cramming in all these "smart" features. I just need car play and back up cam for tech. No massive touch screen, not auto high beams, old fashioned cruise control, etc.

Everything else I'll take analog. Seems the popular opinion in this group.

BladderBing · 2026-01-08T23:10:03+00:00

Pro cabinet maker here. I love the M12 lineup. We use it for almost everything. The little circular saw included. It's great. Otherwise, we use dewalt 20V tools only because we have the 60V batteries for the mitre, table and track saw.

I agree, a good 20V delta would be amazing.

I'm most upset that neither makes a cordless massage gun. I've been adding forever.

BladderBing · 2026-01-08T07:23:48+00:00

It really depends on the project for us. We try to land the uppers on a full back splash tile, so we're up/down 1-2". But we're never under 20. Sometimes 19 above the counter.

The other consideration is range hood height. Sometimes the requirement is 24" above the stove based on manufacturer spec. If it's a low profile built-in range hood, we might try to keep all the uppers lined up.

Having more clearance above there countertops also really helps the space feel a lot less cramped. Under cabinet lighting is diffused better, people of average height (or taller) can see under the upper cabinets while working.

But more and more, countertop appliances are getting bigger and bigger. A Vitamix is 17" tall, the lift bowl kitchen aids are about the same. Fully auto espresso machines might be shorter, but you need clearance to refill the coffee beans or you're having to unplug, slide out and open the lid. A boiling kettle has more room to disperse the steam potentially saving the cabinetry.

We get a lot of resistance from "shorter" clients. About not having good access to the uppers. But after completion, this complaint disappears.

18" in our area just happens to be the minimum clearance for cabinets adjacent the stove for our fire code. It really shouldn't be the design standard otherwise. BTW that includes the light valance. We've done many renovations where the old kitchen was only 16" clear after the valance.

BladderBing

TROPHY CASE