It’s been a looooong time since I’ve shared ideas for the India pied-à-terre here. If you are new here and wonder “What is that?” here’s an explanation. You know all the DIY blogs where bloggers are installing kitchens, building bathrooms, adding architectural trim and pining over perfect doors? Well we tried to do that on the other side of the planet, from Chicago to Chennai! No, we don’t have super long stretchy arms and legs to reach from here to there. We tried to get things done through other people. It didn’t work out so well. I try to be positive here, so you haven’t heard even 10% of why we quit and let the place sit empty.
After a two (three?) year break, maybe memories get fuzzy, maybe we are crazy, but I think we’re gonna get back on it in 2015. We’re gonna find a good team and we’re gonna get this thing done!
First up … for the apartment to be habitable, we need one bathroom finished. The kitchen is “thisclose” – we just need to install the faucet, hook up gas, run the water, plug in the fridge and then whip up some masala dosa, vada and idlis! Yay! (Actually more likely we’ll order Domino’s pizza after all that work. Yes they have that there. And they do deliver! With packets of ketchup! ???) Here’s the kitchen nearly done, with a real live owl sitting in it:
You can see the serendipitous, superstitious story of the owl here. And now that skinny strip of copper tile trim bugs me, but oh well. The line will be broken up by things we put on the counters.
The Great Bathroom Debate
Now, we are debating what to do about a bathroom.
This whole pied-à-terre-finishing business could probably become a “He Said But She Wants” reality show.
Watch the husband say: Let’s not get into what you want them to do. Let’s just stick a sink in there.
Watch her dismay: Just stick a sink in there? But what about my ideas, it was supposed to be awesome! Creative! Unusual! You can’t just stick a sink in there!
See the husband steady his two feet on the floor: Yeah I know you have that wood thing you want to use. But we have to get it done.
Stubborn wife volleys back: We can get it done. I can show them what to do. I’ll haul a table saw myself in my suitcase. We can check it in, it’s under 50 pounds. I’ll do it myself!!! Girls can saw! RAWRRRRR.
Husband isn’t having it: Let’s keep it simple. Like a pedestal sink.
Wife absorbs the crushing blow: Pedestal sink?!?!?!?!?!!!!! … (wife is processing how to deal with this crushing blow to creativity … she’s a fast thinker) … Okay. You’re right. We just need to get a bathroom done. We can do a pedestal sink.
Husband looks grateful, willing to compromise: You can do something creative in the other bathroom.
Wife stands up, heads for laptop, muttering under her breath: You want a pedestal sink, I’ll show you a pedestal sink …
Wife finds this … how about THIS pedestal sink?!?
From Signature Hardware. It’s only about $1,000. LOL. Plus getting the thing to India. I am accepting donations. Let’s say it’s for the Cause for Creativity!
Don’t make me bring out the Armored Indian War Elephant for this battle. I know where to get one!
Yes elephant suit of armor does exist, as if they need it!
EDITED to add: Over glasses of wine, goat cheese and eggplant appetizer, she raised the idea of the copper pedestal sink. Surely the wine would ease the idea? But he is not goin’ for it … not yet … main objection:
He said: How are we going to ship that to India?
She said: Oh but we know someone in Delhi who can make this pedestal sink happen!
Yesssss … we had the India apartment’s kitchen copper farmhouse sink made in Delhi and shipped to the apartment within India. That was a whole saga of a story though … actually getting the guy to make the sink (his mom got sick, there were holidays, there were festivals, so many excuses despite him being a manufacturer supplying U.S. retailers) … getting the sink shipped and received (postal service shipped it back, no one was there to sign for it even though signature was not requested or required) … the sink finally arrived 1 hour before my husband had to leave for the airport and return to the U.S. We left the sink in the care of our contractor, with YouTube videos to learn how to install it! That was dangerous.
Do we want to go through that again?
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