Will Mona Lisa make the trip from Melbourne to Vero Beach?

Blogsters may remember my expedition to Stone and Surface in Melbourne to look for a top for the kitchen island. At four feet wide by ten and a half feet long the island is to be the centerpiece of the heart of the house, the kitchen/family room. Like others, my Italian family loves being together and often gathers to cook, to eat, to talk. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed having friends come together in the same way. My vision for this room is that it will become “conversation central.”

With this idea in mind, my friend, Cris, and I searched the isles of marble, granite and quartzite until we spied an astonishingly stunning piece of quartzite named Mona Lisa. Warned that the piece was “expensive”, we left certain that we’d found what we were looking for, but uncertain whether we’d ever have it. So now we have the rest of the story…

The dimensions and price of the stone (72 inches by 135 inches) were sent to two fabricators in Vero Beach. I waited for a call on Friday----nothing. It was a long weekend spent wondering. Questions danced around my head…

“Exactly how much could this cost?”

“If it costs a lot, could I afford it? Could I cut something else in the budget?”

“In the end, will I be truly delighted to live with Mona Lisa? Will she still delight me in five years?”

On Monday, I received the first bid.  

Ouch!

On Tuesday, I received the second bid.

Ouch! But better.

Decision time – almost. Never one to decide too quickly, I made one more trip to Melbourne, this time with my decorator, Betty Manry. Certain that I knew where the stone was located, we walked into the yard – no Mona Lisa!

A new shipment had arrived and four slabs of granite had been placed in front of Mona Lisa. She wasn’t the new girl on the block anymore.

We asked the salesman if we could see our slab.

“Sure, but you have to wait until we move the others. It will take only 15 minutes.” This maneuver is done by using a large tractor equipped with a crane and heavy rubber pads that can grab the slab at the top and move it to the side, down the aisle, etc. We waited.

Finally, the time had come. We looked at the stone. Same reaction.  

YES! The opportunity to walk in to my kitchen and smile at this stone on a daily basis is too good to pass up! Mona Lisa and I will be together for a long, long time!

Video Update

Adam Roberts, a Certified Green Builder, works closely with his dad on the project. His knowledge has helped us meet the requirements for the LEED certification.

Links You Might Find Useful...

Walking Through a Real Life LEED-Homes Project
http://www.reallifeleed.com/2009/01/walking-through-real-life-leed-homes.html

Architects Building a LEED Certified House
http://lambertleedhome.blogspot.com/

US Green Building Council – LEED for Homes
Seeks to improve the built environment, has set guidelines for building. They have even developed point systems to measure how "green" a building is.
http://www.usgbc.org/homes

ASID and USGBC Site on Green Remodeling
Includes green resources and case studies.
http://www.regreenprogram.org/

Energy Star
Sets guidelines for energy efficiency for homes. HERS = Home Energy Rating System.
http://www.energystar.gov/

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE)
Provides state by state info on tax credits and rebates.
http://www.dsireusa.org/

Clay Tiles with High Reuse Content
Beautiful glazes and many sizes.
http://www.fireclay.com/

Home Power Magazine
http://homepower.com/

Solar Today Magazine
http://www.solartoday.org/

Items For Sale on Craigslist

Hot Water Heater
http://treasure.craigslist.org/mat/1871947143.html

Windows and Doors
http://treasure.craigslist.org:80/mat/1871956244.html

Red Oak Spiral Staircase
http://treasure.craigslist.org:80/hsh/1871410494.html

Video Update

Come take a tour of the "innards" of the Folly with the Contractor, Chuck Roberts. Chuck knows the house in every detail and gives a good explanation of what's been done to build-in energy efficiency.

Granite, Marble or Quartzite?

Wandering around Stone and Surface in Melbourne, I’m amazed by the hundreds of outstandingly beautiful slabs of granite, marble and quartzite. I’m here with my friend Chris to choose something for a kitchen island. This is to be a largish island, 48 in by 126 in. No seams, please, so it needs to be a very large stone.* After checking her computer, Sylvia identifies seven suitably sized pieces, we sign a liability waiver, and go into the yard. Some stones are boring, some too light, some too dark. But they have very intriguing names. There’s “Absolute Black” – a honed, non-shiny granite. Dark, dark, so dark it won’t show the inevitable crumbs. There’s “Costa Esmerelda” – sea green with waves of sandy ripples. Verde Uba Tuba, River Storm, Rosso Fiorentino, Madreperola…(who thinks of these names? Why not me? Wouldn’t it be fun to be paid for dreaming up enticing names for beautiful stone?)

But, finally, we come upon a piece of quartzite called “Mona Lisa” that catches my eye. It is stunning. Chris is beside herself enjoying the color, the layers, the swirls!! All the colors of the earth in striations and then waves. This could be the centerpiece of the kitchen/family room, I’m sure.

One problem, they won’t tell me the price. Can I afford it?

Sylvia says, “it’s expensive.”

“Can you give me a ball park figure – just something general, plus or minus a bit? Is it a thousand? Two thousand?”

“Well, no,” she smiles as she tells me, “I cannot break our procedure. We only give the prices to the fabricator. What is the name of the company who will make the island?”

So I hand over the name of the local fabricator and go home convinced that the countertop will cost more than all the cupboards in the kitchen plus the cabinets in the bathrooms added together.

The next morning, Chris calls to learn the price. I call the fabricator. Dave says, “we really need the architect’s drawing.”

Argh!!!

I take a copy of the kitchen design to the factory. The next day, no call comes. The weekend is here; no call. Still no idea how much this potentially eye catching focal point of the kitchen will cost.

Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, will you be the centerpiece of the most important room of the house, or the one that got away?

*Some readers might wonder why I’m looking at stone instead of recycled tile, concrete or another “green” option. Truthfully, these surfaces do not appeal to me aesthetically. My goal was to have a home that is not only “green” in the sense that it meet a high LEED standard, but also is truly an exquisitely beautiful environment. One that makes me smile as I enter. Concrete countertops do not make me smile.

Video Update

It's July and the house renovation is in full swing. You can hear the hammers and saws! Here's a peek at how it looks now.