DIY Network

Mississippi-Delta House: Southern Comforts From "Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes" episode DBCV-104

Meri Tenhet, a culinary-school-trained cook, designed her own kitchen.

NOTE: Images on this page may be enlarged for enhanced viewing simply by clicking on them.

In this episode of we meet homeowners Meri and Tim Tenhet and get a close look at their vacation home in the Mississippi delta -- just a half-mile from the Mississippi River.

In this segment Meri, who handled much of the detail work when it came to planning, discusses the kitchen design, kitchen cabinets, electrical installation, lighting choices and other custom features.

Meri, a culinary-school-trained cook, had high standards when it came to food preparation as well as the ability to entertain in the kitchen/living area. She designed her own kitchen based on her cooking and did considerable research before making her final choices.

advertisement

	Meri Tenhet

A Good Southern Kitchen

Since Meri is a trained chef, getting the kitchen right in the vacation home was understandably a high priority. It was a job that she was happy to take on. She wanted a kitchen that was open, lending itself to entertaining and conversation while cooking was taking place.

"I think it's very important to plan what you want in a kitchen, whether it's in your primary home or your second home," says Meri. "We knew that this was a place where we could come relax and enjoy our friends and our family, so we definitely put a lot of thought into how we wanted this whole room to open up."

	Figure A
	Figure B

Meri knew that she wanted a commercial range (figure A) for its versatility, ease of cooking and ability to handle preparation of large meals. One factor that she didn't count on was the fact that this is a gas oven without an electric start for the pilot lights. Consequently, the pilots stay lit all the time and give off some heat. During summer weather, the kitchen can get pretty warm, and the heat given off by the range can contribute to that. Consequently some modification to the air-conditioning system may be necessary.

Other decisions with respect to the kitchen included the style of sink and faucets, countertops and cabinetry (figure B). "Decisions in the kitchen, or any part of the home, can be overwhelming at times," says Meri. "You really have to do your homework and know what you want. Going and looking at other peoples' homes, looking in magazines, reading -- collecting information is the most important part of it." Meri kept a file of information and clippings the help her in the decision-making process.

The installation of the kitchen cabinets, in particular, was something of an adventure. Not knowing much about cabinetry, this phase of furnishing was basically achieved through trial-and-error. Meri wanted something that looked rustic and aged, but she was not experienced with faux finishing. The cabinets were custom built by a carpenter from pinewood, stained and then painted. Some of the paint was then sanded off. Finally the cabinets were re-stained and given a protective coat of polyurethane. Though it was something of an "experiment," Meri was ultimately pleased with the results (figures C and D).

Figure C

Figure D

Figure F

Lighting, Electrical and Plumbing Fixtures

Meri stresses the importance of careful planning -- and communicating with the electrical contractor -- for the placement and number of electrical outlets, lighting fixtures, switches, dimmers and so forth. She knew she wanted to be able to turn on exterior lights (figure F), both upstairs and down. Back-lights to illuminate the outside of the house and porch were also included in the plans. This kind of planning needs to be done before work starts. Changing electrical work after a home is completed means added expense.

When it comes to outlets, Meri's general advice is "more is better" -- especially in the absence of a professional electrical plan. Too few outlets is a frequent problem in many new homes.

The type of lighting and style of fixtures is another important consideration. Individual fixtures were selected to complement the cabin's rustic style (figure G). For ambient lighting in the kitchen and living area, she knew that they wanted indirect lighting and went with simple overhead canister lights. She made certain to have adequate task-lighting over the kitchen island by using pendant-style halogen lights (figure H). Meri did quite a bit of comparison shopping before making her final choices.

Figure G

Figure H

	Figure I
	Figure J

The kind of selectivity was used when it came to the plumbing fixtures. She wanted a look that was rustic and different from what the couple had in their primary home. With the help of a local plumbing-supply specialist, she was able to scour through books and catalogs and eventually find fixtures with the look that she wanted (figures I and J) without paying the high prices of some of the high-end pieces she saw initially.

In the segment that follows, the do-it-yourselfers discuss how decks and a screened-in porch factored into their plans and give some final advice on the opportunities and challenges of being your own contractor.

RESOURCES :

Resources for Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes episode 104: Mississippi-Delta House

Majesty of the Mississippi Delta
To order this book from Amazon.com, click here.

My Mississippi
by Willie Morris, David Rae Morris
To order this book from Amazon.com, click here.

Square Books
Oxford, Mississippi
Website: www.squarebooks.com

Federal Emergency Management Administration
Website: www.fema.gov