News from On The Beam Remodeling, Inc.

What's Your Lighting Plan?

Kitchen remodel in Oakland Hills

When you consider which elements of design need changing in a room in your house, do you include a new lighting plan? As the space of a room is reconfigured to improve storage, efficiency, natural light, view and aesthetics, lighting fixtures will also need to be replaced and relocated.

Title 24 requires 50% of all wattage in a room to be fluorescent, so that is the first priority in a lighting plan. In addition, California State Building Codes require that the first switch into a room turn on a fluorescent light.

Next comes practicality: Where is artificial light necessary in the new scheme to allow you to function fully in the room? Counter- tops, shower stalls, sinks, islands, and other special work or preparation areas will need focused task-lighting. This will include recessed ceiling lights, under-cabinet and/or pendant lights.

Finally, ambient lighting can be added. Ambient lighting doesn't brighten an area in a focused way, but offers diffused light that beautifies and softens a room. This usually takes the form of wall sconces, table lamps or floor lamps.

It is wise to plan ahead for lighting in your new room, and consult with your designer, architect, or specialized lighting designer about it.

                                                                          Temporary make-shift kitchen in
              homeowners' garage
What's Cookin' in the Garage?

When I began this newsletter, I vowed that it would never sport irrelevant recipes.   However, this recipe is germaine to the remodeling process, because it was executed in the above make-shift kitchen while On The Beamers were remodeling the existing kitchen in the main house. The garage was chosen because it is well-ventilated. Mitch and Sarah are happy to share this make-shift kitchen recipe:

Hunan-Style Chicken

Ingredients: boneless chicken breasts, garlic, ginger, oil (canola or some other good oil is preferrable), onion, mushrooms, red and green pepper, green beans, soy sauce, rice vinegar, rice wine (mirin), black bean sauce, sweet and sour sauce, chili sauce.

Sauce: about a quarter cup of soy sauce and rice wine ( more or less to taste), 4 tablespoons of sweet and sour sauce, 1 tablespoon of black bean sauce, a tablespoon of rice vinegar, a teaspoon of chili sauce (more or less depending on tolerance), a teaspoon of garlic, and a teaspoon of ginger.

Start by heating a very thin layer of oil with garlic and ginger spread around in a frying pan (with a cover) over a medium heat. When it gets hot enough for frying, place chicken breasts in the pan (can bread chicken if you wish; I often use cornflake crumbs). Cook the chicken for a minute and a half, then turn. After another minute, spread the vegetables on top, pour the sauce over, lower the heat to a little more than a simmer, and cover. Occasionally stir and pour a little sauce over chicken. After about 15 minutes, or a little less, the dish should be ready. It's good served over rice.

We removed the original microwave oven and cooktop, and placed them on the old plastic laminate countertops, on top of the original cabinets. We also installed a temporary sink for their use. All of Mitch and Sarah's recipes are for cooktop and microwave cooking.