Luckily for most kitchen renovators these days, IKEA offers affordable, stylish cabinets. One of the contractors who came to look at my kitchen early on left me a catalog, with which I spent some serious quality time over the next couple of weeks.  

First, I made careful measurements in the kitchen. I even came to a surprising conclusion: Remember the drywall I removed from the chimney? If I hadn’t uncovered the chimney I would have had an awkward empty vertical space—those few extra inches gave the kitchen wall the length to fit standard cabinets, without a millimeter to spare.

I summoned the skills I learned during my elective drafting class in high school, broke out the ol’ ruler, and started drawing. Then I got out the catalog and turned to the pages of tiny print at the back, where all the cabinet styles were listed. Oh, and were they listed. Two drawer or three drawer? Pantry with drawers or baskets? Thirty or 39” tall?  The choices were nearly limitless, even for my tiny kitchen.

I dedicated a Sunday to it, decided on each piece, and listed every item that I would need to purchase. The only slightly unusual piece I chose was an 8” lower cabinet, which I thought would be a great place for a trash can.

• Howard University is looking for developers to take on a mixed-use project, Howard Town Center, at the corner of V Street and Georgia Avenue in Northwest DC. In addition to retail space, the project would house 300 rental units. [WBJ]

• A renovated rowhouse in Columbia Heights was recently featured on Apartment Therapy’s web site. [Apartment Therapy via Prince of Petworth] For a closer look at the process of renovating a home in Columbia Heights, check out our weekly feature, Diary of a Fixer-Upper.

• An office tower on Moore Street that promises more than 11,000 square feet of retail space is set to become the latest addition to Rosslyn’s skyline. DC Metrocentric has a picture of the design. [DC Metrocentric]

After his death in 1961, Finnish-born architect Eero Saarinen’s office bequeathed his drawings, ephemera, and personal correspondence to Yale. “Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future,” May 3 through August 23, marks the first time the public will be able to see those papers. “The material is fresh,” says National Building Museum curator Martin Moeller. “It establishes a context of his work and life. Saarinen grew up in a remarkable family—his mother was an artist, his father an architect. They lived in an artists’ colony and, after they immigrated to the United States, Cranbrook Academy outside Detroit, which the elder Saarinen headed. Eero Saarinen was always exposed to talented people—in architecture, furniture design, painting, and sculpture.”

Moeller says we’re lucky to have in our midst what he calls Saarinen’s finest design, Dulles Airport, begun in 1958 and completed four years later: “It is a great example of his ability to choreograph the architectural experience. The mobile lounges—a Saarinen innovation—were designed as areas where smartly dressed women and men traveling in their best business suits were served drinks.” Not anymore.

National Building Museum, 401 F St., NW; 202-272-2448.

More>> Open House Blog | Homes | Real Estate

Where: 1515 15th Street, NW
List Price: $6 million
Bedrooms: five
Bathrooms: six

The Metropole, a seven-story, 90-unit condo building set to deliver in August, is selling a three-story penthouse for $6 million. There are two entrances—one on the sixth floor, where the bedrooms are located, and another on the seventh floor into the living area, which has 24-foot ceilings. The penthouse is 4,600 square feet on the inside; two balconies and three terraces add 1,200 square feet of space. One of the terraces has a built-in hot tub surrounded by planters and a fire pit. A second terrace has views of the monuments on the Mall. Inside is a floating glass staircase connecting all three levels. The unit comes with three parking spaces in the building, which will also house a Vida Fitness and Bang Salon.

If the $6 million price tag is too steep, the penthouse can be bought in “raw” form for $5 million. The unit was originally designed for a buyer who has since backed out. Buy it finished in the completed five-bedroom, six-bath design; or buy it raw and design it to your liking.

More>> Open House Blog | Homes | Real Estate

Months ago, when I needed a fridge and stove to make my house legally habitable, I didn’t have time to shop around. I just spent a few hours surfing the Internet, talked to my mom about ovens, and then clicked the “buy” button.

Now, I had plenty of time to look around for the dishwasher and microwave. But because I didn’t have a car, shopping was a bit cumbersome. Some good timing, however, meant I was visiting my mom in California during the height of my search, so I enlisted her to drive me around to department stores.    

At first, the microwave seemed like an easy choice. I found a decent one online that was the same brand as my stove for $190—a good price for an over-the-range microwave. A few weeks later when I looked in the stores, I couldn’t find it anywhere; I checked again online, and it was gone. In that short time, my perfect, reasonably-priced nuker had been discontinued.   

Mount Vernon welcomes warm weather with its Spring Garden Party this weekend. In honor of Mother’s Day, "Martha Washington" will be on hand to greet visitors. Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11, 8 AM to 5 PM.
 
Clifton shows off five of its historic homes during the Clifton Charity Homes Tour on Thursday, May 15 . A marketplace May 14 and 15 showcases work by local artists and pieces from boutiques. Tickets to the tour (9:30 to 3:30) are $25, $20 in advance. Admission to the marketplace is free.

During Georgetown Garden Treasures: Tudor Place and Dumbarton Oaks,  two experts—Gail Griffin, director of gardens and grounds at Dumbarton Oaks, and Mary K. Crow, horticulturist at Tudor Place—lead a guided tour through two of Washington’s most stunning gardens. Saturday, May 17, 11 AM. Tickets $12.

• Magic Johnson’s company is investing in an apartment and townhouse development in DC’s Petworth neighborhood, near the Georgia Avenue Metro stop. [WBJ]

• Ground has been broken at the former site of the Columbia Pike Safeway in Arlington. The site eventually will house a mixed-use development with more than 180 apartments. [DCMetrocentric]

• Construction of a 16-unit condominium building on Chapin Street, near Meridian Hill Park in DC, is underway. [DCMud]