Our appliance repair guy warned me not to get rid of our dryer until it was truly dead. We’ve had it for 23 years and it works fine. Bet the next one only makes it to 5. Next time I have to replace a kitchen appliance, I will be looking hard for a company that doesn’t make garbage that dies in a few years.
@greenwitch The tile behind the stove is just some stuff we got at Home Depot, I think. My wife got the subway tile somewhere else. The mosaic came in 12x12 sheets, and there was a natural break, so I think it is 20x36. The frame is slate, and I did the mitering with a tile saw. I won’t claim it was easy. We didn’t get the mosaic placed perfectly, so you can see a line, although it isn’t too bad.
The grouting of the mosaic is a bigger task than it looks; far harder than the regular tile. The two of us did it, but an extra set of hands or two would have been nice.
Several people have mentioned appliances. The Speed Queen mechanical is the world’s best washer. It uses lots of water and does a load of laundry in 30 minutes, just like the olden days. Make sure you get the mechanical.
My next washer will be a speed queen!
Funny, thumper. There’s a place here that restores old stoves. Old, old ones and not cheap. I’ve got a 35 year old furnace. Like, no, I’m not looking forward to replacing that.
@EarlVanDorn I’m impressed that you and your wife did your kitchen tilework yourself, both for the skill and for not killing each other in the process. 
I still use my Cuisinart from 1983. A few years ago I replaced the bowl, and thought about replacing the entire machine but hated to think of it taking up space in the landfill when it works just fine and in fact is probably sturdier than current models.
We are about to start a kitchen reno. Have been in the house 27 years and kitchen was “vintage” when we moved in. Our sink is a metal one with built in drain boards and metal base cabinet, made by Mullns. It’s seriously rusted and the renovation is long overdue, but part of me realizes whatever I put in now will be subject to looking dated, where the kitchen we’ve had could be called quirky/vintage/charming. I’ve seen my sink in the background on t.v. Shows - Gilmore Girls comes to mind. Sadly it’s too rusted to repair but I intend to repurpose it as a potting bench/planter.
So far, we’ve gotten a farm kitchen sink from Costco (half the price of Shaw), and plan to do soapstone countertop with a built in drain board (can’t live without that now) and hickory floors. Flooring will extend to living room/hallway.
Love reading this thread, lots of good ideas and useful info.
@EarlVanDorn - first, your house is gorgeous!
(I never even heard of full-over-full bunk beds but that sounds awesome, among the other amenities.)
Speed Queen is definitely the “winner” for laundry at least based on GardenWeb. We went with the GW second choice, i.e. Electrolux, because I wanted their elephant-capacity washer (8+ cf). I know that my Electroluxes are good for about 4000-5000 loads, whereas the SQ can do 10,000. But other washers are even weaker. I like how SQ even explains their longevity in terms of # of loads, because # of years is so variable with laundry frequency.
ETA - I noticed this morning that I observed exactly the problem described earlier in the thread, i.e. water wicking along my counter’s bullnose and back to the cabinet. Luckily I saw it and dried it off.
10,000 loads!? That Speed Queen will definitely outlive me!
@doschicos - I can help with that, if you need me to do some laundry to help shorten its life. (We do a lot!) 
In fact, oddly, one of DS’s college options offers that laundry is “free” (included in dorm fees). I’m thinking that might just make up for their lack of FA, considering our family’s habits.
@fretfulmother Since we are empty nesters now, I figured 4 loads a week and came up with 48 years!
@doschicos, I bought my Cuisinart in 1983 or 4, so it is the same age as yours! I have replaced the blade several times–probably time for another–the bowl twice, the top twice due to the part I think @fretfulmother is describing, and once I had to send it into the factory to get it unstuck because dough leaked up under the dough blade and into the center when making bread and solidified so much that I couldn’t get the blade or the bowl off. (Switched to making bread in the Kitchenaid stand mixer after that debacle.)
Are the bowls really that expensive now? BTW, mine is a DL7 SuperPro.
Also BTW, you can buy a top that does NOT have the feeder tube and pusher. I got one, and now I hardly ever use the other one: only when I’m slicing or shredding.
@Consolation I actually have one of the DLC10 models. I think I know the part you and @fretfulmother mother mean now, and actually mine broke awhile ago but I just hold the cover down with one hand while I use it. Anyway, the whole bowl set needs to be replaced for that reason and because parts of the bottom of the bowl have broken off and I have a crack in the side. It’s truly on its last legs. And this past week, the stem of the shredder disk snapped off. I’ve only found one place on line that has the parts and its $90 for the bowl set and $27 for the shredder desk before shipping. Makes me wonder if its worth replacing or just trying a new machine. 
Also a member of the Old Cuisinart club. Vintage 1979 or 80 I think.
Mine broke in the same way. I think it’s worth it to replace it and get a new sharp blade. That’s what I did.
@doschicos, is it this place?
http://www.ereplacementparts.com/
I think that’s the place I’ve used before. This one is a good firm, if they have what you need. I used to buy chocolate-making equipment from them:
Thanks, @Consolation. I couldn’t find the parts for my model on either of those sites but perhaps I am not looking right as they aren’t super user friendly. I was looking here: http://www.kitchenworksinc.com/Cuisinart/Cuisinart-DLC-10-and-DLC-2007-Parts.aspx
I think I’m going to keep my eyes on ebay for awhile and see what I can find.
I guess I am a frugal person. I also still use a Braun coffee maker from 1984!
I have the DLC 7 Pro also…same vintage…all original parts…and it works just fine.
@doschicos, I use everything until it falls apart. 
My Cuisinart has seen a lot of hard use, which is why I’v had to replace the parts so much. I used to grind pounds of chocolate with it almost every day, made all of our bread in it…
I’d really like to get a new blade, but I’m hesitant to spend $40 on one when the thing is so old and may conk out unexpectedly…yes, I am frugal too.
BTW, I highly recommend the flat work bowl cover, if you do decide to get new parts.
@doschicos My wife and I learned how to do tile some years back, and have done a few smaller floors and countertops. It’s a good way to save money on renovation costs. It’s not that hard. A friend of my wife’s insisted that she teach her how to do a backsplash when she heard that we had done our own. She was not to be outdone, despite the fact that they have enough money to pay for a million backsplashes.
@fretfulmother We found the full-over-full bunkbed with an Internet search. It was custom made by a preacher who made them as a sideline. It’s incredibly sturdy, has a lot of wood in it, and does not shake at all. It cost something like $400. The guy said he made bunches of them, both twin and full sized, for duck and deer camps in the Mississippi and Arkansas Delta. We tried to get in touch with him for a friend, and unfortunately he has gone to a church in Oklahoma, so no more bunk beds for our area. It will be very easy to convert into a loft bed for college, should my son wish or need to do so.
10 years old but still relevant per our Cuisinart discussion today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/28/fashion/thursdaystyles/28online.html?_r=0