We have our kitchen back!

The counter top guys came on Friday to install all of our counter tops. We were so excited to finally have some counter space back to be able to work in our kitchen.

They put the counter tops on with shims underneath to make sure things were level and to apply the sealant to seal them to counters underneath. 

Then they laid the counter tops down, and sealed them with what smelled like an acetone sealer. They put the back-splash up and that was that! 

The variations in the granite is really cool, with blacks, golds, greens, mauve and creams. We love how it looks with the cabinets and the floors. Now all we need is to pick a paint color! We are leaning towards a light gray-green that really comes out in the granite but we'll have to see what paint samples look good. 

The cabinet guys were back on Saturday to put in the toe kicks and hardware. They also hooked up our dishwasher and sink. We did run into some challenges with the garbage disposal and our sink. The sink piece was too thick for the attachment for the garbage disposal, so we needed to order and extender. They are back today, and hopefully that will get all hooked up and then we will be "done" with the big stuff. 

Here are some additional close ups of different parts of the granite to show all the variations in the pattern and color. We are so happy with how things turned out and are really excited to get our kitchen back together.

We spend yesterday putting things away and just organizing. It is amazing how much more space we have. I can't wait to cook a big meal in here! We were talking about doing some jambalaya as our first meal in our new kitchen. That and brewing some beer :)

D&L

Cabinets In!

The installers were back this week to finish installing the cabinets as well as build a base for our apron sink. It took the whole day to get the cabinets in and put the backing on our peninsula into the family room, but its all really coming together. 

We had gotten used to the kitchen being completely open, so having cabinets face out in to the family room is going to take some getting use to. We're still adjusting to the layout but are really happy with it. Notice the Powers Whiskey bottle on the counter? It's a birthday present for Dan :)

After the cabinets were installed, the granite company came out to make the final measurements and template for the counter-tops. We have to make a decision about how we want the edges to look, but then we are good to go with them cutting up the slab. 

Building the supports for the sink took awhile, but it fits well with the cabinets and we have enough space in the back for our faucet, which is definitely a good thing! 

All we have left is to have the counter-tops installed, have the cabinet guys come back to install the faucet, hook up the garbage disposal, dishwasher and sink, as well as put on the cabinet hardware and toe kicks. 

We have a painting party on the horizon and then the kitchen project will be done! Next up: redoing the wet bar :)

D&L

Cabinets and Granite

We took a small break from our project and went on vacation in the Caribbean for a week. It was a welcome break from both the project and the winter weather, but since we've been back, we have been busy.

Last Monday, all the cabinets got delivered. The dining room was filled with boxes of cabinets and parts. 

The following week, the contractor came and installed about half of the cabinets. Its finally starting to look like a kitchen again! 

We love how the color of the cabinets looks with the hardwood. There were some extra pieces that we had to order, but all in all, the first part of the installation went pretty well. 

The same day the cabinets were getting installed, the carpenter was there working on raising the windows in the kitchen. He did all the prep work that day, and came back later in the week to install the new windows. The windows look great and he was able to use some of the old casing, so they look like they have always been that way! He also helped us put in the vent for the microwave, so now with those two things done, the rest of the cabinets can be installed. 

Over the weekend, Dan's mom came to visit, and her and Karen came with us to go granite shopping. After visiting a show room, we went out to a warehouse that had tons and tons of granite, marble, onyx options for counter tops. Dan and I had already narrowed down the color scheme we were looking for, and after ranking a number of choices, we narrowed it down to the one in the picture below. 

The larger slab had more of a variation in pattern and color, with some greens and reddish hues throughout. It's a little bolder in pattern than we thought we would go with, but we absolutely love it. Once the cabinets are all installed, the granite company will come out and make some measurements, and then we'll be able to get that installed.

The light at the end of the tunnel for this project is getting bigger and bigger. We are both excited to have a working sink and being able to put our dishes and pantry items away so we know where they are. 

We have been using our little wet-bar sink to wash all our dishes, which has been fun. Our pantry is in boxes on the floor in our living room, which has provided challenges in finding things.

Here's hoping the rest of the cabinet installation goes well!

D&L