More progress on our kitchen but still some way to go. We were able to enjoy the kitchen this weekend by doing some real cooking … chicken soup. A full sink, a dishwasher, a garbage disposal … who needs them?
We also spent time admiring the fine carpentry that is going into the trim work. Wow. Out classes most of the materials elsewhere in our home.
Kitchen Today
Beautiful trim work
Wow
Half wall cabinets
hutch cabinet
Another day brings more amazement. Today our trim work began. We were warned that the trim work would be more time-consuming than putting up the cabinets. The warning was justified, but, oh my, totally worth it. Such meticulous work - like fine furniture that just happens to be the base of our cabinets.
We also get to peek at our sink. The cook top is in and working. Big burners, big flame.
Today was a day worth the wait. (I’m sure I’ll think that many times in the days and years ahead.)
The upper cabinets were installed. Not one, not one wall - all of the uppers. Wow!
And the island sink faucet was hooked up, the drain was hooked up. Wow - running water again.
We used our kitchen sink!
Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Granite for the garden window base? Gas for the cooktop? A panel on the dishwasher? Panels on the cabinet bases and sides? A surprise?
Day 40 brings the completed installation of our exhaust hood! The exhaust was routed up through the attic to the roof. Big powerful fan! Two halogen lights with bright and dim settings. Sharp looking!
And, the big news is our garden window was installed. Looks so nice.
A new week brings progress. A whole bunch of electrical work was done today.
The exhaust hood installation began. A couple MR16 high-hats were installed over the island. The garbage disposal was connected (no plumbing yet). A slew of electrical outlets and switches were installed as well.
Day 30.
Our existing tile floor needed “touch ups” for a few areas around the edges, in front of the fridge and in the new butler’s pantry where the wall came down. We had a box and a half of tiles left over from when our floor was laid only a few years back. Fortunately there was enough.
The tile guy was fabulous. Matched the grout, did meticulous work and finished in a single day.
Day 31. A day of rest.
Friday went well for our kitchen. The beautiful granite was installed, bringing our kitchen a bit closer to completion.
The Black Galaxy is amazing to look at … like a star system filled with thousands of sparkling stars.
The Silver Galaxy island … wow. We’re more than happy with our choices. Certainly worth the extra time and trips to make it happen.
We ate our first meals at the table end … roast chicken, baked potatoes and steamed baby asparagus. We played with “Convection Roast” for the first time. Cool.
Steel table base
Our old fridge moved again, this time out of the kitchen and into the garage. We’re tired that fridge and glad it’s not in the house.
The kitchen was decluttered a bit. We can now see the window soon to be replaced by a garden window (that is ready to be picked up and installed).
Window Ready to be Ripped out
And, we can glance into the butler’s pantry.
Butler
While we were at Hankins yesterday, we picked up our top choice board of handles and knobs.
Top Knobs
We are looking for modern, a little pizazz but definitely functional. We’re leaning toward the 3rd or 4th down from the top in the center column.
Back to the granite yard yesterday. One slab of our Silver Galaxy is potentially salvagable. A little chip, some cracking, a couple ugly black streaks ….
Ever so patient with us, our KD takes on another complete tour of the huge granite warehouse and yard. No slab is left unturned (not really, but that sounds cool). Nevertheless and (seemingly) miles later, we end back to where we started. Is this one last piece salvagable? Can the templates be arranged to work? Are there more hidden cracks?
Clever planning, arranging and re-arranging allowed us to leave hopeful all will turn out well. Myron from All Marble was ever so helpful despite the half-hearted push for us to choose “black” for the island.
While we were there we saw our perimeter granite already cut, polished and ready to go. Very nice. VERY nice.
Undoubtedly there is a huge audience just waiting to see our beautiful granite installed and the last few hundred details for the kitchen to be finished.
Was the granite installed Friday, Monday, today? No.
We heard from Jerry that the slab we had selected for the island was cracked. And the slab behind that one, and the one behind that one …. the whole batch was cracked and unusable.
We’re headed back to the granite place tomorrow to look again.
Oh, and not that it matters any more, but the name of the granite is/was Silver Galaxy.
The island granite template. One seam, at the sink, was the best we could do. Can’t wait for the install.
Huge Slab o' granite
We went armed with the charcoal door matching the island, a wood sample matching the perimeter cabinets and a selection of 5 floor tiles. We were able to reduce our choices down to 4. Then we wandered outside for a bunch more. We stumbled upon this grayish, redish, little brown, some black and copper speckled slab with a fairly wide vein running through it. A daring vein. A statement vein.
I wish I had taken a picture, but alas, I didn’t.
Samples are below.
the island surface
for the perimeter surfaces
a day at the granite place
just a fraction of the place
Waiting for granite shopping (that’s on us).
Drywaller doing a bit of this and this.
Electrician put in the remaining high hats and an outlet for the microwave and, and, and
HOOKED UP THE OVEN!!!
We baked and look what popped out - an iTouch Cake. We love the ovens (so far).
The oven baked wonderfully - a brand new chocolate chip pound cake and brownies. We had an interesting time on makeshift countertops rolling the fondant and doing the decorating.
Days 17 and 18 were totally quiet.