An Accident of Hope

6.26.2006

What Were We Thinking? Weekly Update: Oh. My. God. Are We Nearing the End?

After more than a month off, we finally got back to our kitchen. Gee, it sure is dangerous to leave a kitchen remodel when it's partially liveable. We've been far too complacent. But then, we had to be since it took three weeks from the placement of the order for the wall cabinets for them to be made. And we were lucky they were made on time, because our order's due date was actually the date that Karman's closes production to do inventory. But my dad pulled strings and the cabinets were finished a day early.

Did I tell y'all what we had decided to do? You remember how I was all anxious over the fact that we had rustic maple base cabinets but cherry wall cabinets and spice maple crown molding? Well, after all that, when my dad priced buying 2 new cherry cabinets and replacing the doors on the existing cherry cabinets it turned out that that was only $50 less than ordering all new rustic maple wall cabinets. Cherry is expensive! ( I knew that, but I didn't really KNOW that until seeing the prices!) So, all our cabinets match.

And, boy, are they beautiful. I didn't have a lot to do this time, since I can't install cabinets, but I got to admire... Here's Dad installing the first of them.


Oh, shoot, I need to back up...

Ok, Kristin and I had put off painting the arches and the new construction and the alcove (which we had painted 2 years ago when it was a hall, but since there was no light in there we didn't realize just how very patchy our paint job had been) and the trim until we couldn't put it off any more. So we spent all Saturday priming and painting painting painting. .

So then, on Sunday, we were ready for the install. My Dad is an amazing installer. He did it for years and years. Was the best. He's slower now, but still amazing. He knows right were the studs in a wall are. Without measuring even. Just drills and there you go. Instant stud. Cabinet hung. Amazing.

Ok, so he stuck the first two cabinets up and then we had to skip a cabinet because they made it wrong. So then Dad stuck the formica for the backsplash extension behind the stove (this picture is best viewed large)
And THEN we got to put in the over stove cabinet and microwave.

After that he put in the Cabinet above the fridge, and then began putting the knotty pine tongue-in-groove boards back on the walls and ceiling. .

Finally, he put in the cabinet that hangs over the stairway and forms part of the banister. That included installing another countertop (small, but such an addition!)

There's still a lot of little things to be done to finish the kitchen up. That last cabinet needs to be installed. We're missing a drawer front. There's a lot of trim to go up. We're looking at probably another 2 days of work -- next Sunday and another day after that. But because it's really coming together now, I'm going to hold off showing "after" pictures of the weekend progress to better maximize the impact of the end result.

Look for an update next Monday!