We're done! For now.

December 20th marked the final day of work on our kitchen by our contractor. This is as much of a miracle as the rescuing of the Chilean miners and the delivery of Chirstmas gifts by baby Jesus (in Colombia, gifts are delivered by baby Jesus, not Santa).

We are still planning to put in a glass tile backsplash in the next month, so the "after" pictures are still on their way.

The updates on the final day included adding a cabinet panel to the front of the dishwasher, installing the dishwasher and disposal as well as the faucet. We also installed three paper lanterns above the island, but we're not planning to keep these for too long (we just haven't found anything we love). We are really happy with the way that everything has turned out, and we can't think of anything we would have done differently (with the same budget). Hopefully we will still feel this way when the tile is in!

Counters!

The kitchen has been at a standstill while our countertops were being made over the last 16 days. We went with Silestone quartz - somewhat like granite, but not a natural stone (it's engineered) so it has consistent color and pattern.

So finally after a long two weeks, they installed our counters yesterday. At the same time that the counters were installed, they undermounted our sink (an Overstock.com find by the brand "Kraus"), and we were able to put our little dish soap pump at the side of the sink. They also put our cooktop in (although it's not installed or connected to the gas line yet).

Having counters makes an enormous difference. It feels like we are really close to the end. Our friends were over last night and sat on bar stools at the island while we all looked at magazines and books and just hung out. Exactly how hoped it would be. It makes a huge difference in the overall feel of the house.

We are desperately missing running water and a working sink and dishwasher, as we have been without these things since before Halloween. Luckily these, and nearly all of the rest of the finishing touches will be done this Monday. After that, we have the tough choice of backsplash tile (which we plan to install on our own after the holidays), lots of cutting of drawer liner, and organizing to do. So fun!

Day 35

The kitchen work has slowed down as we are now at the point where we are waiting for the countertop to be made. This only takes 10 days but feels like the slowest process on earth since nothing else can really happen until it's in.

The big news is that we are actually able to put some things in some of our cabinets and drawers! Check it out:


The rest of our cubbies have been set in place too. Not sure what we will put there yet, but we were happy to see that the space is a little taller than a coffee mug:



And looking at the window:


Also, my new favorite part of the kitchen is how nicely the refrigerator is boxed in:




Yes, that is our dog Emma in the background probably barking at our front door. And yes, that is plywood serving as a makeshift counter. And yes, that is the Steelers schedule on the fridge.

Day 30

Small spaces, small changes

The changes that took place in the kitchen today are small, both literally and figuratively. This means that small goals have been fulfilled. Their small size, however, does not negate their large importance in any way...for we must always remember what a wise man once said about small goals:

"I like to set small goals that might lead into larger ones, like making toast; this might lead into making a sandwhich and possibly my own space program."

It's with that spirit in mind that I bring you today's kitchen update. Here we have a couple of pictures of the storage "cubbies" (as we affectionately call them) which will sit atop our wall cabinets. These are small storage spaces, but were a way for us to use space that would otherwise simply go to waste if it were a soffit. This is because our ceiling was not high enough for us to use the tall wall cabinets. So our plan is to mostly use these small spaces to hold our cookbooks, which we will wrap in nice colored paper. Ooh-lala.

These have not been permanently set in place, and thus have gaps between them and the cabinets.

Another small change is the addition of the oak transition pieces (stained to match the cork), and the staining of the replacement oak slats that were dropped into place in the areas where the walls were removed. They will get polyurethane coats soon, but for now have merely been stained.

Day 27

Have you ever seen footage of how they move the space shuttle into place in order for it to be launched? It's an insanely slow process, and takes about a week or so. I know this because I went to Cape Canaveral once. Anyway, the reason why I bring up the space shuttle being moved is because today Mr. Refrigerator finally made his way back into the kitchen...where he belongs. It was a slow move from the dinning room, and in a way it was a move that was far more significant than that of the space shuttle (at least for those of us who live in this house).

Here you can see Mr. Refrigerator in his new home. The oven is now working, as is the microwave. It's also worth noting that the light fixtures under the cabinets are plugged in and working. Don't believe me? Check out this super sweet picture:

Oooh. Ahhhh.

What else happened today you ask? Well, vents were routed under the cabinets, and the final electrical details were taken care of. That includes small things like outlets in the island.

What's left to be done? The list is getting smaller, but it includes:

- Install cover panel to cover up dishwasher

- Install storage compartments where the soffit would be (these are being built off-site)

- Install transition pieces from cork to hardwood

- Finish and stain pieces of hardwood to match existing hardwood (this includes the area by our front door, which we haven't really talked about in this great blog)

Besides that, the countertop will have to be included. It will only be then that the sink, faucet and dishwasher can be hooked up by the plumber.

Day 26

Baby steps today...baby steps that came in the shape of a microwave oven, and functional outlets, switches and light fixtures. The microwave took a significant amount of time, since the vent going up to the roof had to be re-routed. This is because we wanted the vent to actually vent to the outside, not just re-circle the air.

Not much else to report today, except that the countertop was templeted (I think I just made up a word), so it should be here in about two weeks.

Hello Mr Microwave, I'm pleased to meet you.

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Light fixtures are in. Nice.

Day 25

Things have been a bit slow as of late, due to the Thanksgiving weekend. Still, if you close your eyes and you listen closely, you will hear the sound of cheering and excitement off in the distance, and that's because we're almost on the home stretch.

Today, more small details having to do with trim were done. But that matters little because the oven was put into place, as was the dishwasher. We do not have the cover panel for the dishwasher yet (I hereby officially shake my fist at Ikea in anger). The panel will match the other cabinets, and will thus make the dishwasher hard to find for those unfamiliar with our kitchen layout. This will make for very fun games of "find the dishwasher" during family gatherings. A new family tradition begins. How fun!

This picture will serve as a clue during the fun games of "where is the dishwasher" that we will play from now on. By the way, I fully expect to win a Pulitzer Prize for photo journalism because of this picture.

Dishwasher aside, seeing the oven in place felt like a bit of a milestone, even if we can't use it right now...because it's not plugged in yet. The electrician will be here this week to do his magic (by "magic" I mean making things work), as well as finishing up the outlets, light fixtures, and switches. This will also allow us to move the fridge into is permanent home, and away from the dinning room, where it has been squatting for some time.

It will be in this sacred compartment that many delicious cakes and pies will be baked. Its matching cooktop will be installed very soon. It will be on that sacred cooking surface that many plantains will be burned.

Lastly, it's worth mentioning that the small cubbies of storage space that will sit atop the wall cabinets (instead of a soffit), are being built off-site as I type this. They should be in later this week. Hooray for storage! Woo-hoo!

Said storage compartments will be housed atop these cabinets. Note the artistic qualities and considerations that make up this beautifully framed photograph. Eat your heart out Ansel Adams.