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!