Just a quick addition

We had a small accident on the kitchen floor and one of the tiles was cracked. Rodney from Nationwide Floor & Window Coverings (http://www.floorsandwindows.com/) came right over and changed out the tile and showed Mark how to resolve the problem if it happens again.

Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.

Lazurus Long.

It's been a fantastic journey in remodeling our kitchen. Without the guidence of John and Chris at Blue Ribbon and Shauna at Kitchen and Bath Galleries this would never have happened. Their combined knowledge made for a wonderful experience. Of course there were problems, but John and Chris were available at any time and dealt with the difficulties in a fair manner. Yes there were changes to the original plans (in spite of our best efforts) but even these were handled promptly. Remodeling is a long and tedious process that will make you want to scream your head off but it's so worth all the pain in the long run.

We have a gorgeous kitchen that works beautifully for both of us. Mark is our chef and I'm the sous-chef. The angled cabinets and counter with the prep sink allows easy prep work without getting in the chef's way. The smooth cook top allows for easy cleanup. The only regret I have is I didn't have the pot filler installed, but it was to late in the remodel when I thought of it.

To everyone that worked on this project from the demolition crew to the painters, you have my heart felt thanks.

Blue Ribbon Residential Construction (http://www.blue-ribbon-construction.com/)
Shauna McDonald at Kitchen & Bath Galleries (http://www.kandbgalleries.com/
Eastpointe Electric (eastpointeelectric@msn.com)
Bar Stools and Dinettes (http://www.barstoolsanddinettes.com/)
Majestic Marble and Glass (http://www.majesticmarbleandglass.com/)
Wayne Furniture Repair (www.waynefurniturerepair.com)
Nationwide Floor & Window Coverings (http://www.floorsandwindows.com/)
Michael A. Parker Inc. (http://www.maparker.com/)

I remember now why I hire painters

Well, Sunday and today I painted the wainscot in dining room. After the floor went in, it was obvious the room needed the painting. Originally I was only thinking I had to do the wall where the china cabinet would sit and I could do the other sections at a later date. Well that was a major bust. Once that wall was painted it was obvious that the rest of the room had to be done. Today I finished up the rest of the room. Bad news, the blue painter's tape took a small bit of the wallpaper off and now I'm trying to become creative in my thinking and figure out how I'm going to hide this little spot. Got any ideas?

And we have floor

For a while today, I really thought we were the victims of the flooring curse. John had send a note last night that the flooring would be installed today, so rather than going to Myrtle Beach like we had planned we stayed home at my insistence. After all, the last flooring experience didn't inspire me with confidence. Anyway, 11:00 comes around and no flooring crew. Mark gave John a call and was assured they were coming. 2:3o rolls around still no crew so another call to John. He once again assures us they are coming, but he's going to call to make sure. Around 3:30 we got a call from the crew, they were tied up on a job, but could come either around 5:00 or tomorrow. I went with today. At 6:00 they finally got here and they looked exhausted, in two hours they got the entire floor down (they do have to come back tomorrow to do the shoe molding and the transitions.

I'll post some pictures tomorrow after the guys are gone and all is installed. Of course now I'm thinking we have to repaint the molding and maybe the walls. Ah, but that requires removing that wallpaper and I have to wonder do I really want to get in to all that.

More coming tomorrow

Another Day Another Project????

Well, hello again, it's been a few weeks since we updated the blog. Mostly because, not much has been happening. The kitchen is wonderful and we're cooking & baking up a storm. We've made bread, pasta and all kinds of delicious goodies. I still can't believe how nice this kitchen turned out. Ok, so yeah, there are a few cosmetic spots to be corrected (light rail, touch up painting, etc.) but it's totally functional and a dream to work in. Both Mark & I can now work in here without getting in each other's way.

This past weekend was the home show here in town, but we restrained ourselves from going out, last thing we need right now is another project. I'm beginning to think Blue Ribbon should just going to move in here. Chris was telling me they got a number of leads so hopefully that'll turn in to a number of jobs of course he teased me that there must be a number of other projects I need done, which of course is true, I'm just not quite ready to go down that road again.

This week Blue Ribbon's crew came out and tore out the flooring in the dining room. That was the easy part it was the moving of the china cabinet that caused major heartburn. That sucker is heavy. They had to remove all the glass just to move it, though the kitties are loving it now. It's sitting in the hallway so they can get on top of it from the stairs and stare at us as we sit in the kitchen watching Mark cook

The Blue Ribbon crew also poured the foundation for the new mailbox. I was feeling guilty about not getting the bushes cut back (the much needed rain prevented me from getting out there), but Chris assured me the guys would cut them back. I wonder if they'd be interested in getting that weeding in the front done for me... yeah I didn't think so.

We got word yesterday that they'll be installing the new flooring in the dining room today so we'll have a room back again today (well maybe). Once the flooring is installed I'll get some more pictures up here for your viewing pleasure. I know we haven't posted any new pictures of the kitchen, but in all honesty, I haven't taken any pictures to share.

There's light at the end of the tunnel

It's Easter and we've got through two holidays with this project and you've traveled with us. It's almost time to say good bye to this project. All the appliances are in and are working (in fact today, Mark's making home made pasta for dinner, yum). The lights are all in, the flooring, everything. Oh, there's a few touch ups to be done, so paint that needs touch up, the grill for the vent, all little things that'll be done quickly.

Last week I had Sears come in and clean the carpeting in the dining room and family room. Both rooms took a beating in the remodeling, especially the dining room. Unfortunately, as we were reassembling the dining room we discovered the floor is now warped. Mark thinks the last cleaning was the last straw for the floor. All the years of cleaning the rugs has taken it's toll. We've sent a note off to John to see if we can add this to the project (you know the project, it's the one that I just said was almost done). I'm seriously beginning to think we may have to add Blue Ribbon to our mail box with all the time and work they've done here. I've sent a note off to Blue Ribbon so we'll see what we can do next. Well I wanted bamboo flooring in the kitchen and couldn't do it, so now I'll get it in the dining room. It's all about compromise.

Friday, Mark & I went over to look at stone for the new mailbox column. I did tell you that we have to replace the mailbox since the last one was blown down in a storm a couple of weeks ago. We found some nice stone, it's manufactured so it's lighter than real stone. It was a cool place to check out (and I wish we could have wandered around some more). We'll have to head over there again soon, I need to find a four foot piece of flat stone to put over the filter of the water garden to limit the amount of algae growing in there.

So, while the kitchen may be just about finished, the house will continue to need updates, upgrades and maintenance. Guess I'll have to think about renaming my blog.

It's almost done

Well, Friday came and we had an army of workers here. The plumber installed the dishwasher (which of course now needs to be either repaired or replaced but that's a whole 'nuther story) and of course the most important feature, the commodes were installed, no more mad dashes up the stairs. The new refrigerator was also installed which makes cooks so much nicer now that we don't have to run out to the garage for everything. The quarter round (I think that's what it's called) was installed and the whole room is looking great. They have to come out once more to do a little touch up work on the paint and a few other places and I think we're done.

The electrician installed the ceiling fan in the kitchen (we got our ceiling fan back) and it's looks incredible (I'm so running out of adjectives got any suggestions?). Wayne came by last Friday and delivered the cushions for the banquette and it makes for a nice comfy seat. We did find the three cushions Wayne made us were to much for the space so two of them were moved to the living room. I'll keep an eye out for a couple of small pillows that we'll put in there. We've installed an old mac laptop in the kitchen to look up recipes on and it's just a nice place to surf. While the cushions have only been here a week, I'm finding we're having to move the cats just to sit down.

Got good news from John at Blue Ribbon, we're actually under budget, (who would have guessed) and there's very little left to be billed on. From what John said that's unusual for a remodel project.

Now, I best start planning a gathering to have everyone come over and check out the new space.

I'm soooo excited...

All

We heard from John yesterday and this coming Friday they're installing the commode (I wonder if that includes the commode in the laundry room), the dishwasher and moving the refrigerator back in to the kitchen. The crew from Majestic will also be by to install the counter top in the bonus room. It's going to be fantastic but a busy day. I can't wait until we don't have to run to the garage for everything.

I may be mistaken but I believe Bill, the electrician will be at the house today to finish up the installation of the lights and the switch plates so that'll be cool. I think they're also installing the ceiling fan over the banquette, the front hallway light and the new dining room light.

I still need to call Habitat for Humanity to have them get the old microwave and see if they want the dining room ceiling light.

Tomorrow, Wayne will be by (at least I think he's coming I'll have to confirm that tonight when I get to my e-mail) to drop off the cushions for the banquette, I can't wait to see them done.

Last Friday, Vincent was at the house and installed feet on the cabinets. They look nice and give a finished look but I'm still not sure about the cabinets having feet thing. All the quarter round on the cabinets is installed and it looks nice having that all finished. The picture on the left is the cabinet under the cook top and the picture on the right is the cabinet under the sink.

If this all comes together on Friday, we'll be enjoying a nice leisurely breakfast Saturday morning and not having to balance an armful out to the garage.

As the Light Turns

To steal a phrase from Mark, the lighting saga continues. The new under cabinets lights couldn't be installed. They're much smaller than the old ones (which is why we liked them) and the wiring is in the wrong place. So if we installed them the lights would end up being installed installed significantly off center which lead us to the decision to stay with the old lights. While Bill, the electrician was here he also looked at the electrical boxes to make sure the chandelier going in the dining room would be supported (you remember the story about the chandelier right?) Anyway, while Bill was here, he checked all the boxes to make sure they'll support the various lights we want installed.

Anyway, Vincent will be here again today to finish up the cabinet adjustments and finishing touches. So I guess I had better go make some breakfast before he gets here. We'll be posting pictures of the kitchen when Vincent is done for the day so you can see his amazing work.

A quick update for your reading pleasure

Greetings all, got a couple of emails last night from Chris and they are going to take care of the breezeway flooring. Chris and Rodney got together and agreed that the flooring isn't acceptable. So they've ordered two boxes of the flooring and are having them shipped express so they should arrive next week. Once the boxes acclimate they'll replace the section or if necessary the entire breezeway flooring.

This is why we chose Blue Ribbon Construction (http://www.blue-ribbon-construction.com/) , they work hard at making sure the customer (as in me) is satisfied with the job.

Vincent from Kitchen and Bath Galleries will be over to finish up the final touches to the cabinets and I sent an e-mail to Shauna last night letting her know the light trim I'm interested in. Bill, the electrician will be over today to finish up the wiring (gotta remember to let him know about the outlet in the banquette).

A slight change in topic here, we had a wild rain storm the other night, with our neighborhood suffering a number of fallen trees, power outages and in our case, our mailbox was knocked down. We've been wanting to replace the mailbox with a locking one but just hadn't gotten around to it. This now makes it a necessity so, we're going to look into having a stone foundation put in with the locking box integrated in the construction.

So, while the kitchen may be done soon, looks like the house projects (or as Mark refers to them "the Honey-do" list) are never ending.

Small comments

Finally got around to sending a note to John about the breezeway flooring. I kept hoping that I'd grow accustomed to the flooring but not so much. I wonder if John doesn't feel like a counselor having to deal with dissatisfied customers.

Anyway, here's the update John and Chris will get together with Rodney to see what can be done about the floor. I'll let you all know (I know you're just holding your breath in anticipation for this).

We have floor

It took three tries, but we now have flooring. I've gotta say, the kitchen looks great and I gotta admit, the new flooring choice is in my opinion perfect (ok so I'm prejudice). The almost random pattern really adds a nice touch. I think if we had gone with the original color we wouldn't have looked a nice.

The crew worked hard to get the flooring done and the pattern was a challenge for them. It did take two days for them to finish but the kitchen and 1/2 bath are worth it. The installers really deserve a round of applause for all their hard work. Though Mark did have to remind them to put flooring down in the area where the dishwasher will go.

That said, the breezeway is another issue. Almost from when we moved into this house I wanted to get rid of that ugly blue carpet and this was the big chance. While the tile choice is great, there's a problem. When you order the tile, they tell you that there's no guarantee all the tile will come out of the same run. Well in our case, the breezeway shows the difference. We have a wide section in the middle of the floor that shows the difference. I'm sure at this point in the game there's not much that can be done about it, but I find it very irritating, I know I'll learn to ignore it, but it's gonna be like fingernails on the blackboard for me for a while. This wouldn't have been an issue if the installers had just spread the tiles around through the room rather than just one wide path. I'll have to check with John and find out if there's anything that can be done and if there is, how much is it going to cost.

So, now we're on to more fun things, we heard from Wayne, the guy making the cushions for the banquette and we'll have them around the second week of March. You know the boys (especially Milo) is gonna love those cushions. I think it'll give them just enough height so they can look out the windows easily without having to stretch. We moved the new kitchen table in (actually Mark did that since I was battling a bug this past week) and we've discovered the table is quite a bit bigger than we thought it was. We did have a couple of meals at the table and Manny really liked being able to sit next to me on the banquette, he managed to get quite a few pets out of me as we ate.

Mark ordered new under cabinet lighting this weekend which should arrive sometime this week and we have to choose a new light rail. I'm hoping the commode will be installed soon (I'm so missing my 1/2 bath downstairs) and I've got my fingers and toes crossed that the new fridge in the kitchen will be moved in soon.

We're still unpacking boxes of kitchen stuff (I really think someone moved a bunch of their old kitchen stuff into my family room when I wasn't looking). It's now getting challenging to find a place for everything.

Well, that's all for tonight. Since we seem to be on the downward slope of this remodel the updates will probably be slowing down again. Thanks for joining us.

First meal

There is still got a lot of small items to finish, but we've got a working kitchen again! With the tile backsplash and floor done, we can actually cook in our kitchen. Having the refrigerator out in the garage is getting old, but it works.

The first meal we prepared was garlic scallops, saffron rice and roasted asparagus. The cooktop and oven worked great, but our old rice cooker flaked out on us and ruined the rice. I was very annoyed at wasting that saffron. Fortunately we still had one of those microwavable chicken flavored rice pouches from cooking in the bonus room, so we had a substitute that we could heat up quickly before the rest of the meal cooled off.

We've also made steak fajitas one evening. On Saturday, it was shrimp and sausage gumbo with brown basmati rice (in a sauce pan - haven't taken any time to look into the rice cooker's problems yet). I know basmati is not traditional with gumbo, but then again we used turkey kielbasa instead of andouille sausage and replaced half of the butter in the roux with olive oil. Used paprika and cumin to bring some smokiness that we lost by not using andouille. It tasted great.

A quick update

As I type, the crew from Nationwide Flooring is here installing the floor (and the crowd cheers) in both the kitchen and laundry room. I've only really seen the laundry room's floor but it looks nice. All we need in there now is the mural and the toilet and that room is done.

I was out when they started the work, but Mark says it got real exciting. The dust that was stirred up caused the alarm to go off. Mark did let the alarm company know that it went off in error and they talked him through turning off the sensor until all the work is done. In the meantime, we found out the fire department can get here pretty quick. That's good to know for the future (I'm so going to need to bring them some sandwiches or something as an apology and thank you).

Shauna and Rachel from Kitchen and Bath Galleries were also over this morning to discuss what we can do about the light rail and I think we've come up with a good solution. We'll go with smaller lights under the cabinets and a smaller light rail. It'll still give us good lighting and a finished look. Now we need to get together with Chris and figure out which lights to choose.

Since they guys are still here installing the floor I'll try to post pictures later today. I don't want to get in anyone's way and delay getting this done.

A New Day

Well after the fiasco of the weekend, it's looking like maybe, possibly, this is all going to come together. Chris and his crew were here yesterday morning finishing up putting down additional sub flooring for the vinyl tile (if this doesn't get installed tomorrow that's it, I'll find another tile or flooring). Chris uninstalled all the light railing before the tile guys got here and loosened the under cabinet lighting so the tiling goes right up to the cabinets.

Wayne's crew was here installing the back splash and it's looking great (though now I'm wondering about the choice on the counter top). Mark pointed out that we're really consistent, the tile we choose for the kitchen is very similar to the tiling we chose for the main bath and the coloring for the floor for both rooms in very similar. I'll try to show you the comparison on one of the next postings (that's if we get flooring). The tiling crew will be here again today to do the grouting (I told you we chose gray right?). So I'll post some additional pictures tonight.

Mark & I did talk about the fact we were so worried about making the kitchen dark again that we went overboard in choosing light colors. The counter top works, but it's not perfect. Maybe in a year or two, we'll change it out to a darker color, maybe a slate color.

Mark is working from home this morning to meet with Shauna and Dale from Kitchen and Bath Galleries and possibly Chris or John from Blue Ribbon to see what solutions they can come up with for the light rail. Unfortunately, I can't stay home for the meeting, my office computer has decided it doesn't want to work from home anymore. I keep getting the blue screen of death (Man I so hate windows!!!) I trust Mark will get everything right (and it'll save me from the emotional whirlwind). All these emotional ups and downs are making me sick so I could use a break by going to the office.

So, that's it for the day.

John comes to the rescue

After venting earlier today, I have to give John from Blue Ribbon major credit. He called on Sunday afternoon to talk with Mark about what the problems are and the best way to resolve them.

Now if I've got it right, here's the solutions. The light rail will be removed and different under cabinet lighting will be installed (that give us the height we need). John will talk to the Wayne the tile man and he'll explain to him how to do the tiling (I'm not sure on this feature). The flooring issues, were explained and Mark now understands them. I understand but I'm not sure I could explain it, but I'll try (hey, Mark, John, chime in here). There's a filler that will be used in those gaps that worried us that will dry hard and will provide the support needed for the vinyl tiles. The concern about the laundry room was explained as well. The crew ran out of supplies but will be back on Monday to finish the job (note to self..get that last load of laundry dry before they get here).

I should have known that John would come up with the solutions and there was no real need for me to get upset. There's a very good reason why we always go with Blue Ribbon, it's because they know how to get problems resolved.

Oh, and we're not getting the bonus room counter top tomorrow. Mark just let Chris know that they could remove the old top to do the template. From what I understand they take out the old top one day and come back with the new one the next day. I'm cool with that.

So, tonight we used both the oven and the microwave just like real people to make some dinner, OK so we made poppers and french bread pizza, it was a start. All in all, what started out as a really bad weekend has turned out to be better.

Stay tuned for the next chapter in the on going drama of a kitchen remodel.

I'm depressed, frustrated and about ready to scream

This has been the weekend of frustration and anger. After not getting the flooring on Friday and not being able to move the new table in to the kitchen we decided to continue unpacking the kitchen and trying to decide where to put what.

During this we discovered a major problem with these cabinets. They're to low, we can't get the coffee machine, the bread maker or any of the small appliances to fit under the cabinets and still be useable. And to think I was frustrated on Friday, that was small in comparison. Mark's already make it crystal clear that he'll complain about this each and every time he tries to make coffee. I'm not at all sure what can be done, but I'm telling you, I won't be able to listen to Mark complain for the next twenty years about this. We have e-mailed the general contractor about this, but since it's the weekend I'm sure he's not going to see the note until Monday.

According to the paperwork there was an 18" clearing before the light rail and there is 18". That 18" would allow all the appliances (including the Kitchenaid which by the way is 17") to fit smoothly under the cabinet. The problem is the light rail and the trim at the top. They bring the cabinets down so you can't use the appliances without having to move them each and every time (and forget the Kitchenaid completely, you have to move it out to the counter's edge to use that). It seems to me, though I'm not a carpenter, the solution is to remove the top trim piece and maybe downsize the light rail. Though as Mark pointed out that the cabinetry around the microwave and oven are not going to match no matter what they do since it's one solid piece. I can only guess how much this is going to cost us to fix and how long will it impact getting or using the kitchen. What I'm worried about is whatever the fix there is, how will it effect the back splash? Will I have to have the tile removed, the wall repaired, and new tile installed? How is this all going to work out? Can it work out?

They tell you to expect some problems and unforeseen difficulties when you do a remodel, how can they prepare you for something like this. I so want to rant and rave (I guess I'm kinda doing that here) and ask why it wasn't made clear that the light rail would seriously impact using the kitchen.

For any future remodelers out there reading this, measure your appliances and how you use them. Do you need to open your bread machine under the cabinet? Do you need to open the water reservoir on your coffee machine while it's under the cabinet (or if you're like me and use the Keurig machine can you lift the arm?) Is your kitchen aid a fixed base or does the top tilt back, how much space do you need for that? Before signing off on the design make sure that those measurements will be accommodated, it'll save you some heartburn.

I guess I should have been prepared for these problems, we've had a relatively smooth remodel so maybe this is where my glitches will happen.

On the only positive note I can muster for this posting, they're going to install the new counter top and sink in the bonus room on Monday, so rather than deal with the kitchen any more and just add to my feelings of hopelessness, we've cleared the cupboards and top in the bonus room in anticipation of the new top.

But into every life a little rain must fall.

And we're having a major downpour here. Once again, another day has ended and we have no kitchen floor. This is becoming an increasingly tiresome issue. The tile guys showed up (again) and once again began kicking the subflooring saying the adhesive that was chosen wouldn't work, the tiling couldn't go down, yada, yada, yada. I gotta admit, I left a voice mail for the Rodney who we ordered the flooring through but I'm glad he didn't return my call because I'm so frustrated and angry I don't think I could have been polite let alone reasonable. I'm really glad that Mark was here to deal with this whole fiasco because I was useless. Chris our friendly foreman came over and he and Rodney figured out a solution. And as Chris said, it's his job to resolve these issues.

Solution for today, they laid down plywood over the kitchen so that the vinyl tile can be installed. Though this evening as I walked around feeling sorry for myself I discovered a number of concerns that will need to be resolved before they try again. To give Rodney credit, he did try to get a crew to do the installation tomorrow, but that's not happening (why would I even think it would I don't know).

So, the deal is they'll come on Wednesday and try for the third time (is the third time the charm or will it be a strike out) to get my flooring done. I'm of the opinion tonight that if this doesn't happen on Friday, that's it. They can take this flooring back and I'll find another dealer and get something else. I don't know, what...ceramic tile, bamboo, something.

Chris, did give us good news, the backsplash installation will start on Monday (though tonight I discovered a hole in the wall by one of the undercabinet lights so I don't know how that'll effect the tiling.) So hopefully, we'll may actually be able to start "cooking" in the kitchen next week.

Good News and Bad News

We heard from Chris today. Our backsplash tile is in. And the bad news, according to Chris....Wayne, the tile guy can't get to us until the 28th. April 28th.

April Fools!!!

Hey wait!!! it's not April. I think Chris was just getting back for that crack yesterday about subtitles. It's actually looking like Wayne will be able to get to us on February 28th, Chris did say he would check and see if there was anyway he could get here sooner, but I'm guessing if Wayne's on another job that's not going to happen. At least the tile is here (so much for changing my mind on colors).

Looks like we'll be able to move our new table and chairs in to the kitchen this weekend. That's going to be so great. Every little step brings us closer to the end.

Oooh, Ahhh, and the crowd cheers

It's been a couple of days since the last update and the painters have been and gone. The measles have been cured. It's amazing what a good painter can do. The kitchen is totally gorgeous (if I do say so myself).

Michael and his crew did a spectacular job and was worth every penny. It was really fun to hear them working, they were laughing and joking, it was really cool to listen. The crew found places to paint that I never thought of and they did an awesome job doing it. The crew cleaned up thoroughly after the painting and almost made all the dust go away (I'll be dealing with dust flying around this house for the next two years or so).

The banquette looks really good with the wood in the front panels and the white trim hides all my errors. The inside of the banquette is painted white as well so it'll be bright and cheery. We're going to look for wire racks that we can put in the banquette for all the infrequently used appliances we'll be storing in there. We heard from the guy making the banquette cushions and they should be ready in about two weeks so we'll soon have pictures of that as well.

The other bit of good news is the flooring was delivered today. Rodney did open the boxes to be sure it was the right flooring. According to Chris it will be installed on Friday. So this time next week, we're going to have flooring and hopefully Kitchen and Bath Galleries will be able to get us on their schedule for the final touches and adjustments. Unfortunately, Vince tried to come the other day, when the painters were here and without the flooring and the painters he wasn't able to do much of anything.

While speaking to Chris this afternoon I questioned him about the tile for the backsplash. We had a bit of a communication problem when he thought I meant the flooring. While I just adore his scottish accent, I have a hard time understanding him. Mark thought John should get Chris a video conference and provide subtitles. According to the email we got from Chris the tile is in with the exception glass bars but they're expected tomorrow. If all goes well, and the planets are in alignment (maybe I should light some insense to get my karma moving in the right direction) we might get our backsplash installed before the flooring.

Don't tell anyone, but I've been having doubts about the backsplash and wondering if I should have gone with something more flashy, you know iridescent blue or green......hmmm I wonder if it's to late to change my mind.

I did tell you were were having the laundry room painted as well right? We wanted a "tropical" feel to the room (humidity, heat, waterkinda goes). We found a terrific wall mural to go on the one wall near the commode. The paint colors are great!!! I'm so happy with the choices (though if Mark hadn't just picked a couple we'd still have splashes of color in that room.). This picture really doesn't do the room justice. I was joking with Mark and telling him now we're going to have to replace the washer and dryer to match the room. When this remodel is all done, we're going to install shelving in the laundry room to hold all the laundry stuff, extra tp, and stuff along those lines (and of course the infamous kitty litter). Mark's mom had a great suggestion to go with the shelving, a lip, just a little something to keep items from falling off easily (thanks Ma for that suggestion)

The walls have measles

Today was a busy day, I'm glad I had to go in to the office. Poor Mark worked from home while we had carpenters, painters and who knows who else here working. The painters got all the prep work done, patching the walls and ceilings. They all look like they have measles.

I was surprised the painter wanted to start before the flooring or the tiling was done, but when we talked he mentioned that if he didn't start now it would be a month before he could get here. I wasn't willing to wait a month. The theory is if there's any touchup that needs to be done after the flooring and tiling is done he can quickly take care of that.

The painter, Michale Parker, is a true salesman. We weren't going to remove the popcorn from the laundry room, but man, a short talk with him and whamo, popcorn ceiling is history. I'm really glad I didn't let him see any other room. I think the color choices are going to rock, you'll have to let me know what you think when this is all over.

Vince, the carpenter from Kitchen and Bath Galleries will be here tomorrow to work on the "punch list". Since both Mark & I have to go to the office tomorrow I'm hoping he's got a list of every concern. If not, he'll be back....

Quickie

Just heard from John at Blue Ribbon, they'll be scheduling the painter soon to take care of that. It's just one small step toward the completion. But it's gonna look really nice to have the kitchen painted and get rid of that huge blue blob from my painting samples.

As soon as the painting is started I'll post another update.

I'm sooooo excited...

We heard back from Shauna, the kitchen designer at Kitchen and Bath Galleries, we can start loading up the cabinets. So wanna take a few guess as to what we're gonna do this weekend. So much of what we've got will have to be washed and dried before it can go back in the cabinets and the cabinets themselves will need to be cleaned so I'm figuring we might just get the dishes and glasses done but at least it'll be a a start. We've discussed that we'll put the glasses behind the glass doors (seems appropriate don'cha think?).

We ordered some pretty bottles from Amazon.com to store olive oil in and I'm looking for a small lazy susan to keep them on. We had a large lazy susan before but it's way to big for what I want now and I don't want to store the oil in the cabinets since it's not unusal to have a little oil on the outside of the bottle. My goal is to keep the counters as clear as possible so we have plenty of work space.

We're also thinking about having a small fish tank in the corner (that should make the kitties crazy). We're looking at getting the Eclipse Corner 5 unit. It's only a 5 gallon tank so only a couple of fish and it shouldn't take up much space at all. We both enjoyed having fish, but there's really no good place in the house to have a tank. So this should work out well (and 5 gallons is to heavy for the leader of the water liberation front).

More information to follow shortly.

Meeting the painter

Today we met with the painter and discussed what needed painting and decided to go ahead and have the popcorn ceiling removed in the laundry room. Michael Parker, (http://www.maparker.com/) is the painter and he's actually done work here before.

I enjoyed listening to both Chris and Mike as they bantered back and forth on what needed to be done. It was a good comedy routine. Mike wanted to remove some of the crown molding to do some patch work on the ceiling where the can lights are but Chris was not going for it. However, when they left I discovered what looks like a crack in the same molding so who knows maybe Mike will get his wish.

Mike was explaining how he'll seal off the cabinets in the kitchen while they do the prep work for the painting and the painting itself. We went through what needs to be done to the breezeway and the stairs so the paint blends in since we're going with the exisitng color (I'm so not up to even consider having the bonus room painted at this time and that's where these stairs lead)

This weekend we're going to try to finish up the banquette. Need to fill in the nail holes, sand and seal.

Babbling

Another short update. We're now at the point in the remodel where only small changes are occurring. Mark, the carpenter (and that's a name I won't forget) came by on Tuesday and reframed the windows in the kitchen and I've got to tell you they look great. Because of the faucet we choose, the window over the sink had to be modifed and the windows over the sink had to be changed because the sill would hit you in the back and was really uncomfortable.

Yesterday Mark was back and finished the crown molding and replaced the chair railing that was damaged in the demolition. It looks awesome, almost can't tell that it's different.

Looks like there won't be much happening in the kitchen for the next couple of weeks while we wait for tiling and flooring to arrive so I'm thinking there may be a hiatus on the blog. Then again....Maybe I'll find something else to talk about about. Ya never know.

A short update

It's been a couple of days since I've updated everyone on the status of the kitchen and there's a good reason for that, not much is happening right now. With the mess up of the flooring, everything is been delayed. We did meet with Chris and the tile man (his name escapes me and I don't have a business card for him). We went over the tile choices, how we want it laid out, the pattern we chose over the cooktop and the grout color. The tile man really seemed to know his stuff and gave Chris all the information on how much to order. Today we heard from Chris that'll be about 2 weeks for the tile to get in so the tile and the flooring should arrive just about the same time.

Mark & I spent the weekend staining the banquette. I think I discussed that we were originally going to paint the banquette, but after a lot of thought I just couldn't do that. We found a pretty honey maple that we used and after three coats it's looking great. Here's the before and after. Now it's on to the sealer. I've got a goal of having this all done before the fl0oring goes in. I don't mind a few drops of the sealer on the subflooring, but I'd be really unhappy if I got it on the new floor.

Well that's it for now, I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow and I'll post a few pictures so you can see the new window trim.

The light was the subway

Well we encountered our first real problem with the remodel. The flooring we chose, which is a vinyl tile gave the installers some concern. Apparently they had never installed it in a house only on a concrete floor (which isn't happening in my kitchen) and they were fussing up a storm. There was also a lot of concern about the transition between the kitchen subflooring and the breeze way. I don't understand it all and honestly I'm not all that interested in learning it all in details. Didn't exactly give me a warm fuzzy. Then we discover the tile was only in one size when it was suppose to be in three sizes to give it a "random" effect. Come to find out, the flooring we chose does not come in the three sizes like we wanted. So no flooring was installed, and we're still dealing with subflooring.

BUT!!, there's good news to this glitch, we got to choose new colors for the flooring. We had been so worried about avoiding anything dark in the new kitchen that we were a bit over the edge here. What we just chose is a slate colored flooring for the kitchen that provides a nice contrast to the light cabinets. So, it turned out to be a good thing (but I want my floor). For the laundry room we went with a cinnamon color. I think that'll go really nice with the blues we picked for the laundry room.

Today, the plumber arrived and installed the faucets and let me tell you, they look terrific, he even managed to install strainers in the oiled bronze so it looks complete. So, we now have water in the kitchen. Baby steps towards the finish. The faucet on the left is for the main sink and obviously the one on the right is the prep sink.

We did decide on the grout color and did without even heading back to the tile store. (Of course, I'm sure John will strongly suggest I get my butt over to the tile store and get him the name of the grout and he'll do it diplomatically). Since we're going with the gray slate color on the flooring, we want to go with a gray grout. I think it'll look great with the tiling we choose. And, you'll have to wait until the tile is installed to see if you agree with us.

The really big change in the kitchen was the installation of the glass doors over the prep sink. They look truly beautiful. We did decide we'll have to find lower wattage bulbs for the cans since they're way to bright. Now I'll have to decide what's going in those cabinets.

I see a light at the end of the tunnel

Ok, so it might just be the subway coming but I think it means we're heading towards the end of this journey.

This past weekend we stained the banquette. Found a nice honey maple color and we both liked the way it's turning out. Need to do another coat and perhaps even a third coat before we put the sealer on.

We have run into a small glitch in the otherwise smooth journey. The light we chose for the dining area is way to big. We're talking ballroom size here. So, we're having the electrician move the new light to the dining room (we've both hated the light in there since we moved in and now we have an excuse to get rid of it.) and we had the electrician put the hall light in the dining area as a temporary fix. Tonight we ordered a ceiling fan for the space. Both Mark & I were disappointed that we hadn't gotten a fan for the kitchen and tonight we resolved that. If the fan gets here before the project is done we'll ask the poor electrician to install it otherwise, we'll take care of it.

Tomorrow the flooring installers are arriving to put in the kitchen floor. It'll be so nice not to walk on subflooring. We're both going to work from home tomorrow to make sure Milo doesn't try to help the installers. I'll be updating tomorrow with pictures of the new floor.

I also understand that the glass doors will be arriving tomorrow so that'll bring some major changes in the room. Thursday, the plumber arrives to do his magic and we'll have running water.

We've been talking about growing fresh herbs in the kitchen for cooking. So, while we're waiting to actually cook, I've ordered a couple of books on hydroponics. I've been thinking about getting a AeroGarden (www.aerogardendirect.com) for the kitchen but have been worried about the three terrors and how they'll abuse it. There's also the matter of where do we put the garden. I'm also just realizing that we haven't increased our counter space at all with this remodel. With the built in oven, microwave and built in refrigerator we lost counter top not to mention the large cooktop. I think the way we've got the kitchen set up it'll be more efficient we just won't have any more prep space.

Well, it's late and I'll update you all tomorrow with pictures.

Each Day Brings New Changes

This week has brought a number of changes to the kitchen and it's really starting to look like it's a kitchen.  The under cabinet lighting is in as is the decorative lighting.  There's no way I can complain that the kitchen isn't bright enough.  

The light over the dining area by the banquette is a bit larger than I thought it was when we ordered it.  I'm short enough that it shouldn't be a problem for me, but for a number of our friends (including Mark) there could be a lot of head banging (and not in a good way).   We're thinking about trying to find a smaller fixture or maybe a pendant and moving this light into the dining room.   

The light is a bit large for that room but  I think it'll work nicely and while we've talked about putting a ceiling fan in the dining room, this light would be over the table where it wouldn't be  likely to smack anyone in the head.  

We met with the foreman (Dale) for the cabinet crew from Kitchen & Bath Galleries 

this morning to go over a few of the concerns I had with the cabinets only to find out that while they look done, they are not finished.  They still need to be fine tuned so hopefully that will resolve all the concerns I have.

Dale was hopeful the glass doors would be in today and he could install them tomorrow.  Mark & Dale also discussed the cook top There was some concern that the brackets that supported the cook top had a problem.  But when we got home tonight the cook top was installed so I guess they figured out the problem and resolved it.   This is why we hired John so we don't have to worry about this (thanks again John and Chris)

I've also made a decision about the banquette.  Ok, I know, you thought this was all resolved but listen, the more I thought about it, I really like that banquette and I really wanted to show it off more.  If we just painted it, it would get lost in the wall color and I really didn't want that.  So my plan is to either stain or wash it.  At the worst I'll have to just paint over my ideas but it's worth giving this a try.  

Looks like the cushions for the banquette are going to be a bit more than I thought, but as Mark pointed out, they are being custom made so the price for that is reasonable.  Besides they are going to look so good with this kitchen they'll be worth the price and as a family mentioned, they'll look great with the gray fur sprinkled all over it.

We understand the flooring will be in next week.  Once it arrives it'll need to sit in the house to acclimate before it's installed so hopefully by the end of next week, we'll have flooring, that will be so exciting for me.

The stove is installed and it's great.  It has cut outs in the rack that pot holders will fit into giving you a good grip for pulling the rack out.  And get this, the bottom rack extends fully out of the oven on some kind of rail system.  It's so cool.

It's been a busy week

Well it's been a busy week here at our small castle. Finishing touches to the cabinets, a keystone added to the crown molding above the cooktop. We've met with someone that will be making the cushions for the banquette and best of all, the counter tops are in. Every day seems to have brought about a small change until Friday, when the counter tops were installed. Poof, it almost looks like a kitchen. And best of all....I finally made a decision on the colors and have sent them off to John, now no more changes. Ah, but I've just thought of something, what color do we paint the banquette????? The color from above the chair rail or below or do we go with an entirely different color. And you thought that was the last you had heard about colors. Just teasing, we'll be going with the color from below the chair rail, but I'm going to see if we can do it more like a wash instead of a full paint.

That's a decision John and I will need to hash out. By the way, didn't you just love that posting from John. He's great. Need a remodeling job, he's your man.

Vince, the cabinet installer added the really cool keystone to the crown molding. It looks so awesome. The keystone was part of the original plan but seeing it on paper versus seeing it in the actual cabinets, my cabinets is so much better. I gotta tell you, everyone we've dealt with on this project from demolition to now has been really great.

Wednesday we met with Wayne of Wayne Furniture Repair (www.waynefurniturerepair.com) to discuss making cushions for the banquette. So unless these cushions are over the top expensive, we'll be going with him. We choose an upholstery fabric in a deep blue with red accents, and royal blue pillows. I think it'll give us a nice POP of color (don'tcha just love that designer talk). We decided not to remove the chair rail since it's really in keeping with the style of our house. We'll go with pillows to provide the cushion from the chair rail and it'll allow us to change out the colors as often as we want with different fabrics and size pillows.

Thursday, the electrician from Eastpointe Electric was here installing switches and plugs. Seems like such a small thing but it really adds to the feeling that the room is coming together. While the electrician was working we had another guy from Kitchen and Bath Galleries here fixing the lazy susan under the corner cabinet. The kitchen vent was also installed. This vent is really cool, rather than being this huge focus in the room it's just a smooth line over the cooktop. It slides out from the wall when you need it and slides back in when it's not in use. At first I thought we'd go with one of those more ornate vents, you know the ones I mean. But this makes the cabinets the focal point rather than the vent.

Of course, Milo and Maddox had to investigate the unit. All three boys are getting so spoiled being allowed up on the cabinet tops to check things out. It's gonna be tough getting them to remember they are not suppose to be on the counter tops.

Friday morning, the installers from Majestic Marble & Glass arrived to install the counter top (http://www.majesticmarbleandglass.com). It only took them a couple of hours (and a lot of grunting) to get the tops in the house. One of the sections had to come in as two pieces because it was to big to bring in as one. So they warned us there would be a seam. I gotta tell you, I was worried about that but figured they were the experts and I'd trust that they'd make it look great. I was well rewarded for my trust. After the guys were finished with the installation, you can't even see where the seam was. I was impressed. I actually felt sorry for one of the installers, he was so tall he kept hitting the light fixture in the breezeway, I'm sure he had some choice words for that light after he left.

We did have a small set back in the kitchen. The faucet we choose for the prep area won't fit. It's to tall with the cabinets installed which really bummed me out. Fortunately, Mark came to the rescue and quickly ordered a new faucet from the net and hopefully it'll be here next week so we'll be able to get it installed quickly. You can't really tell from the picture, but the prep sink in really deep. You can almost get an entire bushel of corn in there. On the side of both the prep sink and the main sink we've had them add a drain board. I can't wait until we can actually start using this kitchen. The main sink under the window is deep and long, it'll be such a nice change from the old blue enamel sink. The installers did warn me not to pour boiling water in the sinks because it could crack it. I can live with that.

I'm just amazed at how all the choices we made. From small samples hanging on the walls for counter top choices to walking around in the showroom looking at different cabinets in the designers office space.

Well, I'll be updating again soon as new changes take place.

Getting there - Light at the end of the tunnel

I hope I'm doing this right. Although I have been using computers for years, this is my first blog post.

DJ and Mark are truly troopers. Although kitchens are the hardest room in the house to live through while remodeling they are really doing well. Even though they are tough, they are (like a marathon runner) probably feeling the impact of the wall. There is light at the end of the tunnel, they just can't see it clearly.

The electrician worked on the lighting today which will look great when he is finished. (Did you see the great fixtures they chose?) We are putting the flooring on the schedule as well as the interior trim replacement. Once the counters go in next Friday we can invite the plumber over to install all the fixtures. With flooring and plumbing in place, appliances can go in. But low and behold we aren't finished yet. It will then be time for the painting. Then one final cleaning and we'll be there. I do expect an open house or at least a donut when we are done.

Honestly, the project is moving along extremely well and that can be at least, in part attributed to a willing and appreciative customer. As will all three projects for DJ and Mark they have been great people to work with.

Updates and Comments

Well as you can tell things are moving along. Maybe not as fast as I'd like, but actually for a job this size it's really moving quickly.

Friday, Majestic came out to do the template for the counter top. After attaching all these squares, they take a picture. They do this with each section of counter. It was interesting. It took about 20 minutes for each section to put all the squares up and take a picture. Who knew?

Vince is installing the cabinets and he's with Kitchen and Bath galleries. It's amazing how much he has done in such a short amount of time. If I were doing this...well,it wouldn't be happening at all. The next phase is the crown molding over the cabinets and they'll be done. There are some bumpers that will need to be installed to keep the cabinets from hitting each other and the lazy susan will need the cabinet builder to take a look at the cabinet to figure out why it's not spinning correctly. All in all, everything is looking great.

Had a nice chat with John of Blue Ribbon on Friday about the pot filler and it's not an option. If I had decided to do this from the beginning when John first mentioned it, there would be no problem. But to do it now, they'd have to remove the cabinets, tear out the wall and run new plumbing. When that was explained I decided that it wasn't a good idea. Come to find out today, Mark had already told John and Chris that he'd talk me out of the idea. While we discussed the pot filler I mentioned that all the designing shows say what a wonderful idea it is to have. Well, all the men in the room cringed and I really mean cringed and in unison said I have to stop watching those shows.

After all, all those shows can remodel an entire kitchen in 30 minutes.

Friday, the put the bath vanity in place and it's looking a bit more orange than I thought it would be but I'm still loving it. I know I originally talked about getting a "furniture" vanity but I couldn't find anything that I loved enough to pay $1000 for. Besides, none of the fancy units I liked had drawers and I'm really loving the ideas of drawers in the vanity. A place for brushes, bandaids, first aid stuff. All those things that you need in a bathroom.

Lighting

The original kitchen light plan was for 4 recessed cans in an "L" shape. One over by the refridgerator, one by the cooktop/sink, and the other two in a straight line from the cooktop/sink can towards the banquette. While DJ and I were looking for a pendant light for the breezeway, we found a set of fixtures that we really liked and we decided to use multiple fixtures of the same style to tie together the front hall, kitchen and breezeway. You can see a photo of the pendant light we're going to use over the kitchen table. We've got a shorter fixture for the front hall and a fixture that is tight to the ceiling for the breezeway.

So, one of the cans was moved on the light plan to be over the prep sink. That ended up getting moved twice because it was over the cabinets, then it was over the crown molding. It's now a few inches past the crown molding, and still mainly lined up with the sink (that it is no longer above). Hmm. I'd been stewing over this for a few days because it didn't really make sense there and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it. I did think of moving it to hall near the bath entrance. That area seems very dark now, but it didn't before. I think it just seems dark because the kitchen is brighter with the new lighting and the plastic and barriers are blocking a lot of light. I never really felt we needed a light there before so I dropped that idea.

John came by yesterday and scowled at the same can light. He didn't like the way it was close to a cabinet and was off center of that cabinet. We can't center it because there is a joist in the way. John suggested adding a second can, so there would be one lined up with each door of the cabinet, and to add wall washer trim kits to the cans. That would direct the light towards the cabinet doors. Accentuating these doors will be very nice since they are the glass cabinet doors. We'll want to drop the wattage of the bulbs in those cans to make it an accent, rather than main lighting. I think this will work out very nicely. Thanks for the idea John!

Cabinets are Installed

Well, all the cabinets are installed now and the duct work for the vent has been run. The can light by the prep sink has been moved and all is well. I found out that they are called can lights and not cam lights that I've been calling them now I have to decide if I need to correct the entire blog or if I can just let it stand. Decisions, decisions. Anyway, I'm guessing tomorrow or Monday the crown molding will go up on the cabinets or maybe they'll wait on that until they paint the ceiling.

Tomorrow they're coming out to do the template for the counter top and the bath vanity. John of Blue Ribbon let me know they'll be moving the vanity in tomorrow so they can measure it. template for the kitchen and the bath. I also found out they'll be putting in the bath vanity tomorrow so they can measure the vanity.

I'd feel so much better about the entire project if I could just make a decision on the color and stick with it. I've gotten to the point where I'm asking the guys at the paint store what colors to choose. So, what do you the reader think I should do? Not only do I have to make a decision on the color but I have to decide if I want a hint of the primary color on the ceiling. A number of the design programs I've been watching on HGTV suggest that you mix a small about of your wall color in your ceiling paint to tie the room together. I don't know about that, but it's an interesting idea.

New Cabinets

Ok, the installer who's done a wonderful job so far is gone for the day so here are some of the pictures. He'll be back tomorrow to hopefully finish up. He's in a holding pattern for installing some of the upper cabinets while he waits for the HVAC crew to come install the ventilation for the exhaust fan. We've also got some questions for the electrician. So it's looking like e-mail time to the foreman.

The picture to the right is the cabinet for the oven and micro convection oven. The cabinets above will be for the cookie sheets, pizza stone, yorkshire pudding tins. The cabinets to the left are the storage drawers that'll hold the storage containers and upper cabinets.

You looking for more pictures, oh good, cause I've got a few more to share with you. This is the corner piece near the prep sink. The cabinet is nice an deep so it'll be a great place to store the baking goods like flour, sugar etc. There's a small corner piece above that we're not all that sure what we'll store in there. Maybe baking spices like vanilla and nutmeg.

These are the cabinets above the prep sink. They'll have glass insert doors with a craftsman style lead glass. The glass is going to be opaque similar to this bottom cabinet we saw at the design gallery. I've spoken with the kitchen designer and we can order additional glass doors if we decide to after the kitchen is all done. We had decided not to put lights in the cabinets because I didn't think it was all a necessary expense and now I'm wondering if that was the right choice.

Milo managed to get into the kitchen this morning and was able to check out some of the installation before we found out he had escaped. Took a while to get the barriers back in place so he was enjoying checking out the cabinets this evening. He was really unhappy at not being able to get down there and see what the installer was doing. I started to yell at him to get down, but we thought without the counter tops installed he wouldn't understand why he can't get up there. So he and his brothers did a thorough investigation and seemed satisfied.

I really like the light color of the cabinets and I think it'll go great with the colors I've chosen for the kitchen. Poor Mark he's getting so tired of me looking at paint colors. I showed the poor guy some colors last night and all he could say it was great go with it and stop looking.

With the cabinets in over the prep sink we've discovered one of the cam lights is in the wrong place and will have to be moved. I think we'll also have them install another cam over by the bathroom since that area seems to be bit dark.

Stay tuned there's more to come.

As I type....

As I make this quick entry, the cabinet installer is drilling and assembling. I'll post pictures later. This is so cool.

Yahooo! The cabinets are here

The cabinets were delivered today and they take up almost all the space in the kitchen. I know there's a lot of packing material there, but I can't believe how much space is being taken up. I have no idea how the installer is going to work in there. I'll find out tomorrow.

We also found out the wallpaper border we liked (not loved mind you) is discontinued and we can't get it. Oh, well, back to the drawing board. And in spite of reading that you shouldn't have blue walls in a kitchen (it'll curb your appetite) I still want my turquoise walls. Besides, when this is all done, if I hate the wall color, I can easily change it. There's going to be so little wall to paint that it'll take less than 3 hours to paint everything even after taping. Mark's been joking that we need to leave the wall behind the dining room door unpainted and see if anyone notices. Funny as that may be, it's not happening.

I'll post some more pictures tomorrow after the installer has had a chance to get some of the cabinets done.