eyesore…

For the last several months this has been my bright read lawn orniment. They came and took the last one (this one is #4) away. Now my house just looks normal again…

Lots of progress!

I’ve selected the granite slabs, and they arrived at the fabricators yesterday. They begin work on Friday, after they template. Installation on December 6.

This is a photo of the slab that will eventually be my kitchen counters:

The cabinets are 90% in. The cavity that is left is the result of the walls on either side of the upper cabinets not being plum. I am short by 3/4′ths of an inch, so I had to order a smaller cabinet. It’ll be in in a couple of weeks. The rest of the cabinets are all in and anchored.

The wires hanging from the upper cabinets are for under-cabinet lighting. I might try to get that done this weekend, although I have to find the lights first.

The stove is nearly 100% in. The gas company is putting in the ventilation and the gas connectivity today, so the stove should be 100% ready to go.

The wine cooler is up and running:

And here is the evolution of the wall that will eventually be the breakfast bar:

First there was nothing…

Then there was a frame…

Then there was drywall, and affixation to the cabinets/floor:

Then electrics:

Then panneling!

Behold my first wall. Well, 1/2 a wall. Anyway, it is anchored and stable. I’m going to have to install some corbels for bracing the granite on top of the bar.

I also panneled part of the side of the cabinets as an experiment. I wasn’t sure if this would work out. I had some extra panneling left over (not enough to do the whole side, but there are two more pannels on order) so I cut what I had to fit this side just to see how it looked.

The sink is an undermount, stainless steel:

And the hardware is going to be very modern-

The backsplash is going to be split-face travertine (spelling?) and tumbled slate.

Updated timeline:

DONE Finish “breakfast bar” wall in the kitchen.

DONE Nov 21 Finish installing upper cabinets. (except the one last one)

DONE Nov 25 Electrical for kitchen finished.

DONE Upstairs gas stove installed, downstairs fireplace insert re-installed, and gas range/vent all complete

Nov 25 Countertops templated and into production.

Nov 28 Toekicks and shoe molding all done in kitchen

Nov 28 Upstairs cleaned

Nov 28 All doors re-fitted, or replaced.

Dec 6 last upper cabinet arrives, as well as side pannels

Dec 6 Hardwood Crew back to finish the stairs.

Dec 6 Countertops installed.

Dec 7 Finish detail plumbing for kitchen.

DEC 9 Backsplash finished

Dec 13 Parents arrive to see results.

Rob says I need to update the timeline, and update the blog more often.

Ok, well…

Here’s where we are:

DONE Nov 11 New stove arrives.

DONE Nov 11 Tile crew shows up.

DONE Nov 11 Take TAC to “Doggie Boot Camp”

DONE Nov 11 Move washer/dryer into garage

DONE Nov 12 Tile crew finishes.

DONE Nov 13 New Appliances Arrive.

DONE Nov 15 Get quote for countertops.

DONE Nov 18 Rough Plumbing for kitchen finished.

DONE Nov 25 Drywall ceiling in kitchen repaired

DONE Install lower cabinets

IN FLIGHT Hardwood Crew back to finish the stairs.

IN FLIGHT Finish “breakfast bar” wall in the kitchen. The good thing is that this won’t be drywalled, so I think it will be much easier to do than one would normally expect.

Nov 21 Finish installing upper cabinets.

Nov 25 Electrical for kitchen finished.

Nov 23 Countertops templated and into production.

Dec 8 Countertops installed.

Dec 8 Finish detail plumbing for kitchen.

Dec 13 Parents arrive to see results.

The fridge is monolithic, I mean HUGE-

This is the stove and the wine cooler:

New updated timeline- I got the appliances ordered.

DONE Order New Appliances.

Nov 11 New stove arrives.

Nov 11 Tile crew shows up.

Nov 11 Take TAC to “Doggie Boot Camp”

Nov 11 Move washer/dryer into garage

Nov 12 Tile crew finishes.

Nov 13 New Appliances Arrive.

Nov 14 I finish installing the cabinets.

Nov 14 Electrical for kitchen finished.

Nov 14 Finish “breakfast bar” wall in the kitchen. The good thing is that this won’t be drywalled, so I think it will be much easier to do than one would normally expect.

Nov 15 Get quote for countertops.

Nov 15 Hardwood Crew back to finish the stairs.

Nov 17 Countertops go into production.

Nov 18 Rough Plumbing for kitchen finished.

Nov 25 Drywall ceiling in kitchen repaired

Dec 5 Countertops installed.

Dec 8 Finish detail plumbing for kitchen

Dec 13 Parents arrive to see results

Updated timeline…

As Rob pointed out, the timeline has slipped somewhat…

Nov 11 New stove arrives.

Nov 11 Tile crew shows up.

Nov 12 Order New Appliances.

Nov 12 Tile crew finishes.

Nov 14 I finish installing the cabinets.

Nov 14 Electrical for kitchen finished.

Nov 14 Finish “breakfast bar” wall in the kitchen.

Nov 15 Get quote for countertops.

Nov 15 Hardwood Crew back to finish the stairs.

Nov 17 Countertops go into production.

Nov 18 Rough Plumbing for kitchen finished.

Nov 25 Drywall ceiling in kitchen repaired

Dec 5 Countertops installed.

Dec 8 Finish detail plumbing for kitchen

Dec 13 Parents arrive to see results

Major progress…

The cabinets are now in place, but not secured. The kitchen floor is done!

Since that photo I have pulled the rest of that tile off of the wall, and I have actually gotten the corner cabinet on the left installed. That one was tough because the back pannel actually had a serious bow upwards. I had to plane it down with a power planer. That took a long time last night.

Here you can see the dishwasher return. This is going to be the side pannel for the dishwasher which will go next to the sink. The sink will go in the cabinet under the window. I am not going to recycle my sink, I’m going to put a stainless undermount sink in. Home Depot has one that is very reasonably priced, and I’m going to put in a swanky lookin’ fawcet.

The uper cabinets are going to look nice when they’re installed. This is the corner cabinet that will go next to the window over the sink:

This shows the finished hardwoods upstairs:

So I like details- I had the installers angle the wood at the top of the stairs to naturally flow into the den:

I also had the landing on the stairs angled:

Here’s hoping this will all pay off in the end…

The cabinets are here…

But I’m not sure they go with the floor…

New Kitchen Layout

These are images of the new kitchen layout.

Updated Timeline

Last night the hardwood guys had finished the landing of the stairs, and a bunch of other stuff. Real progress is being made.

My biggest problem now is that my ideas for the kitchen keep changing. Any change will, of course, blow out my timeline, although I think I can do things in such a way that I can put in what cabinets I have ordered, and then order what I need.

I have an updated timeline for those that are interested:

DONE Oct 20 Rebuild slope in dining room.

DONE Oct 21 Continue on slope in dining room and Jack up floor under living room

DONE Oct 22 Move as much as possible out of upstairs bedrooms into garage

DONE Oct 23 Demo carpets in upstairs bedrooms.

DONE Oct 24 Continue demoing carpets and tackstrip upstairs

DONE Oct 26 finish scraping double face tape off floor in den.

DONE Nov 1 hardwood crew shows up.

DONE Nov 2 new kitchen cabinets ship from factory

DONE Nov 6 Continue trying to level floor in downstairs guest bedroom

Nov 6 Hardwood crew finishes.

Nov 6 Cabinets show up.

Nov 9 New Appliances arrive.

Nov 9 I finish installing the cabinets.

Nov 10 Get quote for countertops.

Nov 10 Drywall ceiling in kitchen repaired, painting starts on trim.

Nov 11 Tile crew shows up.

Nov 13 Countertops go into production.

Nov 15 Finish “breakfast bar” wall in the kitchen.

Nov 18 Plumbing for kitchen finished.

Nov 23 Electrical for kitchen finished.

Dec 5 Countertops installed.

Someday Finish installing 1/4 round.

Dec 13 Parents arrive to see results

Serious Progress

Lots of the hardwood is down!

The kitchen/living room:

The master bedroom:

TAC likes the new floors, they’re nice and slidy… Tons of fun!

Here’s how the border is going to look around the fireplace:

And someone got caught eating sawdust again. Why on earth would a dog eat sawdust?!?!? That can’t be good for him. I’ve gotten the ok to let him chew on a 2×4 though, which is good because damn that dog likes to chew wood… It’s just a matter of letting him chew the RIGHT wood. The pre-treated exerior grade wood is bad, 2×4’s or actually the 2×8 joists I’ve been putting in are doug fir- Those will be ok.