Here's a little peek into what life's like around our house, pretty much any day of the week.
Our clever intent was to score the underside of this particular piece of hardiebacker and then just pop that sink cutout right out.. It didn't work out that way. We did of course get it out eventually, but it took lots of tearing, bending, etc etc etc.
It was a big weekend. We finally got the granite tiles for the countertop. The final decision was for "butterfly green" - green with some gray in it. This one wasn't exactly listed on the website, so we didn't even know it was an option until we got to the store. I love it though, its gonna look great with the slate floors. Its better than any of the other colors we considered... Unfortunately no pictures of it are really turning out, but you get the idea...
Guess what else came on Saturday - a giant arrangement of chocolate-dipped fruits... A fabulous birthday gift from August's mom & sister. What you can't tell in this picture is that I had already eaten the back side of the arrangement. mmm mmm...
We have officially cleared the biggest cabinet installation hurdle of all - {ominous music} the 24" deep over-fridge cabinet. Why so challenging? Well, being very conscious of our limited kitchen space, I only left a half inch of spare un-utilized wall in the design. Second, this cabinet is giant - it had to be hung from the ceiling as well as the wall. Third, perfection is key here. Everything needs to be square, plumb, level, lined up, etc etc, or else the fridge may not fit at all....
There were some tense moments for sure but its all done now. Of course we won't be test fitting the fridge so fingers crossed... I'm sure it will be fine...
The picture above is August's bracing just before cabinet installation. If a 400-lb gorilla ever wants to move in up there, he will be a-okay. (Can you see the duck sticking its tongue out at you? I was quite amused...)
Of course, it ended up being a tight fit and we actually had to grind off some of the screw heads. And slick it up with bar soap. And give it a few good whacks. The finished product looks pretty great though.
I know this has to be like the fourth time I've posted about countertop options. But seriously folks, the time for decision making is NOW. We've changed our minds again, though only slightly. Still thinking granite tile, but not the $$$ Benissimo stuff i mentioned earlier. Why? I found a rather interesting Russian guy selling something similar out of a warehouse in Denver. A little sketchy, yes it is. However the savings will be approx. $500. Another nice thing is he carries larger tiles, like 18"x21". So we will have less seams. less seams = more like a slab.
Here's a shot of someone else's work: And the colors we're considering... At this point it could go any way, leaning towards blue pearl as the cheapest possible option. The above counter is deepblue pearl. That's a lot different from regular blue pearl, according to the Russian.
--------------Uba tuba------------- Blue pearl---------------- Rusty sand-----
Check this tool out!! We thought this thing looked perfect for remodeling. Could've been really helpful on that wood-floor demolition we did..
I like how the video insinuates that the tool was able to single-handedly remodel entire rooms. Too bad it has a hefty price tag - $400!
So look what we bought instead. Harbor Freight - only $32 with a coupon that i vandalized right out of a public library magazine. (Felony or Misdemeanor?) And it works too. We used it to cut a hole for an outlet in the back of an already installed cabinet.
That's right, I can't think of any really good excuse for my lack of blogging lately. The kitchen is coming along fabulously. The pics I'm about to show you are from.. hmm.. two weeks ago?? Here's an updated kitchen to-do list:
We have had three visitors for the past few days so we've lots of sightseeing and a little kitchen work as well. Hanging the giant three-cabinets-in-one thing was something August and I definitely couldn't do by ourselves. But, its done now!
We also did the ultimate Colorado tourist attraction: Pike's Peak. (Our first fourteener!! ha ha ha). At 14,110 feet, the weather was alternating between snowy and sunny, and the temp was in the 30's. Cold!! The whole visit was a blast though, and we very sorry to see them go.
Guess what else came on Saturday - a giant arrangement of chocolate-dipped fruits... A fabulous birthday gift from August's mom & sister. What you can't tell in this picture is that I had already eaten the back side of the arrangement. mmm mmm...
We have officially cleared the biggest cabinet installation hurdle of all - {ominous music} the 24" deep over-fridge cabinet. Why so challenging? Well, being very conscious of our limited kitchen space, I only left a half inch of spare un-utilized wall in the design. Second, this cabinet is giant - it had to be hung from the ceiling as well as the wall. Third, perfection is key here. Everything needs to be square, plumb, level, lined up, etc etc, or else the fridge may not fit at all....
The picture above is August's bracing just before cabinet installation. If a 400-lb gorilla ever wants to move in up there, he will be a-okay. (Can you see the duck sticking its tongue out at you? I was quite amused...)
And the colors we're considering... At this point it could go any way, leaning towards blue pearl as the cheapest possible option. The above counter is deep blue pearl. That's a lot different from regular blue pearl, according to the Russian.
