Kitchen Counter Top

We have had a few hic cups with our counter tops. We ordered a top called "Heavenly" and we wanted it finished in a leather finish. The store had 4 pieces that we absolutely loved. However they were already sold. So the company was going to order some more in for us. The week we were scheduled for the install we got word our granite wasn't on the shipment they had received. However it would be in the following week. That next week it didn't come in again! What a disappointment! We were finally told that because of Covid the company really had no idea if or when we get our order. It could be the following week, it could be 3 months. We had already waited 2 weeks and so with the unknown we decided to find something different, something that was already in stock. We went looking a few different times and finally found this. We love it! 

It's full of browns and grays and looks awesome with our cabinets and flooring. 

My Dad came up and helped us install the new garbage disposal and sink. Yay!

While Dad was doing that Kory and I removed our existing "kitchen" of 2 years. I remember the night well that we installed our temporary kitchen. At the time we thought it was just for a few months. Little did we know it was going to be 2 years. It has served us well and I was almost a little sad to see it go. 

But now it's gone. 

Now we can walk around the island comfortably. 

Over the weekend we were able to finish the wood floors. I love it! I love the 2 toned wood finish. I love the counters. I love that our floors are done and it is so, so much easier to sweep. I have sat several times at my kitchen table and just stared at my kitchen is awe. It has been so long since we have had a decent, working kitchen. I love it. We ordered our stove but again thanks to Covid we won't have it until the end of October. But its a great feeling to know it is on its way. We are so close to being done.  

 

Kitchen Island

Kory brought home our island this week. 

Our kitchen is going to have so many drawers and cupboards I don't think I will be able to fill them all up. It's going to be amazing!

Kory wanted to make sure we had plenty of plugs. So we put an electrical box on both ends of the island. I'm going to love this!

Not only did he bring the island home he also brought a top for our cabinet under the stairs and the island itself. 

This is going to be amazing!

I haven't had much of counter top since we took our kitchen out 2 years ago. But even then the 2 years we lived in the house with the previous kitchen didn't provide much either. 

Kitchen is a little crowded at the moment but I won't complain. Our countertops should be here sometime next week. Once we get them installed we can install the sink and get rid of our "2 year" kitchen. I just can't believe how big it's going to be. 

More Kitchen

 Our granite guy stopped by earlier this week and measured. Our granite should be delivered this Fri/Monday. He has us on his schedule for next Thur/Friday. Wow! To have a real kitchen, real cabinets and real countertops. I am so excited!

Yesterday, Saturday Aug 1st, Kory installed the 3 uppers we have done. We also got a few more drawers done this week so were able to install them to. It's so fun and exciting to see it all coming together, a little piece at a time. Now I can get rid of that huge white cabinet we have all grown accustomed to.

 In the 18 hours we have had the upper cabinets we have discovered how short we all are. Kylie is 8. She hasn't had upper cabinets in 2 years. Making her 6 and in Kindergarten. She's always had a job emptying the dishwasher. I guess before we took the cabinets out she was probably in charge of the silverware. But for quite some time now she can empty the whole dishwasher......until now. The girl can't reach! She has to push a chair up against the counter to reach the cups, plates and such. Brayden who is now 11 can only reach the bottom shelf of the upper cabinet, where the cups are put. He can't reach the next shelf with out a chair either. So he can't reach the bowls and plates. It is going to take some time getting use to our new arrangements. The heavy white cabinet we've been using for the past 2 years held these items. We always kept them on a "lower" shelf so everyone could reach. 

Beginning of The Kitchen

Wednesday morning, I was in the laundry room swapping laundry around. I heard Kory calling out for me that he was home and needed my help. To my surprise he brought Mike, our employee and Hunter home to install the cabinets we have done. Good thing I had the dishes done! Kids and I quickly had to clear the table, the 3 Burner stove and get things moved out of the way for the "guys". 

The cabinet to the far left in the picture will be right next to the stove. The next cabinet is the trash roll out and sink base. The empty spot is for the dishwasher and then another base cabinet. 

He also brought home our office cabinets! 

This is so exciting! Only half of Kory's delivery showed up this week. So we are still short some drawer slides to be able to put all the drawers in. One day.....

My kitchen is a bit interesting right now. It's been worse so I won't complain. We've got our "new" cabinets along with our "old". We can't move our sink/dishwasher yet until the counter tops are installed. We can't push the refrigerator back where it goes until the "old"cabinet is moved. So we say, "think skinny" when it comes time to do the dishes. 

Refrigerator is right up against the over/microwave. Our stove is also in the middle of the room. I don't want to move it to where it's been. I don't want the feet to scratch my new flooring. 

And then we've got our white cabinet. It has been my pantry, dish storage and holds the "necessities". Once we get the upper cabinets built and installed and a few more drawers installed I can get rid of it.  

    It's slowly coming together. 

Building Cabinets

Saturday, July 25th

Kory decided he wanted to start working on our kitchen/office cabinets Friday night he and I spent a few hours at the shop. We were able to build 3 cabinets.

Before going home he put the 1st coat of lacquer on them. 

Saturday morning we had the kiddo's come down with us. The kids and I glazed the cabinets Kory had sprayed the night before. 

We were able to build another 4 cabinets that are glazed and lacquered on Saturday. 

While we were waiting for the glaze and a few coats of lacquer to dry we started building our drawers. Kory cut out as many pieces he could until he ran out of material.  

Mom ran the dove tail machine. Once the pieces were cut Dad and Kylie glued and put the drawers together. 

Then Dad and Brayden sealed them together. We probably got 15 drawers done. Yay!

Kory was hoping to install the cabinets we got done. However we ran out of a few supplies. We weren't planning on building cabinets this weekend. Kory's got a delivery coming Monday morning with the pieces we need to finish up, like drawer slides and more material to build drawers. Hunter and Maddie were helping too but somehow escaped my camera. In September it will be 2 years that we took out our kitchen.  It's hard to believe it's been that long. We have done so much on this house. It's brand new!

Trim Work

Tuesday, July 21

Both of Kory's employees called in sick this morning. He tries to work 10hrs Mon-Thursday and then uses Fridays to do computer work and if time permits we work on the house. Knowing the guys are missing work they will probably want to work on Friday so he took the day off and we worked on the house. 

Our flooring is done as much as we can until we're ready to work on the kitchen. 

So we started trim work.  

We were able to trim all the doors and get quite a bit of the baseboards done. 

It's coming along so well. 

Flooring

Saturday, July 18th

We are hard at it again. 

We've got everyone helping so we can get our flooring done. 

Our dining room is done. 

So exciting!

Brayden did a little jig in celebration. 

Wow!

Painted walls, flooring it almost looks like a real dining room now. Just need the baseboards. 

Today our goal was to get the family room, entry way and hallway done. 

However we decided to do the dining room first and then continue on. 

We were going to do under the stairs "next time" but ended up doing it too. 

Then we moved to the entryway.  

At 10pm we decided to hang it up for the night. We had one more row to finish the entryway but it needed to be ripped. So next time....

Looking so good! I'm loving it. 

Monday, July 20th

We decided to finish the floors for family home evening. 

And our last piece...

Of the flooring we can do right now of course. 

It's so nice walking on smooth flooring instead of cracked, rough concrete. 

My feet are loving it.