The Completion is near.

Template materials

Daytime in the kitchen.

Installing of hood vent.

Just a few Easy Closet Boxes.

A few comments on the appliances, the washer, dryer and microwave are just fabulous.  The Refrigerator, there are not enough word to say how nicely it is designed  The stove is not hooked up yet, but the manual leaves me chomping at the bit to use it.  I cannot wait to prepare a homecooked meal and bake in that fabulous oven.  Cookies anyone, it seems that it can easily handle 4 cookie sheets at once baked perfectly with the convection feature, time will tell.  The crew was obviously disappointed when the electrician had to leave earlier in the week, before he could hook up the oven.

Bring in that range.

In place but not hooked up.

Crew preparing to install Fridge.

Windows going in.

It has been a busy and productive week.  Final bullet lists have been made and finishing touches have begun. Everything is so very beautiful.  Not to many hitches, they are easy to get over.  As I write, we are awaiting the electrician to finish up, dishwasher to be installed, finish crown moulding in kitchen and grout on the bath border tile.

Last Sunday, my sister and I made a trip to the storage unit, a typical gray February day, but two hours later, when we met, there was a couple inches of snow on the ground and it was snowing at a ridiculous pace.  We quickly loaded what we could and made a single trip home, it was quite slippery out.  next post I'll show the beginnings of the porch.

The week has been snow/ice on the roads, packed and frozen down, and tonight overnight there will be yet some further precipatation.  Overall, not a bad winter, although the 1/4 inch of ice on Monday morning was a bit of a pain, especially for commuters.

Building a template.

The template making was an interesting process.  I envisioned paper, plastic but they use balsa wood, glueing the wood in place in a grid, very sturdy and portable.

Cupboards with lower trim and task lighting.

Weekend project "Easy Closets"

The task lighting is great, no more being unable to see in the kitchen.  Everyone home helped with the Easy Closets; D carried them in for me, (shelves are quite hefty); R put in the cams and completed the hamper unit; I placed the horizontal shelving.  Saturday evening I put in the stablezing cam shelves and Sunday I finished up with the rods and adjustable shelving.  Next post I'll show the completed project.  The lighting is not quite finished and pictures need to be taken early in the day.

Closet vertical elements.

Yes, they all fit.

 The uppers are a bit higher that the old ones and after adding the spices I found that I couldn't see to read them easily.   My dear friend MJ recently redid her kitchen, and used plain drawer for her spices (alphabetical of course).  With this in mind I placed all our small spices n a drawer to determine if they would fit.  Great news they will fit.  I will alphabetize them (by size) once the granite is installed.

Evening view with ambient lighting.

 Just wanted to show the cabinets in the evening and the daylight.  They are an antiqued white, rather classic country french look.  This is going to be a very excellent kitchen to work in.

Kitchen in the daylight.

Border tile in the bathroom.

That crazy border tile came in yesterday, and the crew began on it right away.  It came air freight from Italy (the salesperson never mentioned this, I may have chosen differently if she had.

Sight unseen is the cupboards are pretty well loaded, we are gaining room in the living and dining rooms.  Our focus now is reorganizing the basement and preparing to move R's office to his new digs.  After that, the attic will be relocated to the easier accessed basement. Finally my design area in the basement.  When and while that occurs, the bedrooms will be moved and reorganized, so once again, after many years I will have a dedicated sewing room.  Each of our children will have a bedroom to their selves with their spouses and future families.  The main floor will afford plenty of room for family gatherings.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

It has been a week and a half since I last posted.  This post will again be picture heavy, as last week was the week for deliveries and crews.  The painter should finish up today, cupboards are hung.  The trades (plumbers and electricians) are in this week finishing up the final lines and vents.

With granite sample in hand, my sister and I traveled to Dwyers in Farmington to choose the slabs for the kitchen.  What a beautiful place and pleasant experience. We were finished in a bit over an hour, easy-breezy.  It was good having a sample in your price range, there are so many beautiful slabs there one could easily be distracted. 

Main Flooring, manufactured Jan. 21, 2011

My Sister K, at the Dwyer's Granite warehouse.

More Granite, Yikes!!

Granite is difficult to photograph.

Some are quite unusual.

 Our cabinets arrived, on schedule and without incident, they are beautiful.

Our "Made in Michigan" cabinets have arrived.

A crew of two and lots of cabinets.

They come shrink wrapped.

The new Pantry coming through.

Silverware drawer, fabulous!

View after truck was finished unloading.

Upper Cupboards and trim

Pantry waiting in garage.

French Doors, installed and painted.

The Sunroom is taking shape.

M's Office.

Beginning of Kitchen layout.

That first corner is quite important.

Inside of cabinets, check out the quality.

This is a pick of my twirly pantry gadget.

Kitchen takes shape.

 Haha, you think, "another purple room"  not really, this is called "Wet Concrete" a brownish grey, the hall is "Silver Fox" a greenish grey.  They are both what I call chameleon color, it looks like a different color on each wall/from each angle.

Other side of kitchen.

Crew sets up island.

Uppers, over the stove.

View down the hall.

View of Kitchen from the hall.

Vent going in, hopefully windows soon.

Easy Closets.

These are a few of the boxes of my "Easy Closets".  I found this company on line, so far so good.  The crew is installing the base part of the wall units.  They comment that the directions are excellent and they truly are easy.  I'll blog more about them when I install the components.  That will be after carpeting. I will comment that they have been easy to deal with on the phone, the product arrived quickly and they immediately replaced the ONE defective part the very next day.

Bye for now, I need to go check on the crew;-)

The Weather Outside is Frightful....or might have been.

Inside could be delightful.  If only it wouldn’t snow, our floors might arrive.  More than a week late, last excuse was ice in Georgia…..2 + weeks ago. 

Well the Mudders returned today, to work on the drywall in the kitchen.  The crew grouted the tiled areas, then we wait for…..the floors.  We are hopeful that it will arrive within the next couple days.  Tomorrow would be great, as we are due for a giant winter storm beginning February 1, which can only further delay the project. 

Laundry Room set up as a kitchen. (sorry about the blurrr)

 Ah well, we are getting along, sans kitchen.   The laundry room sink is just fabulous and it makes eating at home tolerable.  No stove or oven, but with the electric skillet a crockpot and microwave, we are eating quite well. 

View of entryway from kitchen

Change of plans.  The counter surface originally picked, and then changed, just wasn't as exciting as I thought it could be.   So I decided to continue the search.  A few granite samples later, a decision was made.  Next Wednesday, I head off to Farmington with an extra set of eyes to pick slabs.  Hope the weather cooperates.

Not as many pictures right now, the work goes in increments that are not as easily viewed.  The great news is that the floors are in. This week brings the deliveries of cabinets and appliances.  

We are anxious to begin the reorganization process, each room, top to bottom, even the emptying of the attic.  Anyone need anything, I’m sure it is up there somewhere. 

Mud closet rack.

Second sink completed.

First coat of paint on kitchen

A floor finally arrives.

"Office" floor, up close.

Office, awaiting final paint.

Tomorrow, the crew will install the floor on the sunporch and hallway.  The next couple weeks will show fine details finished up.  Most of the rooms are close to being complete. We are getting excited.