Tipsico

 We officially finished on April 10th for a total of 95 days from project start to finish. We've been adjusting to the new layout and now have almost two-months of working in our new kitchen. I absolutely love it!  We achieved all of our goals with an updated cooktop, updated oven, more counter and storage space, and so much lighting. I was much more invested in the functioning of the new space rather than the aesthetics. However, when I saw how lovely everything turned out, I was briefly motivated to prioritize the neat clean look by keeping the counters clear and the fridge door free of clutter. Eventually I came to my senses and remembered that my kitchen is meant to be used and not only admired. Enjoy these final photos and be sure to look back to Day 0 for the before pictures. Some organizational hacks, some planned ahead of time, some not.

 The sink and new dishwasher were installed on day 68 The remaining appliances were installed yesterday which was day 71.  I jumped right in to cooking on the new induction cooktop. I figured out the basics, but I'm going to take some time to read the manuals so I can take advantage of all the technology.  As a reminder... Before re-model After remodel Tonight, my dinner plans include roasting broccoli at 400 degrees & simultaneously finishing some chicken at 350 degrees.  I'll post some final pictures in early April. We are waiting on a few replacement cabinet pieces that won't be installed until then.

 We're getting so close.  I love the tiles and the random pattern created by the installer.

Counters and our new sink were installed this morning.   Hi-Macs Solid Surface in Color Portland

 Although I am very tired of not having a kitchen sink, I am very happy with what I see in the new kitchen. The new shelving in the pantry closet is level and sturdy.  When the electrician comes back he will add lighting. We will also put the doors back up. Last night a friend asked how many handles we needed.  I counted 49.  Because we are waiting on the new cabinet doors, only 47 have been installed.

 We've had a bit more progress this week.  The template for the countertops was taken on Tuesday and we're hoping the counters will be installed late next week or early the following week. We have a shelf for a microwave and an exhaust hood. Mudroom cupboards and bench.   The two-door cupboard on the left was first incorrectly installed over the microwave shelf.  It might be hard to see in photos, but those cupboards are different heights.  This happened when the lead carpenter was out for a day. This was the same team who neglected to add the 1/2" spacer.  Stuff happens. Anyway, this cabinet has some unnecessary drill holes from being placed in the wrong spot.  It will be replaced which will delay the backsplash tile on this wall. But it won't delay the completion of the functional part of the kitchen.  I hope to add some custom-made cushions to the bench seating. In a last-minute change, I asked for the cabinet with the two drawers that sit...

 We have so many lovely cabinets.  I'm looking forward to organizing all my kitchen stuff into these spaces.   All of the lower cabinets are drawers. Drawers are more accessible than cabinets with shelves.   (The one mis-matched cupboard and the darker floor-to-ceiling panel will be replaced to match the lighter color.) Evidence of a temporary mistake. The cabinet installers neglected to install a 1/2" spacer to allow the drawers to clear the existing molding. Much better.  I'm sure it was a lot of effort to move the whole wall of cabinets 1/2" to the right. The "mud room" area is coming along nicely.

The flooring was installed today.  It is luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and we are pleased.  Next is cabinetry!

 The paint color for the walls was the last thing we chose but the first thing we get to see in the modified space.  I like the color. Sometimes it looks greenish-blue and at others it looks bluish-green.

Now we have plaster! We are in a holding period while we wait for the plaster to cure.

We got a bit ahead of schedule which meant we had a few days where nothing happened while we waited for the sub-contractors to arrive at their scheduled time.  Monday, we got new insulation, which is much better than having old torn-up insulation. And Friday we got drywall on almost all the walls. After too many microwaved frozen meals we opted for some good pub food at a local restaurant We remembered we have this handy air fryer which is basically a portable oven. The spinach pie was surprisingly good.

 We had sub-contractors work this week. HVAC was completed Tuesday Here is our new duct work for the hood exhaust. Here is a very boring photo showing the new location for heating/cooling. Basement view of new duct work.   Rough Plumbing was completed Wednesday New Reverse Osmosis (RO) water system installed in the basement. Rough wiring was completed Thursday All of the wires hanging out of the ceiling will be new lighting. They needed to remove insultation to install the wiring for additional outlets and under-cabinet lighting. The insulation will be replaced but it is bad timing for the anticipated arctic cold front arriving soon.  

 FYI:  The "Day #" in the title is the number of days I am without a kitchen.  This will include weekends and days where the contractor nor any sub-contractors show up to work.  We're ready for the HVAC work.  The white arrow points to the repair in the ceiling and the green arrow points to the new location for the exhaust to our new hood.  This is a slight relocation of existing duct work that goes through our attic and out our roof.  This is the space where our dining table sits.  Today they removed the molding along the floor. I think this will be a great wall to place some new artwork.   This photo looks no different from the last one I posted. But if you look closely, you'll see that they added about 1/4" to the edge of the studs.  They did that on the opposite wall as well.  I assume it has something to do with the drywall and plaster they will install after the plumbing and electrical work is completed and approved. This...