some finer details

It might sound strange but seeing our kitchen renovation drawing to a close is kind of a bummer.  Joe might have a different opinion but I have really enjoyed the chaos, stress, and long to-do-lists.  For the past month or two, I have been excited to tackle a new project each day and watch the progress!

The majors steps have been completed - demo, new floors, cabinet installation, new appliances, and new countertops.  We also wrapped up some of the smaller details over the past few days.

After the plumbing was finished (running water! yay! no more washing dishes in the tub! yay!), we installed the small shelves next to the sink.  We had left this piece out so that it was easier to access the pipe located behind it.  While these shelves probably aren't the ideal solution, there isn't really a 9" cabinet that you can squeeze into this spot and still keep the sink centered under the window.  We eventually plan to do something to cover up the shelves - probably by building small drawers for each.  I also thought about making a mini curtain to hang over them but I don't think that would deter little hands from making their way in and pulling out all contents.

We installed some filler pieces on either side of the sink cabinet so there aren't any noticeable gaps.

We also added a filler piece between the tall cabinet and the wall.  The cabinet had to be set an inch or so away from the wall so that the doors open properly and I wanted to make sure this space was filled - in an attempt to make it look more "built-in" and to keep that space from being a dust trap.  As our walls aren't 100% straight, we also caulked the seams around this cabinet to, again, keep it from looking like a random, free standing cabinet.  I hope that adding the crown moulding around the whole room will finish this piece off.  (Oh, and this cabinet isn't crooked - the photographer is.)

We installed the toe-kick.  No explanation needed.

Another finishing detail was the window trim.  I previously painted the casing and left the trim pieces off until the counters were installed.  We decided not to have the tile backsplash run under the window to keep it from looking too busy.  Instead, we got a PVC board to run this length so there's no concern about it getting wet and rotting - or allowing water to seep through to the wall or behind the cabinets.  Because it wasn't the same tone of white as the rest of the boards, I purchased some heavy duty primer before painting the PVC board. I was told this primer sticks to glass so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it holds up.  (And, no, I didn't give up after installing 3 backsplash tiles - those are just propped up to the right of the window so I could get a visual on how all the different whites would coordinate!)

Another water-seepage prevention step we took was to run a bead of clear silicone along the inside seams of the sink cabinet.  We already had some on hand so it was a fast and free step that will give me peace of mind if the plumbing were to leak or something were to spill out of the trash that is also located under the sink.  It wasn't a necessary step but I guess it's a good precaution to take - moisture getting into the seams of our new cabinets could be devastating!

I came across this indoor/outdoor mat at TJMaxx for $15.  I wasn't sure how it would "go" with the kitchen but was pumped when I got it home to find that it matched perfectly.

I put in on top of an anti-fatigue mat that we had in our old kitchen.  It's super comfy to stand on AND it makes the firm mat look like a thicker rug.

We also hung the light over the sink - matching the one we recently hung on the other side of the kitchen.

We have a fully functioning kitchen now so we can take our time with the remaining to-dos.  (We can take our time but, if you know me, I want stuff done immediately and am not very good at sitting around waiting for things to happen!)

• install the backsplash
• install crown moulding
• hook up the under-cabinet lighting
• hang the open shelves
• replace the bank of 3 windows that look out onto the front yard
• make curtains for all windows
• build a bench to go under front windows
• hang shelves (or similar solution) on either side of the bench

We started the demolition on January 17th and I'm proud to say that it looks like we will meet our goal of completing all major steps of the kitchen renovation in less than 2 months.  I think I might celebrate by starting to plan a bedroom reno - or a bathroom reno - or maybe a 2nd floor dormer addition?!  (Uuugh...I hope Joe isn't reading this!)