We had a counter...briefly

Our lovely organic white Caesarstone counter was installed last week Friday...and uninstalled on Wednesday.

To start, the installers showed up late due to another job running overtime. Instead of 12pm or so, they showed up closer to 3:30pm. Looking at the profile, the two pieces of counter that needed to be seamed together were not the same thickness. I pointed this out to one of the installers who said that he had noticed it and would have brought it to my attention. He said that if they had been able to show up at 12pm as planned, he would have taken the thicker piece back to the shop and had it sized correctly. As it was, it was easier to install and glue the two pieces then have someone come to grind down the thicker piece in place, or so he said. I wished I'd listened to my inner voice that said this was not a good idea. The installers were incredible nice and friendly and took a lot of care leveling the counter before gluing it in place, which we appreciated. The part we weren't happy about was the dark colour of the seam. It was darker than the counter and not very well done, to our eyes at least. That was just the start of our problems.

Another team was sent to fix the thickness problem and that's when we learned that we should have sent the pieces back to shop instead of going ahead with the installation. Their solution was to just grind down the edge and smooth it. This meant one part of the counter would be one thickness, then slope down to the other thickness. We told them this was unacceptable, not only because it looked bad but that the thicker counter rubbed against the drawers because the edge was sitting lower. We were told that there wasn't any way to grind it down along the length of the counter evenly. At the end of it all, they had to come back to take the counter out, which meant cutting the seam and prying the pieces loose. They left quite a mess behind when they removed it and put a couple small scratches in our cabinets. I don't think the scratches will show once the counter is put back, though. The second installation attempt will be tomorrow. We're crossing our fingers and hoping for the best...

Bathroom's almost done too

At this point, it's a draw as to whether the bathroom or the kitchen will be finished first. The kitchen counter is installed but no pictures yet since we're not completely happy with the installation and need the installers to come back and fix some problems.The kitchen window will be installed by the end of the week then we wait for K to come back finish trimming it out. The pantry doors are still out of stock (any one surprised?) and we've decided that the stainless steel-look plinths from Ikea are really cheap and crappy. It's basically particleboard cover with a piece of foil that will scratch easily so we've decided not to use it. Instead, K says he can get actual sheets of stainless steel cut to size and installed. It'll be more durable and look much better, plus it's not wildly expensive. We're sold on the idea.

The bathroom is almost done. The tub/shower tile is up. The original tile was a glossy white subway tile which we liked so we stuck with it. The only change we made here was to install it in a vertical subway pattern instead of the usual horizontal. It looks fabulous! It heightens the room by drawing your eye upwards. Plus it picks up and carries the pattern from the floor, giving and nice, cohesive look, I think.

Still needs grout but looking good!

Tiles with grout and the bold look of Kohler

While the guys have been concentrating on the main floor, I've been picking away at getting the laundry area finished off. We put in a little storage are with a counter for folding clothes and I love it. It's nice to have a high, flat surface to fold on. I was using the bed for fold but it's a pretty low bed so my back was getting sore from bending over. We'll be posting some pictures of the laundry area as soon as it's completed (it's still missing some hardware) but for now, here's a photo of me assembling a door with a drawer attachment.

The ugly corner gets a makeover

The ugly corner isn't so ugly anymore. K & B have framed it out and covered it with some spare cover panels that match our cabinets. It's a big improvement over what was there before. After the kitchen's done, we'll be posting the before and after photos. I'm so used to seeing what it's like now that sometimes I forget what was there before. I mentioned to R that we should take some of the before photos that he's taken, print them up as gritty black and whites, and hang them in the kitchen for art. I think it would be really cool to have the old decorating the new.

 

 

In the other parts of the house, K & B have been steadily patching and prepping the walls for painting. As they move from room to room, we've been shifting boxes to make way for them. Now, most of the boxes are in the basement. Who needs a gym when you can get your exercise by endlessly shifting large, heavy boxes?

Our basement full of boxes

Someday, we hope to have everything unpacked and put away, but not today.

We have a kitchen...almost

Renovating a kitchen has taught us a number of things, one being that endless trips to Ikea to exchange and/or return cabinets are a necessary evil. For me, Ikea used to be a rare treat since I didn't get to go very often (as a non-driver, I depended on tagging along with friends who were going so trips were few and far between). In the last month, we've been to Ikea so many times that the mere mention of the name causes R to whimper and quiver in fear. I've resorted to bribing him with a frozen yogurt cone (or 10) to get him to go. This worked until one day, he went to get yogurt while I waited to return some items. R returned, irritated and empty-handed. What happened? The frozen yogurt machine was broken. Uh oh. Sorry, honey.

I think they were serving A322 when we showed up

Despite it all, the kitchen is coming together nicely. The cabinets are up, the appliances are in, and now we're just waiting for the counter top to be installed. After that, hook up the drain and faucet, get the dishwasher installed and we're cooking!

Lots of storage space

I must have had B adjust the height of these at least three times

Checking out the new cabinets

Marking the panels sides that we want to face out

Making more notes for K & B

Admiring the new pantry. Oooooo!

We have light!

And more light!

The new range and microwave