Four Months Later - Now What?

I finally made a decision and ordered the Beluga laminate countertop yesterday. This after spending at least a week in analysis paralysis. The actual Beluga sample had a lot more green than blue color in it then I thought (or that images on the computer screen show), but against my paint color it worked. They didn't have the laminate in stock, so it would take at least an extra week to get it to the shop. That put the install date around the first week of April.

Lo and behold today I get a text from my kitchen contractor, "you should have countertops by next week." Huh? I called him and explained that I had already ordered countertops because of the delay. He proceeds to tell me that he would have installed the granite at the same cost of laminate. Huh? So what's a gal to do? The guys (we were carpooling from a meeting) convinced me that a year from now I would wish I had the granite. True. I called the laminate people and cancelled the order at no charge. I felt crappy doing it, but I did it. I called my granite guy again and said we are back on. He said that he just cancelled my order. Now what? I decided to sleep on it, get my thoughts together when I'm a little more settled and then try again.

Have I mentioned that I haven't had an operable kitchen sink since Feb 27?

Beluga, Bamboo or Soapstone

Way back when, the original plan was to have my kitchen contractor install granite countertops. When he disappeared so did the granite. I spent last week getting quotes from other companies. They all came in the $1800 to $1900 price range, and my target number was $1200. After debating it for over a week, I just can't justify spending that kind of cash right now.

The quote for bamboo laminate countertop is $529.23. This price doesn't include the bar top as I'm holding out for a granite remnant. So now the question is which pattern do I choose? I saw Beluga in another friends kitchen, Bamboo is what I used in the main house and Soapstone has the all black look I was aiming for with granite.

Almost There

They say your environment is a reflection of yourself. My kitchen was in a state of construction for over four months, and I guess you could say the same thing about me. Last week was a turning point. I got a new gig and my kitchen is almost there!

Now We're Cooking

A Brown Bag Lunch. That what Paula, former co-worker and recent remodeler, and I had planned to do on Friday...until my building contractor came to work on my kitchen. My house became a construction site again. I wasn't going to do anything to slow them down, so I skedaddled out of there.

The IKEA end panel is $60. Instead, we're using a $6 door I found in IKEA's as-is department.

That's my microwave on top of the stool.

Back on Track

Good customer service goes a long way. I went to IKEA bright and early and was the first person in line at Returns. Receipt in hand, I asked for my missing Akurum leg pieces. My new best friend, Lola, had it waiting for the next shift / me with a note attached.

With that very important task accomplished, I headed upstairs to kitchens. After comparing prices (and finding out that I got a gig yesterday), I decided to go ahead and get some upper cabinets for the wall with the range hood. A pair of 36" wide cabinets with glass front doors and a 15" tall box on the bottom will flank the range hood. The 15" box is my compromise. It fits my toaster oven and allows me to have quick access to open storage. The orange stool on the left will let me reach the other shelving.

Since I "have creative avoidance of work that is to my disliking," I promptly spent my afternoon banging together boxes. The source of that quote is the boss of my college co-op job. How true, how true. I only hit my finger with the soft mallet once.

My building contractor is coming tomorrow morning. Gotta go attach the knobs to the doors. The kitchen is back on the fast track.

Time for a New Contractor

Over 3 months, that is how long it has been since my kitchen contractor "started" my job. I checked the date on my previous post. The tipping point for me was going to a party and seeing a friend's new kitchen. It was beautiful! It is so funny hearing interior designers' critique work, "that's too matchy, matchy." The engineer in me didn't think that circles and lines match, but what do I know? Maybe I'll invite myself over again and take a picture.

My building contractor (not to be confused with my kitchen contractor) stopped by today to drop off the roof affidavit for my main house. I asked him to take a look at my kitchen to see if he could finish it. Part of the deal with my kitchen contractor was that he could give me a good price on granite. I'm more than happy to just have a finished kitchen even if it means that my countertops are laminate.

So, this evening, I headed over to IKEA to see if I could buy/get the clips that attach the toe kick to the plastic feet on the bottom of the cabinets. My kitchen contractor has the ones I purchased and I don't want to wait another day! Love them, or hate them, IKEA certainly has its moments. Case in point - as long as I bring in my receipt, they will give me the missing pieces.

Final thoughts: my building contractor finished this house in a little over three months, so why should it take my kitchen that long?

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Four and a half months. That is how long I went without a mirror in the bathroom. You sort of get used to it. After I installed the mirror this weekend, I have to admit that I sort of felt uncomfortable when I saw someone staring back at me while I brushed my teeth.

I picked up the mirror at the EXPO Design Center's going out of business sale. I debated waiting a little longer to reap a bigger discount, until I found out that they only had one mirror left. Decision made.