Day 27: Can't Top This

The countertop was installed today, as were the bookcase wiring, the under-cabinet lights, and the over-sink fixture, so the kitchen is practically finished. It's been exactly four weeks. Tomorrow, the plumber will install the faucet and disposal and hook up the dishwasher. On Saturday, the stove will be in.

We'll have a few loose ends to tie up after that, and then I'll be getting to work on the backsplash. Ooooh, shiny.

Day Twenty: Handled

On Saturday, my sister came to help me organize the drawers; in return, I bought her lunch and gave her my mother's amazing set of orange enamel pots. I'm sure I'll regret the decision, but I've had them for a few years and have only used them a few times. On Sunday, I bought glamorous crushed velvet chairs—an odd choice for the kitchen, but they were so comfortable that I had to buy them.

Day 20 came on Monday, January 30th. Thanks to my flexible and understanding company, I was able to work from home to juggle the insanity. At one point, I had seven grown men in my kitchen. Three had their arms folded across their chests and were ogling the laser measuring tool used by the countertop company. But I digress.

The electricians came to install the fan and the microwave outlet and move the stove outlet so that the cabinet installers could finish their job. I adore my electricians; they've done everything in this house and out, including wiring the garage, which I did as a surprise for my husband for Father's Day. 

The cabinet guys—all three of them—were back to finish. They made a jig for the cabinet handles, finished installing the last of the cabinets and toe kicks, and spent their time dropping f-bombs and talking about how much they like Trump's refugee ban. 

Call me old-fashioned, but I think when you go to work in a client's house, job site or not, you keep your politics to yourself if the client's home, unless someone asks you for your opinion. Not that I expected anything different from the folks who like to go home and shoot stuff in their backyards and who talk about Jewish cabinets (you know—cabinets at Jewish people's homes).

But it was the last day, and the cabinet guys cleaned up and went on their way, leaving Jeff to tackle the ceiling fan, my favorite purchase. It took two hours to put together. It has six speeds and far more light than I'd expected. It's huge—60 inches. It was also pricier than I could afford. But when you turn it on, nothing wobbles, and it's completely silent. (An excellent purchase from www.rejuvenation.com.)

I agonized over every choice in this kitchen—from the cabinet handles to the stove. I bought six different handles and compared them all, and when these came, there was no doubt. But by the time I was ready to order, they were out of stock, so I had to scour the internet for them. I ordered the wrong color, and the company where I ordered them so decently took them back and helped me find the right ones, even buying them from someone else and making it an even exchange for me, not even charging me new shipping! (http://www.Hardwaremarkdowns.com/!)

The easy choices were the cabinets and countertop and the finish. I have had these in mind for the last four years, and even though I looked a lot, I never found anything I liked better.

I'm not sure the cabinet designer ever really dug my taste, but when he walked into my house for the first time, he got me. I think the biggest compliment came when he met the countertop guy here today and said, "I'm going to want a picture of this kitchen when it's done."