When we viewed our house prior to purchasing it, there were so many missing cabinet doors that the kitchen
looked like a grinning mouth with missing teeth. The cabinet doors were replaced before we took ownership, but
I was never happy with the kitchen, which is pretty much the first thing you see when you enter the house.
I had wanted a gas stove, but this would have necessitated running the gas line over the roof and thru the
ceiling so I settled for a black glass cooktop (which I am VERY happy with).
Erik did everything except finish the sheetrock and install the granite. Wiring had to be run over
the roof because the conduit in the foundation was rather corroded.
<== The original kitchen was 'not bad'. It HAD been renovated by the previous owner but that was before
it was used as a rental.
There had been a fire in our oven (compliments of the previous tenants) so
the thermostat was a bit 'off' to say the least. Also the laminated stuff was chipping off the cabinets.==>
<== Erik stripped off the old paneling and removed the cabinets.
Then he sheetrocked (he paid someone else to do the 'mudding'). He moved the appliances, old base
cabinets into the middle of the kitchen so we could continue to be functional as long as possible (washing
dishes in the bathtub is a DRAG.) ==>
<== Then, time for mounting and levelling the cabinets. ==>
<== Luckily right before the granite was to be installed, we decided to have the radiant heating system 'checked out'.
The cat (Mr. Spock) had been sleeping in one spot in the kitchen where we knew the foundation was cracked and we suspected
that the cat might know something we didn't (By the way, cats are EXCELLENT radiant heat leak detectors).
Yes, indeedy. Leak was found, close to where we suspected, the floor jackhammered, leak repaired,
and concrete patched.
New fridge, old floor.==>
<==Next the granite installers came. Unfortunately, my dad died the day before the granite installation, so I was in the
back bedroom bawling my eyes out when the granite people were doing their thing -- not very good as far
as project management. Mostly they did a good job although they insisted that the soap dispensers, which
were placed too far away from the sink, were 'the way we always install them'. ==>
<== Cabinets in; cooktop not yet installed. Some doors were still missing as it took about 3 orders
before we got what we needed.
The Thermador oven has a bread-rising setting -- which I decided was necessary after the time I invited about 20 people
over for a build-your-own pizza party, and, it being cloudy and chilly, there was no place for the crust
to rise. It also has convection and a meat probe which I've used twice. (Makes GREAT popovers though.)
Note the cool Fisher and Paykel dish drawers. ==>
<== AND the new floor -- a floating 'engineered wood' 'rustic' maple (which was a little more
rustic than appeared on the sample, but we're happy with it). Unfortunately, the flooring was not packaged very well
and had a lot of 'bad' edges, so we had to re-order. Even more unfortunately, the company that made the flooring
had decided to stop making it. Luckily we located some (their last box!) at a web-order place outside of Seattle
and they shipped it.
Again, unfortunately, some of the pieces arrived damaged so we REALLY had to patch the sucker to
get enough coverage.
Erik's dad helped us out on this part of the project.
