Decisions!

This afternoon I picked up a flooring sample to see how it looked with the kitchen. Love how it picked up the cinnamon in the cabinetry. Had to take pictures of it in the hallway and in the dining room. I wanted to see what it looked like in different lighting etc. I also included a photo of our delivered appliances. I am so ready to cook a tasty meal ... it's hard to remain patient with all these beauties in the room.

A Peek Through the Garden Gate

While we've been busy with the kitchen remodel we have also been trying to maintain the garden and yard. Yesterday Walt took a picture using the app AutoStitch Panorama. You can take several photos with your i-Phone and it stitches them together for a great panorama photo.
A few benefits of working in the yard/garden ... I can multi-task and listen to audiobooks at the same time. Makes time fly by and the work lighter! Also, I can get away from the chaos in the house. After 5 or 6 weeks of chaos ... it can start to make you a bit crazy : )

Coming Together

Things are really starting to come together in the kitchen. All the cabinetry is installed and the finishing touches are being added. What a huge difference the crown molding made. Each step makes a huge impact and I can only imagine what it will look like once we add the doors and pulls. The cupboards pictured will have glass fronts. It's hard to wait patiently ... I am so excited to hang them!
We are now down to making a final decision on flooring. We need to pick a lighter floor since we have so much dark cabinetry. We found one we liked at Lumber Liquidators but they were out of stock for 3-4 weeks and I'm not so sure we want hand-scraped finish. We decided to leave and give it some consideration. Later in the day we drove over to Stone Wood Outlet in Tigard. We are now considering 5-inch Acacia wood with a matte finish. It's a bit busy with various shades of wood so we are hoping to bring home a sample this evening to see how it looks with the entire "package."
This morning at 8 a.m. Lowe's made an unexpected delivery of our appliances. We only had room for the range and dishwasher so they will return later with our refrigerator. You can only imagine how exciting it is to see that shiny new REGULAR size range after cooking on a 27-inch drop-in for 23 years ... may it rest in peace! It makes this long awaited dream of a new kitchen a reality.
Measurements will be taken next week by Precision Countertops and they should be installed after Wallowa. It looks like we should be settled in our new kitchen before school starts! I am so looking forward to some home-cooked, nutritious meals again!

It's Starting to Look Like a Kitchen

Day Two of kitchen cabinetry installation. It makes the dream of a new kitchen more of a reality! Rick is doing a fabulous job and it's nice to see our drawings on paper come alive. I am especially impressed with all the lovely drawers waiting to be filled. Our old kitchen had such limited storage.
This stage of the remodel has been quite a workout. Walt and I moved a majority of the heavy cartons from the garage up two flights of stairs. Who needs a gym membership?!?!
As soon as we have all the lower cabinets in place, the granite guy will come in to take measurements. I think we'll have to wait 10-14 days for that install and then we will have the flooring, trim and details to complete this project. I don't see us settling in until mid-August or later. My only requested deadline for this remodel: I want to be moved in before heading back to work : )
I have been so grateful for each step in this process and for the amazing subcontractors and family who have joined us in this undertaking ...