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weedyacres

Thanksgiving week remodel...part 2

weedyacres
16 years ago

Here's the continuation of this thread on our Thanksgiving week kitchen remodel. It was getting photo-heavy, so hopefully this will be better.

Okay, we're back on track! We had a good workday on Saturday, and knocked off a few lingering projects.

First, we put in the desk area stuff. We took your earlier advice and pulled the upper cabinet away from the back wall by 6", but that added a lot of complexity in fastening it, as it had to be screwed to the side walls. We had to build up about 1.5" on either side, so we did it with plywood and some shaved-down pieces of a pallet. It looked like this:


We got the wall cabinet screwed in, and the desk placed (at counter height), but not fastened yet, because I can't remember how far from the back wall I told the granite guy to go with the counter. So we'll wait to do the final front-to-back positioning until he brings the slabs back.


I still need to add the fillers and the crown to the wall cabinet, but I'm using the filler around the tambour, and need to use it there first, and use the remnants on the desk.

DH worked for 4 hours on the island electrical. We mused, discussed, and brainstormed to figure out what to do on this. We've got decorative panels everywhere, so an outlet in the middle would detract from that. Plug mold (our original idea) would have required one side of the island counter to be a couple inches more overhand, plus it would cover up the top of the decorative doors. So our KD (thanks, Dan!) had this idea:

It's unobtrusive and simple in concept, but to execute my DH not only had to drill the holes in the precise place in the 3/8" plywood skin, but then chisel out a rectangular area behind it, so the outlet could be flush with the outside of the plywood. Whew! We've got one on either side of the center panel, and the entire island is shown here in the finished shot.


I also did the penninsula trim: more plywood, decorative door panels, and corner bead.

We're waiting by the phone with bated breath for our granite guy to call saying they're ready to bring it. They did send us photos of the template, so we know they've got our slabs. Here's one (sorry, don't know how to make it bigger).

And our backordered drawer handles should finally be here on Monday.

BTW, we're starting demo on our powder room, mud room, laundry room/pantry, and hope to finish by the end of the year. I'm posting the play-by-play on the bathroom forum if you want to follow along.

Comments (29)

  • rmkitchen
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am so impressed! I've loved following all your hard (and beautiful) work. The outlet is ingenious, truly.

    Hooray!

  • mommycooks
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh I'm glad to see more of your project! I was wondering when you were going to be able to do more . . . great job, and a true inspiration! Keep us posted . . .

    Nica

  • monicakm_gw
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Weedy, Finish the powder room, mud room, laundry room/pantry by the end of THIS year?? 2007?? Ah, youth. Well, if anyone can, I'm sure you two can :)
    BTW, love your cabinets!
    Monica

  • weedyacres
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Monica: Don't be too impressed. It's mostly just tile & paint in 3 small rooms, and new bathroom fixtures. The longest part will be stripping the wallpaper out of the powder room.

  • pcjs
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Have fun stripping wall paper... ick ick ick... we're almost done - it was everywhere in our house on the 1st floor, including the closets (with the ceilings). We have a few walls and one ceiling left and it's been a nightmare - but the wallpaper is several layers with paint on plaster walls (grateful for plaster as you can refinish it). We have tons of wall paper remover gel if you need it - it didn't work for us. :) We have at least a gallon and a half as it didn't work at all.

  • weedyacres
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well, the handles came in today and we got 14 of the 27 installed on the drawers. I can't wait to start loading everything in and organizing it in all this new space (DH thinks I'm weird for feeling that way).


    And DH also got the radiant heat controls hooked up. I love it on my feet, and our cat has found a new favorite napping place.

    And I stripped wallpaper in the powder room.

    The granite is coming on Wednesday!!!!!!!

  • Buehl
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The handles look really nice! Good choice!

    I'll have to check the Bathroom forum! We aren't remodeling our bathrooms anytime soon, but I'd love to see what you're doing.

  • jillypie
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We had radiant heat in the floor in my old bathroom. I used to almost kill myself when I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night- tripping over 3 kitties sleeping contentedly on THEIR floor,LOL!

  • snagd
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I hope your granite guys make it today! I'll be anxiously awaiting pics:o)

  • weedyacres
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    THE GRANITE CAME! THE GRANITE CAME! THE GRANITE CAME! (And yes, I'm yelling.) I'll let the photos speak for themselves, first a shot of the bulk of the counters and then closeups of the penninsula and island.



    It looks so cool....and I set to work immediately organizing everything into the drawers and cabinets. I had to pull myself away to lay some tile in the mud room. The seam even turned out decently...not invisible, as there's a fair amount of color variation and movement in the slab, but I'm okay with it.

  • cat_mom
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It looks gorgeous!!!!

  • fnzzy
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    looks wonderful!! you guys should be so proud to do this all!

  • janwad
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Magnificent colors! LOVE the granite.

  • divamum
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    GaWOW!!!!

    Omg, I thought it was beautiful just with plywood on it, but that is SPECTACULAR!

  • kyliegirl
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow! Your granite is beautiful! I have been watching the step by step progress and your kitchen is very nice!

    Barb

  • kbmas0n
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    bumping up.

    What is the name of your granite????

  • natesgramma
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It's like Christmas every day. I just love what you are doing (the granite is like the lights on the tree). I think it was nice of you to pick colors that go so well with your cat. :)

  • bklyn2pok
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh WoW! I love it! Your granite was the perfect choice for your cabinets.

    Of course your kitchen coordinates with your cat, the cat wouldn't have it any other way :=)

  • flatlander62
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Weedyacres--what an inspiration you are. We'd already contracted for our kitchen when you began posting your DIY kitchen project. We're due for a bath remodel too so I'm going to head over to the bath forum and watch how it's done by a "Pro DIY-er" before we make a move this time. You made it look so easy and your new kitchen is gorgeous.

    Is your granite as exciting today as it was yesterday? Ours is going in RIGHT NOW and I can't believe how silly my husband and I are over a piece a stone!

  • akshars_mom
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It looks beautiful. Enjoy !

  • gshop
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    WOW! What a finished jewel the granite makes to an already beautiful kitchen. You and DH should be so PROUD of yourselves for all the hard work and making all the right choices on cabinets, color, flooring, granite, etc. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your adventure with us!

  • mahatmacat1
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Looks great, but a question: can you take more pics of the granite without the yellowish tone over the whole pic? If you look at them, they're so different from the other pics--is it a matter of taking them in daylight? I'd love to see the granite for real, which I can't yet...

    Amazing work, though, of course--I esp. like the way the edge on the hood cabinetry (?) above the cooktop echoes the edge profile on the granite. LOVE seeing attention to detail like that :)

  • weedyacres
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The granite is called Terra Brazilis. The photos I posted were taken without a flash because the flash was making a glare on the granite. Here's a photo of the big picture with a flash (more white). To do a close-up of the granite without yellow and without glare will probably require a photo in daylight, which is pretty scarce here lately when I'm home. I'll try to do that later.

    japper: yes, I still love the granite today. I find myself stroking it, and gazing lovingly at the gnurled brown patterns. Go for the DIY! If you have questions along the way, just stop in and ask, as there are lots of people willing to help out. If you want to see a couple bathrooms we did in our house, click the link below. It doesn't have quite the detail that this thread does, but it might give you some idea.

    We're off to MKE early tomorrow for a few days. We're going to help my sister and her DH put in a linoleum floor, remove wallpaper, and do some odd jobs. See you all when we get back and try to decide on a backsplash. I'm thinking of cream-colored matte finish subway tile with a decorative border of some kind running through it, but I could easily change my mind. I need to go immerse myself in the backsplash bio.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Weedy Acres DIY Journal

  • elyn00
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Congratulations on your accomplishment! We have ordered the same cabinets and are going to start installing the porceline tile soon. How did you fasten the island cabinets through the tile into the subfloor? Also are base cabinets installed first and then tiled around, making it easy to fasten the island cabinets into the subfloor?Why did you install floor first? thanks

  • weedyacres
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Elyn: We tiled under the cabinets because we didn't want to lose counter height. Plus I think it looks a little nicer for the tile to go under the cabinets than to butt up against them. We screwed the penninsula to the wall, but didn't attach either that or the island to the floor with screws. We just put silicone around the base (basically "gluing" it to the floor, and figured between that and the granite it won't be moving anywhere.

    If I were screwing the cabinets to the floor, I'd probably do it with L-brackets and then cover them with the toe kick and tile.

  • msrose
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just saved the picture of your granite to my inspiration file. I love the way it turned out. Can't wait to see what backsplash you put with it.

    Laurie

  • hmsweethm
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What seam? Where? I can't see it.

    Your whole kitchen is awe-inspiring and beautiful. You rock!

  • napagirl
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    bump

  • susanlynn2012
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Weedyacres, you and your handsome and handy husband are such an inspiration! I wish I would meet someone like him since I would love to renovate my kitchen with someone rather than having to hire someone. You both did an amazing job, better than most professionals!