Kitchen - Before and After

There are still some final touches needed in the kitchen, such as backsplash, installation of the range hood, touch up paint work, etc. However, the transformation is such that I can happily show before and after pictures at this point..

Before..

In the middle of the renovation, after the gut job...

And here is the transformation!

Best Laid Plans

Here are the drawings for our kitchen.. and a picture of the dark bamboo cabinets from the showroom. But how is it going to look when it's done? I am anxious, nervous and excited, all at the same time. The installation continues today - and I hope they can fix all those little problems that we noticed on Friday..

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

And now we have the sink too! After a very long day making plans at the house, we came home and I ordered the kitchen sink online. Found exactly the sink we have been looking for at Overstock.com for a fraction of the price. It is a farmhouse style overhang stainless steel sink, and comes with the industrial looking cool faucet and even a soap dispenser. Here is the pic:

Appliances, Part III

After much research, reading consumer reports and running around in appliance stores, we finally made our picks and purchased all the major appliances yesterday: the induction cooktop, double oven, dishwasher (all Bosch), fridge (Samsung), and exhaust hood (Zephyr). The salesman was close to a nervous breakdown with us.. and my husband's haggling was driving all of us crazy. But in the end we got a good deal so it was worth it and even the salesman was happy as he probably does not get customers like us very often who will buy everything at once (he must've made a nice commission).

It will take a few weeks for delivery, but that's ok, as we have not even started on the kitchen yet (demolition will start next week). I am very happy with the appliances we picked. They are all top of the line and should serve us well. We also got a 10-year warranty and at-home service plan, which will make it very easy for us in case we have trouble with any of the machines. They will even replace the product if it cannot be fixed. I cannot wait to cook up a storm with these!

Bosch Double Wall Oven

Bosch Dishwasher

Bosch Induction Cooktop

 Samsung French Door Fridge with Freezer Drawer

 Zephyr Hood

Today we have been running around looking for a countertop, unfortunately all the slab yards were closed so we could not go and actually pick a slab, just look at samples at showrooms. Next Friday we will go and make the final decision at the slab yard. The picture of the kitchen has emerged in my head, and it is dark brown cabinets, light countertop (most likely granite for durability, although I love the look and veining of marble), and matching light floor. I may have to do a light floor in the entrance too, as the entrance should flow into the kitchen and the floor tile should be the same... So many choices, so hard to choose!