Paint Gets....In Your Eyes

There was begging so I am posting, and although we have been very busy here, it is not spectacular. This is the usual view from my kitchen sink. Still dropclothes everywhere but you may notice the painted baseboard molding sitting on the sawhorses ready to go in. You may also notice the trim is all painted and the wall color is cut in and one coat with the roller. The floor has been sanded, stained and polyurethaned, but it is shrouded with plastic and canvas. And just to the left there at the end of the molding are the dishwasher and range.

The view from the garage door. All we have left to do is baseboard molding, a little wall patching (electricians!) touch-up painting and install the dishwasher, disposal, faucet, range and frig. And get inspected. Gotta figure out how that goes.

This is the master bath shower. The tile ceramic in a faux crema marfil marble pattern. To the right you see the niche for shampoo etc. It is edged with glass tile, just installed and still taped in place.

Here you are looking down at the shower pan and floor. Much prettier in person than in the photo. No window. But there is still time.

The Granite Is In

Look at all this groovy space to dump your stuff when you walk in from the garage!

That, "What I'll see while working at the kitchen sink view" is progressing.

The Beginning of the End

Here is a photo tour of where we are with the kitchen. Cabinets are all in and and we are taping and doing the other prep work for painting. Paint color choosing is a bit problematic. I thought I had it figured out, but the test swatches I painted on the wall look HORRIBLE. Nevertheless, counters will be installed Wednesday, the floor will be finished over Memorial Day weekend, and appliances arrive the tuesday after the weekend. This is the view from my kitchen sink, when it is installed.

Our new front door. It is fiberglass. Sterling will finish it with a cherry stain.

This is what our renovations have done to the front of the house. The black area around the window to the left will be covered with plywood, painted, and then camoflaged with shutters to match those around the other windows.

"Hope Things Are Going Well For You and Your Family"

Well, Louise, we are doing pretty well. This photo was taken last weekend at the Our World Underwater Society banquet at The Explorer's Club in New York City (hence the polar bear).

Josi and I are looking young and beautiful, of course. My Dad is still the Flying Dutchman, getting out and hanging with the grandkids whenever he can. Then you have my three little ones (hah!) Ross the rugby player growing a mohawk which I assume he will shave off when he begins his summer job as an actuary at an insurance company in Pawtucket, RI this summer (living in Boston). Aimee spends a good portion of her time, it seems, contemplating the excitement of learning to drive, which will begin at age 15 1/2, or December 2, 2009. She is going to Paris for 2 weeks this summer! This banquet marked the end of Jamie's year of as the Society's North American Scholar, so he is getting his feet back on the ground after his year of scuba diving around the world, to continue his masters in marine science. Sterling's dad (Gramps) came up from Florida to share the weekend, and my Sterling, still designing transit with Bechtel. You're seeing three Sterlings in a row right here (there have been a total for 5 - Gramps has known them all).

Starting to Look Like a Kitchen

Aimee is finally convinced all the work is getting somewhere. For the past two weeks, she hasn't noticed the progress made as it has mainly been invisible - all that stuff that goes in the walls like plumbing, electricity and heating ducts. We also had the floor installed and the recessed lights installed. Not very noticable in a picture or to the eyes of a 14 year old. But now we have begun cabinet installation. This shot is from the door to the garage over what will be the island (see the half wall, just waiting?) to the stairs to the rest of the house.

The next shot is from the other side. Out of the picture to the left is the front door. On the left of the photo you see the glass door cabinet facing toward the sitting area. In the middle you can see the half wall where the island (with sink) will be. Behind that half wall you see the revised window. Formerly a bay window, we took the center window of the bay and brought it flush to the wall, giving us more wall space on either side. The range will be on the left side of that window and you can see the pantry, frig space and microwave station to the right. Then you'll notice the door to the garage where the previous shot was taken.

All is going well. Our next hurdles are to cut down a conventional cabinet into a corner cabinet, and I have to line up a granite contractor as we hope to be ready to measure and template Wed or Thurs.

The work on the Master bath continues as well. Tile is in the garage ready to go in and the construction of the shower pan has begun.