Heather's Blogtastic Blog: Day 120: The Cabinets Are In...

...and Christmas has come and gone.

Sorry for taking so long to post an update on the kitchen. I have no good excuse.

Well, enough of the blubbering, lets get to the good stuff. The cabinets are in! And so are all the appliances. Well, except for the dishwasher. But it is in place while I wait for the missing pieces to be delivered.

The cabinet installer, Theo, showed up on the morning of the 14th and got straight to work. He was working solo but figured he could get them in in a day. I knew all along, but didn't let myself get too used to the idea that they would go in that quickly.I lucked out when they sent Theo to install my cupboards. He normally works on high end kitchens, so he knew his way around cabinetry. He did a great job and only forgot one thing -- to drill a hole for my microwave cord. I had the right drill bits, and my handy dandy new drill, so I cut the hole myself.

After Theo left, I was faced with the daunting task of putting everything away. I was completely overwhelmed. Not only did I have to put stuff away, I had to clean most of it first and without a sink nearby. It all went in relatively smoothly, but I needed more shelves which I got to the following day. I even managed to put the stove and washer/dryer back all by myself. I was really craving some soup after I stumbled upon a can while unpacking. So, I fired up the stove and made me some soup!

By shear luck, my super awsome plumber Darrell was able to come on Monday to install my sink and dishwasher. He actually sent a different guy, but stopped by between jobs. I insisted they use braided lines all the way to the dishwasher, even though it would cost about $60 extra. I don't need it to burst which has been known to happen with plastic supply lines. Apparently the braided lines you buy at the hardware store are NOT the right kind. Only those from an actual plumbing supply place are the right kind. You can tell because they have a 'ring' type thing on the inside of the nut which goes on the inside of the pipe thingy. When the nut is tightened I am guessing it acts as a bit of a compression fitting on that inner ring thingy.

While there, Darrell helped me yell at the guy at the Brick when they told me the pieces I was missing for the dishwasher had to be purchased separately. He is now waiting on those parts, which the Brick will pay for thanks to my "conversation" with them. So, he will come back in the new year to install. Turns out I won't be flexing again until Feb 1, so I have a full month to wait for that last piece of the kitchen reno. But, I am so used to washing dishes by hand that I hardly notice. Besides, the dishwasher is sitting in its place and not my living room or dining room, so I am quite happy to carry on this way for as long as it takes.

I will be sure to get the kickplate tiles (base of the cabinets, same as the floor tile) and backsplash tiles in before the dishwasher goes in so that the kitchen will finally be done. I purchased the plain white tiles for the backsplash and decided to go with a glass tile for the insert. Glass tiles will go better with white grout and the taupy-purple colour will really go well with the floor. They should arrive some time next week.In the meantime, I am trying not to make a mess of my carpets which were just cleaned by my friends Tom and Lorraine. Thanks guys, they have a new lease on life while I save up my money to do the floors!

And here are some pics...