The beginning of the end

Mike and crew came back to finish what they started back in August (is it really the middle of October?), and I'm happy to say that we are now the proud owners of a new front door, countertops, sink and even some new funky backsplash tile- our 'little' renovation project is almost completed!

Before....

....After

After spending 20 minutes at Lowe's trying to figure out which grout color to select for the backsplash (I'm not inclined to the artsy aspect of things like Dave is, and he's in Houston), I arrived home to find the new door installed and it's even fancier than what it looked like in the brochure (Phew!).

Mike said the door threw the guys for a loop- after they took out the old door, they realized that the door opening was nowhere near square, and that they would need the 'heavy duty tools' to make a bigger and more square opening for the new door. I think Mike's exact words were that it (meaning the doorframe work) was a 'major pain in the ass'. At least this project has been anything but dull for them! *GRIN*

I marveled at the door for a minute before I realized the best was yet to come. I burst through the door, and there it was, in its glorious Granola color, the Corian counters!! Even as I type this, I can't stop looking at the kitchen. Can I also mention how nice it was to wash my dishes in the sink tonight, not the shower?!

I picked out the sink all by myself!

Trent got about 80% of the backsplash done today, too. It's gorgeous! The color of the greens really brings a nice depth to the kitchen too. By tomorrow, the rest of the backsplash and the grouting should be done. All that's left for the contractors to do (at least I think?) is some minor trim work, hooking up the dishwasher and sealing the grout. From our end, we just need to finish baseboards, paint trim and paint the bathroom (we painted the hall this past weekend). Not very much left before the housewarming party (Save the date- December 5th!!).

Bird's-eye view

If anyone would have told me two months ago that our house would look *this* good in just the span of a couple of months, I would have never believed them. I mean, I knew it would look good, but, WOW is all I can say (with a little giggling added in there too). In it's 52 years, 5112 has never looked so good.

The living room from the corner of the kitchen