Wendy
   The cook top is here! Wayne’s contact at the gas company said to call when it got here and they would send someone over. Well, they did! I finally have a working gas cook top.  I cooked on it this evening-I LOVE IT!! 
   Wayne took down the last barricade tonight.  It connected the kitchen /fireplace room to the family room.  I still have the fireplace furniture in the family room. I better get going on the trim so we can do the walls and move everything back. Yeah…trim painting was on my schedule today but the schedule did not allow for it.  It has been moved to the schedule for tomorrow…crossing my fingers!

Wayne
   Happy Happy Day!!! I happened to be home when the new gas cook top got delivered. I called the gas company to let them know it was here and they said, “We’ll send someone right over”. What? Seriously? A couple hours later it was all hooked up and running perfect. That’s’ it – we’re basically done. I can’t believe it. We have been dreaming about this project for about 10 years and it really happened. There were some bumps in the road along the way but I am smiling from ear to ear right now!!!
   I sanded the walls, which are now ready for final paint, then took down the last barricade. Things are returning to normal (as much as they can around here).
   Wendy cooked dinner in her new kitchen using the wall oven and gas cook top…Life is good again!!!

Wendy
   Another busy day but I spent some time at the end of the day to finish putting EVERYTHING away.  The kitchen is fully stocked with all its items…wooooHOOOOO! The cook top is set to be delivered tomorrow….but we still need to get the gas company back too! And no…trim..painting…by…me…yet. Ugh

Wayne
   It reached 87⁰ today. We skipped spring and went straight to summer. Guess who installed 4 skylights and shingled on a hot roof today. No work in the kitchen for me – a shower and early bed is all the energy I’ve got left…

Wendy
   “Monday, Monday, can´t trust that day”,
   Monday is always a busy work day.  After work today, Wayne finished the venting 100%.  He found a missing piece to make everything work. So tomorrow-I can officially finish putting the rest of the items away.  I did go grocery shopping and I hope I remember where I put all those items!
   I have not started the trim painting yet….egads.  I did succeed in making lasagna tonight for dinner though! I am soooo looking forward to the tile arriving this week and the cook top!

Wayne
   I struggled with the microwave venting yesterday because I didn’t have the right parts. On my way home after work today, I picked up the pieces I needed to finished. With the correct pipes installed, caulked, and taped; the venting system was test run and is working perfectly.
   Then I installed a lazy Susan in the diagonal wall unit (why it doesn’t come with one was a surprise to me). Done – two more items checked off the punch list.
   Since the wall ovens are working I think Wendy really wanted to use them. She made lasagna, one of her best yet, and we enjoyed eating at home. I still don’t know how she was able to boil the water correctly; maybe she cheated by using the microwave? She is very resourceful. 

Wendy
   Happy Birthday to me!  We went out for breakfast. We went for a late lunch/early dinner in Rye. We went for a beach walk in Rye. Beautiful weather! So, limited work on the kitchen was done today.  Wayne started the process of putting the actual venting through the cabinets to the outside. We had issues with the angle so we will have to regroup on that.  I put more things away today. I just hope I remember where things are!

Wayne
​   Who knew that so many things are stored in a kitchen? Not me. I was not home when Wendy unloaded our old kitchen into bags and boxes and brought all the items up to the 2nd floor spare bedroom. Now that it is time to load it all back in, I volunteered to be the ‘hauler’ and she be the ‘organizer’. After 9 trips up and down the stairs with both arms full, I was huffing and puffing. All this stuff came out of there? She loaded it up and moved it all out by herself? I’m sure bringing it down was easier than moving it up. Kudos to her and a shout out to all the ladies who do the behind the scenes work that goes unnoticed!!!
   I did take the afternoon off to enjoy the beautiful day and take the birthday girl out for lunch. Atlantic Grill and a Dunkin Donut coffee stroll on the beach was a wonderful afternoon and conclusion to the long week!

Wendy
   We decided to sleep in a bit. I set the alarm for 7 since the gas company would be here at 8am.  The alarm went off at 7 along with the front doorbell.  The gas company arrived at 7! Good thing Wayne can dress quickly…bahahahaha! The gas company worked here for a few hours then was ready to do the final install on the cook top unit, but there was an issue. The gas top is automatically set up for natural gas and there is a converter for propane. We have propane. Well, no converter was with the unit. So, the cook top unit final install is on hold.
   The cook top unit is from an old client that did not want the unit but it has not been used.  It has been in storage for about 10 yrs. I cannot get a converter for the unit because it has been discontinued.  So, most of today was spent trying to find a unit that would fit.  You see…the granite has already been cut a certain size and if I cannot find a unit that fits then the granite company will need to return and re-cut. This means more dust, mess and more money. I found two units that would fit the cut dimensions. Both units were highly rated, decently priced but I could not actually get one in my hands.  I ended up ordering one of them today (I did see a real model in the store of it) and it will be at my home on Wednesday. The kitchen is getting pricier but this unit should last quite awhile. 
   We regrouped and made a punchlist of items for the kitchen remodel. We cleaned and put more items away.  We chilled out a bit tonight with Mai Tai drinks and a movie.  It was so needed.

Wayne
   Because we were up late organizing the kitchen last night we decided to sleep in a little – until the doorbell rang at 7am. Quickly throwing on some sweats, I rushed to the door to meet the gas company who was an hour early. A bit out of sorts, and without coffee, I quickly set out site protection tarps on the floor. After I reviewed the scope of work with the installers, I put on a pot of coffee and smiled as I realized that this was the big day – we were going to get our last, and most important appliance up and running.
   About an hour into the project, our hopes and dreams were dashed. The brand new Bosch cook top which we had in storage since 2007, the one that this whole project was centered around, was set up for natural gas and we didn’t have the conversion kit for propane. Wendy frantically searched the web and discovered that this model had been discontinued and no conversion kit has been available for 5 years. The gas guys left without fan fare (and without us being able to cook). To make matters worse – we had to find a new cook top that would fit into the exact same opening that our granite counter was cut for. After extensive research, Wendy found a Whirlpool unit that would work. After our depressive mood lifted - we set off to go buy it.
   State Street was so busy we couldn’t even get a salesman; Home Depot had the model on display but couldn’t deliver for over a week. Wendy finally ended up ordering it on line through Best Buy with a delivery date for next Wednesday.
   It’s been a long day and we don’t feel like going out – Pizza it is.

Wendy
   A lot of business running around today but I worked a bit this morning and a lot this evening slowly cleaning and moving things back in. Wayne painted the wall behind where the fridge is being placed and the color gray is PERFECT! So we finally nailed the color!  We moved the fridge back inside the kitchen with plenty of floor protection so we would not scratch up the floors.  The gas company will be here tomorrow to run the new line and set up the cook top. I am almost on full cooking in my kitchen mode!

Wayne
   Its officially move-in day. Hip-Hop-hooray! We were going to wait until Saturday – but we are both so excited to start filling up the cabinets. Not to mention starting the declutter process of the rest of the house.
   I applied the first coat of wall paint behind where the refrigerator goes. As soon as that dries I will apply the 2nd coat and then install the fridge. The is the last appliance to be installed – with the exception of the gas being hooked up to the new cook top tomorrow morning.
   Wendy has Pandora cranking and she is singing as she is moving boxes from around the house and organizing the items into the cabinets. I remember that is what she did when she first was washing all our dishes in that small bar sink – that didn’t last long. This singing should! :-)

Wendy
   The wood floors look beautiful! So gorgeous!  The floors were tacky most of the day, so I let the big Turbo Fan run to keep the smell out of the house.  Wayne started the installation of the venting for the microwave fan which meant drilling through cabinets to the outside wall.  We took down the temporary barricades from the hall to the kitchen and from the dining room to the kitchen.  I started to clean some of the cabinets and started to move a few items in. YIPPEEEEEE!!!! This is going to be a wonderful space.  I am in the excited, thrilled, and jumping up and down, happiness mode!

Wayne
   The wood floors look awesome. Adding a 4th coat was worth the extra effort. That should provide a very durable finish as well as a beautiful look. Once the floors cured, I surprised Wendy by starting to take down the barricades. The smile on her face as she came around the corner and caught me in the act was priceless. I took down two of the three barricades. I am going to leave the barricade with the dust extractor up for a little longer. I still need to pole sand the walls before painting them. Better safe than sorry – someone won’t be happy if I get dust in the newly cleaned kitchen.
   Funny thing is that we got so conditioned to walking the long way around the kitchen with the barricades in place that we were still doing that after they came down. It’s great to have full access back again! We each took one item from our temporary kitchen and put in the new kitchen to mark this momentous occasion. I put a box of cereal in the pantry cabinet. Wendy brought in the coffee maker. That’s my girl! 

Wendy
   Back to the grind today! The electrician came and installed the ceiling fan, track lighting, finished the recessed cans and did the outlets in the bar area. The gas company was not able to honor their appointment today because of sick employees.  It has been rescheduled for Saturday starting at 8 am….ugh. So the bar braces were primed, the ceiling molding got painted another coat, and the handles were installed on all the cabinets. We went up to Tri-City Masonry to put our tile order in and bring back the boards of inspiration.  We went to Home Depot again for client materials and decided to purchase some of the pencil border we saw.
   The Crockpot meal that I cooked today was eh but now the Crockpot is dead.  I had a feeling it was going…. It has been good to me for over 25 yrs.  I have another one also but it is on its way out too….it is 36yrs old!! So Crockpot shopping will be happening and at least I know I am not failing completely at cooking just because I am renovating my kitchen! I think…haha
    Wayne is doing the final sand and coat on the wood floor late tonight as I type. This should be the LAST one! Turbo Fan Commence! 

Wayne
​   You know why I do almost every aspect of a job myself? Because I am your typical ‘type-A’ personality and I need total control (and quality assurance). Today was a prime example of that. The gas company called me an hour after they were supposed to be here to say they were not coming. It messed up the rest of the day, I had no control over it, and it upset me. That’s not to say we didn’t have a productive morning, because we did, but that pushes the move in date back until they reschedule.
   The crown molding was painted for the third and final coat (see the ‘quality assurance’ comment), the cabinet handles all installed, and the granite counter brackets primed. After dinner I buffed the wood floors and coated the 4th and final application of gloss finish. It looks like a piece of glass – no... a mirror. And that’s a good reflection of me (LOL) 

Wendy
   The floor is taking a while to dry after the late night application, so trim painting cannot be done.  I am running the Turbo Fan longer today for the smell is a bit strong. Sigh.
   We ate at Alexander’s. The food was eh but atmosphere was nice. Here I am digressing into a food review blog.

Wayne
​   Today was a day off from the kitchen as ‘real’ work took precedence. (If you are a future client reading this – don’t worry, we would have been at your house painting. I just don’t have the personal time for that today.) It is just as well as it is giving the floor an extra day to cure without anyone on it. Though we typically only do three coats of urethane on wood floors, I am going to do a fourth since it is a kitchen and a high traffic area. It will look like glass after the next coat. 
   Since our days off being forced to go out to eat will be coming to an end soon – we are heading out to Alexander’s for some fine Italian cuisine tonight. I love the food but not the wine. Warm wine? What? Yuck.

Wendy
   My plan was to start painting trim today but work and life got in the way.  I am bummed I did not get in there to work but we can only do so much….
   We went to Home Depot for materials for clients and for some more tile inspiration.  The decision is to start with some 4”x4” white tile as the bottom row. We believe we have found a pencil border and we believe we will order the tile we like from Tri-City. We went out to eat at Fogarty’s and Cold snap is no longer available it seems…the change of the seasons!
   Wayne sanded the floor again and put a nice gloss finish on it. The turbo fan will be running for the night!
​
Wayne
​   It was a month ago today that we ripped the kitchen out. It seems like it was much longer than that but then again it seems like it was only yesterday. Keeping in mind that we had delays by snow storms and that we were gone for a week – things have progressed rather well. I know Wendy feels it too and today she announced that we are moving into the new kitchen this weekend. I’ll be excited just to take the plastic barricades down! 
​   We purchased the 4”x4” white soldier course of tiles today. We are debating between a white or black horizontal pencil tile to install above that. I think it will be a game time decision but we are leaning towards white; black may be too much of a bold statement.
   We went to Fogarty’s for dinner and found out that the ‘Cold Snap’ is over and ‘Summer” is here (Sam Adams switched their seasonal ale) I don’t think I like this beer as much – but I do like the theme! After dinner I buffed the floors and applied the third coat of oil based urethane. Good thing the extraction fan is still set up. Who needs beer when working with those fumes... 

Wendy
   A day of rest…HA!
   We went outside and did limited snow removal. The advantage of spring snow is it is going to melt fairly quickly! Wayne and I worked in our offices most of the day trying to catch up. Wayne has sanded more of the woodwork to prep for paint.  I told him I will paint all trim woodwork.  I like painting-it is therapeutic for me as long as I am not being rushed. Wayne has complimented me on my trim painting skills.  He doesn’t like painting trim so he is trying to keep me pumped up…haha! I keep revisiting the tile….I am going to drive myself nuts.
   I texted a dear sweet client of ours, who we did a big kitchen renovation for, and told her I so empathize even more now!  She said that unless someone goes through it- they will not totally get it. Both she and I like to cook, so the temporary kitchen can be a blessing and a curse. This has been good for Wayne and me. It has enlightened us more in a few areas which will be helpful for our future clients. Also, I am allowed to text/call and vent to this sweet client whenever I need to –haha! We are really blessed with great clients.  Many of our clients turn into repeat clients…so we must be doing it right!
   I have arranged for the electrician to come here on Wednesday and the gas company will be here also to set up the cook top. I think by next weekend-I will be able to move back into my kitchen.  The tile may not be done but enough will be done to allow the kitchen to function. I have started a master list for my kitchen of things I need to do before moving back in—that are not construction related.  I need to clean of course, get liners for drawers/cabinets….measure the sizes, new utensil holders (old ones do not match—off to my camp they will go), hook inside the cabinet sink doors for towel hanging, install paper towel holder (new one), and try to move in slowly so I can adjust shelves accordingly.  I can only reach the first two shelves. So that means putting the most used items in the first two shelves and the base cabinets. But there is no guarantee that shelf #2 will always be reachable and then add shelve #3 and #4 which by no means are reachable --except by stool/ladder for which I have bought a new one. May I not shrink with age and may I always be able to dance on the counters which is the most fun way to reach the shelving…hahahaha!  
   Wayne sanded the floor some tonight to prep for another coat but he could not finish sanding because the poor guy is exhausted. Like I said…a day of rest…HA!

Wayne
   Ugh – now I remember why I hire people to do this type of work… I spent the entire afternoon caulking, spackling nail heads, and sanding the trim for paint. As is the case for most things, it is the preparation that makes the final product so good. As much as I did not enjoy today’s tedious efforts – I know the paint job will really look good. Dinner and a movie at home was a nice conclusion to the week. Who needs a kitchen anyway? I’m getting accustomed to this. Lol - I wonder if Wendy’s blog will mimic this.

Wendy
   It has been snowing and sleeting all day.  Wayne did the final perfect coat of paint on the ceiling. I can contact my electrician now to finish up the recessed lights, install the ceiling fan, finish the outlets in the granite bar area and install track lighting.  We will not be able to finish the outlet finishes in the countertop area until the backsplash tile is done.
   I reviewed the tile boards that we got from Tri-City and I am now leaning towards one. It was my favorite before but I did not like it next to the granite but loved it next to the cabinets.  I will need to put another color (plain…maybe white) close to the granite. Hmmm…add a border…then this tile. We will see. I have spent time tonight using my research skills and looking at too many tile options and layouts.
   I used my crock-pot for tonight’s meal and it came out awesome.   Winner winner…pot roast dinner!!

Wayne
   I was hoping that today’s predicted 12” snow storm was a collaborative April Fool’s Day joke by all the local weathermen… but it wasn’t. That’s alright – we have nowhere to go so I hunkered down to work in the kitchen with music and coffee.
   I put down site protection tarps, sanded the ceiling, did some minor patching, and applied the final coat of paint. I sanded some scratches off the wood floor, spot urethaned, and did a site cleanup. All the time, Wendy was researching tile design options. She found a picture that we both liked and I was able to mock up her idea with some random tiles I had in the workshop. Hummm – I think we’re on to something here. We’ll install a horizontal row of white 4”x4” tile on top of the black granite top, then an accent pencil border above that, then the 4”x4” grayish marble tiles (from the sample board we liked) turned at a 45 degree angle above that.
   Ok – you know what? That actually was ‘kind of fun’.
   My new advice to clients will be, “selecting tile and paint may at times be stressful and confusing but don’t give up. Afterwards you will look back and realize the overall experience was a journey that was worth it”.