Finishing Details in Mom's Kitchen

Yesterday and today they worked on Mom's kitchen. They laid the new vinyl, they permanently installed the range cabinets and the countertops, they fixed the new broom cupboard, and restretched the living room carpet into place. They also laid a new vinyl floor in her bathroom.

This pattern really goes well with Mom's cabinets. 

The living room carpet will be cleaned in a few days.

With our reward points from Sears (for buying the appliances), we were able to buy an area rug in the addition living area, four entry rugs, several curtain tension rods, and a tub shelf system. 

Here's a view of the outside of the addition.

I'll post more pics tomorrow.

Lots of last-minute details are happening now. 

Mom decided that she wanted to add onto the back patio now instead of waiting until spring, so the cement company came and did the job in an afternoon. They originally said that they couldn't come for at least a week, but the job they had lined up was delayed, and they were able to come the day after Mom decided to add to the patio. They poured a new step and another 10x12 section for the patio.

Steve laid out the stones they had rescued from the demolition of part of the original patio. He'll get more to fill out the rest of the new section of patio.

Preparing the ground for the pour.

Building the form for the step.

This crew works fast and the weather was beautiful--clear, sunny, and cool.

They backed in a cement truck and used wheelbarrows to truck them around the addition to the patio.

It's good they added to the patio. You need a lot of room for a table & chairs, a grill, a mini fireplace and lots of people!

Work is continuing on Mom's kitchen/dining room. They brought the new broom closet cupboard. The cabinet maker copied Mom's original cabinetry. We thought it was just one new cupboard; both Mom and I were surprised when they brought in this BIG section of cupboards!

There was a crew that delivered the cabinets and then there was the crew that set up the cabinets.

They did their best to match the stain of the original cabinets. The new cupboards are a shade darker. In dim lighting or on an angle you can't tell the difference. Steve had them make the cabinet about an inch shorter (not so deep) to differentiate it from the original.

Some things Mom likes about them--the garbage/recycling cupboard, the grand number of shelves/drawers. 

Some things she's not fond of--there's no room for her broom (the whole reason for adding the cabinets in the first place--we did figure out a solution for that though), the top cupboards are pullout drawers and they are quite tall and hard to see/reach (but cupboards would be too), some of the pullout drawers in the lower cabinets should be lower and the shelves up higher. There were a few mistakes, and they will come out this week and fix those things. The great thing is that it adds so much storage to her kitchen.

The range and cabinets can now stay in place permanently. They had to go out on the front porch for the inspection (that's what the county told the contractor to do!)

Taking off the old baseboard; getting ready for the new vinyl that will be installed tomorrow (Monday).

There's surprisingly little waste with this project. No more dumpsters parked for weeks at the construction site like I remember seeing years ago. Steve said that much of the materials can be recycled and with careful planning there is little waste materials. Jake loaded his pickup with a load for the dump (the only load they took, I think) and he loaded my van with cardboard to be recycled. Both were filled to the gills.

After our van was full, we hurried over to take it to the only recycling center we knew. It was in Lake Oswego and by the time we got there it was closed :(

The next day Quinn took the load to a different, closer recycling center after work.

The washer and dryer are installed in the hallway closet of the addition. These are full-size units. We used Mom's washer (front-loading) and a new dryer. The old washer is quite a bit bigger than the newer models. It was a TIGHT fit to get both in place--with just an inch to spare! 

I put up a clothes pole in my section of our closet and brought over one shirt to make sure I installed the rod at the right height. I also got some cupboard boxes, assembled them and had Steve put them up for additional storage. At the back of the closet is the crawl space access so we can't put anything on the floor there.

We brought over the baking supplies from our house (our oven doesn't work, so we wouldn't be baking anyway) and placed them in the kitchen. Everything is construction dusty, so we clean first and then arrange. 

Taryn used the new vacuum to vacuum the carpet. New carpet has lots of fuzzy leftover pieces.

The kids took our camping cushions, their blankets and pillows, and toilet paper over to the house and spent the night in Tanner's room. Just a maiden voyage...

Our friend, Ed, brought over his trailer for us to use for moving our stuff. He and Quinn were able to get it into our garage (a tight fit) so that we could load things over several days. This is the part I am not looking forward to--packing up and moving and arranging. I guess the good thing is that we have never moved more than a mile--it was only around the corner from our first apartment to our house on Lee and not quite a mile from our house on Lee to our house on Creswain; and now it's just around the corner to our new address on Ruby Drive.

More of the last stretch

The inspectors came out for plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems and everything passed! The only thing they had to add were smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in both the addition and Mom's house. So the addition can be officially occupied! Yay! There's still a punch list of things to do before we move in, but today Taryn bought a bedframe and started to install it (with Quinn's help) in her room.

Here's the electrical inspector.

Countertop and sink installed in the upstairs bath.

Range hood and cooktop installed in the addition. We had to return the first range hood (too small) and get a different range hood. They had to really work to get the exhaust ductwork to fit (even though they had planned for it). It's starting to come together.

rounding the corner toward home

I went to Utah for 4 days to shoot a wedding and a LOT happened on the addition. There was a lot of running around while I was gone and even more when I came back--all those pesky little details that need to be done. I'm posting the photos and will add a caption (because it's easier). I'll post more photos tomorrow (they are on Mom's camera at her house).

It was a hive of activity at the end of last week. Craig came to do the granite countertops, the painters finished up some trim, a crew came to work on the outside flatwork (cement), and, of course, Steve and Jake were working on other interior details. The plumber and electrician were also in and out.

The west end of the driveway was in really poor shape. So the concrete was torn up and while they built and poured the steps & porch for the back door and the steps for the side door, they also poured concrete for a sidewalk and driveway.

Back door porch

Working on the new section of driveway

The forms are built and the ground with gravel is ready for the pour.

Here's the walkway to the side door that looks out on Mom's garden.

Just poured cement.

They installed the newly painted, not-temporary back door. It was chosen to match Mom's front door.

Craig cut and processed the granite at a shop in Bend and then brought it to Mom's house.

Placing the countertops in the addition.

Craig working on the countertops

Getting Mom's counters ready for her granite.

A new countertop, backsplash and windowsill were installed in Mom's kitchen.

Light fixtures were added to all the rooms. This light is in the main floor bedroom in the addition. 

We discovered that one fixture in the new kitchen's hallway was too tall (for want of a better word)--the pantry door would hit it every time it was opened. So they had to take that light fixture out, and we went searching for a shallow (only 3" in height) light fixture. Because we need two (a matched set), we have to wait until one can be shipped from a warehouse in Seattle. They used the two lights we originally bought for the new kitchen's hallway in Mom's dining room.

This chandelier is in the guest room Taryn will use.

This light is in the other guest room.

Here is Mom's new faucet--it can actually pull out to rinse all parts of the sink!

Funny story about this faucet. We bought this with the cabinets--very excited to get it while it was on sale. Steve called me in Utah wanting to know where this faucet was. I said it's somewhere in the addition (I had seen it). He wanted to know if I had returned it with the cabinet extras. I didn't think I had and they even checked the receipt and didn't see it. The faucet had mysteriously disappeared. Mom and Taryn had to go to IKEA bright and early Monday morning to get another faucet (and more trim) because the plumber was coming. They discovered when they were there that the faucet had indeed been returned! Darn. But this faucet is in and it looks good!

Prepping (drywall & mud & tape) Mom's wall for the new range and rearranging her base and wall cabinets from the pennisula.

Out with Mom's old water heater--replaced with a tankless hot water heater. Good thing too; they found leaking or corrosion (I can't remember) when they took it out--it was on it's very last legs.

The carpet is delivered.

Cutting the carpet (thank heavens for good weather)

Hauling the carpet upstairs for one of the rooms. The whole upstairs (except for the bathroom and the attics) is carpeted.

Adding the pad to the stairs. Mom went with a better pad so the carpet would feel nice and soft.

Playing on the carpet--Tanner, Mikayla & Sadie.