Starting to Come Together

As of this past week/weekend, the kitchen has started to finally come together.  Our appliances arrived and Trent was able to install the butcher block.  He still has a little sanding to do and several layers of oil need to be added - but it's really close. 

Still left (for the kitchen):  tile backsplash and new lighting.

I Had My Doubts

When Trent decided that he wanted to make the butcher block countertop, I had my doubts.  It's very specific and because of the style there is no margin for error.  None.  But as you can see, he pulled it off.  The counter still needs a protective coat of oil (probably several coats of oil) and a little more sanding, but it's basically done.  Trent will install it this weekend - with the help of some muscle (volunteers???).  Since there is nothing to reference the size in the pics, the sink cutout is 3 feet wide.  It's a big ole' chunk of wood.

 

Putting it Together

Trent has spent most of his evening time working on our butcher block counter.  It's getting very close and he may even start installing it this weekend (maybe).  Earlier this week, Trent found a local shop that had a sander large enough to handle the three big pieces.   He met the owner there (after work hours) and spent several hours smoothing it out. 
He first put all the pieces together to make sure it was going to turn out.

 

Then (after taking them back apart) he cut the hole for the sink.  So far, we are extremely pleased with how it's turning out!

 

50%

Our countertops in the kitchen are 50% complete!  The granite was installed recently and (fingers crossed) Trent is hoping to have the butcher block island completed this next weekend.

We are putting up a tile backsplash (a really cool one, in my opinion) that should complete the look of the granite.

Once we get done with the counter stuff, we'll be able to move on to new lighting and then (finally!) appliances.  We are currently having a small "discussion" in our home about what appliances we are going to purchase.  Doesn't every couple talk through the finer points of exactly how many cubic feet you need in a refrigerator?!

Butcher Block - In the Making

Trent is in the process of hand making our butcher block countertop (for the center island).  Truthfully, I've looked at many butcher block counters and thought I knew exactly how they were put together.  I was so wrong.  It's much more involved and complex than I ever imagined.  Add to this complicated process the fact that our island is so big that we couldn't even special order a butcher block counter pre-made...they were going to have to make/assemble it on site.  (This would have been helpful info to have prior to ordering the cabinet that makes up the center island.)
Thankfully, Trent has a plan and it seems to be going exactly as he had hoped.  The short description is that he's taken several pieces of maple, cut them to 2" strips and is gluing them all together (in 3 sections).  He will then glue the 3 big pieces together to make the final product.  And since I only took a semester of shop class in 7th grade, I'm not helping on this particular project.

Worth It

After many (many) projects, Trent and I have learned that we generally agree on what is worth spending a little extra on.  Probably one of the biggest things we both love, is having great lights/lights switches/dimmers/timers.  We love them so much that occasionally we will drive by one of our old project houses just to see if the current owners are still using the timers for the exterior lights (no, that's not stalking....we're simply checking on things).

Attached is a photo of the most recent lighting addition.  We had to replace all the light switches and outlets because they were beige...gross, icky, kinda' looks dirty, beige.  Through that process we decided to swap out a few light switches for some more "fun" ones.  This little panel makes certain that our exterior lights always turn on/off at the same time each night - and Trent only had to get shocked once during the process.

The Little Things

This picture doesn't seem like much, but it really is.  We now finally have all of the trim (and newly added toe trim) put back up in the house.  This means that furniture can finally be put back out!  Obviously, the first piece of furniture we pulled out was my piano - but that was really more about function than form (I needed to practice).

In other house project news, we have decided to try something new for the kitchen and we'll know very shortly if we're crazy or brilliant.  Up until this week, we planned on keeping some of the original countertops with this house (they are solid surface and nice looking).  However, after looking at countless Pinterest pics, we've decided that we should put new granite on the cabinets and butcher block on the island.  The problem is that apparently the "good" butcher block is just as expensive as granite!  Trent has decided that he can make this butcher block countertop and save hundreds (maybe even a thousand) of dollars.  He's ordered the wood and it comes in this week.  Stay tuned....

Amish Toys

We just had a new center island built for our kitchen and an Amish man named Andrew built it.  This isn't a photo of Andrew, it's his son.  My dad went with me to help order the island and he managed to "steal" a pic of the two year old.  I would normally say that he's just playing with the farm equipment...but there is a solid chance he's already working.

As for the island, we have it in the kitchen (close to where it will permanently be).  Once we get it all put together (dishwasher, sink, countertop, etc), I'm confident it will look perfect.  And since we had some extra space in the back of it, Andrew made 2 cabinets that are both 36" x 36".  Do you know how big that is?!  Huge!!  My serving dishes will finally have a home.

 

 

 

 

The Floors, The Floors, The Beautiful Floors

The wood floors on this project house are done.  As promised, here are some additional photos.  The pics don't do the floors justice.  The red color is solely my poor photography skills (the wood has no red coloring in it). 
Here are the specs on the beautiful floors:

 

Wood:  Hickory

Size:  5" wide planks

Extra Stuff:  Distressed with the "hand carved" look.  Obviously, no one carved out strategic chunks - it was done with a machine...but it still looks cool.

Price:  Kind of expensive (in my opinion)

 

 

As our blog states, we generally do everything ourselves on our projects.  However, Trent was gone for a trip to Nicaragua and we didn't want to stop all the work on the house.  Sadly, I have some severe limitations when using a table saw (that was required to put these floors in).  In an effort to help me keep all 10 fingers, we hired out the installation of the floors.  Best decision ever.  We hired Legacy Building Group, LLC out of South Bend.  If you are reading this in FB, I'll add them into the post.  If you are on the blog and want their number or info, leave a comment and I'll gladly provide it.  They did incredible work, showed up on time, cleaned up at the end of each day (it's like they could read my mind) and were extremely trustworthy.  I can't say enough good things about the whole experience!

And yes, Bailey decided to make an appearance in this last shot.

Rid O Rust

This product is officially my newest favorite item.  Ever.  When we purchased this project house it had rust all over the outside (brick, stone, siding, sidewalk, landscaping rocks, driveway, everything).  We actually considered not purchasing this home solely because of this issue...the rust was that bad.

Thankfully, the next door neighbor assured us that everyone in the subdivision has the same problem and they all use the same product each summer to remove/prevent it.  We hopped on board, placed an order, saw the price, almost cancelled the order, hit "submit" and paid the bill.  The product arrived, I immediately poured it into a large sprayer and went to work.  Magic!  No scrubbing, it doesn't destroy plants/grass, it's amazing.  The rust is almost all gone.  Sadly, we didn't listen to our neighbor when he told us to order 9 CASES of the stuff.  Therefore, we are awaiting shipment #2 to show up so I can finish some last problem areas. 

BEFORE:

AFTER: